Arizona › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 40A
2026-27 seasons by unit
Unit 40A in Arizona: what you can hunt and when
Draw hunts, nonpermit-tags, population management hunts, 2025 harvest and the public land inside Unit 40A (Maricopa County, Pima County and Pinal County).
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Arizona (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Unit 40A by county
The Yuma regional office of the Arizona Game and Fish Department looks after Unit 40A, a block of 1,085 square miles. Its largest piece, 75%, lies in Maricopa County.
Its boundary is written around landmarks rather than county lines, and it reaches Maricopa, Pima and Pinal.
| County | Square miles | Of the unit | Of the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 814.2 | 75% | 9% |
| Pima County | 173.5 | 16% | 2% |
| Pinal County | 98.3 | 9% | 2% |
The AZGFD layer lists these landowners inside Unit 40A: BLM, Military, National Forest, Other, Private and State Trust Land. No national forest is listed for Unit 40A.
The unit record names 5 species: Bighorn Sheep, Javelina, Mule Deer, Dove and Quail. Only the season rows tell you what you can hunt.
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.
What is special about Unit 40A
- Unit 40A is on the archery deer list with a limit of any antlered deer 40; check AZGFD closures before each trip.
- There is no female bear limit row for Unit 40A in 2026.
- Lions taken here count toward zone N, which has a threshold of 4 plus a female threshold of 1 across 4 units.
- No CWD priority status for Unit 40A; Arizona has no detected case.
- No Mexican wolf unit status for Unit 40A.
- Unit 40A is open to trapping in season, but public land is off limits to foothold, body-gripping and snare traps.
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.
What opens in Unit 40A
80 dated season rows in the 2026-27 Arizona booklets name Unit 40A: 4 draw rows, 3 nonpermit-tag rows, 3 population management rows and 70 that need only a license.
Population management hunts only run when AZGFD calls hunters from its Supplemental Hunter Pool.
Draw hunts (hunt permit-tags) (4)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Dates | Hunt numbers here | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | General | Any antlered deer | Nov 6–15 | 1068 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Any antlered deer | Dec 11–31 | 1192 | |
| Javelina | Archery-only spring | Any javelina | Jan 1–21 | 5105 | |
| Desert bighorn | General | Any ram | Dec 1–31 | 6032 |
OTC nonpermit-tags (3)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Harvest limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only | Any antlered deer | 39, 40A, and 40B | Dec 11–31 Jan 1–31 | 40 | |
| 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 | — |
Pop. management (3)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Tags | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only | Designated deer | 40A and 40B | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 50 | |
| Deer | General | Designated deer | 40A and 40B | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 100 | |
| Javelina | General | Any javelina | 40A and 40B | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 50 |
Hunting license seasons (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.
Drawn tags for Unit 40A
Apply for any of these 4 hunt numbers to hunt Unit 40A on a drawn tag; permits listed total 652, though multi-unit hunts spread them wider. Tags left after a draw are sold first come, first served, and no bonus points are spent on them.
Deer, fall 2026 (2)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1068 | General | Nov 6–15 | Any antlered deer | 450 | 39 (excluding Buckeye Hills and Estrella Mountain Regional Parks), 40A, and 40B (Special Restrictions Apply – See Note 6) |
| 1192 | Muzzleloader | Dec 11–31 | Any antlered deer | 50 | 39, 40A, 40B, 41, and 42 (excluding Buckeye Hills, Skyline, Estrella Mountain and White Tank Mountain Regional Parks) (Special Restrictions Apply – See Notes 6 and 7) |
Javelina, spring 2027 (1)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5105 | Archery-only spring | Jan 1–21 | Any javelina | 150 | 40A, 40B, 42, 44A, and 44B (excluding National Wildlife Refuges) (Special Restrictions Apply – See Note 6) |
Desert bighorn, fall 2026 (1)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6032 | General | Dec 1–31 | Any ram | 2 | 40A (Special Restrictions Apply – See Note 93) |
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 40A take and hunter numbers
The 2025 table for Unit 40A lists 4 hunts; javelina, spring totals 137 from 316 hunters.
Whole-hunt figures can include other units; the right-hand column isolates this unit when AZGFD prints a breakdown.
| Species | Hunt | Units | Hunters | Taken | Success | This unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer (draw) | 1068 | 39 , 40A, and 40B | 333 | 59 | 18% | 5 of 77 |
| Deer (draw) | 1191 | 39, 40A, 40B, 41, and 42 | 35 | 7 | 20% | 0 of 9 |
| Javelina, spring | 5083 | 10, 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 16A, 18A, 39, 40A, 42, 44A, and 44B (excluding National Wildlife Refuges and Mohave County Park Lands) (Special Restrictions Apply – See Notes 6 and 7) | 316 | 137 | 43% | 0 of 12 |
| Bighorn sheep | 6030 | 40A | 2 | 2 | 100% | Single unit |
- 1 archery deer were reported from Unit 40A in 2025, with 51 hunters in the field.
- 1 lions were reported from zone N in 2025, using the 2025 zone map.
AZGFD 2025 harvest summaries: 2025 bighorn sheep, 2025 deer, 2025 OTC archery deer, 2025 spring javelina, 2025 mountain lion; checked November 7, 2026.
Land you can hunt in Unit 40A
These 3 public lands share ground with Unit 40A; open each for its own access and vehicle rules. Statewide programs that reach the unit: Arizona State Trust Land and Bureau of Land Management Arizona public lands.
BLM Lower Sonoran Field Office
Barry M. Goldwater Range East (Luke Air Force Base)
Sonoran Desert National Monument
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.
Near Unit 40A
0 towns on our list sit inside Unit 40A, and 1 more lie within 10 miles.
- Pima
Units around Unit 40A:
| Unit | Shared counties | Sq mi | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 39 | Maricopa, Pinal | 1,938 | 9 |
| Unit 26M | Maricopa, Pinal | 2,101 | 5 |
| Unit 42 | Maricopa | 1,488 | 11 |
| Unit 25M | Maricopa | 1,284 | 5 |
| Unit 41 | Maricopa | 2,837 | 10 |
| Unit 24B | Maricopa, Pinal | 778 | 17 |
| Unit 36C | Pima | 315 | 17 |
| Unit 46A | Pima | 626 | 7 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the AZGFD unit layer; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 40A sunrise and legal light
Trappers may check sets day or night, but hunting light around Unit 40A follows the daylight rule in the table below.
| Day | Moment | Sunup | Sundown | Daylight window | Early bird window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:56 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. | 5:26 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:03 a.m. | 6:56 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. | 5:33 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:33 a.m. | 5:56 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:56 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:39 a.m. | 5:48 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:28 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:32 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 7:32 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:33 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 40A questions
Is mountain lion hunting allowed in Unit 40A?
Yes, on a nonpermit-tag; every lion counts toward zone N.
Is Unit 40A on the AZGFD CWD priority list?
No; the 16 priority units lie along the state line.
Do Mexican wolves roam Unit 40A?
Unit 40A is not on the AZGFD wolf list.
Are there AZGFD wildlife areas in Unit 40A?
None on our records.
Which town is closest to Unit 40A?
Ajo.
Where do I find success rates for Unit 40A?
In the 2025 harvest table; success varies by hunt.
Can beaver be trapped in Unit 40A?
Yes, in season.
Which county lines run through Unit 40A?
Maricopa, Pima and Pinal share it, and Maricopa County carries 75% of the 1,085 square miles.
Which species does AZGFD draw for Unit 40A?
Deer, javelina and desert bighorn, by hunt number.
Is an OTC archery deer tag good in Unit 40A?
Yes; the unit limit is 40 any antlered deer.
Answers drawn from the AZGFD sources cited on this page; checked November 7, 2026.