Unit 35A/35B (Sonoita Plains and San Rafael Valley)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Pronghorn
The combined 35A/35B pronghorn hunt covers the Sonoita Plains around Elgin and the San Rafael Valley north of the Mexican border, in Santa Cruz County. The permits are issued for both units together because the unit boundary runs straight through the middle of the pronghorn range. This herd nearly disappeared — permits were cut back year after year until the hunt closed completely after the 2011 season — and came back through translocations, habitat work, coyote control during fawning and fence modifications that reconnected the range. Limited permits resumed in 2016. Most of the accessible opportunity is in the northern population; much of the San Rafael Valley herd summers on private land closed to hunting.
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Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 35A/35B
The combined 35A/35B pronghorn hunt covers the Sonoita Plains around Elgin and the San Rafael Valley north of the Mexican border, in Santa Cruz County. The permits are issued for both units together because the unit boundary runs straight through the middle of the pronghorn range. This herd nearly disappeared — permits were cut back year after year until the hunt closed completely after the 2011 season — and came back through translocations, habitat work, coyote control during fawning and fence modifications that reconnected the range. Limited permits resumed in 2016. Most of the accessible opportunity is in the northern population; much of the San Rafael Valley herd summers on private land closed to hunting.
Where the pronghorn are in 35A and 35B: the Sonoita Plains, Davis Pasture and the San Rafael Valley
This hunt exists because of a recovery. Pronghorn permits in 35A and 35B were cut repeatedly through the 2000s and the hunt closed outright after 2011. AZGFD translocated animals in, improved habitat, reduced coyotes during the fawning season and modified fences to reconnect the range. The herd rebounded, and limited permits came back in 2016. The tag covers both units together because the boundary runs centrally through the pronghorn habitat.
Two populations, and only one of them is really huntable
The northern population sits southeast of Sonoita on the Sonoita Plains around Elgin. The southern population is in the San Rafael Valley just north of the border. The guide is direct about the difference: most of the San Rafael pronghorn summer on private property closed to hunting, and the herds that are on public land there can be hard to find. Opportunity in this hunt is primarily the northern population.
Davis Pasture — the public ground
Pronghorn can be found on State Trust and Bureau of Land Management land north and northwest of Elgin, in the country known as the Davis Pasture, and occasionally east of Elgin Road. That's the accessible core of this hunt and where to spend your scouting time.
The two ranches that hold most of the herd
Most of the northern herds are on the Rose Tree Ranch and the Babacomari Ranch. Access to the Babacomari has to be granted by the ranch manager before you hunt it — read the access section on the agency's unit page and make that contact early. A pronghorn tag here without a ranch conversation is a much smaller hunt.
The ground itself
This is high desert grassland, not low desert — the open plains sit around 4,500 to 5,000 feet with the Huachucas and Canelo Hills rising out of them, and the unit's mix is roughly 60 percent National Forest, 15 percent BLM, 8 percent State Trust and the rest private. AZ 82, AZ 83 and the Elgin Canelo Road are the paved and graded routes; FR 4780, FR 4725 and FR 799 want clearance.
Unit 35A/35B terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up · figures are for GMU 35A
The lay of it
- 3,979–6,610 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,967 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 646.8 sq mi inside the boundary.
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
- 131 tanks
- 32 springs
- 1,451 stream segments
- 7 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: Miller Peak (9,420 ft), Carr Peak (9,206 ft), Ramsey Peak (8,718 ft), Peterson Peak (7,897 ft)
Holding ground: Pat Scott Canyon (6,834 ft), Oversite Canyon (6,575 ft), Lutz Canyon (6,125 ft), Bear Spring, Bond 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 the Sonoita and San Rafael pronghorn: find a vantage, then crawl or decoy
Pronghorn Success Rates
Pronghorn Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Early Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 2 | 555 | 0.4% | — |
| Early Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 3 | 79 | 1.3% | — |
| General Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | — |
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
Does the 35A/35B pronghorn tag let me hunt both units?
How do I apply for the GMU 35A/35B pronghorn tag?
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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: Combined 35A/35B pronghorn hunt structure, Season dates, Tag quotas · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Portal — Hunt Drawing Information — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bonus point draw, Historical applicant data, Tags issued for 35A/35B · accessed 2026-04-17
- BLM Safford Field Office — Public Lands in Southeast Arizona — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM public land access in Sulphur Springs Valley, Road access information · accessed 2026-04-17