Unit 23N (Rincon / Santa Catalina)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Elk
Unit 23N offers a limited-opportunity elk hunt in southern Arizona. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) issues a small number of tags through a weighted random draw with bonus points, so expect multi-year application building.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 23N
Unit 23N offers a limited-opportunity elk hunt in southern Arizona. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) issues a small number of tags through a weighted random draw with bonus points, so expect multi-year application building.
Where the Elk Are: Canyon Creek to the Sierra Ancha and the Naegelin Rim
A caveat first. The only agency guide in our packet is AZGFD's Unit 23 document (dated February 2024), and every place it names sits along the Mogollon Rim and in the Sierra Ancha. None of it reads like Rincon or Santa Catalina country. Check your permit's boundary against the current regulations before you pack. What follows is what the guide actually says, and we won't pretend it's finer-grained than that.
Canyon Creek, Colcord Mountain and Turkey Peak
Draw a north early-bull permit and the guide puts you on the extreme northern end of the unit. Its scouting list: Canyon Creek, Colcord Mountain, Naegelin Canyon, Turkey Peak and Christopher Mountain. AZGFD says all of them offer good hunting. Colcord tops out at 7,547 feet and Turkey Peak at 7,044. Christopher Mountain, a ridge, reaches 6,953. We'd start with Canyon Creek and Colcord, because they bracket the high and low ends of that band.
Workman Creek, Reynolds Creek, Armer Mountain and Sawmill Flat
South-permit hunters work the Sierra Ancha. The guide names Workman Creek, Reynolds Creek, Armer Mountain (7,311 feet) and Sawmill Flat. The Sierra Ancha range itself is listed at 7,621 feet. Aztec Peak, at 7,734, is the highest named point in the packet and shows up on the late-October antlerless list too. The packet also lists springs, among them Workman Creek Falls, Hale Spring, Tin House Spring and Tewksbury Spring. It doesn't say which drainage each one sits in, so plot them on your own map before you go.
Late October: Mogollon Rim south to Parker Creek
For the general antlerless hunt, AZGFD says to revisit the same north and south areas, since bulls are still bugling, just less than in early October. Elk run from the Rim south to Parker Creek. The guide calls that a large area and says scouting pays. Its list: Canyon Creek, Naegelin Rim and Canyon, Christopher Mountain, Bottle Springs, Aztec Peak and Armer Mountain.
Archery and late-bull country
Once it cools, bulls slide into the brushy south slopes of Naegelin Rim, Christopher Mountain, Horse Mountain, Oxbow Mountain and Armer Mountain. Archery cows scatter more widely than that steep, brushy cover suggests. For the November antlerless archery hunt, the guide adds Young's Landing Strip and Buzzard Roost.
The late bull hunt pushes bulls into remote, rugged ground: Armer Mountain, the south slopes of Naegelin Rim, Christopher Mountain, Horse Mountain and the Mogollon Rim. Skip the easy country. AZGFD warns that some areas hold elk in September and none by December.
Unit 23N terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Promontory Butte (7,915 ft), Aztec Peak (7,734 ft), Valentine Ridge (7,634 ft), Sierra Ancha (7,621 ft)
Holding ground: Valentine Canyon (6,263 ft), Juniper Flat (6,085 ft), Lost Salt Canyon (6,027 ft), Hale Spring, Tin House 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 It: Cool-Hour Calling, Midday Stalks and Seasonal Shifts
Elk Success Rates
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Early Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 25 | 4,045 | 0.5% | — |
| Early Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 25 | 1,296 | 1.5% | — |
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 rare are Unit 23N elk tags?
How do I apply for this unit?
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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