Arizona › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 42
AZGFD Region IV (Yuma) · 2026-27
Seasons, draw hunts and land in Arizona Unit 42
Maricopa County and Yavapai County: 1,488 square miles, 6 hunt numbers, 1 public land record.
Photo: Sam Litvin (CC BY 2.0)
Mapping Unit 42
At 1,488 square miles, Unit 42 is managed out of the Yuma, Mesa office, AZGFD Region IV; 94% of it sits in Maricopa County.
Unit lines in Arizona follow roads, rivers and ridges, so Unit 42 takes in pieces of 2 counties: Maricopa (1,400 sq mi) and Yavapai (89 sq mi).
| County | Overlap sq mi | Part of unit | Part of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 1,399.9 | 94% | 15% |
| Yavapai County | 89.0 | 6% | 1% |
Ownership on the AZGFD map of Unit 42: BLM, Game & Fish, Military, Other, Private and State Trust Land. The layer gives no national forest here. AZGFD notes military property in Unit 42 and points hunters to the Yuma, Mesa office.
AZGFD tags Unit 42 with Javelina, Mule Deer, Dove, Quail and Waterfowl on its map layer, a hint rather than a rule.
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 42 rules that change by unit
- Archery deer harvest limit for Unit 42: any antlered deer 20. Once AZGFD reports the limit met, the unit shuts the following Wednesday at sundown.
- The bear female limit table has no row for Unit 42.
- Lion harvest zone I groups Unit 42 and Unit 44A under a threshold of 5.
- AZGFD does not list Unit 42 among its CWD priority units.
- Wolf area: not Unit 42.
- Unit 42 is not closed to trapping; public-land trap limits still apply.
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 42 seasons by tag type
Each row below is a Commission Order season valid in Unit 42, grouped by tag type and then by species; 82 rows in all. Elk and pronghorn rows are the 2026 hunts from the 2026 booklet; the 2027 booklet comes out in January 2027.
Population management hunts are filled from the Supplemental Hunter Pool, not the main draw.
Hunt permit-tag hunts (6)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Dates | Hunt numbers here | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | General | Any antlered deer | Nov 6–15 | 1070 | |
| Deer | Youth-only (general) | Any antlered deer | Nov 20–29 | 1177 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Any antlered deer | Dec 11–31 | 1192 | |
| Javelina | Archery-only spring | Any javelina | Jan 1–21 | 5105 | |
| Javelina | General spring | Any javelina | Feb 19–25 | 5033 | |
| Desert bighorn | General | Any ram | Dec 1–31 | 6040 |
OTC hunts (4)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Harvest limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only | Any antlered deer | 42 | Dec 11–31 Jan 1–31 | 20 | |
| Elk | General | Any elk | Alamo Lake Hunt Area | Jan 1–Mar 31 Aug 1–Dec 31 | — | |
| 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 | — |
Supplemental Hunter Pool hunts (1)
| Species | Hunt | Legal animal | Area | Dates | Tags | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javelina | General | Any javelina | 42 and 44A | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 50 |
No tag needed (71)
| 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 | |
| Coyote | General | 4A, 4B | Dec 1–May 31 | Hunting 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 42 hunt permit-tags by species
Every hunt number valid in Unit 42 is below, 6 in total, with dates, legal animal and permits as printed. Applications are done online with up to five choices; the 2027 pronghorn and elk deadline falls in February 2027.
Deer, fall 2026 (3)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1070 | General | Nov 6–15 | Any antlered deer | 275 | 42 (excluding Skyline and White Tank Mountain Regional Parks) |
| 1177 | Youth-only (general) | Nov 20–29 | Any antlered deer | 75 | 42 (excluding Skyline and White Tank Mountain Regional Parks) |
| 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 (2)
| Hunt no. | Hunt | Dates | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5033 | General spring | Feb 19–25 | Any javelina | 50 | 42 and 44A |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6040 | General | Dec 1–31 | Any ram | 2 | 42 and 44A (south of U.S. Hwy 60) |
Raptor capture, spring 2027 (12)
| 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 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.
How 2025 hunters did in Unit 42
Javelina, spring led the 2025 results for hunts in Unit 42, with 152 animals from 2 hunts and 364 hunters.
The last column shows taken of hunters inside this unit for multi-unit hunts.
| Species | Hunt | Units | Hunters | Taken | Success | This unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer (draw) | 1070 | 42 | 224 | 36 | 16% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1176 | 42 | 58 | 23 | 40% | Single unit |
| Deer (draw) | 1191 | 39, 40A, 40B, 41, and 42 | 35 | 7 | 20% | 2 of 9 |
| Javelina, spring | 5033 | 42 and 44A | 48 | 15 | 31% | 8 of 25 |
| 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% | 27 of 84 |
| Bighorn sheep | 6036 | 42/44A | 2 | 2 | 100% | — |
- OTC archery deer in Unit 42, 2025: 11 deer reported by 380 hunters over 2,200 days.
- Mountain lion, calendar 2025: zone I shows 2 hunter-taken lions (zone lines are set each season).
AZGFD 2025 harvest summaries: 2025 bighorn sheep, 2025 deer, 2025 OTC archery deer, 2025 spring javelina, 2025 mountain lion; checked November 7, 2026.
Unit 42 public ground
Our land pages list 1 places that reach into Unit 42; 0 are AZGFD wildlife areas. The unit also holds Arizona State Trust Land, Bureau of Land Management Arizona public lands and Bureau of Reclamation lands in Arizona ground.
BLM Hassayampa Field Office
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.
Around Unit 42
For fuel, food and a room near Unit 42, look at Surprise, Buckeye and Peoria.
- Maricopa
- Maricopa
- Maricopa
- Maricopa
- Maricopa
Other units that reach Maricopa and Yavapai:
| Unit | Shared counties | Sq mi | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 39 | Maricopa | 1,938 | 9 |
| Unit 25M | Maricopa | 1,284 | 5 |
| Unit 40A | Maricopa | 1,085 | 9 |
| Unit 26M | Maricopa | 2,101 | 5 |
| Unit 20B | Maricopa, Yavapai | 755 | 13 |
| Unit 41 | Maricopa | 2,837 | 10 |
| Unit 21 | Maricopa, Yavapai | 1,051 | 22 |
| Unit 24B | Maricopa | 778 | 17 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the AZGFD unit layer; checked November 7, 2026.
Sun times for hunters in Unit 42
Raccoon hunting runs around the clock statewide outside metro units and refuges, and coyote does in listed units from December 1; other game around Unit 42 stops at sunset.
| Date | Event | Rise | Set | General hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:56 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. | 5:26 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:04 a.m. | 6:57 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. | 5:34 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:34 a.m. | 5:57 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:40 a.m. | 5:49 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:30 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:34 a.m. | 5:32 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:32 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.
Asked about Unit 42
Does any town sit inside Unit 42?
Yes: Surprise and Buckeye.
Who owns the land in Unit 42?
The AZGFD layer lists BLM, Game & Fish, Military, Other, Private and State Trust Land.
Which trapping rules cover Unit 42?
The statewide season, with no foothold, body-gripping or snare traps on public land.
Is Unit 42 worth a javelina, spring application?
Hunts covering it took 152 javelina, spring in 2025; check each hunt's success column.
How many drawn hunt numbers cover Unit 42?
6 hunt numbers name it: 3 deer, 2 javelina and 1 desert bighorn.
Unit 42 sits in which corner of Arizona?
It belongs to AZGFD Region IV (Yuma) and stretches over Maricopa and Yavapai.
Does Unit 42 count toward a lion zone?
Yes, zone I.
Which nonpermit-tags are valid in Unit 42?
4 nonpermit-tag rows, for deer, elk and mountain lion.
Can a wolf be shot in Unit 42?
No. Mexican wolves are protected everywhere.
Should I hand in a head from Unit 42 for testing?
You may; AZGFD tests heads for free statewide.
Answers drawn from the AZGFD sources cited on this page; checked November 7, 2026.