Unit 13B (Arizona Strip - South)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Pronghorn
Unit 13B is part of the Arizona Strip region and is recognized as a trophy mule deer destination. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) issues tags through a weighted random draw with bonus points, which typically requires many years of applications to draw.
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 13B
Unit 13B is part of the Arizona Strip region and is recognized as a trophy mule deer destination. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) issues tags through a weighted random draw with bonus points, which typically requires many years of applications to draw.
Where the Strip bucks live in 13B: Dellenbaugh, Black Rock and the country above 4,000 feet
13B is 3,100 square miles of Arizona Strip, and AZGFD is blunt about what that means: deer sit at low density through every habitat type in the unit. Density isn't the point here. Age is. The unit runs under alternative management guidelines aimed at mature bucks, and the guide says good numbers of deer are typically found in the higher ground, generally above 4,000 feet.
The three areas the agency names first
Black Rock Mountain for archery, Mount Dellenbaugh for either weapon, Whitmore Point for the rifle hunt. Those are the three the guide calls out as holding higher deer densities, and they're the three worth building a trip around. Dellenbaugh tops out at 7,054 feet with habitat treatments worked into the country around it. Black Rock Mountain runs to 7,372. Both are a long way from pavement.
The rest of the agency's list
Working roughly north to south: Black Rock Mountain and Low Mountain, the Paiute Wilderness, Seegmiller Mountain, Wolf Hole Mountain and Wolf Hole Valley, the Twist Hills and Salaratus Hills, Mud Mountain, Tweedie Points, Poverty Knoll and Poverty Mountain, Little Hurricane Rim, Whitmore Point and Whitmore Canyon, Grassy Mountain, Hidden Hills and Hidden Lake, Pigeon Canyon, Grand Gulch Bench, Snap Point and Upper Snap Canyon, and Penns Valley.
Several of those carry real elevation. Mount Bangs is the high point of the unit at 7,938 feet. Poverty Mountain sits at 6,781, Last Chance Knoll at 6,761, Hidden Hills at 6,751, Yellow John Mountain at 6,740, Grassy Mountain at 6,582, Castle Peak at 6,525, Low Mountain at 6,432. For glassing perches, Hudson Point and Snap Point are at 6,679 and 6,611, and the Upper Grand Wash Cliffs give you a rim to work at 5,608.
Where water matters, and where it doesn't
The archery hunt falls during the monsoon. If the rain has been widespread the deer scatter and water means nothing — that's a spot-and-stalk hunt. If it's been dry, and the guide says it very well could be, scouting water pays. Named water inside the unit is thin on our layer, but Lizard Spring, Mokaac Spring, Quaking Asp Spring, Atkin Spring, Oak Spring, Black Rock Spring, Tombstone Spring and Mormon Well all sit inside the boundary. AZGFD adds a point worth repeating: nobody has a reservation on a water hole or a hunting area in this unit.
Pick five areas and leave the rest alone
This is the agency's own advice and it's the best line in the guide. Don't try to hunt 13B. Pick five core areas you like and stick with them. A mature Strip buck may not show itself for days.
Unit 13B terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,179–6,445 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,624 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 3,128.7 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- BLM — 15%
- Private / Other — 85%
Roughly 15% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 563 tanks
- 156 springs
- 7,152 stream segments
- 14 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: Mount Bangs (7,938 ft), Black Rock Mountain (7,372 ft), Poverty Mountain (6,781 ft), Last Chance Knoll (6,761 ft)
Holding ground: Shivwits Plateau (6,339 ft), Lake Flat (6,170 ft), Penn Valley (5,955 ft), Lizard Spring, Mokaac Spring
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 13B: stay mobile, glass from more than one hill, and plan for a week of nothing
Mule Deer Success Rates
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Late Rifle Nov bull/buck only (combined pool) | 70 | 6,870 | 1.0% | — |
| Rifle — Early Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 20 | 1,030 | 1.7% | — |
| Rifle — Late Rifle Nov either sex (combined pool) | 70 | 6,870 | 1.0% | — |
| Early Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 20 | 1,092 | 1.1% | — |
| Early Archery — either sex (combined pool) | 20 | 1,030 | 1.7% | — |
Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number. This agency publishes no point thresholds, so the Pts column stays blank and these are pool odds, not what a point total draws.
Open in Draw Odds EngineUnit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for a Unit 13B mule deer tag?
Where can I see draw trends for this unit?
How does 13B pronghorn compare to 13A?
What are the best resources for pre-hunt scouting in 13B?
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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 2026-04-17.
- AZGFD Hunt Guidelines — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Season structure and hunt guidelines for Arizona big game, Unit boundary descriptions and hunt codes · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Legal weapons, bag limits, and tag requirements, License, tag, and draw application rules · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Results & Bonus Points — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Weighted random draw with bonus points, Loyalty and hunter education bonus points · accessed 2026-04-17
- GMU 13B — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Strip boundary, Pronghorn habitat, Access routes · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2026 Arizona Pronghorn and Elk Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Pronghorn season structure, Tag allocation, Hunt codes · accessed 2026-04-17
- BLM Arizona Strip Field Office — Bureau of Land Management · supports: Strip public land access, Road network, Camping regulations · accessed 2026-04-17