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Wildlife refuge · 2026-27
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge: Tags, Rules and Ground
National wildlife refuge in La Paz County and Yuma County: 20,875 acres, Unit 43B.
Photo: Cecelia Alexander (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
What kind of ground Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is
Refuge hunting at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is allowed in designated areas, with federal conditions in 50 CFR 32.22(f). Figure it at 20,875 acres (FWS refuge GIS), within La Paz County and Yuma County. Game and Fish staff in Yuma (Region IV) look after this ground.
The refuge hunting page says: While Imperial National Wildlife Refuge offers excellent hunting for a number of species, the most popular game animal serious hunters pursue here is the desert bighorn sheep. Among big game hunters, a desert bighorn hunt is one of the most highly coveted experiences in the world. Tags auctioned for conservation purposes have brought as much as $200,000. For hunters lucky enough to draw a state permit to hunt the refuge, the hunting success rates approach 100 percent. That doesn't mean the hunting is easy. For any desert bighorn hunt, scouting is an important factor.
From lands.json (primary source; acres: USFWS Interest layer (INTTYPE1 O = fee, S = secondary) inside Arizona (GIS)), checked November 7, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
AZGFD units on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Unit lines put Imperial National Wildlife Refuge in Unit 43B. The species AZGFD names for the units are bighorn sheep, mule deer, dove and quail; that list belongs to the units, not to Imperial National Wildlife Refuge alone. Place-specific list (50 CFR 32.22): waterfowl, dove, snipe, quail, rabbit, coyote, fox, deer and bighorn sheep.
| Unit | AZGFD region | Square miles | Counties | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 43B | Yuma | 861 | La Paz, Yuma | – |
| Unit | Lion | Bear (2026) | Archery deer | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 43B | L (1) | – | 40 | – |
Units from the AZGFD Game Management Unit layer overlay in lands.json; unit facts, lion zones, bear limits and archery deer limits from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations (zones section, unit maps); checked November 7, 2026.
How the rules read on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Under 50 CFR 32.22(f), Imperial National Wildlife Refuge allows upland game hunting and big game hunting in designated areas. Permits or lotteries apply to parts of Imperial National Wildlife Refuge.
Upland game hunting
We allow hunting of Gambel's quail, cottontail rabbit, coyote, and gray fox on designated areas of the refuge.
- For hunting quail, we allow shotgun, handgun shooting shot, archery, and crossbow.
- For hunting cottontail rabbit, coyote, and fox, we allow shotgun, rifle, handgun, muzzleloader, archery, and crossbow.
- We allow cottontail rabbit hunting from September 1 to the close of the State quail season.
- We allow coyote and fox hunting only during the State quail season.
Big game hunting
We allow hunting of mule deer and desert bighorn sheep on designated areas of the refuge.
Open and closed zones on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
| FWS unit | Open? | Acres | Extra permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt Zone – AZ | Special rules | 14,480 | No |
| No Hunt Zone – AZ | No | 4,974 | No |
For hunters lucky enough to draw a state permit to hunt the refuge, the hunting success rates approach 100 percent.
Camping: To protect the fragile desert ecosystem, we do not allow any of the following activities: Camping, fires, and target shooting are not permitted.
50 CFR 32.22; refuge hunting page; FWS Public Hunt Units layer; checked November 7, 2026.
Over-the-counter hunts around Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Nonpermit-tags, sold over the counter with no draw, cover deer in the units of Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. Archery deer units close at sundown on the Wednesday after their harvest limit is reached, and each deer must be reported online within 48 hours.
| Species | Season | Legal wildlife | Dates | Units here | Harvest limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only OTC tag deer | Any antlered deer | Dec 11–Jan 31, 2027 | 43B | 40 |
Nonpermit-tag rows from the 2026-27 regulations and the 2027 spring booklet; reporting rules from the harvest reporting section; checked November 7, 2026.
Drawn hunts for the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge units
One of the species drawn for here.
The 2026-27 booklets carry 3 hunt numbers valid in units that reach Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (1 deer and 2 desert bighorn). 460 permit-tags are on offer. Hunt numbers belong to units, and Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is simply inside them. The list keeps only big game the refuge permits under 50 CFR 32.22. Deadlines: June 2, 2026 for the fall draw, October 6, 2026 for spring 2027 hunts, and February 3, 2026 for 2026 pronghorn and elk.
| Species | Number of hunts | Tags | Earliest | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 1 | 450 | Nov 6, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 |
| Desert bighorn | 2 | 10 | Nov 13, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| No. | Game | Hunt type | Dates | Legal animal | Tags | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1071 | Deer | General | Nov 6–15, 2026 | Any antlered deer | 450 | 43B |
| 6042 | Desert bighorn | General | Nov 13–Dec 3, 2026 | Any ram | 5 | 43B |
| 6043 | Desert bighorn | General | Dec 4–31, 2026 | Any ram | 5 | 43B |
Hunt numbers, dates, legal wildlife and permits from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, the 2027 spring booklet and the 2026 pronghorn and elk booklet; deadlines from the draw section; checked November 7, 2026.
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge in the season tables
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge gets 4 rows of its own in the season tables. Refuge seasons can be shorter than statewide ones; these are the rows to follow.
| Species | Season | Dates | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottontail rabbit | General cottontail rabbit – Any cottontail… | Sep 1–Feb 7, 2027 | License only |
| Coyote | General predators – Coyote and foxes | Oct 16–Feb 7, 2027 | License only |
| Foxes | General predators – Coyote and foxes | Oct 16–Feb 7, 2027 | License only |
| Gambel's, scaled and California quail | General quail – Gambel's, Scaled and California… | Oct 16–Feb 7, 2027 | License only |
Season rows from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, waterfowl and dove leaflets; checked November 7, 2026.
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge: neighbouring closed ground
Arizona licenses do not apply on Fort Yuma Indian Reservation; the tribe sets the rules. Without tribal permission, hunting there is a federal crime (18 USC 1165).
| Closed place | Why closed | County | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Yuma Indian Reservation | tribal land | Yuma | 25 miles |
| Cocopah Reservation | tribal land | Yuma | 34 miles |
Closed rows from lands.json: tribal land (18 USC 1165, Census TIGERweb), NPS units (36 CFR 2.2); checked November 7, 2026.
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge unit harvest, 2025
These are unit totals from the 2025 AZGFD summaries, covering more ground than Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. Each row totals one-unit hunts of a kind; elk is a preliminary report.
| Unit | Hunt type (2025) | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 43B | OTC archery deer | 42 | 1 | 0% |
| Unit 43B | Bighorn sheep, 2 hunts | 8 | 8 | 100% |
2025 AZGFD harvest summaries: OTC archery deer, deer, elk (preliminary), pronghorn, spring javelina, spring turkey, bighorn sheep; checked November 7, 2026.
Towns serving Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
For fuel and groceries, Martinez Lake is closest at 15 miles. Yuma tops the list at 103,559 people. The AZGFD staff nearest Imperial National Wildlife Refuge sit in Yuma, 31 miles off.
| Nearest towns | County | Population | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinez Lake | Yuma | – | 15 miles | southeast |
| Cibola | La Paz | – | 20 miles | north |
| Yuma Proving Ground | Yuma | – | 21 miles | southeast |
| Yuma | Yuma | 103,559 | 40 miles | south |
| La Paz Valley | La Paz | – | 41 miles | northeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); AZGFD offices from the AZGFD offices page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 7, 2026.
Other places close to Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Cibola NWR is the nearest neighbour, 15 miles north of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge point. The nearest six count as 3 wildlife areas, 2 national wildlife refuges and 1 military installation.
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cibola NWR | Wildlife refuge | 13,176 | La Paz | 15 miles | north |
| Yuma Proving Ground | Military land | 837,513 | Yuma | 16 miles | east |
| Mittry Lake | Wildlife area | 3,862 | Yuma | 21 miles | southeast |
| Cibola Valley Conservation Area | Wildlife area | 1,300 | La Paz | 22 miles | north |
| Kofa NWR | Wildlife refuge | 664,803 | Yuma | 42 miles | east |
| Quigley-Achee Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 612 | Yuma | 49 miles | southeast |
Point: USFWS Interest layer (fee and secondary-jurisdiction refuge land inside Arizona) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Hunting hours computed for Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, so the clock times for Imperial National Wildlife Refuge below do not jump in November or March.
| Date | Season marker | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight hunting | Migratory birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:13 a.m. | 7:06 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:06 p.m. | 5:43 a.m. to 7:06 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:43 a.m. | 6:06 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | Waterfowl opener | 6:48 a.m. | 5:58 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | General deer | 7:01 a.m. | 5:44 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Archery deer | 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. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:38 a.m. | 5:36 p.m. | 7:38 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:42 a.m. | 5:42 p.m. | 7:42 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:42 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.
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge: nearest AZGFD bench, then clubs
Tri-State Shooting Park, 133 miles from Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, is the nearest bench on AZGFD’s public list. Two more cards list private or club ranges inside 30 miles of this ground.
From AZGFD’s Shooting Range Facilities page, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 7, 2026.
Asked and answered on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
Any OTC options for Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
OTC tags cover deer here.
Draw hunts for Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
Yes: 3 hunts for deer and desert bighorn; see the draw table on this page.
Can I use an ATV on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
Ask the managing agency; no vehicle rule was recorded.
Can I pitch a tent on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
To protect the fragile desert ecosystem, we do not allow any of the following activities: Camping, fires, and target shooting are not permitted.
What Game and Fish office serves Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
AZGFD Region IV (Yuma); 928-342-0091.
Do I have to wear hunter orange on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
There is no Arizona requirement.
CWD near Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
No. Arizona has no CWD detection so far, and testing is free.
What closed land lies near Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
Mind Fort Yuma Indian Reservation (25 miles): it is tribal land, closed to state-licensed hunting without the tribe’s permission.
Which Arizona license applies on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
An Arizona hunting or combination license and the right tag: residents pay $37 or $57 for the combination, nonresidents $160 for the combination. Some refuge hunts also need a refuge permit or signed brochure.
Is Imperial National Wildlife Refuge legal ground for a licensed hunter?
In the designated hunt units, yes; 50 CFR 32.22(f) sets the refuge conditions.
How large a piece of country is Imperial National Wildlife Refuge?
Roughly 20,875 acres.
What unit is Imperial National Wildlife Refuge in?
Unit 43B. Hunts are valid by unit, so the whole unit, not only Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, is open to the tag.
Checklist for the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge trip
Saw a wildlife violation on Imperial National Wildlife Refuge? Report it to Operation Game Thief, the AZGFD poaching hotline.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5 · source 6; seasons from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations. Checked November 7, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Thank You (25 Millions ) views (CC BY 2.0); Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0).