Unit 2C (Concho and Lyman Lake grasslands)

Almost the entire unit is considered pronghorn habitat, and the population has been stable over the past two years. That makes 2C an unusually straightforward pronghorn unit by Arizona standards.

The southern half

Slightly greater pronghorn density, plus better access — which is why it's also the most commonly hunted part of the unit. If you want animals and don't mind company, start there.

The rest of the unit, for solitude

The agency makes a useful suggestion: scouting other areas before the hunt may let you hunt parts of the unit without worrying about other hunters. With pronghorn habitat spread across nearly the whole unit, that's a real option rather than a consolation.

Access, which is the unit's advantage

2C has better access than either 2A or 2B. There's a strip of mostly State Trust land along the southern border, with checkerboard ownership elsewhere. Named entries: Apache County Road 4365 from Highway 60 near milepost 383, and ACR 3000 from Highway 61 near milepost 365.

The subdivisions to watch

More land is being subdivided along the southwest and west of 2C — the country from the Vernon turn-off on Highway 60 west to Highway 61, and back northeast along Highway 61 to the Concho Lake area. Watch for new homes, and remember you cannot shoot within a quarter mile of an occupied building.

The land status

Hunting is legal on all State Trust and BLM land, but access to it is not guaranteed and you need permission to cross private ground. Some ranches have been closed in the past. The agency recommends asking permission as a matter of course — it builds relationships and prevents a hunt being interrupted.

One request from the agency

Keep your distance and avoid disturbing pronghorn while you're observing them. On a stable herd in open country, that's as much about keeping animals huntable through the season as about ethics.

Rifle success on Arizona's drawn pronghorn hunts runs high. 2C gives you a stable herd and the best access of the three St. Johns units, so the decision is where to spend your days.

Decide between density and solitude

The southern half has slightly more animals and better access, and most hunters go there. The rest of the unit is also pronghorn habitat. Scout both before the season and pick deliberately rather than defaulting to the crowd.

Glass, then stalk the swales

High open grassland. Get on any rise before light with binoculars on a tripod and work the country methodically. Pronghorn are active through most of the day, so keep glassing; on warm days look for bedded animals in the shade of a lone tree. Once you've found a buck, pick the stalk route from the high ground and use every swale.

Watch for houses in the southwest

The Vernon-to-Highway-61 and Concho Lake country is filling with new homes. Mark them while scouting, keep the quarter-mile rule on occupied buildings in mind, and be certain of your backstop — a bullet travels a long way across this grass.

Ask before you cross

Legal hunting on State Trust and BLM, no guaranteed access to it. Asking permission is the agency's recommendation and it works: it builds the relationship and it stops the hunt being cut short.

Off-road driving

The most common landowner complaint in these units. Illegal with any vehicle including ATVs on State and BLM land, with criminal charges possible for damage to private ground, and an OHV under 1,800 pounds needs a decal for State or Federal land. Keep the wheels on existing roads.