Unit 19B (Big Chino Valley and the Juniper Mountains)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Mule Deer
GMU 19B is the Big Chino Valley and the pinyon-juniper mesas, buttes and hills around it, running from Seligman in the northwest down to Paulden in the southeast on the Prescott National Forest. Big Chino Wash drains the valley and feeds the headwaters of the Verde River. Pronghorn live on the valley grassland, mule deer in the woodland above it, and both hunts turn on the same problem: land ownership here is a mix of Prescott National Forest, State Trust and private deeded land, and AZGFD has cut pronghorn permits specifically because hunter access has been lost across large portions of the unit. Read the agency's access notes before you apply, not after you draw.
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Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 19B
GMU 19B is the Big Chino Valley and the pinyon-juniper mesas, buttes and hills around it, running from Seligman in the northwest down to Paulden in the southeast on the Prescott National Forest. Big Chino Wash drains the valley and feeds the headwaters of the Verde River. Pronghorn live on the valley grassland, mule deer in the woodland above it, and both hunts turn on the same problem: land ownership here is a mix of Prescott National Forest, State Trust and private deeded land, and AZGFD has cut pronghorn permits specifically because hunter access has been lost across large portions of the unit. Read the agency's access notes before you apply, not after you draw.
Where the pronghorn are in 19B: Big Chino Valley, the I-40 corridor and Deep Well
Start with the warning, because it changes whether you should apply at all. AZGFD has reduced 19B pronghorn permits because hunter access has been lost across large portions of the unit. The guide tells applicants to secure access to private property before applying, and says plainly that a hunter who draws here should not expect a traditional public-land experience. Some landowners charge a trespass fee. Some won't give permission at all.
Big Chino Valley — where most of the animals are
The Big Chino is a broad valley running from the Seligman area in the northwest to Paulden in the southeast, and its grassland is ideal pronghorn habitat. This is where the majority of the unit's pronghorn live. It's also where private property makes accessible ground hardest to find. The valley floor sits at about 4,363 feet on our terrain layer, with Williamson Valley at 4,445 feet forming the other open pocket.
The I-40 corridor
Pronghorn turn up along Interstate 40 in limited numbers in the northern end of the unit. Access here is genuinely possible — some State Trust Land sections can be reached from Route 66 and I-40 — but the private-property problem exists here too. Watch the unit's northern boundary carefully while you're hunting this ground; it's easy to drift out.
Deep Well
The grasslands on the Deep Well Ranch, between Prescott and Chino Valley, hold decent pronghorn numbers. There are State Trust sections in there that can be accessed, with the same caveat about surrounding private land.
The high points worth glassing from
This is open-country hunting that needs a vantage. Inside the unit, Picacho Butte stands at 7,149 feet, Big Black Mesa at 6,045, South Butte at 5,990, Simmons Peak at 5,725, Stud Horse Butte at 5,723, the Sullivan Buttes at 5,692, Saddle Butte at 5,654, Table Mountain at 5,571, Indian Peak at 5,453 and Rock Butte at 5,377. Any of those gives you a mile of grass to work over before you commit to a stalk.
Unit 19B terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,417–5,712 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,972 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 763.6 sq mi inside the boundary.
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
- 416 tanks
- 7 springs
- 2,843 stream segments
- 17 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: Simmons Peak (5,725 ft), Indian Peak (5,453 ft), Rock Butte (5,377 ft)
Holding ground: Peter Lockett Canyon (4,893 ft), Williamson Valley (4,445 ft)
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 19B pronghorn: make the phone calls first, then glass from the buttes
Pronghorn Success Rates
Pronghorn Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muzzleloader — Early Muzzleloader bull/buck only (combined pool) | 5 | 274 | 1.8% | — |
| Early Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 5 | 165 | 3.0% | — |
| Rifle — Early Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 5 | 274 | 1.8% | — |
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 pronghorn tag in GMU 19B?
Do I need a State Trust permit to hunt Unit 19B?
Is Unit 19B a good first Arizona mule deer hunt?
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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 2026 Pronghorn Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 19B season dates, Tag quotas, Legal weapon types · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Portal — Hunt Drawing Information — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bonus point draw, Historical draw data for 19B pronghorn · accessed 2026-04-17
- GMU 19B — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit boundary, Land ownership, Species overview · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2025–26 Arizona Hunting Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Mule deer season dates, Permit allocations, Weapon categories · accessed 2026-04-17
- BLM Hassayampa Field Office — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM land status in Big Chino Valley, Road and travel management, Dispersed camping rules · accessed 2026-04-17