Unit 4BN (4B north, the pinyon-juniper toward Winslow)

Arizona Hunting Guide — Elk

4B North is the northern part of GMU 4B — the pinyon-juniper woodland and checkerboard country running down from the Mogollon Rim forest near Heber and Forest Lakes toward Winslow, Joseph City and Holbrook. 4B is a large unit with low to moderate elk densities, and the agency is blunt that nothing substitutes for scouting it yourself before the hunt. The forested southern country is where elk spend summer and autumn, and the habitat changes from ponderosa in the south to pinyon-juniper as you travel north. Access is by a dense network of numbered forest roads off Highway 260 and by the I-40 exits at Winslow, Joseph City and Holbrook from the north.

View Draw Odds Arizona Hunting Guide

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Elk guide

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Elk Hunting in Unit 4BN

Where the elk are in 4B North: the pinyon-juniper below the summer range

Unit 4B is a large game management unit with low to moderate elk densities. The habitat runs ponderosa pine in the south, changing to pinyon-juniper woodland as you travel north — and the forested southern areas are where elk spend the summer and autumn. So in the north you are hunting animals that have moved down, or that use the woodland edge.

Getting in from the north and the highway

The unit can be accessed from State Routes 260, 377, 277, 77 and 99 to FR 504, and from Interstate 40 at the Winslow, Joseph City and Holbrook exits. The main forest roads are picked up between Heber and Forest Lakes.

The entry points off Highway 260

Forest Roads 504, 210, 122, 174, 178, 99 and 237 each access the main forested areas where elk spend summer and autumn. Within the habitat, look also for FR 170, 175, 172, 179, 154, 176 and 228.

Red Knoll, in the southeast

You can reach the southeastern part of 4B a couple of ways; from FR 504 north of Heber, go east on FR 95, which runs to the area known as Red Knoll.

The map that makes this unit navigable

A Forest Service land-status map for the Apache-Sitgreaves, available from map stores, the Forest Service or Game and Fish offices, will be of great help in locating detailed entry points. On a unit this large with this many numbered roads and a private checkerboard to the north, that map is the difference between hunting and driving.

What the agency says about preparation

The 4B guide opens by stating that it is not a substitute for pre-season scouting, and that if you're lucky enough to draw a 4B permit you owe it to yourself to spend time there beforehand getting familiar with the area. Take that literally.

Weather

Be prepared for a range of conditions: warm in the early seasons, freezing in the late ones, with freezing rain and snow likely at higher elevations by October. Call the Black Mesa Ranger District in Overgaard on 928-535-7300 for weather, road closures, fire restrictions and special rules.

Unit 4BN terrain and land status

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

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Larson Ridge (7,668 ft), Saint Joe Ridge (7,487 ft), Weimer Ridge (7,141 ft), Possum Point (6,920 ft)

Holding ground: Military Sinkhole (7,578 ft), Larson Canyon (7,188 ft), West Fork Little Springs Canyon (7,068 ft), Sheep Spring

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 4B North: scout it yourself, then hunt the woodland edges

Rifle success in this country runs about 25 percent and archery 18 against low to moderate densities. The agency's strongest advice is the one most hunters skip.

Scout the actual ground

There is no substitute for scouting the areas you intend to hunt — that's how the 4B guide opens. Drive the forest roads, find water with elk sign, locate the openings and the transition where ponderosa gives way to juniper, and learn which routes are open this year.

Hunt the transition

The habitat gradient from ponderosa to pinyon-juniper is the structural feature of 4B North. Elk use the forest for cover and the openings and woodland edges for feed. Set up where those meet, glass at first and last light, and still-hunt the juniper quietly in between.

Use water in a dry autumn

In a large unit with scattered elk, water concentrates them. Find the tanks with heavy fresh tracks during scouting and build mornings around them.

Expect to pack out

Much of the country off the main roads needs a carry. Plan it with your partner before the shot, and know where the nearest legal vehicle route is.

Call ahead about conditions

Black Mesa Ranger District, Overgaard, 928-535-7300 — road closures and fire restrictions both change through the season and both can close the block you planned to hunt.

Leave it better than you found it

The 4B guide closes by asking hunters to remove all litter and leave the area in better condition than they arrived. On a unit where much of the northern access runs across a private checkerboard, that is more than good manners — it is the reason the next hunter gets through the gate. Pack out what you carried in, pick up what somebody else left, and fill in any fire ring you built.

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 4BN supports success rates similar to other quality North Kaibab elk hunts — rifle hunters see 45–70% success, archery hunters 20–35%. The low tag count preserves mature bull age structure and the combination of forest and open terrain gives multiple tactical options. Hunters who work both the plateau and BLM fringe country consistently out-produce those who focus on only one habitat.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts (n/p)
Rifle — Late Rifle Dec antlerless (combined pool)	50	17	88.2%	—
Rifle — Late Rifle Dec antlerless (combined pool)	50	17	88.2%	—

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 Engine

Unit 4BN elk tags are premium, limited-draw allocations in the North Kaibab complex. Arizona's weighted bonus-point system makes consistent annual applications valuable. The 4BN designation may see slightly different applicant pressure compared to the well-known 3A and 3C units — check the current AZGFD draw portal for the most recent odds breakdown. The Hunter Education bonus provides a real improvement in your cumulative draw position.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

No developed RV sites in the 4BN interior. Jacob Lake area for limited services. Fredonia and Kanab, UT for RV parks.

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Camp Sites

Dispersed camping across North Kaibab NF outside developed areas. BLM dispersed camping on the unit's lower fringe. No hookups.

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Trailer Access

US-89A and Jacob Lake Road paved for access. NF forest roads are graded gravel — small to mid-size trailers manageable on primary roads. BLM roads require high-clearance.

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Water

Fill in Jacob Lake, Fredonia, or Kanab. Wildlife water developments on the plateau — map these. No reliable natural water in lower BLM fringe country.

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Road Conditions

Paved highway access. Primary NF roads graded gravel. BLM spur roads can be rough 4WD tracks in the lower unit.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate on plateau; demanding on canyon-rim and steep forest terrain. BLM fringe is relatively flat and open.

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Hunting Pressure

Low to very low. The remote Arizona Strip location and small tag count limit other hunter presence significantly.

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Weather

August: warm days (70–85°F plateau), cool nights (40–55°F). October: 35–60°F days, freezing nights. November: snow probable on the plateau.

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Cell Service

Very limited. Near Jacob Lake only. None in the plateau interior or BLM fringe country. Satellite communicator essential.

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Nearest Town

Jacob Lake (limited services). Fredonia, AZ (full services, 30–40 min). Kanab, UT (full services).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Unit 4BN different from Unit 3A for Arizona elk?

Unit 4BN sits on the northwestern plateau edge with significant BLM desert fringe country that 3A does not have. This gives 4BN hunters a unique two-terrain option — dense ponderosa and spruce-fir forest on the plateau plus open spot-and-stalk country in the lower BLM lands. It also tends to receive slightly lower applicant pressure than the most-coveted 3A codes.

How remote is Unit 4BN for elk hunting?

Very remote. The unit sits in the northwest corner of the Kaibab Plateau close to the Utah border, accessible primarily via Jacob Lake and US-89A from Fredonia. There are no towns within the unit and cell service is essentially absent. Plan for self-sufficient camping with water carried from Jacob Lake or Fredonia.

What season is best for Unit 4BN elk?

Archery in mid-September targets peak rut activity with bugling bulls on the plateau. Rifle hunters in late October and November find elk pushing into the lower BLM fringe country — the open terrain favors spot-and-stalk with a rifle and a good spotting scope.

Free Hunt Planning Tools

🎰 Arizona Draw Odds Unit-level tag success rates 📅 Application Timeline Deadlines for all 9 states 🦌 Rut Forecast Peak rut timing by species 💰 Hunt Cost Calculator Budget your entire hunt

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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 4B — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 4B boundary and subdivisions, Kaibab elk population management · accessed 2026-04-18
AZGFD Draw Portal — Hunt Drawing Information — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 4BN draw odds, Bonus-point system, Historical applicant data · accessed 2026-04-18
Kaibab National Forest — North Kaibab Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Forest road access, Dispersed camping, MVUM · accessed 2026-04-18