Arizona › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 24A
15 hunt numbers · 2026-27
Unit 24A in the Arizona draw and OTC calendar
97 season rows and 15 hunt numbers cover this 812-square-mile unit run from the Mesa office.
Photo: devtmefl (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Counties inside Unit 24A
Measured on the AZGFD boundary layer, Unit 24A spans 812 square miles. 83% of that ground is in Gila County, and the unit belongs to AZGFD Region VI (Mesa).
2 counties share Unit 24A; the table below gives each piece in square miles and as a share of the unit and of the county.
| County piece | Sq mi | Unit share | County share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gila County | 670.8 | 83% | 14% |
| Pinal County | 141.7 | 17% | 3% |
Land in Unit 24A is a mix of BLM, National Forest, other, private and State Trust Land, according to the AZGFD unit layer. The Tonto National Forest reaches into Unit 24A. AZGFD marks no military land here.
For Unit 24A the layer mentions Javelina, Black Bear, Elk, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Tree Squirrel, Cottontail Rabbit and Quail, a list kept for the whole unit rather than any one parcel.
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 24A unit-level rules
- Archery-only deer here stops when the antlered mule deer 10 and antlered whitetail deer 65 limit is hit, at sundown the next Wednesday.
- AZGFD sets the 2026 female bear limit at 11 (24A); the 2027 list repeats it.
- Zone J covers Unit 24A for lions; its threshold is 54.
- Chronic wasting disease testing is voluntary and free for deer and elk from Unit 24A.
- Unit 24A lies outside the units where wolves may be present.
- Trappers can work Unit 24A from November 1 to February 28 with a trapping license; no foothold, body-gripping or snare traps 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 24A season dates, 2026-27
The tables split the 97 season rows for Unit 24A by how you get the tag. Draw rows (15) need a hunt permit-tag; the 7 nonpermit-tag rows can be bought over the counter. Pronghorn and elk rows show the 2026 season; new dates arrive with the January 2027 booklet.
A population management row is not a general season; hunters join the Supplemental Hunter Pool first.
Drawn hunt permit-tags (15)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Dates | Hunt numbers here | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Oct 23–29 | 1088 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Nov 6–12 | 1089 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered mule deer | Nov 13–22 | 1039 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Nov 27–Dec 6 | 1090 | |
| Deer | General | Antlered whitetail deer | Dec 11–31 | 1091 | |
| Elk | Limited (general) | Any elk | Sep 25–Oct 4 | 3093 | |
| Elk | Limited (general) | Any elk | Oct 9–18 | 3094 | |
| Javelina | Archery-only spring | Any javelina | Jan 1–21 | 5095 | |
| Javelina | Youth-only (general) spring | Any javelina | Jan 22–31 | 5041 | |
| Javelina | HAM spring | Any javelina | Feb 5–15 | 5064 | |
| Javelina | General spring | Any javelina | Feb 19–25 | 5014 | |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn | Pioneer (general) | One-horned ram | Nov 1–Dec 31 | 6901 | |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn | General | Any ram | Dec 1–31 | 6507 | |
| Wild turkey | Shotgun shot spring | Bearded turkey | Apr 23–29 May 7–20 | 4042 | |
| Wild turkey | Shotgun shot spring | Bearded turkey | Apr 30–May 20 | 4043 |
Over-the-counter tags (7)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Harvest limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only | Antlered mule deer | 24A | Aug 21–Sep 10 Dec 11–31 Jan 1–31 | 10 | |
| Deer | Archery-only | Antlered whitetail deer | 24A | Aug 21–Sep 10 Dec 11–31 Jan 1–31 | 65 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 24A | Aug 21–Sep 10 | 4 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 24A | Oct 2–Dec 31 | 3 | |
| Black bear | General spring | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 24A | Mar 19–Apr 22 | 2 | |
| 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 | — |
Population management hunts (5)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Tags | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Archery-only | Designated elk | 24A | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 50 | |
| Elk | General | Designated elk | 24A | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 50 | |
| Javelina | General | Any javelina | 24A and 24B | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 10 | |
| Black bear | Archery-only | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 24A and 24B | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 2 | |
| Black bear | General | Any bear except cubs with sows, sows with cubs | 24A and 24B | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 5 |
Small game and others (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 24A hunt numbers
Unit 24A sits in the open area of 15 draw hunts (5 deer (mule deer and white-tailed deer), 2 elk, 4 javelina (peccary), 2 rocky mountain bighorn and 2 wild turkey (merriam's and gould's)). Deadlines: fall 2026 hunts closed June 2, 2026, spring 2027 hunts closed October 6, 2026, and the 2026 pronghorn and elk draw closed February 3, 2026.
Deer, fall 2026 (5)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1039 | General | Nov 13–22 | Antlered mule deer | 75 | 24A |
| 1088 | General | Oct 23–29 | Antlered whitetail deer | 250 | 24A |
| 1089 | General | Nov 6–12 | Antlered whitetail deer | 250 | 24A |
| 1090 | General | Nov 27–Dec 6 | Antlered whitetail deer | 250 | 24A |
| 1091 | General | Dec 11–31 | Antlered whitetail deer | 50 | 24A |
Elk, 2026 hunts, 2026 booklet (2)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3093 | Limited (general) | Sep 25–Oct 4 | Any elk | 5 | 24A |
| 3094 | Limited (general) | Oct 9–18 | Any elk | 5 | 24A |
Javelina, spring 2027 (4)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5014 | General spring | Feb 19–25 | Any javelina | 150 | 24A |
| 5041 | Youth-only (general) spring | Jan 22–31 | Any javelina | 75 | 24A and 24B |
| 5064 | HAM spring | Feb 5–15 | Any javelina | 100 | 24A |
| 5095 | Archery-only spring | Jan 1–21 | Any javelina | 100 | 24A |
Rocky Mountain bighorn, fall 2026 (2)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6507 | General | Dec 1–31 | Any ram | 2 | 23 and 24A |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4042 | Shotgun shot spring | Apr 23–29 May 7–20 | Bearded turkey | 5 | 24A |
| 4043 | Shotgun shot spring | Apr 30–May 20 | Bearded turkey | 5 | 24A |
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.
Last season in Unit 24A
The 2025 AZGFD summaries show 15 drawn hunts that included Unit 24A. The biggest take was deer: 296 from 778 hunters across 5 hunts.
Read totals for multi-unit hunts with care: only the last column is specific to this unit.
Treat the elk lines as preliminary 2025 results.
| Species | Hunt | Units | Hunters | Taken | Success | This unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer (draw) | 1039 | 24A | 67 | 40 | 60% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1088 | 24A | 221 | 51 | 23% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1089 | 24A | 227 | 86 | 38% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1090 | 24A | 216 | 91 | 42% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1091 | 24A | 47 | 28 | 60% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3093 | 24A | 5 | 1 | 20% | Single unit |
| Elk (preliminary) | 3094 | 24A | 5 | 0 | 0% | Single unit |
| Javelina, spring | 5014 | 24A | 112 | 52 | 46% | Single unit |
| Javelina, spring | 5041 | 24A and 24B | 75 | 46 | 61% | 19 of 40 |
| Javelina, spring | 5063 | 24A | 74 | 24 | 32% | Single unit |
| Javelina, spring | 5090 | 24A | 71 | 39 | 55% | Single unit |
| Turkey, spring | 4042 | 24A | 1 | 1 | 100% | Single unit |
| Turkey, spring | 4043 | 24A | 5 | 5 | 100% | Single unit |
| Bighorn sheep | 6507 | 23/24A | 2 | 2 | 100% | — |
| Bighorn sheep | 6901 | 01/02B/22/23/24A/27/28N | 1 | 1 | 100% | — |
- For OTC archery deer, Unit 24A logged 361 hunters, 1,556 hunter days and 43 deer in 2025.
- The 2025 bear summary credits area 24A with 14 hunter-taken bears, 5 female.
- For lions, the 2025 summary gives zone J 55 hunter harvest; zones are defined each 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 24A wildlife areas and forests
5 land records cross into Unit 24A, 0 of them wildlife areas under R12-4-802. Also inside: Arizona State Trust Land and Bureau of Land Management Arizona public lands.
Tonto National Forest
BLM Lower Sonoran Field Office
BLM Tucson Field Office
Tonto Basin Ranger District (Tonto National Forest)
Globe Ranger District (Tonto National Forest)
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.
Towns and units near Unit 24A
The largest place inside Unit 24A is Globe. Within 10 miles: Dudleyville.
- Gila
- Pinal
Units that share a county with Unit 24A, closest first:
| Unit | Shared counties | Sq mi | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 24B | Gila, Pinal | 778 | 17 |
| Unit 23 | Gila | 1,184 | 29 |
| Unit 22 | Gila | 1,579 | 35 |
| Unit 37B | Gila, Pinal | 1,181 | 15 |
| Unit 26M | Pinal | 2,101 | 5 |
| Unit 32 | Pinal | 1,534 | 36 |
| Unit 31 | Pinal | 1,212 | 36 |
| Unit 37A | Pinal | 1,673 | 19 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the AZGFD unit layer; checked November 7, 2026.
When shooting light opens in Unit 24A
Arizona allows hunting in daylight hours, which the AZGFD booklet ties to its sunrise and sunset chart; ducks, geese, doves, pigeons and cranes may be shot from half an hour before sunrise.
| Date | Season marker | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight hunting | Migratory birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:49 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 5:49 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | 5:19 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 5:57 a.m. | 6:51 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 6:51 p.m. | 5:27 a.m. to 6:51 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:28 a.m. | 5:50 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:33 a.m. | 5:42 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:23 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. |
| Jan 22, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:25 a.m. | 5:43 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 5:43 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 24A FAQ
How many hunt permit-tags list Unit 24A in their open area?
1,323 permits across 15 hunts, some of them shared with neighbouring units.
How many square miles does Unit 24A take in?
812 square miles on the AZGFD layer, split Gila 83% and Pinal 17%.
Can bear season in Unit 24A end before December?
It can, because the area closes as soon as 11 (24A) females are reported.
What is open in Unit 24A on a plain hunting license?
70 season rows, mostly small game, predators and migratory birds.
Must a deer from Unit 24A be tested for CWD?
No, testing is voluntary.
What are the lion season dates for Unit 24A?
August 21, 2026 through May 31, 2027, as part of zone J.
Are there AZGFD wildlife areas in Unit 24A?
None on our records.
Is Unit 24A inside the Mexican wolf area?
No.
What did 2025 hunts in Unit 24A take?
296 deer on hunts that include it.
Which towns make a good base for Unit 24A?
Globe and Dudleyville.
Is Unit 24A shut to trappers?
No.
Answers drawn from the AZGFD sources cited on this page; checked November 7, 2026.