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Wildlife area · Coconino County
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area: Access, Units and Draw Hunts
Wildlife area in Coconino County (Unit 8; 159 acres).
Photo: Kaibab National Forest (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area
Sizing up Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area before a hunt
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area is one of the forty wildlife areas the Arizona Game and Fish Commission lists in rule R12-4-802, and its paragraph there, R12-4-802(A)(33), holds every restriction that applies on the ground. Size: 159 acres, measured from the AZGFD GIS polygon, across Coconino County. Within the AZGFD map it sits in Region II, run from Flagstaff. Williams is the town AZGFD lists beside it.
AZGFD's description of it: Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area is located about 15 miles southeast of Williams, Arizona, on the Kaibab National Forest. The property is 160 acres, with approximately 120 acres within an ephemeral wetland located in an ancient lake bed. There is an earthen stock tank at the northeast corner of the property. The remaining 40 acres is upland habitat of grassland with scattered ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). It is bordered by federal lands managed by the USFS Kaibab National Forest. There are no designated roads into or within Sunflower Flat; therefore, access to the property is on foot only.
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 Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area
Limits that apply on Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area
There are 3 items in the Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area paragraph. The hunting line is the plain one: open to all hunting in season under the statewide method rules. Vehicles keep to the routes the rule names; big game retrieval is the stated exception where allowed. Overnight use is covered by its own item.
| Topic | Bottom line | Commission wording |
|---|---|---|
| Camping | 14 of 30 days | Overnight public camping allowed for no more than 14 days within a 30-day period. |
| 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). |
| Hunting | Open in season | Open to all hunting in season as permitted under R12-4-304 and R12-4-318. |
Signs at entrances may announce a 90-day closure under R12-4-801.
Rule text: A.A.C. R12-4-802 (Cornell LII copy) and R12-4-801; checked November 7, 2026.
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area: units, zones and limits
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area touches 1 Game Management Unit: Unit 8. The unit layer from AZGFD lists pronghorn, black bear, elk, Merriam's Turkey, mountain lion, deer and javelina, which describes the units as a whole. AZGFD labels for Unit 8: Mexican wolf area. Expect possible Mexican wolves; they are fully protected.
| Unit | Region | Square miles | Counties in it | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 8 | Flagstaff | 644 | Coconino, Yavapai | Kaibab NF, Prescott NF |
| Unit | Lion zone (threshold) | Bear cap 2026 | Archery deer limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 8 | G2 (16) | 6 (8) | 35 | 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.
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area: hunt numbers in its units
A typical animal for the Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area units.
There are 18 draw hunts to apply for in these units (6 elk, 3 deer, 2 pronghorn, 4 javelina and 3 turkey). Permits across them: 3,182. These are unit hunts: the permit is valid across the open area, of which Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area is one part. The 2026 pronghorn and elk booklet supplied those rows; the 2027 booklet follows in January. Draw dates to know: fall 2026 closed June 2, spring 2027 closed October 6, and 2026 elk and pronghorn closed February 3.
| Species | Hunts | Permit-tags | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk (2026) | 6 | 1,500 | Sep 11, 2026 | Dec 10, 2026 |
| Deer | 3 | 425 | Oct 30, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Pronghorn (2026) | 2 | 7 | Sep 4, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 |
| Javelina | 4 | 1,000 | Jan 1, 2027 | Feb 25, 2027 |
| Turkey | 3 | 250 | Oct 2, 2026 | May 20, 2027 |
| # | Species | Hunt | Dates | Legal wildlife | Permit-tags | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3139 | Elk (2026) | Archery-only | Sep 11–24, 2026 | Bull elk | 200 | 8 |
| 3182 | Elk (2026) | Archery-only | Sep 11–24, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 50 | 8 |
| 3111 | Elk (2026) | Muzzleloader | Oct 16–22, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 150 | 8 |
| 3160 | Elk (2026) | Archery-only | Nov 13–26, 2026 | Bull elk | 50 | 8 |
| 3021 | Elk (2026) | General | Nov 27–Dec 3, 2026 | Bull elk | 500 | 8 |
| 3049 | Elk (2026) | General | Dec 4–10, 2026 | Antlerless elk | 550 | 8 |
| 1011 | Deer | General | Oct 30–Nov 5, 2026 | Antlered mule deer | 350 | 8 |
| 1078 | Deer | General | Nov 6–12, 2026 | Antlered whitetail deer | 50 | 8 |
| 1077 | Deer | General | Dec 11–31, 2026 | Antlered whitetail deer | 25 | 8 |
| 2031 | Pronghorn (2026) | Muzzleloader | Sep 4–13, 2026 | Buck pronghorn | 4 | 8 |
| 2014 | Pronghorn (2026) | General | Oct 2–11, 2026 | Buck pronghorn | 3 | 8 |
| 5083 | Javelina | Archery-only | Jan 1–21, 2027 | Any javelina | 575 | 8 |
| 5034 | Javelina | Youth-only | Jan 22–31, 2027 | Any javelina | 125 | 8 |
| 5050 | Javelina | HAM | Feb 5–15, 2027 | Any javelina | 100 | 8 |
| 5001 | Javelina | General | Feb 19–25, 2027 | Any javelina | 200 | 8 |
| 4509 | Turkey | Shotgun-shot | Oct 2–8, 2026 | Any turkey | 100 | 8 |
| 4019 | Turkey | Shotgun-shot | Apr 23–29, 2027 +1 | Bearded turkey | 75 | 8 |
| 4020 | Turkey | Shotgun-shot | Apr 30–May 20, 2027 | Bearded turkey | 75 | 8 |
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.
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area hunts you can buy a tag for
Nonpermit-tag seasons in these units: deer, turkey, black bear and mountain lion. Harvest caps decide how long archery deer stays open in each unit, and every deer is reported within 48 hours. A bear unit shuts when its female limit is reached; reporting is required within 48 hours. Lions may be taken August 21, 2026 to May 31, 2027, one a year, subject to zone thresholds.
| Species | Nonpermit hunt | Bag | Dates | Units | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only OTC tag deer | Antlered mule deer | Aug 21–Jan 31, 2027 | 8 | 35 |
| Deer | Archery-only OTC tag deer | Antlered whitetail deer | Aug 21–Jan 31, 2027 | 8 | 5 |
| Turkey | Archery-only OTC tag turkey | Any turkey | Aug 21–Sep 10, 2026 | 8 | – |
| Turkey | Youth-only OTC tag (Shotgun shot)… | Bearded turkey | Apr 16–May 20, 2027 | 8 | – |
| Black bear | General bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Oct 2–Dec 31, 2026 | 8 | 6 |
| Mountain lion | General mountain lion | Any lion except spotted kittens or… | Aug 21–May 31, 2027 | 8 | – |
| Mountain lion | Pursuit-only mountain lion | Pursuit of any lion except spotted… | Aug 21–May 31, 2027 | 8 | – |
Nonpermit-tag rows from the 2026-27 regulations and the 2027 spring booklet; reporting rules from the harvest reporting section; checked November 7, 2026.
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area: statewide small game dates
AZGFD's unit list mentions , all on statewide seasons. Carry both stamps for waterfowl, state and federal; migratory bird hours open half an hour before sunrise.
| Bird or animal | Season | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area: what hunters took in 2025
AZGFD reports 2025 results by hunt and unit, not by property, so these figures describe the units around Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area. Single-unit hunts only, summed; the elk report is marked preliminary by AZGFD.
| Unit | 2025 hunt group | Hunters | Harvested | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 8 | OTC archery deer | 806 | 24 | 4% |
| Unit 8 | Draw deer, 3 hunts | 299 | 119 | 40% |
| Unit 8 | Elk (prelim.), 7 hunts | 1,191 | 372 | 31% |
| Unit 8 | Pronghorn, 2 hunts | 8 | 7 | 88% |
2025 AZGFD harvest summaries: OTC archery deer, deer, elk (preliminary), pronghorn, spring javelina, spring turkey, bighorn sheep; checked November 7, 2026.
Map pins near Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area
Head northeast about 12 miles for Camp Navajo. The pins around it are 2 ranger districts, 2 wildlife areas and 1 military installation.
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Navajo | Military land | 28,267 | Coconino | 12 miles | northeast |
| Williams Ranger District | Ranger district | 560,671 | Coconino | 12 miles | northwest |
| Chino Valley Ranger District | Ranger district | 555,143 | Yavapai | 19 miles | southwest |
| Lamar Haines | Wildlife area | 160 | Coconino | 22 miles | northeast |
| Upper Verde River | Wildlife area | 1,085 | Yavapai | 27 miles | southwest |
| Coconino National Forest | National forest | 1,844,955 | Coconino | 32 miles | southeast |
Point: AZGFD Wildlife Areas layer (Wildlife_Areas, 2019) (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Where hunters at Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area restock
From the Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area point, Williams is 12 miles away. Flagstaff, 24 miles out, is bigger: 77,539 people (2024). Game and Fish help is nearest in Flagstaff, 21 miles from the Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area point.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams | Coconino | 3,482 | 12 miles | northwest |
| Sedona | Yavapai | 9,778 | 23 miles | southeast |
| Flagstaff | Coconino | 77,539 | 24 miles | east |
| Paulden | Yavapai | – | 30 miles | southwest |
| Chino Valley | Yavapai | 13,911 | 34 miles | southwest |
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.
Daylight table for Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area
AZGFD prints one Phoenix chart and says the sun comes up as much as nine minutes earlier in the east and later in the west, so these Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area times are worked out for this spot with the NOAA solar formula.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer and quail | Dove and duck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:52 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. | 5:22 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:00 a.m. | 6:57 p.m. | 6:00 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:34 a.m. | 5:53 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:40 a.m. | 5:45 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:32 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 7:32 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Jan 22, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:33 a.m. | 5:45 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:45 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.
Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area: range stops en route
Northern Arizona Shooting Range, on AZGFD’s public range list, is 33 miles from Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area. Club and shop ranges no farther than 30 miles take the remaining cards.
From AZGFD’s Shooting Range Facilities page, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 7, 2026.
Hunters' questions about Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area, with sourced answers
Is there no-draw hunting on Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
Yes: nonpermit-tag seasons cover deer, turkey, black bear and mountain lion in its units.
Can I draw a tag for Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
There are 18 (elk, deer, pronghorn, javelina and turkey).
Is off-highway travel allowed on Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
Motorized vehicle travel permitted on designated roads or areas only, except for big game retrieval as permitted under R12-4-110 (H) .
Is overnight use allowed on Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
Overnight public camping allowed for no more than 14 days within a 30-day period.
Which Game and Fish region is Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area part of?
Region II, Flagstaff; phone 928-774-5045.
Must hunters wear orange at Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
Arizona does not require it; wearing it is a personal choice.
Will I be legal hunting Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
Yes. The Commission rule (R12-4-802(A)(33)) states: “Open to all hunting in season as permitted under R12-4-304 and R12-4-318.”
Has CWD been detected near Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
CWD is not known in Arizona; test your deer free if you like.
Which game units cover Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
Look for Unit 8 in the booklet.
What must I buy to hunt Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area?
An Arizona license ($37 resident hunting, $57 combination, $160 nonresident combination) and the tag or permit-tag for the species.
What land area does Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area have?
The AZGFD GIS polygon gives 159 acres.
Other photos on this page: Coconino National Forest (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Alan Levine (CC0 1.0).