Unit 15CS (Black Mountains south, unit 15C)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
15CS is the southern bighorn hunt area of GMU 15C, south of the Cottonwood Road in the Black Mountains of Mohave County. The agency's description of where to look is short and useful: rugged canyons throughout the subunit are excellent places to locate sheep. Access comes from the west side of the Blacks off the Katherine Mine Road, taking in Union Pass, Cane Mountain and Burns and Rhyolite Springs, and from the east side off Highway 68 west of Kingman and Highway 93 northwest of it. This is low, dry, rugged desert mountain country where the canyons hold both the sheep and the water.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 15CS
15CS is the southern bighorn hunt area of GMU 15C, south of the Cottonwood Road in the Black Mountains of Mohave County. The agency's description of where to look is short and useful: rugged canyons throughout the subunit are excellent places to locate sheep. Access comes from the west side of the Blacks off the Katherine Mine Road, taking in Union Pass, Cane Mountain and Burns and Rhyolite Springs, and from the east side off Highway 68 west of Kingman and Highway 93 northwest of it. This is low, dry, rugged desert mountain country where the canyons hold both the sheep and the water.
Where the rams are in 15C South: the rugged canyons of the Black Mountains
Unit 15C splits at the Cottonwood Road; this is the southern half. The agency's guidance is a single sentence worth building the whole hunt on: rugged canyons throughout the unit are excellent places to locate sheep.
From the west side
Access comes off the Katherine Mine Road on the west side of the Black Mountains. The areas named from there are Union Pass, Cane Mountain, and Burns and Rhyolite Springs.
From the east side
Burns and Rhyolite Springs can also be reached from the east: take Highway 68 west of Kingman to Golden Valley, then Estrella Road north about four miles to Jurassic Road, turn left and head west — the USGS quad for it is Burns Springs.
Portland Mine
Accessible from the east side of the Blacks off Highway 93 northwest of Kingman. Take the Cottonwood Road west approximately eight miles.
Why the canyons matter twice
In a dry range, canyons do two jobs: they hold the water that collects in pockets and springs, and they give sheep steep escape terrain with shade. Burns Springs and Rhyolite Springs are named for a reason — a spring in the Black Mountains is a fixed point in a landscape where very little else is.
Know the boundary
The Cottonwood Road separates 15C North from 15C South, and the agency makes the general point that when hunting any area it's important to know the unit boundaries. Check the regulations for the exact lines and load them into your GPS.
What to expect of the country
Low, hot and rugged, with few roads and long walks off them. Four-wheel drive is the sensible choice for the mine roads, and Kingman is the nearest real services.
Unit 15CS terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Mount Perkins (5,448 ft), Sugarloaf Mountain (4,036 ft), Twin Mills (3,839 ft), Black Mountains (3,537 ft)
Holding ground: Granite Canyon (2,665 ft), Silver Cut Meadows (1,950 ft), Middle Water Spring, Burns Well, Lost Cabin 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 15C South: work canyon by canyon, glass from the mouth upward
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — General Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 1 | 70 | 1.4% | — |
| Rifle — Late Rifle Dec bull/buck only (combined pool) | 1 | 89 | 1.1% | — |
Data from 2023 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 Engine15CS is a near-lottery draw. With 2 tags issued against 161 applicants over three years, odds sit near 1.2% per application year. Arizona uses a weighted bonus-point system with Hunter Education bonus — 20% of tags to max-point holders, 80% to a random weighted draw. Apply every year for the loyalty bonus.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Unit 15CS inside a national monument?
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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 Desert Bighorn Sheep Management — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Arizona Strip desert bighorn management, Once-in-a-lifetime policy · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Portal — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: 15CS bighorn draw odds, Weighted bonus-point system · accessed 2026-04-17
- Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument — Bureau of Land Management · supports: Parashant access roads, Remote monument travel rules, Public land boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17