Arizona › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 22
Mesa region unit
Arizona Unit 22 hunting seasons and hunt numbers
AZGFD maps Unit 22 at 1,579 square miles in Gila County, Maricopa County and Yavapai County; 30 hunt numbers from the 2026-27 Commission Orders are valid here.
Photo: Alan Levine (CC BY 2.0)
Where Unit 22 lies
Unit 22 covers 1,579 square miles on the AZGFD Game Management Unit layer and is run by AZGFD Region VI (Mesa). Gila County holds 58% of it.
Hunters in Unit 22 can be standing in any of 3 counties, led by Gila with 911 square miles.
| County | Sq mi in unit | Share of unit | Share of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gila County | 910.8 | 58% | 19% |
| Maricopa County | 518.6 | 33% | 6% |
| Yavapai County | 144.8 | 9% | 2% |
Expect Game & Fish, National Forest, Private and Tribal land when you study the Unit 22 map. Tribal and national park ground is not open on an AZGFD tag; tribal land here needs its own permission or is closed. Tonto National Forest covers part of the unit. There is no military property in this unit on the layer.
Species named on the AZGFD layer for Unit 22: Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear, Elk, Javelina, Merriam's Turkey, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Tree Squirrel and Quail. Treat it as a guide; the Commission Order rows set the seasons.
Area, region, ownership, species list, forest and military fields from the AZGFD Game Management Unit layer (overlay with Census county lines); unit maps in the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 22 closures, zones and limits
- The over-the-counter archery deer hunt in Unit 22 carries a limit of antlered mule deer 20 and antlered whitetail deer 65, counted from 48-hour online reports.
- Unit 22 bear area limits for females: 9 (22N) and 7 (22S) in both 2026 and 2027.
- Mountain lion: Unit 22 is in harvest zone J (Unit 21, Unit 22, Unit 23, Unit 24A, Unit 24B, Unit 25M and Unit 26M), threshold 54.
- Unit 22 is outside the CWD priority list, though AZGFD tests heads for free anywhere.
- AZGFD lists Unit 22 among the units where Mexican wolves may roam.
- Trapping is open in Unit 22 from November 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027; foothold, body-gripping and snare traps are not allowed on public land.
Archery deer limits, bear female limits, lion zones, crane zones, metro units, CWD, Mexican wolf and trapping pages of the Arizona Game and Fish Department booklets; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 22 hunts: draw, OTC and license
Grouped by tag type, the 111 rows for Unit 22 show which hunts need the draw (27) and which do not. Read every elk and pronghorn row as a 2026 hunt; AZGFD publishes the 2027 dates in January.
The population management rows are Commission Order 26 hunts drawn from the Supplemental Hunter Pool.
By draw (27)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Dates | Hunt numbers here | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Youth-only (general) | Any antlered deer | Oct 9–15 | 1160 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Oct 23–29 | 1082 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered mule deer | Oct 30–Nov 5 | 1036 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Nov 6–12 | 1083 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered mule deer | Dec 11–31 | 1037 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Dec 11–31 | 1084 | |
| Elk | Archery-only | Bull elk | Sep 11–24 | 3147 | |
| Elk | General | Bull elk | Sep 25–Oct 1 | 3007 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Bull elk | Sep 25–Oct 1 | 3104 | |
| Elk | Youth-only (general) | Antlerless elk | Oct 9–15 | 3071 | |
| Elk | CHAMP (general) | Any elk | Oct 16–22 | 3099 | |
| Elk | General | Antlerless elk | Oct 16–22 | 3058, 3059 | |
| Elk | Archery-only | Antlerless elk | Nov 13–26 | 3186 | |
| Elk | Archery-only | Bull elk | Nov 13–26 | 3164, 3165 | |
| Elk | General | Bull elk | Nov 27–Dec 3 | 3027, 3029 | |
| Elk | General | Bull elk | Dec 4–10 | 3028 | |
| Javelina | Archery-only spring | Any javelina | Jan 1–21 | 5093 | |
| Javelina | Youth-only (general) spring | Any javelina | Jan 22–31 | 5040 | |
| Javelina | HAM spring | Any javelina | Feb 5–15 | 5062 | |
| Javelina | General spring | Any javelina | Feb 19–25 | 5012 | |
| Desert bighorn | Pioneer (general) | One-horned ram | Nov 1–Dec 31 | 6802 | |
| Desert bighorn | General | Any ram | Nov 13–Dec 3 | 6015 | |
| Desert bighorn | General | Any ram | Dec 4–31 | 6016 | |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn | Pioneer (general) | One-horned ram | Nov 1–Dec 31 | 6901 | |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn | General | Any ram | Dec 1–31 | 6506 | |
| Wild turkey | Shotgun shot spring | Bearded turkey | Apr 23–29 May 7–20 | 4038 | |
| Wild turkey | Shotgun shot spring | Bearded turkey | Apr 30–May 20 | 4039 |
Nonpermit-tags (over the counter) (9)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Harvest limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only | Antlered mule deer | 22 | Aug 21–Sep 10 Dec 11–31 Jan 1–31 | 20 | |
| Deer | Archery-only | Antlered whitetail deer | 22 | Aug 21–Sep 10 Dec 11–31 Jan 1–31 | 65 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 South | Aug 21–Sep 10 | 2 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 North | Oct 30–Dec 31 | 4 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 South | Oct 30–Dec 31 | 3 | |
| Black bear | General spring | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 North | Mar 19–Apr 22 | 1 | |
| Black bear | General spring | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 South | Mar 19–Apr 22 | 1 | |
| Mountain lion | General | Any lion except spotted kittens or females accompanied by spotted kittens | Statewide | Aug 21–May 31 | — | |
| Mountain lion | Pursuit-only | Pursuit only Any lion except spotted kittens or females accompanied by spotted kittens | Statewide | Aug 21–May 31 | — |
Restricted nonpermit-tags (5)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Tags | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Archery-only | Designated elk | 22 | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 50 | |
| Elk | General | Designated elk | 22 | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 75 | |
| Javelina | General | Any javelina | 22 and 23 | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 10 | |
| Black bear | Archery-only | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 and 23 | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 2 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 22 and 23 | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 10 |
License only (70)
| Species | Hunt | Area | Dates | License | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quail | Falconry-only | Statewide | Sep 1–Mar 4 | Hunting license | |
| Quail | General | Statewide | Oct 16–Feb 7 | Hunting license | |
| Mearns' quail | General | Statewide | Dec 4–Feb 7 | Hunting license | |
| Chukar partridge | General | Statewide | Sep 1–Feb 7 | Hunting license | |
| Dusky grouse | General | Statewide | Sep 1–Nov 8 | Hunting license | |
| Pheasant | Falconry-only | Statewide | Sep 7–Feb 7 | Hunting license | |
| Pheasant | Archery-only | Statewide | Oct 16–Feb 7 | Hunting license | |
| Tree squirrels | Archery-only | Statewide | Aug 21–Oct 1 | Hunting license | |
| Tree squirrels | Falconry-only | Statewide | Aug 21–Jan 31 | Hunting license | |
| Tree squirrels | General | Statewide | Oct 2–Jan 31 | Hunting license | |
| Cottontail rabbit | Falconry-only | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Cottontail rabbit | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Cottontail rabbit | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Doves | Early | Statewide | Sep 1–15 | License, bird stamp | |
| Doves | Falconry-only | Statewide | Sep 16–Nov 1 | License, bird stamp | |
| Doves | Late | Statewide | Nov 20–Jan 3 | License, bird stamp | |
| Eurasian collared-dove | General | Statewide | Sep 1–Aug 31 | License, bird stamp | |
| Band-tailed pigeon | General | Statewide | Sep 25–Oct 8 | License, bird stamp | |
| Ducks | General | Statewide | Oct 23–Jan 31 | License, both stamps | |
| Ducks | General (scaup) | Statewide | Nov 7–Jan 31 | License, both stamps | |
| Ducks | Falconry-only | Statewide | Feb 1–4 | License, both stamps | |
| Ducks | Youth-only | Statewide | Feb 6–7 | License, both stamps | |
| Geese | General | Statewide | Oct 23–Jan 31 | License, both stamps | |
| Geese | Youth-only | Statewide | Feb 6–7 | License, both stamps | |
| Coots and gallinules | General | Statewide | Oct 23–Jan 31 | License, both stamps | |
| Coots and gallinules | Falconry-only | Statewide | Feb 1–4 | License, both stamps | |
| Coots and gallinules | Youth-only | Statewide | Feb 6–7 | License, both stamps | |
| Common snipe | General | Statewide | Oct 23–Jan 31 | License, both stamps | |
| Badger | General | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Badger | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Badger | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Beaver | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Bobcat | General | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Bobcat | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Bobcat | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Coati | Falconry-only | Statewide | Sep 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Coati | General | Statewide | Sep 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Coyote | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Coyote | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Coyote | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| European starling | Falconry-only | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| European starling | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| European starling | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Foxes | General | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Foxes | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Foxes | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| House sparrow | Falconry-only | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| House sparrow | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| House sparrow | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Jackrabbits | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Nongame mammals | Falconry-only | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Nongame mammals | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Nongame mammals | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Northern bobwhite | Falconry-only | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Northern bobwhite | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Northern bobwhite | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Raccoon | Pursuit-only | Statewide | Jul 1–31 Apr 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Raccoon | General | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Raccoon | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Ringtail | General | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Ringtail | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Ringtail | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Skunks | General | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Skunks | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Jul 1–Jun 30 | Hunting license | |
| Skunks | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license | |
| Weasel | General | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Weasel | Shotgun shot | Statewide | Aug 1–Mar 31 | Hunting license | |
| Weasel | Trapping | Statewide | Nov 1–Feb 28 | Trapping license |
Season rows from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, the 2027 spring booklet, the 2026 pronghorn and elk booklet, and the waterfowl, dove and trapping leaflets; population management on pages 49-50; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 22 draw list
The Commission Orders list 30 hunts whose open area takes in Unit 22, led by elk with 13. Permit totals add up to 4,239, many shared with neighbouring units. Bonus points are kept by genus, and up to 20% of the tags in each hunt number go first to applicants with the most points who list it as a first or second choice.
Deer, fall 2026 (6)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1036 | General | Oct 30–Nov 5 | Antlered mule deer | 325 | 22 |
| 1037 | General | Dec 11–31 | Antlered mule deer | 10 | 22 |
| 1082 | General | Oct 23–29 | Antlered whitetail deer | 350 | 22 |
| 1083 | General | Nov 6–12 | Antlered whitetail deer | 350 | 22 |
| 1084 | General | Dec 11–31 | Antlered whitetail deer | 50 | 22 |
| 1160 | Youth-only (general) | Oct 9–15 | Any antlered deer | 150 | 22 |
Elk, 2026 hunts, 2026 booklet (13)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3007 | General | Sep 25–Oct 1 | Bull elk | 25 | 22 North |
| 3027 | General | Nov 27–Dec 3 | Bull elk | 300 | 22 North |
| 3028 | General | Dec 4–10 | Bull elk | 275 | 22 North |
| 3029 | General | Nov 27–Dec 3 | Bull elk | 100 | 22 South |
| 3058 | General | Oct 16–22 | Antlerless elk | 75 | 22 North |
| 3059 | General | Oct 16–22 | Antlerless elk | 50 | 22 South |
| 3071 | Youth-only (general) | Oct 9–15 | Antlerless elk | 100 | 22 |
| 3099 | CHAMP (general) | Oct 16–22 | Any elk | 15 | 22 |
| 3104 | Muzzleloader | Sep 25–Oct 1 | Bull elk | 50 | 22 South |
| 3147 | Archery-only | Sep 11–24 | Bull elk | 45 | 22 |
| 3164 | Archery-only | Nov 13–26 | Bull elk | 200 | 22 North |
| 3165 | Archery-only | Nov 13–26 | Bull elk | 65 | 22 South |
| 3186 | Archery-only | Nov 13–26 | Antlerless elk | 25 | 22 |
Javelina, spring 2027 (4)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5012 | General spring | Feb 19–25 | Any javelina | 625 | 22 |
| 5040 | Youth-only (general) spring | Jan 22–31 | Any javelina | 100 | 22 and 23 |
| 5062 | HAM spring | Feb 5–15 | Any javelina | 475 | 22 |
| 5093 | Archery-only spring | Jan 1–21 | Any javelina | 450 | 22 |
Desert bighorn, fall 2026 (3)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6015 | General | Nov 13–Dec 3 | Any ram | 2 | Desert Hunt Area in Unit 22 (Special Restrictions Apply – See Note 175) |
| 6016 | General | Dec 4–31 | Any ram | 2 | Desert Hunt Area in Unit 22 (Special Restrictions Apply – See Note 175) |
| 6802 | Pioneer (general) | Nov 1–Dec 31 | One-horned ram | 1 | Desert Hunt Area in Unit 22, 45A, 45B, and 45C (Special Restrictions Apply – See Note 175) |
Rocky Mountain bighorn, fall 2026 (2)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6506 | General | Dec 1–31 | Any ram | 3 | Rocky Mountain Hunt Area in Unit 22 |
| 6901 | Pioneer (general) | Nov 1–Dec 31 | One-horned ram | 1 | 1, 2B, Rocky Mountain Hunt Area in Unit 22, 23, 24A, 27, and 28 North (north of U.S. Hwy 70) |
Wild turkey, spring 2027 (2)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4038 | Shotgun shot spring | Apr 23–29 May 7–20 | Bearded turkey | 10 | 22 |
| 4039 | Shotgun shot spring | Apr 30–May 20 | Bearded turkey | 10 | 22 |
Raptor capture, spring 2027 (13)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20002 | Nonresidents only | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Eyas northern goshawk | 3 | Statewide except all Units south of the Gila River |
| 21001 | Residents only | Apr 1–Aug 31 | Eyas peregrine falcon | 5 | Statewide |
| 21002 | Nonresidents only | Apr 1–Aug 31 | Eyas peregrine falcon | 2 | Statewide |
| 22002 | Nonresidents only | Jan 1–31 May 1–Dec 31 | Passage Harris's hawk | 10 | Statewide (excluding Yuma and La Paz counties) |
| 23001 | Residents only | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Eyas or passage gray hawk | 1 | Statewide |
| Unnumbered | Residents, nonresidents | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Eyas American Kestrel, Cooper's hawk, great horned owl, prairie falcon, and western screech owl. Eyas or passage red-tailed hawk, and sharp-shinned hawk | — | Statewide |
| Unnumbered | Residents, nonresidents | Jan 1–31 May 1–Dec 31 | Passage Cooper's hawk and prairie falcon | — | Statewide |
| Unnumbered | Residents, nonresidents | Jan 1–31 Sep 15–Dec 31 | Passage and adult American kestrel, great horned owl, and western screech owl | — | Statewide |
| Unnumbered | Residents, nonresidents | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Passage merlin | — | Statewide |
| Unnumbered | Residents, nonresidents | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Passage ferruginous hawk | — | Statewide (excluding all Units north of the Gila River, excluding Units 25M and 42) |
| Unnumbered | Residents only | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Eyas Harris's hawk | 30 | Statewide (excluding Yuma and La Paz counties) |
| Unnumbered | Residents only | Jan 1–Dec 31 | Eyas northern goshawk | — | Statewide except all Units south of the Gila River |
| Unnumbered | Residents only | Jan 1–Feb 28 Jun 1–Dec 31 | Passage northern goshawk | — | Statewide except all Units south of the Gila River |
Hunt numbers, dates, legal wildlife and permits from the fall 2026 Commission Orders, the spring 2027 booklet and the 2026 pronghorn and elk booklet; draw rules on pages 22-23; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 22 success rates, 2025
1,202 hunters on 12 hunts that reach Unit 22 took 523 elk in 2025.
Where a hunt spans several units, the final column holds the unit breakdown from the same report (taken of hunters).
Elk rows come from a preliminary report and may change.
| Species | Hunt | Units | Hunters | Taken | Success | This unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer (draw) | 1037 | 22 | 292 | 43 | 15% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1082 | 22 | 268 | 100 | 37% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1083 | 22 | 283 | 90 | 32% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1084 | 22 | 33 | 22 | 67% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1159 | 22 | 130 | 55 | 42% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3147 | 22 | 50 | 30 | 60% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3164 | 22 North | 171 | 30 | 18% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3165 | 22 South | 52 | 9 | 17% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3186 | 22 | 45 | 24 | 53% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3008 | 22 North | 30 | 20 | 67% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3027 | 22 North | 235 | 90 | 38% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3028 | 22 North | 223 | 58 | 26% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3029 | 22 South | 71 | 44 | 62% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3058 | 22 North | 132 | 74 | 56% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3059 | 22 South | 38 | 21 | 55% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3071 | 22 | 118 | 103 | 87% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3103 | 22 South | 37 | 20 | 54% | Single unit |
| Javelina, spring | 5012 | 22 | 315 | 112 | 36% | Single unit |
| Javelina, spring | 5040 | 22 and 23 | 81 | 41 | 51% | 16 of 63 |
| Javelina, spring | 5061 | 22 | 280 | 98 | 35% | Single unit |
| Javelina, spring | 5088 | 22 | 307 | 155 | 50% | Single unit |
| Turkey, spring | 4038 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 63% | Single unit |
| Turkey, spring | 4039 | 22 | 8 | 2 | 25% | Single unit |
| Bighorn sheep | 6015 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 100% | Single unit |
| Bighorn sheep | 6016 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 100% | Single unit |
| Bighorn sheep | 6506 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 100% | Single unit |
| Bighorn sheep | 6901 | 01/02B/22/23/24A/27/28N | 1 | 1 | 100% | — |
- The 2025 OTC archery deer report gives Unit 22 1,486 hunters and 56 deer.
- Bear hunt area 22N (2025 check-in): 9 bears taken by hunters, 6 of them female.
- Bear hunt area 22S (2025 check-in): 14 bears taken by hunters, 6 of them female.
- Zone J lion harvest in 2025 was 55, 29 with dogs; AZGFD redraws zones by season.
AZGFD 2025 harvest summaries: 2025 black bear, 2025 bighorn sheep, 2025 deer, 2025 OTC archery deer, 2025 elk (preliminary), 2025 spring javelina, 2025 mountain lion, 2025 spring turkey; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 22 public land map
Public ground in Unit 22: 8 records, sorted by size below.
Tonto National Forest
Tonto Basin Ranger District (Tonto National Forest)
Payson Ranger District (Tonto National Forest)
Mesa Ranger District (Tonto National Forest)
Three Bar Wildlife Area
Only in Unit 22
Roosevelt Lake Wildlife Area
Land records and unit overlaps from AZGFD, USFS, BLM, FWS and NPS layers (see each land page); State Trust Land needs a valid hunting license under the license rules; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 22 neighbours and towns
Payson and Tonto Basin lie in the unit. Roosevelt is close by.
- Gila
- Gila
- Gila
If Unit 22 fills up, these units share its counties:
| Unit | Shared counties | Sq mi | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 24B | Gila, Maricopa | 778 | 17 |
| Unit 23 | Gila | 1,184 | 29 |
| Unit 24A | Gila | 812 | 20 |
| Unit 25M | Maricopa | 1,284 | 5 |
| Unit 21 | Maricopa, Yavapai | 1,051 | 22 |
| Unit 26M | Maricopa | 2,101 | 5 |
| Unit 42 | Maricopa, Yavapai | 1,488 | 11 |
| Unit 20B | Maricopa, Yavapai | 755 | 13 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the AZGFD unit layer; checked November 7, 2026.
Daylight hours in Unit 22
Big game, quail and predator hunters near Unit 22 work from sunrise to sunset; migratory bird hunters may start thirty minutes earlier.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer and quail | Dove and duck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:51 a.m. | 7:07 p.m. | 5:51 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. | 5:21 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 5:59 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. | 5:29 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:30 a.m. | 5:52 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 6:00 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:36 a.m. | 5:43 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:26 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Jan 22, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:28 a.m. | 5:45 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations (A.R.S. 17-301); sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Standard Time); the AZGFD Phoenix sunrise-sunset chart; checked November 7, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Unit 22 in brief
Can beaver be trapped in Unit 22?
Yes, in season.
How many hunters drew into Unit 22 hunts in 2025?
1,202 on elk (preliminary figures) hunts alone.
Is every big game tag in Unit 22 a draw tag?
No. Next to 30 draw hunts it has 9 nonpermit-tag rows and 70 rows that need only a license.
How much ground does Unit 22 cover, and where?
1,579 square miles spread over 3 counties, mostly in Gila.
What is the 2026 sow limit for Unit 22?
9 (22N) and 7 (22S) female bears.
Does Unit 22 have any over-the-counter big game hunts?
Yes, for deer, black bear and mountain lion (9 rows).
Does AZGFD charge for CWD tests from Unit 22?
No, testing is free.
What lion threshold applies around Unit 22?
54 lions for zone J.
Where can I find public ground in Unit 22?
8 land records reach it, led by Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District (Tonto National Forest) and Tonto Basin Ranger District (Tonto National Forest).
Is Unit 22 Mexican wolf country?
Yes, it is listed.
Where can I fill up on fuel and food near Unit 22?
Payson, Tonto Basin and Roosevelt.
Answers drawn from the AZGFD sources cited on this page; checked November 7, 2026.