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Arizona Hunter's Guide to Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Wildlife area in Cochise County, Unit 30A, about 600 acres.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Arizona (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Fine print for hunters on Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
R12-4-802(A)(40) lists 6 restrictions for Willcox Playa Wildlife Area. Some posted parts are closed to hunting, so read the signs at each entrance. Motorized travel has limits here, so plan to walk from the road. Camping rules differ from area to area; this one is in the table.
| Kind | Plain terms | Exact text |
|---|---|---|
| Fires | Designated fire sites | Open fires allowed in designated areas only. |
| Firewood | Dead and down only | Wood collecting limited to dead and down material, for onsite noncommercial use only. |
| Camping | 14 of 30 days | Overnight public camping allowed in designated areas only, 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). |
| Closures | Closed October 15–March 15 | Posted portions closed to all public entry from October 15 through March 15 annually. |
| Hunting | Open; posted closure Oct–Mar | Open to all hunting in season as permitted under R12-4-304 and R12-4-318, except posted portions closed to hunting from October 15 through March 15 annually. |
AZGFD may also close or restrict all or part of any wildlife area for up to 90 days by posting (R12-4-801), so a sign at the gate can add limits not in the table.
Rule text: A.A.C. R12-4-802 (Cornell LII copy) and R12-4-801; checked November 7, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Owner, size and setting of Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
The Commission names Willcox Playa Wildlife Area in R12-4-802(A)(40), so the area runs under Arizona wildlife area law rather than general public land rules. At 600 acres by the AZGFD GIS polygon, it reaches into Cochise County. GIS measures 559 acres, close to but not the same as the stated size. Regionally it belongs to AZGFD Region V (Tucson). AZGFD pairs it with Willcox on its wildlife area layer.
AZGFD describes the area this way: Willcox Playa is best known for its wintering population of sandhill cranes that migrate to the playa in large numbers, particularly in wet winters. It is not unusual to see several thousand cranes in winter at the power plant ponds viewing area on the southwest side of the playa, or at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 600-acre Wildlife Area on the southeast side. The cranes feed and court, but after February migrate to their summer breeding grounds in the northern Great Plains. Birding is best from mid-October through March, when more than 15 species of birds of prey may also be found here.
From lands.json (primary source; acres: AZGFD Wildlife Areas layer description ("of the playa, or at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 600-acre Wildlife Area on the southeast si")), checked November 7, 2026.
Permit-tag hunts covering Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Wildlife hunted near Willcox Playa Wildlife Area.
AZGFD lists 16 drawn hunts whose open areas include the units of Willcox Playa Wildlife Area: 7 deer, 2 pronghorn, 5 javelina and 2 turkey. The booklets authorize 1,328 tags for them. None of these hunts is limited to Willcox Playa Wildlife Area; each is valid throughout its listed open area. Elk and pronghorn rows are the 2026 hunts; the 2027 pronghorn and elk booklet comes out in January 2027 with its own hunt list. The sandhill crane zone sheet closes Willcox Playa Wildlife Area to cranes, so those hunts are omitted. Fall 2026 draw applications closed June 2, 2026, spring 2027 applications closed October 6, 2026, and the 2026 pronghorn and elk deadline was February 3, 2026.
| Animal | Count | Permits | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 7 | 720 | Oct 9, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Pronghorn (2026) | 2 | 5 | Aug 21, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 |
| Javelina | 5 | 575 | Nov 20, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 |
| Turkey | 2 | 28 | Apr 30, 2027 | May 27, 2027 |
| No. | Game | Hunt type | Dates | Legal animal | Tags | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1165 | Deer | Youth-only | Oct 9–18, 2026 | Any antlered deer | 20 | 30A |
| 1104 | Deer | General | Oct 23–29, 2026 | Antlered whitetail deer | 150 | 30A |
| 1046 | Deer | General | Oct 30–Nov 5, 2026 | Antlered mule deer | 125 | 30A |
| 1105 | Deer | General | Nov 6–12, 2026 | Antlered whitetail deer | 150 | 30A |
| 1047 | Deer | General | Nov 13–19, 2026 | Antlered mule deer | 125 | 30A |
| 1106 | Deer | General | Nov 27–Dec 6, 2026 | Antlered whitetail deer | 125 | 30A |
| 1107 | Deer | General | Dec 11–31, 2026 | Antlered whitetail deer | 25 | 30A |
| 2058 | Pronghorn (2026) | Archery-only | Aug 21–Sep 3, 2026 | Buck pronghorn | 1 | 30A |
| 2026 | Pronghorn (2026) | General | Sep 4–13, 2026 | Buck pronghorn | 4 | 30A |
| 5507 | Javelina | Youth-only | Nov 20–26, 2026 | Any javelina | 50 | 30A |
| 5099 | Javelina | Archery-only | Jan 1–21, 2027 | Any javelina | 200 | 30A |
| 5044 | Javelina | Youth-only | Jan 22–31, 2027 | Any javelina | 50 | 30A |
| 5069 | Javelina | HAM | Feb 5–15, 2027 | Any javelina | 50 | 30A |
| 5019 | Javelina | General | Feb 19–25, 2027 | Any javelina | 225 | 30A |
| 4047 | Turkey | Shotgun-shot | Apr 30–May 6, 2027 +1 | Bearded turkey | 14 | 30A |
| 4048 | Turkey | Shotgun-shot | May 7–27, 2027 | Bearded turkey | 14 | 30A |
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.
Unit-by-unit facts for Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
AZGFD sets seasons by unit, and Willcox Playa Wildlife Area lies in Unit 30A. AZGFD's unit layer lists pronghorn, black bear, javelina, mule deer, white-tailed deer, dove and quail for these units, a unit-level hint rather than a promise for this exact ground. Unit 30A carries these AZGFD labels: CWD priority, Mexican wolf area, Crane zone. Mexican wolves may be present in the wolf area units; they are protected and may not be shot.
| Unit | AZGFD office | Sq miles | Counties | Forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 30A | Tucson | 1,727 | Cochise | Coronado NF |
| Unit | Lion zone | Female bear limit | Archery deer limit | AZGFD flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 30A | P (61) | 12 (29, 30A) | 20 | CWD priority, Mexican wolf area, Crane zone |
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.
Nonpermit-tag hunts in the Willcox Playa Wildlife Area units
For Willcox Playa Wildlife Area, the over-the-counter list covers deer, black bear and mountain lion. Watch the archery deer counts: a unit closes the Wednesday after it fills, and reporting is due within 48 hours. Bear seasons end early in a unit once enough females are taken; report within 48 hours. A lion tag is good statewide through May 31, 2027, starting August 21, 2026, with zone caps.
| Game | Season | Legal wildlife | Window | Units here | Harvest limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery-only OTC tag deer | Antlered mule deer | Aug 21–Jan 31, 2027 | 30A | 20 |
| Deer | Archery-only OTC tag deer | Antlered whitetail deer | Aug 21–Jan 31, 2027 | 30A | 45 |
| Black bear | Archery-only bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Aug 21–Oct 1, 2026 | 30A | 3 |
| Black bear | General bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Oct 2–29, 2026 | 30A | 4 |
| Black bear | General bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Oct 30–Dec 31, 2026 | 30A | 2 |
| Black bear | General OTC tag spring bear | Any bear except cubs with sows and sows… | Mar 19–Apr 22, 2027 | 30A | 1 |
| Mountain lion | General mountain lion | Any lion except spotted kittens or… | Aug 21–May 31, 2027 | 30A | – |
| Mountain lion | Pursuit-only mountain lion | Pursuit of any lion except spotted… | Aug 21–May 31, 2027 | 30A | – |
Nonpermit-tag rows from the 2026-27 regulations and the 2027 spring booklet; reporting rules from the harvest reporting section; checked November 7, 2026.
Neighbouring public ground of Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Next nearest on the map: BLM Safford FO, 32 miles northeast. Within reach on the map: 2 wildlife areas, 2 ranger districts and 1 BLM field office.
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM Safford FO | BLM field office | 1,400,000 | Graham | 32 miles | northeast |
| Manhattan Claims | Wildlife area | 534 | Cochise | 33 miles | east |
| Safford Ranger District | Ranger district | 400,606 | Graham | 35 miles | north |
| Coronado National Forest | National forest | 1,652,265 | Cochise | 36 miles | southeast |
| Douglas Ranger District | Ranger district | 354,412 | Cochise | 36 miles | southeast |
| Whitewater Draw | Wildlife area | 1,694 | Cochise | 40 miles | south |
Point: AZGFD Wildlife Areas layer (Wildlife_Areas, 2019) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Quail, dove and small game at Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Statewide seasons cover dove and quail on and around Willcox Playa Wildlife Area. A migratory bird stamp and federal duck stamp are required for ducks and geese.
| Game | Season | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Gambel's, scaled and California quail | General quail | Oct 16–Feb 7, 2027 |
| Mearns' quail | General quail | Dec 4–Feb 7, 2027 |
| 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.
Recent results near Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Harvest is counted per hunt and unit; no figure exists for Willcox Playa Wildlife Area alone. Hunts spanning several units are not included; AZGFD calls the elk data preliminary.
| Unit | Hunts in 2025 | Hunters | Harvest | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 30A | OTC archery deer | 232 | 26 | 14% |
| Unit 30A | Draw deer, 7 hunts | 712 | 257 | 36% |
| Unit 30A | Pronghorn, 2 hunts | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| Unit 30A | Spring javelina, 2 hunts | 279 | 183 | 66% |
2025 AZGFD harvest summaries: OTC archery deer, deer, elk (preliminary), pronghorn, spring javelina, spring turkey, bighorn sheep; checked November 7, 2026.
Supplies and help near Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
The handiest town is McNeal, about 38 miles off. A larger stop is Sierra Vista, population 44,710. Tucson hosts the AZGFD office nearest to Willcox Playa Wildlife Area, 73 miles out.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNeal | Cochise | – | 38 miles | south |
| Safford | Graham | 10,257 | 47 miles | north |
| Sierra Vista | Cochise | 44,710 | 51 miles | southwest |
| Bisbee | Cochise | 4,957 | 53 miles | south |
| Douglas | Cochise | 15,819 | 54 miles | south |
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.
Sunup and sundown at Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Raccoon hunting runs around the clock statewide outside metro units and refuges, and coyote does in listed units from December 1; other game around Willcox Playa Wildlife Area stops at sunset.
| Day | Moment | Sunup | Sundown | Daylight window | Early bird window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Archery deer | 5:47 a.m. | 6:58 p.m. | 5:47 a.m. to 6:58 p.m. | 5:17 a.m. to 6:58 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 5:54 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. | 5:24 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Quail opener | 6:22 a.m. | 5:47 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | General deer and waterfowl opener | 6:28 a.m. | 5:39 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:16 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
| Jan 22, 2027 | Spring javelina | 7:18 a.m. | 5:42 p.m. | 7:18 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 6:48 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.
Sight in, then hunt Willcox Playa Wildlife Area
Sierra Vista Shooting Range, 47 miles from Willcox Playa 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.
The Willcox Playa Wildlife Area question list
Is Willcox Playa Wildlife Area huntable ground?
Hunting is allowed. From R12-4-802(A)(40): “Open to all hunting in season as permitted under R12-4-304 and R12-4-318, except posted portions closed to hunting from October 15 through March 15 annually.”
What license works on Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
A valid Arizona hunting or combination license plus any tag the hunt needs (resident hunting $37, combination $57; nonresident combination $160).
What unit is Willcox Playa Wildlife Area in?
Game units: 30A.
What size does the record give for Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
600 acres is the listed figure (AZGFD GIS polygon).
What drawn hunts are valid on Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
16 draw hunts reach it: deer, pronghorn, javelina and turkey.
What nonpermit-tag hunts apply on Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
Yes, for deer, black bear and mountain lion, with harvest limits by unit where they apply.
Camping limits on Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
Overnight public camping allowed in designated areas only, for no more than 14 days within a 30-day period.
Vehicle access on Willcox Playa 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 orange clothing mandatory on Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
No state rule requires orange in Arizona.
What Game and Fish office serves Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
AZGFD Region V (Tucson); 520-628-5376.
Do I need CWD testing for deer from Willcox Playa Wildlife Area?
CWD has not been detected in Arizona; AZGFD offers free testing. Unit 30A is among AZGFD’s 16 priority surveillance units.
Other photos on this page: Bill Morrow (CC BY 2.0); Bureau of Land Management Arizona (Public Domain Mark 1.0).