Unit 5BS (05BS)
Arizona Hunting Guide — Elk
Unit 05BS is an Arizona elk hunt area managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Tags are issued through a weighted random draw with bonus points, so consistent annual applications build long-term odds.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 5BS
Unit 05BS is an Arizona elk hunt area managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Tags are issued through a weighted random draw with bonus points, so consistent annual applications build long-term odds.
Hutch Mountain to Tremaine Lake: Where 5BS Elk Live
Hutch Mountain, Pine Mountain and Duke Tank Mesa
AZGFD's guide for 5B covers this unit as "5B south," and it's blunt about it: no part of the unit isn't elk habitat. The unit is about half the size of 5B north, yet the guide says it holds almost double the elk. Elk are just about everywhere, so the real question is how many other hunters you want to share them with.
The guide says most hunters end up around Hutch Mountain, Pine Mountain and Duke Tank Mesa. We'd expect good elk there. We'd also expect company. If you want space, the guide's advice is to look at country with no popular name on the map. The packet doesn't name those spots, and we won't guess at them.
Sawmill Hills to Tremaine Lake
This is the guide's pick for late-season bulls. The stretch between the Sawmill Hills (7,642 ft) and Tremaine Lake has low road density. It's also the lowest ground in 5B south, and AZGFD says it may act as a staging area between summer and winter range. Bulls in these quiet pockets tend to bed in canyons or on hills.
Sawmill Springs and Mint Spring are both on the unit's spring list. They give you a starting point for finding water in that country.
Parks, draws and the glassing hills
The unit runs from 6,633 to 7,925 ft, with a mean around 7,047 ft. The terrain data lists several open flats that we'd treat as holding country: Bargaman Park (7,403 ft), Diversion Park (7,341 ft), The Park (7,151 ft) and Bald Mesa (7,068 ft). Lower down are Bargaman Draw, Antelope Draw, Sheep Tank Draw, Windmill Draw, Long Valley, Hay Meadow Draw and Yellow Jacket Draw, all between roughly 6,670 and 6,800 ft. That's our read of the map. The agency guide doesn't single any of them out.
For glassing, the summit list includes Cow Hill (7,581 ft), Landmark Mountain (7,552 ft), Pine Hill (7,540 ft), Turkey Mountain (7,382 ft), Oak Hill (7,200 ft) and Bushy Knoll.
Early versus late, and what to skip
Snow doesn't push elk out quickly here. AZGFD says it takes a lot, and a couple of inches in the high country doesn't mean they've left. Antlerless elk will be in all the areas above. For bulls, go where it's secure.
Skip anywhere that's private. About 32% of the unit is private or other, 60% is national forest and 8% is State Trust. The terrain data flags Mule Park, Coyote Basin and Todd Draw as not public land. Check ownership before you set up. The guide also warns about residential areas inside the unit.
The Hay Lake property is now public and open to hunting. A vehicle closure is in effect there, though.
Unit 5BS terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 6,633–7,925 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 7,047 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 282.6 sq mi inside the boundary.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 32%
Roughly 68% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 309 tanks
- 17 springs
- 419 stream segments
- 10 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: Hutch Mountain (8,508 ft), Pine Mountain (7,986 ft), Sawmill Hills (7,642 ft), Cow Hill (7,581 ft)
Holding ground: Bargaman Park (7,403 ft), Diversion Park (7,341 ft), The Park (7,151 ft), Sawmill Springs, Mint Spring
Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.
Working the Pressure: Escape Trails, Quiet Bulls and Foot Retrieval
Elk Success Rates
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — General Rifle Oct antlerless (combined pool) | 375 | 2,088 | 14.9% | — |
| Rifle — Early Rifle bull/buck only (combined pool) | 200 | 2,003 | 7.9% | — |
| Rifle — Late Rifle Nov bull/buck only (combined pool) | 50 | 72 | 27.8% | — |
| Early Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 200 | 2,003 | 7.9% | — |
| Late Archery Nov — bull/buck only (combined pool) | 50 | 72 | 27.8% | — |
| Early Archery — antlerless (combined pool) | 50 | 82 | 25.6% | — |
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
How are tags drawn for Unit 05BS?
Where do I see draw trends for this unit?
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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 Hunt Guidelines — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Season structure and hunt guidelines for Arizona big game, Unit boundary descriptions and hunt codes · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Legal weapons, bag limits, and tag requirements, License, tag, and draw application rules · accessed 2026-04-17
- AZGFD Draw Results & Bonus Points — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Weighted random draw with bonus points, Loyalty and hunter education bonus points · accessed 2026-04-17