Unit 45C (Castle Dome Mountains, Kofa NWR)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep
All of GMU 45C sits inside the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Yuma County — the Castle Dome Mountains and the low desert around them, from the Castle Dome Road up to the Stone Cabin–King Valley road. AZGFD and the refuge have built sheep waters and managed lions here, and the unit has seen very little disturbance, which is why it holds the desert bighorn it does. Tags are an extremely limited draw and rifle success has run about 75 percent. Almost none of the sheep habitat can be reached by vehicle, off-road travel is prohibited including in washes and for game retrieval, and refuge regulations apply on top of state ones — so this is a tag you plan on foot.
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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 45C
All of GMU 45C sits inside the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Yuma County — the Castle Dome Mountains and the low desert around them, from the Castle Dome Road up to the Stone Cabin–King Valley road. AZGFD and the refuge have built sheep waters and managed lions here, and the unit has seen very little disturbance, which is why it holds the desert bighorn it does. Tags are an extremely limited draw and rifle success has run about 75 percent. Almost none of the sheep habitat can be reached by vehicle, off-road travel is prohibited including in washes and for game retrieval, and refuge regulations apply on top of state ones — so this is a tag you plan on foot.
Where the rams are in 45C: the Castle Dome Mountains and the passes between ranges
Every acre of 45C is Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. That one fact decides how the hunt works, where you can drive, and who you call before you go. AZGFD's guide opens by telling you to consult the refuge about special regulations in effect, and that's the first phone call of the trip, not the last.
The mountains, not the flats
Sheep are occasionally found crossing the flat country between ranges, but the guide is clear that they're generally in the mountainous portions of the unit. Castle Dome Peak is the high point at 3,757 feet and the obvious landmark — it's visible from Highway 95 and it anchors the range that gives the unit its character. Thumb Peak stands at 3,329 and Thumb Butte at 2,211, with the Black Hills at 1,593 off to the side. Those are the features to build glassing positions around.
The passes
Three named saddles sit inside the unit and they matter for both sheep and access: Slumgullion Pass at 2,135 feet, McPherson Pass at 1,954, and the Virgin Basin country at 1,736. Sheep moving between ranges use low ground, and a pass is where that movement funnels. Glass one at first light before you commit a day to climbing.
Water is management, and management is habitat
The refuge and the department have been successful at enhancing habitat through sheep water developments and active lion management. The unit carries about 27 tanks and a couple of springs on our layer, which understates the picture — the developed sheep waters are the ones that hold the herd through the dry months. Ask the refuge where they are and which are currently functioning. That answer is the single most useful piece of local knowledge for this tag.
Buy the full set of topo maps
The guide says it outright, and it's not boilerplate. The areas it names only make sense against topography, and the available roads will get you close to sheep country without ever reaching it. A complete topographic set plus a refuge map is the minimum. Our own high-point elevations above come from GNIS and are a cross-check, not a substitute.
Unit 45C terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 1,090–2,422 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 1,634 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 301.3 sq mi inside the boundary.
Who owns the ground
- Private / Other — 100%
Roughly 0% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 27 tanks
- 2 springs
- 5 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: Castle Dome Peak (3,757 ft), Thumb Peak (3,329 ft), Black Hills (1,593 ft)
Holding ground: Slumgullion Pass (2,135 ft), McPherson Pass (1,954 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 45C: drive to the edge, walk in, and keep every wheel on a designated road
Bighorn Sheep Success Rates
Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — General Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 4 | 313 | 0.6% | — |
| Rifle — Late Rifle Nov bull/buck only (combined pool) | 3 | 425 | 0.2% | — |
| Rifle — Late Rifle Dec bull/buck only (combined pool) | 3 | 338 | 0.3% | — |
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
Are there any special access considerations for hunting GMU 45C near the border?
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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 45C 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 45C, Applicant data · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Desert Bighorn Sheep — Species Management — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Southern Arizona herd management, Population monitoring · accessed 2026-04-17