Unit 4AN (4A north, the O'Haco and Hopi 3 Canyon grasslands)

Arizona Hunting Guide — Elk

4A North is the part of GMU 4A lying north of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest — open grassland on the Hopi 3 Canyon and O'Haco ranches between the Rim forest and Winslow. Elk numbers here have increased over the last couple of years and the animals can be glassed from a long way off, though getting close is the challenge because it is open grass with little cover. The agency calls it a good area for both antlerless and bull hunts, and the reason to come is that elk densities and hunter numbers both decrease as you move north out of the forest. Access is controlled: the O'Haco Cattle Company welcomes elk hunters and requires sign-in at one of three access points.

View Draw Odds Arizona Hunting Guide

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Elk guide

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Elk Hunting in Unit 4AN

Where the elk are in 4A North: the grasslands on the O'Haco and Hopi 3 Canyon ranches

Most hunters in unit 4A work the higher elevations in the south near Forest Road 300. Elk densities and hunter numbers both decrease as you go north — and that's the whole argument for this hunt area.

The grasslands north of the forest

Over the last couple of years elk numbers have increased in the part of the unit north of Forest Service land. These elk can easily be glassed from a distance. The difficulty is closing: most of the area is open grassland. The agency calls it a good area for both antlerless and bull hunts.

Whose land it is

The elk living in these grasslands are on the Hopi 3 Canyon and O'Haco ranches. That makes access the first thing to arrange, not the last.

The O'Haco Cattle Company

It borders the forest on the north and welcomes elk hunters. The entire ranch now has controlled access and hunters must sign in at one of three access points. The west part of the ranch allows hunter access from 15 August through 1 December; the east portion is open year-round. Obey all posted ranch rules, use common sense, and be a good visitor — the guide notes that anyone in violation of the ranch rules jeopardises that access.

How elk use the unit through the year

Elk summer at higher elevations and move north to lower country as snow depths increase. That migration is what fills this grassland in the later seasons, and it means a November or December tag here can be very different from a September one.

The hunts on offer

Unit 4A carries September archery bull and antlerless hunts, an October juniors-only antlerless hunt, an October antlerless hunt, a November archery bull hunt and a November general firearms bull hunt. On the earlier hunts elk can be found throughout the unit with no one place obviously better than another.

Unit 4AN terrain and land status

Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Bear Beaver Ridge (7,918 ft), Beaver Turkey Ridge (7,903 ft), Willow Ridge (7,841 ft), Gentry Ridge (7,718 ft)

Holding ground: Hole-in-Ground (7,564 ft), Beaver Park (7,468 ft), South Fork Deer Lake Canyon (7,357 ft)

Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.

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How to hunt 4A North: glass them easily, then solve the stalk

Rifle success in this country runs about 25 percent. The 4A North problem is unusual for elk hunting: finding them is easy and getting close is hard.

Glass from the grass edges

These elk can be glassed from a long distance because the country is open. Get on any rise or the forest edge before light, set the binoculars on a tripod, and find animals early. You will see elk. Plan the rest of the day around which group you want.

Then solve the open-country stalk

Most of the area is open grassland, so a straightforward approach doesn't exist. Use what's there: washes, swales, fence lines, juniper stringers, and the forest edge itself. Plan the route before you drop out of sight, keep the wind, and accept that a stalk may take hours and still fail. Longer-range marksmanship from a solid rest matters more here than in the timber.

Sign in, every time

Three access points on the O'Haco ranch and a sign-in requirement at each. West side open 15 August to 1 December, east side year-round. Posted rules, obeyed. That ranch welcomes elk hunters, which is rare and worth protecting.

Time it with the snow

Elk move north to lower elevations as snow deepens. If you hold a late tag, watch the high-country forecast — a hard snow on the Rim fills this grassland. Without it, more animals stay south in the forest.

Logistics

State Highway 99 comes into the unit from Winslow in the north, and FR 504 from the east. An Apache-Sitgreaves land-status map sorts the checkerboard. Expect warm early seasons and freezing late ones, with snow possible from October — call the Black Mesa Ranger District in Overgaard on 928-535-7300 for conditions.

Arizona rules that decide your day

Summarised from AZGFD regulations. They change — read the current regulations and your permit-tag before you hunt.

Legal shooting hours

Big game may be taken only during daylight hours — from sunrise to sunset. Check the sunrise and sunset times for your unit, not for Phoenix.

Motorized retrieval

Arizona permits motorized big-game retrieval only where the unit's travel-management decision allows it, and in several units only for elk. Where it is allowed it means one vehicle, one trip, within one mile of a road shown open on the Motor Vehicle Use Map — never inside a quiet area, a wilderness or a closed area. Pull the MVUM for your ranger district and confirm before you shoot somewhere you cannot carry an animal out of.

Tagging

Sign your tag before you go afield and attach it to the animal immediately after the kill. Hunters aged 10–13 must carry their Hunter Education card with the licence and tag.

Leaving meat

Leaving edible meat in the field is illegal. Edible meat means the four quarters and the loins at a minimum.

Where you may not shoot

Occupied structures — No shooting within a quarter mile of an occupied farmhouse, cabin, lodge or building without the owner's permission. That rules out shooting toward most lakeside cabin tracts.
Campsites and developed areas — Forest Service rules prohibit discharging a firearm within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area.
Roads and water — No shooting from a vehicle, and no shooting on, across or into a road. No shooting across a body of water adjacent to a Forest road.

Elk: where to put the shot

Broadside or quartering away, on the back edge of the front leg about a third of the way up the body. That is lungs, and on a quartering-away angle it picks up the far shoulder.

Shots to refuse

No straight-on and no straight-away shots. An elk's chest is deep and the margin is small.
Nothing standing behind or overlapping the animal you picked. A pass-through kills the elk behind it too.
Your maximum range is the farthest you have put three shots in a paper plate off the sticks you are actually carrying. Not the farthest you have ever hit anything.
Scope on 3–4x. A herd fills a 12x field of view and you lose the animal you picked.

Identification:On an antlerless tag, legal means no antler of any kind through the skin. A spike looks exactly like a cow until it turns its head. If you can't see the head, don't shoot.

Plan the carry: roughly 150– 220 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — two to four large coolers, plus bagged ice from town. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

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Elk Success Rates

Unit 4AN produces consistent success for hunters who understand the plateau-to-desert elk migration. Rifle success in the 40–65% range is typical, with archery lower but rewarding. The open House Rock Valley terrain is particularly productive for rifle hunters who can cover ground efficiently on BLM roads and make long stalks.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts (n/p)
Rifle — Late Rifle Dec antlerless (combined pool)	25	1	0.0%	—
Rifle — Late Rifle Dec antlerless (combined pool)	25	7	100.0%	—

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 Engine

Unit 4AN elk tags are limited and competitive. Arizona's weighted bonus-point system gives consistent applicants a real advantage over time. The north subdivision of 4A is often less applied-for than the primary 3A and 3C North Kaibab units, which can make 4AN a relatively more obtainable Kaibab-adjacent elk hunt. Apply consistently, accumulate points, and pursue the Hunter Education bonus.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

No developed RV sites in the unit. Jacob Lake (30 min south) has limited services. Fredonia and Kanab, UT for RV parks.

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Camp Sites

Dispersed BLM camping throughout House Rock Valley. Kaibab NF dispersed camping on the plateau. No hookups.

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Trailer Access

US-89A and House Rock Valley Road are paved and manageable. Forest roads on the plateau require high-clearance; trailers not practical beyond the main road.

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Water

Fill in Fredonia or Kanab, UT. BLM water developments in the valley — map these but don't rely on them as the sole source.

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Road Conditions

US-89A paved. House Rock Valley Road paved. BLM and NF spur roads are rough gravel and two-track requiring 4WD in places.

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Terrain Difficulty

Varies — flat desert and open plateau are moderate; canyon-rim and transition terrain is strenuous. Overall more manageable than steep mountain units.

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Hunting Pressure

Low. The remote Arizona Strip location and small tag count mean minimal other hunter presence.

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Weather

September archery: 65–85°F desert days, cool plateau nights. October rifle: 40–65°F, cold nights. November: possible snow on the plateau.

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Cell Service

Very limited. Spotty near US-89A. None in the interior. Satellite communicator strongly recommended.

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Nearest Town

Fredonia, AZ (full services, 30–45 min south). Kanab, UT (full services).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about Arizona Unit 4AN elk hunting?

Unit 4AN offers a rare two-habitat elk hunt — ponderosa plateau forest and open BLM desert in the same unit. Elk migrate between these zones seasonally, giving hunters distinct tactics for archery (plateau rut hunting) and rifle (open desert spot-and-stalk).

How does Unit 4AN compare to Unit 3A for Arizona elk?

Both are quality North Kaibab area elk hunts. Unit 3A is the central plateau with slightly higher elk density and tighter ponderosa forest. Unit 4AN adds the House Rock Valley desert component, which can be advantageous for rifle hunters who prefer open terrain. Draw competition for 4AN may be slightly lower than core 3A tags.

Is House Rock Valley accessible for elk hunting in Unit 4AN?

Yes. House Rock Valley Road off US-89A provides paved access to the valley floor. BLM roads extend into the unit from this main road. Most of the valley is accessible with a high-clearance 2WD vehicle in dry conditions; 4WD is recommended for exploring spur roads.

Free Hunt Planning Tools

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-18.

GMU 4A — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 4A boundary and subdivisions, Elk habitat overview, House Rock Valley management · accessed 2026-04-18
AZGFD Draw Portal — Hunt Drawing Information — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 4AN draw odds, Bonus-point system, Historical applicant data · accessed 2026-04-18
BLM Kanab Field Office — Arizona Strip — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM land access in House Rock Valley, Road conditions and travel management · accessed 2026-04-18