Unit 44B (Plomosa and New Water Mountains)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
GMU 44B's bighorn hunt splits into north and south subunits in the low desert of La Paz County, between Quartzsite, Brenda and Vicksburg. The north subunit is the Plomosa Range, where recent surveys put the population at its highest since the mid-1980s with a large number of adult rams and harvested rams averaging above 170. The south subunit runs through the New Water Mountains, much of it designated wilderness that keeps vehicles out, and the hunt there also takes in the parts of 45A and 45B on Kofa National Wildlife Refuge north of the El Paso gas line. Rifle success has run about 75 percent.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 44B
GMU 44B's bighorn hunt splits into north and south subunits in the low desert of La Paz County, between Quartzsite, Brenda and Vicksburg. The north subunit is the Plomosa Range, where recent surveys put the population at its highest since the mid-1980s with a large number of adult rams and harvested rams averaging above 170. The south subunit runs through the New Water Mountains, much of it designated wilderness that keeps vehicles out, and the hunt there also takes in the parts of 45A and 45B on Kofa National Wildlife Refuge north of the El Paso gas line. Rifle success has run about 75 percent.
Where the rams are in 44B: the Plomosa Range north, the New Water Mountains south
44B is two sheep hunts under one unit number, split north and south, and they're different enough that the agency surveys and describes them separately. Surveys run about every three years.
44B North — between I-10 and the Plomosa Road
This is the stronger of the two right now. Recent surveys put the north population at its highest level since the mid-1980s, with a large number of adult rams, and harvested rams have averaged above 170. Most of the sheep sit between Interstate 10 and the Plomosa Road, and after summer rain the herds concentrate in the greener pockets. The Plomosa Mountains reach 3,636 feet with Black Mesa at 3,640 above them; Ibex Peak stands at 2,775, Dos Picachos at 2,666, Elephant Back Mountain at 2,664, Guadalupe Mountain at 2,547 and Scaddan Mountain at 2,474.
Glassing access in the north
The guide names two good spots to glass from: off I-10 at Gold Nugget Road, and off Highway 60 at Brenda. A network of off-road trails runs into the heart of the Plomosa range from there. Gunsight Notch at 1,806 feet and Plomosa Pass at 1,659 are the low crossings sheep use, with the Ranegras Plain at 1,167 and the La Posa Plain at 1,125 spreading out below.
44B South — the New Water Mountains
The south population is also trending up, with harvested rams scoring in the mid to low 160s. The New Water Mountains top out at 2,763 feet, with Twin Peaks at 2,728 and Haystack Peak at 2,670. A large portion of the sheep habitat here is inside the New Water Mountain Wilderness, which keeps motorized vehicles out and is the reason the ground still hunts well.
What else the south tag covers
Worth reading twice: the 44B south sheep hunt also includes those portions of units 45A and 45B on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge north of the El Paso gas line. That's a lot more country than the unit name suggests, and refuge regulations apply on it.
Access in the south
Vicksburg Road, I-10 at the New Water Mountain road, Ramsey Mine Road off Highway 60 at Brenda, Gold Nugget at exit 26, and Highway 95 through the BLM Long Term Visitor Areas south of Quartzsite. Avenue 42 East, La Posa Road, Pipeline Road and Plomosa Road are the graded gravel you'll drive to reach them.
Unit 44B terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 1,003–2,212 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 1,364 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 637.8 sq mi inside the boundary.
Who owns the ground
- BLM — 15%
- Private / Other — 85%
Roughly 15% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 29 tanks
- 3 springs
- 170 stream segments
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: Black Mesa (3,640 ft), Ibex Peak (2,775 ft), New Water Mountains (2,763 ft), Twin Peaks (2,728 ft)
Holding ground: Gunsight Notch (1,806 ft), Plomosa Pass (1,659 ft), Ranegras Plain (1,167 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 44B: pick your subunit, follow the green, and walk into the wilderness
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — General Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 4 | 646 | 0.5% | — |
| Rifle — Late Rifle Dec bull/buck only (combined pool) | 4 | 654 | 0.5% | — |
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
How do I apply for a bighorn sheep tag in GMU 44B?
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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 Bighorn Sheep Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 44B bighorn season, Tag allocation, Legal weapon types · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Portal — Hunt Drawing Information — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bonus point draw, Historical tag counts for 44B · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Desert Bighorn Sheep — Species Management — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Sky island bighorn management, Population monitoring in southeastern Arizona units · accessed 2026-04-17