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Hunt Planning for Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Wildlife area in Apache County with 161 acres across Unit 2B.
Photo: Clay Gilliland (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
First facts about Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area sits on the Commission's wildlife area list at R12-4-802(A)(32), which is the text that decides access. AZGFD GIS polygon puts it at 161 acres; the land lies in Apache County. The Pinetop regional office of AZGFD (Region I) covers it. The AZGFD layer names Springerville as the nearby town.
The current rule overrides an older layer that showed the marsh closed.
From lands.json (primary source; acres: GIS area (equal-area) of the AZGFD Wildlife Areas layer (Wildlife_Areas, 2019) polygon), checked November 7, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Which units Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area sits in
Hunts valid on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area are those for Unit 2B. AZGFD tags the units with elk, mule deer and pronghorn; treat it as a guide to the wider area. Unit 2B carries these AZGFD labels: CWD priority, Mexican wolf area. Hunters in the wolf area must avoid shooting a protected Mexican wolf.
| Unit | Office | Size | Counties | NF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2B | Pinetop | 824 | Apache | – |
| Unit | Lion zone | Bear female limit 2026 | OTC archery deer cap | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2B | H (7) | 62 (1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 27) | 5 | CWD priority, Mexican wolf area |
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.
Rule book for Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Rule R12-4-802 gives Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area 6 lines of restrictions. The hunting line comes with a catch: firing any firearm on the area is prohibited. Driving is limited, though the rule leaves room for retrieving big game under R12-4-110(H). There is a specific camping rule here.
| Rule | Short form | Full text |
|---|---|---|
| Fires | No open fires | No open fires. |
| Firewood | No wood gathering | No firewood cutting or gathering. |
| Camping | No overnight camping | No overnight public camping. |
| Vehicles | Designated routes only | Motorized vehicle travel permitted on designated roads or areas only, except for big game retrieval as permitted under R12-4-110 (H). |
| Shooting | No firearm discharge | Closed to the discharge of all firearms. |
| Hunting | Open, no firearms | Open to all hunting as permitted under R12-4-304 and R12-4-318, except the wildlife area is closed to the discharge of all firearms. |
The general wildlife area rule, R12-4-801, adds short-term postings of up to 90 days.
Rule text: A.A.C. R12-4-802 (Cornell LII copy) and R12-4-801; checked November 7, 2026.
OTC tags valid on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
No application is needed for the deer, javelina, black bear and mountain lion hunts below. When an archery deer unit hits its limit, it shuts at sundown the next Wednesday; report your deer online within 48 hours. Female harvest limits close bear units, and each bear is reported within 48 hours. The statewide lion season, August 21, 2026 to May 31, 2027, is managed by zone thresholds.
| Animal | Hunt | Legal wildlife | Open | Units here | Harvest cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only OTC tag deer | Any antlered deer | Aug 21–Sep 10, 2026 | 2B | 5 |
| Javelina | HAM OTC tag javelina | Any javelina | Jan 1–Dec 31, 2026 | 2B | – |
| Javelina | HAM OTC tag spring javelina | Any javelina | Jan 1–Dec 31, 2027 | 2B | – |
| Black bear | Archery-only bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Aug 14–20, 2026 | 2B | 10 |
| Black bear | Archery-only bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Aug 21–Sep 10, 2026 | 2B | 10 |
| Black bear | General bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Oct 2–29, 2026 | 2B | 20 |
| Black bear | General bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Oct 30–Dec 31, 2026 | 2B | 10 |
| Black bear | General OTC tag spring bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Mar 19–Apr 22, 2027 | 2B | 4 |
| Mountain lion | General mountain lion | Any lion except spotted kittens or… | Aug 21–May 31, 2027 | 2B | – |
| Mountain lion | Pursuit-only mountain lion | Pursuit of any lion except spotted… | Aug 21–May 31, 2027 | 2B | – |
Nonpermit-tag rows from the 2026-27 regulations and the 2027 spring booklet; reporting rules from the harvest reporting section; checked November 7, 2026.
Draw hunts that include Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Game in the units around Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area.
Counting every booklet, 18 hunt numbers apply in the units here: 13 elk, 1 deer, 1 pronghorn and 3 rocky mountain bighorn. That is 1,698 permit-tags in all. A hunt covers its whole unit or open area, not just Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area, so a tag drawn here is good elsewhere in the unit too. For elk and pronghorn, this is the 2026 list; the next one is due in January 2027. Remember the firearm limits of Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area: a rifle hunt drawn for the unit still cannot use the barred firearms on the area. AZGFD closed the fall draw June 2, 2026, the spring draw October 6, 2026 and the 2026 elk and pronghorn draw February 3, 2026.
| Game | Hunt numbers | Tags | Earliest start | Latest end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk (2026) | 13 | 1,650 | Sep 11, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Deer | 1 | 40 | Oct 23, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Pronghorn (2026) | 1 | 5 | Sep 4, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn | 3 | 3 | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Number | Animal | Type | Season | Legal wildlife | Tags | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3077 | Elk (2026) | Limited opp. | Sep 11–20, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 65 | 2B |
| 3088 | Elk (2026) | Limited opp. | Sep 11–20, 2026 | Any elk | 35 | 2B |
| 3126 | Elk (2026) | Archery-only | Sep 11–24, 2026 | Bull elk | 225 | 2B |
| 3168 | Elk (2026) | Archery-only | Sep 11–24, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 75 | 2B |
| 3078 | Elk (2026) | Limited opp. | Sep 25–Oct 4, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 60 | 2B |
| 3089 | Elk (2026) | Limited opp. | Sep 25–Oct 4, 2026 | Any elk | 35 | 2B |
| 3100 | Elk (2026) | Muzzleloader | Sep 25–Oct 1, 2026 | Bull elk | 35 | 2B |
| 3079 | Elk (2026) | Limited opp. | Oct 9–18, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 40 | 2B |
| 3090 | Elk (2026) | Limited opp. | Oct 9–18, 2026 | Any elk | 25 | 2B |
| 3151 | Elk (2026) | Archery-only | Nov 6–19, 2026 | Bull elk | 30 | 2B |
| 1002 | Deer | General | Oct 23–Nov 1, 2026 | Any antlered deer | 40 | 2B |
| 2029 | Pronghorn (2026) | Muzzleloader | Sep 4–13, 2026 | Buck pronghorn | 5 | 2B |
| 6502 | Rocky Mountain bighorn | General | Oct 1–31, 2026 | Any ram | 1 | 2B |
| 6503 | Rocky Mountain bighorn | General | Nov 1–30, 2026 | Any ram | 1 | 2B |
| 6901 | Rocky Mountain bighorn | Pioneer one-horned bighorn sheep (pioneer license required, see r12-4-318) | Nov 1–Dec 31, 2026 | One-horned ram | 1 | 2B |
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.
Birds and small game near Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
No draw is needed for ; a hunting license and the statewide dates are enough. Ducks and geese call for the state migratory bird stamp plus the federal duck stamp; shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise.
| Species | Statewide season | When |
|---|---|---|
| Doves | Statewide early dove season | Sep 1–15, 2026 |
| Doves | Statewide late dove season | Nov 20–Jan 3, 2027 |
| Ducks and mergansers | General waterfowl | Oct 23–Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks and mergansers | Youth-only waterfowl | Feb 6–7, 2027 |
Statewide season rows from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations and the waterfowl and dove leaflets; checked November 7, 2026.
2025 harvest in the Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area units
Unit-level 2025 harvest gives a feel for hunting near Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area. Multi-unit hunts are excluded so no hunter is counted twice; elk results remain preliminary.
| Unit | Hunt (2025) | Hunters afield | Harvest | % success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2B | OTC archery deer | 28 | 5 | 18% |
| Unit 2B | Pronghorn, 1 hunt | 9 | 6 | 67% |
2025 AZGFD harvest summaries: OTC archery deer, deer, elk (preliminary), pronghorn, spring javelina, spring turkey, bighorn sheep; checked November 7, 2026.
Services for hunters at Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Springerville is the nearest town with a page here, 4 miles from Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area in a straight line. Pinetop-Lakeside is the largest of the five, with 4,148 residents in 2024. Closest Game and Fish counter: Pinetop, roughly 38 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springerville | Apache | 1,723 | 4 miles | northwest |
| Nutrioso | Apache | – | 13 miles | south |
| Alpine | Apache | – | 21 miles | south |
| St. Johns | Apache | 3,352 | 26 miles | north |
| Pinetop-Lakeside | Navajo | 4,148 | 41 miles | west |
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.
Next public land from Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Becker Lake is the nearest neighbour, 3 miles west of the Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area point. By type the six neighbours break down as 4 wildlife areas, 1 ranger district and 1 national forest.
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becker Lake | Wildlife area | 635 | Apache | 3 miles | west |
| Wenima Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 354 | Apache | 4 miles | northwest |
| Sipe White Mountain | Wildlife area | 1,366 | Apache | 8 miles | south |
| White Mountain Grasslands | Wildlife area | 2,861 | Apache | 9 miles | west |
| Springerville Ranger District | Ranger district | 265,795 | Apache | 12 miles | southwest |
| Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests | National forest | 2,015,451 | Greenlee | 20 miles | south |
Point: AZGFD Wildlife Areas layer (Wildlife_Areas, 2019) (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Clock times on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area by season date
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.
| When | Marker | First light | Last light | Big and small game | Waterfowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:42 a.m. | 6:59 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 6:59 p.m. | 5:12 a.m. to 6:59 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 5:50 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. | 5:50 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. | 5:20 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:22 a.m. | 5:43 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:28 a.m. | 5:35 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:19 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Jan 22, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:20 a.m. | 5:36 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:36 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.
Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area hunters: an AZGFD range plus clubs
St. Johns Shooting Range, 29 miles from Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area, is the nearest bench on AZGFD’s public list.
From AZGFD’s Shooting Range Facilities page, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 7, 2026.
FAQ for hunting Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Acres on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
161 acres, per the AZGFD GIS polygon.
How many hunt numbers cover Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
The booklets list 18 hunts for elk, deer, pronghorn and rocky mountain bighorn whose open areas include it.
Are there OTC hunts on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
For deer, javelina, black bear and mountain lion, yes.
What does Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area allow for overnight stays?
No overnight public camping.
Where can I drive on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
Motorized vehicle travel permitted on designated roads or areas only, except for big game retrieval as permitted under R12-4-110 (H) .
Hunter orange on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
No. Arizona has no hunter orange rule; wearing it is up to you.
Which regional office do I call for Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
The Pinetop office, Region I: 928-367-4281.
Is chronic wasting disease found around Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
No detection in Arizona to date. Unit 2B is among AZGFD’s 16 priority surveillance units.
Does the law allow hunting on Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
It is open under R12-4-802(A)(32). The hunting line says: “Open to all hunting as permitted under R12-4-304 and R12-4-318, except the wildlife area is closed to the discharge of all firearms.”
Which license and tags does Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area take?
Carry an Arizona hunting or combination license and the tag for your hunt; youth 10 to 17 pay $5 for a combination license.
Which hunt units take in Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area?
Unit 2B, per the AZGFD unit layer.
Loose ends before driving to Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area
Tag your animal as soon as it is down and keep your license and tags on you while hunting Springerville Marsh Wildlife Area.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5; seasons from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations. Checked November 7, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Cecelia Alexander (CC0 1.0); Henry (CC BY 2.0).