Unit 1/27 (Black River corridor, units 1 and 27)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Desert Bighorn Sheep
The 1/27 bighorn hunt is the Black River corridor on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, where Arizona's Rocky Mountain bighorn live from Three Forks down the East Fork of the Black River to the main stem and on to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary. This is the primary habitat for that population; sheep occur outside the corridor but at much lower density. The hunt is managed jointly between units 1 and 27. There is very little to no vehicle access across a large part of the huntable habitat, so plan to pack out what you harvest, and every bighorn hunter must check out at a Department office within three days of the season closing — successful or not.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 1/27
Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready Arizona Unit 1/27 guide around your hunt: three ranked spots with morning, afternoon and evening plays, a day-by-day plan, topo maps with every pin numbered, a camp and access plan, the legal and retrieval rules for this unit, shot discipline, a meat-care and pack-out plan, and a pre-trip checklist. Every coordinate sits on land recorded as public.
Free accounts get one report a year with the top spot unlocked. ProHunt Pro includes unlimited reports, all three spots, the full camp plan, and GPX/KML downloads for onX and Google Earth. Prefer to see one first? Open the builder and pick any unit.
Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 1/27
The 1/27 bighorn hunt is the Black River corridor on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, where Arizona's Rocky Mountain bighorn live from Three Forks down the East Fork of the Black River to the main stem and on to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary. This is the primary habitat for that population; sheep occur outside the corridor but at much lower density. The hunt is managed jointly between units 1 and 27. There is very little to no vehicle access across a large part of the huntable habitat, so plan to pack out what you harvest, and every bighorn hunter must check out at a Department office within three days of the season closing — successful or not.
Where the rams are: Three Forks, Kettle Holes, Fish Bench and Wildcat Crossing
Rocky Mountain bighorn here run primarily from Three Forks down the East Fork of the Black River to the main stem, and on to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. That corridor and its tributaries are the hunt. Sheep do occur outside it, but in smaller numbers.
Three Forks
The northernmost part of the corridor, on the East Fork of the Black River. Access is Forest Road 249, which runs from Big Lake to the town of Alpine.
Kettle Holes
North of the Black River, overlooking it, and providing good feeding habitat for sheep. Access is Forest Road 25G, south off Forest Road 25 and west of Buffalo Crossing.
Fish Bench
Directly south of Kettle Holes and across the Black River canyon. It gives a good view of the canyon and holds a variety of areas critical to sheep. This area can be accessed only on foot.
Wildcat Crossing
Where Forest Road 25 crosses the Black River. There's a parking area and trails following the river, and a trail system running from Forest Road 24 to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. A good place to reach the river bottom.
The Snake Creek area and the lower corridor
One of the lower areas of the corridor. Sheep also use some of the flatter, more wooded ground immediately adjacent to the Black River — worth knowing, because it isn't the cliff habitat people expect of bighorn.
One transplant that is not huntable
AZGFD transplanted sheep into the South Fork area of the Little Colorado River to reestablish them where they historically occurred. That is not a huntable population and does not fall inside the Black River hunt area. Don't confuse the two.
Unit 1/27 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up · figures are for GMU 1
The lay of it
- 7,391–9,286 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 8,398 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 843.1 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 32%
Roughly 68% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 722 tanks
- 374 springs
- 299 stream segments
- 39 lakes
Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Escudilla Mountain (10,916 ft), Profanity Ridge (10,533 ft), Greens Peak (10,125 ft), Burro Mountain (9,855 ft)
Holding ground: Terry Flat (9,678 ft), Pat Sink (9,317 ft), Rudd Knoll Pit (9,300 ft), Towser Well
Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.
How to hunt the Black River sheep: glass across the canyon, and plan to carry it out
Desert Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Desert Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
Draw odds data not available for this specific unit/species combination in our database.
Search Arizona Draw OddsDraw odds for this combined unit are exceptionally long. The weighted-random bonus-point system means that top-point holders have better odds but no guarantee. Apply consecutively every year — skipping a year forfeits the loyalty application bonus and slows your point accumulation. Arizona bighorn is once-in-a-lifetime for residents.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the 01/27 and 01/02B bighorn sheep hunts?
Can I access the 01/27 combined unit by horseback?
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Upgrade to Pro — $49/yrSources & Verification
Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-18.
- AZGFD Desert Bighorn Sheep Management — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Reintroduction history, Population management, Unit descriptions · accessed 2026-04-18
- AZGFD Big Game Hunting Regulations 2026 — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Season structure, Tag quotas, Hunt area legal description · accessed 2026-04-18
- AZGFD Draw Portal — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Draw statistics, Application system, Bonus points · accessed 2026-04-18