Unit 31 (Pinaleño Mountains, Santa Teresas and Aravaipa)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Turkey, Coues Whitetail Deer
GMU 31 is the country east of the Klondyke–Bonita road in Graham County — the Pinaleño Mountains topped by Mount Graham at 10,693 feet, the Santa Teresa Mountains to their north, the Aravaipa country on the western boundary and the Gila Valley farmland along US 70. Mule deer here stay out of the high timber and hold the foothills, the flats and the orchard country below the mountain; Coues whitetail are through all the mountainous ground and in the lower country north of Aravaipa Canyon. The Swift Trail up Mount Graham gives rare early-season access to timbered whitetail hunting above 8,000 feet. Several access routes cross private ground and some have changed hands recently, so scouting the roads is part of the job.
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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 31
GMU 31 is the country east of the Klondyke–Bonita road in Graham County — the Pinaleño Mountains topped by Mount Graham at 10,693 feet, the Santa Teresa Mountains to their north, the Aravaipa country on the western boundary and the Gila Valley farmland along US 70. Mule deer here stay out of the high timber and hold the foothills, the flats and the orchard country below the mountain; Coues whitetail are through all the mountainous ground and in the lower country north of Aravaipa Canyon. The Swift Trail up Mount Graham gives rare early-season access to timbered whitetail hunting above 8,000 feet. Several access routes cross private ground and some have changed hands recently, so scouting the roads is part of the job.
Where the mule deer are in 31: Greasewood Mountain, the orchards and the Bonita flats
Deer numbers in 31 are fair, and the agency recommends pre-scouting strongly. Start by ruling out a lot of the unit: mule deer are not in the timber and high elevations of the Pinaleños along Highway 366. Hunt below the mountain, not on it.
Greasewood Mountain, in the southern Pinaleños
The agency's recommended area. It sits between Willcox and State Route 266, the Stockton Pass Road. Hunt the lower elevations around the mountain complex. Access comes off SR 191 and the gas line road running north from I-10.
O-Bar-O and Bar X canyons — sign in first
Both are reached from SR 266 through the O-Bar-O Ranch, where the department maintains a Sportsman/Landowner sign-in box. You must sign in before entering. The foothills and lower elevations through here are a good place to begin.
The orchards and the flats
Some deer concentrate around the apple orchards south of Bonita and on the flats running up to the mountains along Highway 191. The lower country between Bonita and the Aravaipa area is also popular mule deer ground.
Durkee and Battle Mountain
Take the Bonita–Klondyke road northwest to Forest Service road 672, follow it to the foothills, and hunt the drainages and bottoms running north and south off Mount Graham.
Lower Tripp Canyon and Bear Springs
Two ways in. Take the Tripp Canyon road out of Pima from SR 70 — that's FS road 286 — and follow it to the FS 351 junction, then hunt the lower drainages and elevations. Or take SR 70 to the Klondyke road about five miles west of Pima and follow it to FS 351, which reaches the same country.
For context, the mountain above you
The Pinaleños reach 10,693 feet at Mount Graham, with Hawk Peak at 10,615, Plain View Peak at 10,362, Webb Peak at 10,015 and Heliograph Peak at 10,012. Highwater Cienega sits at 10,293 feet and Hospital Flat at 9,016. That's whitetail and timber country — your mule deer are 4,000 feet below it.
Unit 31 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,156–8,082 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,813 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 1,214.5 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- BLM — 15%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 17%
Roughly 83% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 440 tanks
- 178 springs
- 330 stream segments
- 9 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: Pinaleno Mountains (10,693 ft), Webb Peak (10,015 ft), Heliograph Peak (10,012 ft), Grant Hill (9,466 ft)
Holding ground: Highwater Cienega (10,293 ft), Peters Flat (9,553 ft), Hospital Flat (9,016 ft), Anderson Spring, Boundary 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 31 mule deer: scout the roads, sign the boxes, glass the foothills
Mule Deer Success Rates
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — General Rifle Oct bull/buck only (combined pool) | 100 | 424 | 21.9% | — |
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 EngineUnit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hunt Coues and mule deer on the same Unit 31 tag?
How tough is the Unit 31 mule deer draw?
What turkey subspecies is in Arizona Unit 31?
Is Unit 31 a good draw for low-point applicants?
Is the Baboquivari Mountains area in Unit 31 accessible without a tribal permit?
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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 2026-04-18.
- AZGFD Mule Deer Species Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Southeastern Arizona mule deer, Sky island habitat use, Management objectives · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2026 Arizona Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 31 hunt codes, Season dates, Weapon restrictions · accessed 2026-04-17
- Coronado National Forest — Douglas Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Forest road access, Wilderness areas, Dispersed camping rules · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2025-2026 Arizona Hunting Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Gould's turkey season structure, Unit 31 hunt codes, Limited-tag hunt rules · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Portal — Hunt Drawing Information — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 31 turkey draw odds, Weighted bonus-point system, Hunter education bonus · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Big Game Draw — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Applicant counts, Draw odds · accessed 2026-04-18