Arizona Pronghorn Turkey Elk Mule Deer

Unit 7

Arizona Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Turkey, Elk, Mule Deer

Unit 7 is an Arizona pronghorn unit managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Permits are allocated through AZGFD's weighted-random bonus-point draw, where bonus points function as additional chances in the random selection rather than as guaranteed preference. Hunters applying for this unit should consult AZGFD's Hunt Guidelines, current regulations, and historical draw results to build a realistic point-building plan.

View Draw Odds Arizona Hunting Guide

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Public Land

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Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 7

Where to Find Pronghorn in Unit 7: Ponderosa Parks and Lower Flats

AZGFD's own unit guide says pronghorn live in most habitat types in Unit 7, forest included. Most of them, though, are in open grassland and parks. The guide names specific places in two elevation bands. We'd start with the pine-country parks, then drop to the low country if you need options.

Government Prairie and Kendrick Park

These two lead the agency's list for the ponderosa pine zone. Both are open ground inside timber, which is how this unit works: little pockets of grass that hold herds. Government Mountain (8,325 feet) and Government Hill (8,433 feet) are in the unit, and Kendrick Peak (10,374 feet) is too. The guide doesn't tie those summits to the parks. The names suggest they're related, so check your map and see whether one gives you a view down onto the open ground. If it does, it's your glassing seat.

Indian Flat, Slate Lake and Smith Tank

The guide also lists Indian Flat, Slate Lake and Smith Tank in the pine zone. Smith Tank is a water source, so it's worth a look when conditions are dry. Slate Mountain (8,207 feet) is in the unit and carries the same name as Slate Lake. Slate Well is also on the unit's water list. Whether they sit near each other, we can't say from the packet. Confirm it on the map before you plan a loop around them.

The meadows at O'Leary and Saddle Mountain

AZGFD points hunters to the meadows surrounding O'Leary Mountain and the meadows east of Saddle Mountain. O'Leary Peak tops out at 8,904 feet and Saddle Mountain at 8,854. Those are the elevations you'll be working in these meadows. The Saddle Mountain pointer is directional: east of the mountain. Don't waste a day on the west side.

Lower country: Pronghorn Flat, Cedar Wash and the craters

For lower elevations the guide names Pronghorn Flat, Cedar Wash, the area around Chapel Mountain, Red Mountain, Merriam Crater and Merril Crater. That's the second tier, and it gives you somewhere to go if the parks are empty or crowded. The packet gives no road numbers or elevations for these places, so build your access from the Motor Vehicle Use Map.

Which country to skip

The tall summits, Humphreys Peak at 12,620 feet and the rest of the San Francisco Peaks, are glassing and landmark country, not pronghorn country. Heavy timber is the same. Animals are there, but the guide says the majority are in the open. We'd hunt the grass and use the high ground only to look at it.

One more factor: the agency says to find areas where summer rains improved forage, because pronghorn move into them. That can change which of these places is best in any given year.

Unit 7 terrain and land status

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

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Humphreys Peak (12,620 ft), Fremont Peak (11,933 ft), Rees Peak (11,450 ft), Kendrick Peak (10,374 ft)

Holding ground: Doyle Saddle (11,373 ft), Hart Prairie (8,554 ft), Interior Valley (8,456 ft), East Elk Spring, Beale Spring

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 Unit 7 Pronghorn: Scout High, Follow the Forage, Pack It Out

The general season here opens in October, not the usual September, so check current regulations for exact dates. The agency lists success rates of 82 percent for rifle and 48 percent for archery. That's a big gap. If you carry a bow, plan accordingly.

Scout before the season, from high points

AZGFD says to spend considerable time scouting before the season. The standard method is binoculars and a spotting scope from high points, and the unit has plenty of them. Sitgreaves Mountain (9,369 feet), O'Leary Peak, Saddle Mountain and Antelope Hill (8,242 feet) are all in the unit. Glass the parks first, then the lower flats. Find herds, then watch where they go. Go back more than once if you can.

Follow the summer rain

This is the agency's best tip. Pronghorn move into areas where summer rains improved the forage. Before you commit to Government Prairie or Pronghorn Flat, work out which one got the moisture. We'd rather hunt a green park with fewer animals than a dry one that held antelope last year. Check Smith Tank and the unit's springs as well. Kendrick Spring, Coyote Spring and Slate Well are among those listed, but verify what's flowing before you rely on any of them.

Hunting the pine parks versus the lower flats

In the pine country, animals are in small openings with timber close by. Glass the edges, and keep your approach in the trees where you can. On the lower flats, around Pronghorn Flat, Cedar Wash and the craters, there's little cover and long sight lines. That favors a rifle and slow, patient glassing. It makes archery harder, and the 48 percent rate reflects that.

Retrieval rules on Forest land

Read this before you shoot. Unit 7 is covered by Coconino and Kaibab National Forest travel management. Motorized use is allowed only on designated roads, trails and areas shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map, which is free from Forest Service offices. And only elk can be retrieved with a motor. Motorized retrieval of pronghorn on national forest land in Unit 7 isn't permitted. So plan to pack your animal out, and don't shoot it a mile from the truck without a plan.

Know what else is out there

Elk, mule deer, black bear and Merriam's turkey share this country. Make sure you're looking at a pronghorn before the safety comes off, especially in the parks where the species overlap.

A realistic day: glass from a high point at first light, pick a herd, work the wind and terrain toward it, and keep the pack-out in mind the whole way.

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.

Pronghorn: where to put the shot

Broadside, straight up the front leg, a third of the way into the body. Pronghorn are shallow-chested and the lungs sit forward.

Shots to refuse

Range it, then range it again. Open country makes 400 yards look like 250.
Wait for the buck to stop. Nobody kills a running pronghorn cleanly on purpose.
Mind the backdrop. A miss carries a long way across a flat.

Plan the carry: roughly 30– 45 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — one large cooler with ice already in it. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Rifle82%

Archery48%

AZGFD publishes harvest and success-rate data by hunt code. Rifle pronghorn hunts in Arizona typically show high success rates, with archery running lower. Use multi-year averages for expectations in Unit 7.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts (n/p)
Rifle — General Rifle Oct bull/buck only (combined pool)	40	3,215	0.7%	—
Early Archery — bull/buck only (combined pool)	10	226	3.1%	—

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

Arizona pronghorn tags are typically among the hardest to draw because permit quotas are small. The weighted-random bonus-point system rewards persistence without guaranteeing a tag; check AZGFD's published draw results for Unit 7 specifics.

Turkey Hunting in Unit 7

Unit 7 turkey hunting covers the ponderosa pine country of the Kaibab National Forest — Williams Ranger District — in north-central Arizona. The unit holds a strong resident Merriam's turkey population in the open ponderosa parks, oak draws, and meadow systems between Williams and Parks. AZGFD issued 230 tags over three years against 166 applicants, making Unit 7 one of Arizona's more accessible turkey draws — an excellent entry-level sky-island Merriam's opportunity.

Merriam's turkey country in Unit 7: three mountains and the pine around them

Sitgreaves, Kendrick and the San Francisco Peaks

AZGFD's own unit guide is blunt about it: most gobblers in Unit 7 are found around three prominent mountains. Sitgreaves Mountain (9,369 feet), Kendrick Peak (10,374 feet) and the San Francisco Peaks. Start there. We would too.

The Peaks are the big one on the map. Humphreys sits at 12,620 feet and Agassiz at 12,341, but you won't hunt turkeys at the top. The birds live in the ponderosa and mixed conifer on the lower flanks. Fremont, Aubineau, Rees and Doyle Peaks all top 11,400 feet, so a lot of this country is steep and high.

Early in spring, the guide says, gobblers often move up to higher elevations where snow still covers more than half the ground. Don't write off white ground. It may be where the birds are.

Slate Mountain, Wildcat Hill and north of Slate Lakes

These are the guide's secondary picks. Slate Mountain tops out at 8,207 feet, well below the three big mountains. That makes it a reasonable place to look when the high country is still locked up or crowded. The packet doesn't break down Wildcat Hill or the ground north of Slate Lakes any further, so you'll need to scout them yourself.

The forested hills near Williams

The southwest corner of the unit, near Williams, holds forested hills the guide also lists as worth checking. It's the least detailed of the named areas. Treat it as a place to scout, not a sure thing.

What the birds are eating, and fall country

Turkeys here live in the ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests. The main mast is ponderosa pine seed, juniper and piñon. Oaks are scarce, which sets Unit 7 apart from other turkey units around Flagstaff. If you've hunted oak country near town, don't expect the same patterns. When the pine seed crop is heavy, the guide says birds can turn up throughout the extensive ponderosa stands. When mast is short, they lean on green herbaceous growth in meadows and grassland edges. Hens and poults work those same edges for insects.

For fall, the guide points you to mature ponderosa stands near mountain bases and canyons, plus the edges of every mountain meadow.

The data for the unit lists a string of named springs, including Kendrick Spring, Doyle Spring, Coyote Spring, Lockett Meadow Spring, Raspberry Spring and Slate Well. The guide doesn't say which ones hold birds. Mark them on your map and walk the nearest meadow edge.

The packet doesn't name specific roads. Pull the Motor Vehicle Use Map for the Coconino or Kaibab before you leave town.

Unit 7 terrain and land status

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

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Humphreys Peak (12,620 ft), Fremont Peak (11,933 ft), Rees Peak (11,450 ft), Kendrick Peak (10,374 ft)

Holding ground: Doyle Saddle (11,373 ft), Hart Prairie (8,554 ft), Interior Valley (8,456 ft), East Elk Spring, Beale Spring

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

Hunting Unit 7 turkeys: park, walk, and work the meadow edges

Walk when the roads close

The guide gives a direct instruction for spring: if roads are closed because of conditions, don't hesitate to park and hike. It also says closures can improve your chances by cutting competition and interference from other hunters. We'd go further. Early in the season, when gobblers sit high on snow-covered ground, the closed road is your friend. Most hunters won't walk the extra miles. You will.

Know the retrieval rule before you shoot

Motorized retrieval of turkeys isn't allowed on Coconino National Forest lands. For Unit 7 as a whole, the travel management section says only elk can be retrieved by motor on national forest land. Everything else, turkey included, comes out on foot or on your back. Plan your shot with the carry in mind. Don't take a bird across a drainage you don't want to climb out of.

Motorized use is limited to designated roads, trails and areas on the Motor Vehicle Use Map. The maps are free at Forest Service offices. Get both the Coconino and Kaibab versions, since the unit covers both forests.

Glass the edges, then work the timber

Meadows and grassland edges matter to hens and poults, and to gobblers hunting green forage when mast is thin. We'd use a high point like Sitgreaves Mountain or a ridge on Kendrick to look over those edges early, then drop into the pine to work birds you've located. That's our approach, not the agency's. The guide only says where birds feed and travel.

Spring versus fall

In spring, climb with the snow line. Gobblers move up to high ground where snow covers over half the terrain, so start high on the three big mountains and move down as the ground opens up.

In fall, hunt the mature ponderosa near mountain bases and canyons, and sit on the edges of the mountain meadows. Check the pine seed crop first. A heavy crop spreads birds across the big stands. A poor one pulls them toward meadows and green feed.

A realistic day

Expect long walks and few signs of other hunters if you leave the open roads. Pick one of the three mountains, glass the meadow edges at first light, then work the ponderosa below them. If that's quiet, move to Slate Mountain or the hills near Williams. The packet gives no harvest or success figures for this unit. Don't count on a quick bird.

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

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.

Turkey: where to put the shot

Head and neck with shot, at 40 yards or less. On an archery bird, the wing butt broadside or the base of the neck.

Shots to refuse

Know the limit of your pattern. Pattern the gun on paper at 40 yards with the load you are carrying.
Never shoot at movement or sound in cover. Spring woods are full of other hunters stalking the same gobble.
In spring, legal is a bearded bird. Look for the beard, not the gobble.

Plan the carry: roughly 5– 9 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — a small cooler is enough. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

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Turkey Success Rates

Unit 7 Merriam's success rates typically run 40–60% for spring hunters given the solid bird numbers and relatively mild hunting pressure. Mature toms in the 18–21 lb range are common. Check AZGFD's turkey harvest reports for current data.

Turkey Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts (n/p)
Shotgun — Spring bearded turkey (combined pool)	75	69	36.2%	—
Shotgun — Fall either sex (combined pool)	150	261	41.4%	—
Rifle — Fall either sex (combined pool)	150	416	31.5%	—
Rifle — Spring either sex (combined pool)	75	305	19.7%	—

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 7 is one of Arizona's more accessible turkey tags. With 230 tags issued against 166 applicants over three years, odds generally exceed 100% per application when counting leftover tags — many resident hunters draw on zero points. Arizona uses a weighted bonus-point system with Hunter Education bonus — 20% of tags to max-point holders, 80% to a random weighted draw. Great entry unit for new Arizona turkey hunters.

Elk Hunting in Unit 7

Unit 7 elk roam the Prescott National Forest highlands between Prescott and Cottonwood, spanning ponderosa pine benches and the juniper-grassland transition of the Bradshaw Mountains and Black Hills. While not a headline elk unit, Unit 7 provides a legitimate opportunity for hunters willing to work the mid-elevation ponderosa country. Bulls in this unit tend toward the 250–290 class, with occasional larger animals found in less-pressured pockets of the forest.

Where the Elk Are in Unit 7: Government Prairie and Kendrick on the West, the Peaks' Water on the East

7 West: Government Prairie, Kendrick and Slate

If you drew 7 West, you drew the easier half. AZGFD's unit guide calls the 7 West elk population healthy and says elk are present in nearly every portion of it. That's rare language for an agency guide. We'd still start with the places it names for both early and late hunts: Government Prairie, Sitgreaves Mountain, Slate Mountain, Kendrick Mountain, Red Mountain, Red Hill, Squaw Mountain and Wild Cat.

The summits give you glassing perches. Kendrick Peak tops out at 10,374 feet, Sitgreaves Mountain at 9,369 and Slate Mountain at 8,207. Government Mountain (8,325) and Government Hill (8,433) sit on the map too, but the guide doesn't tie them to elk, so check them against the Government Prairie area before you commit a day.

7 East Early Season: Hochderffer Hills, Hart Prairie and Lockett Meadow

The guide's early-season list for 7 East is Hochderffer Hills, Hart Prairie, Reese Tank, Maverick Butte, CO Bar Tank, Chapel Mountain and Lockett Meadow. Hochderffer Hills is a 9,156-foot summit, and it's the one name that shows up on both the early and late lists. Treat it as home base.

Elk are on summer range for most of these hunts. The highest densities are in the ponderosa pine above the pinyon-juniper belt. Don't park yourself there and stay put, though. Elk are sensitive to feed and will travel long distances to country where summer rains have improved the forage. Burned ground pulls them too, because of the growth that follows fire.

7 East Late Season: Maverick Butte, Missouri Bill Hill and Babbitt Lake

For late hunts the guide shifts the list to Maverick Butte, Missouri Bill Hill, Babbitt Lake, Saddle Mountain, White Horse Hills, Chapel Mountain and Hochderffer Hills. Saddle Mountain is 8,854 feet and White Horse Hills is 9,063. Both give you elevation to look across the country from.

We'd temper expectations here. Elk numbers in 7 East were cut between 2011 and 2019 to ease browsing pressure on new aspen growth in the Shultz fire scar. The herd is still below historic levels. AZGFD reduced hunting pressure because hunter success was trending down.

Country to Skip

The open, low-elevation grasslands north and east of the Peaks. The guide says elk aren't typically found there. Don't burn a day glassing them.

Unit 7 terrain and land status

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

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Humphreys Peak (12,620 ft), Fremont Peak (11,933 ft), Rees Peak (11,450 ft), Kendrick Peak (10,374 ft)

Holding ground: Doyle Saddle (11,373 ft), Hart Prairie (8,554 ft), Interior Valley (8,456 ft), East Elk Spring, Beale Spring

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 Unit 7 Elk: Listen Early, Glass Late, Work the Water Around the Wilderness

Early Season: Let the Bulls Find Themselves for You

AZGFD says bulls are typically still vocal during the early hunts, and listening for them is a great way to find herds. We agree. Get into your spot before first light, shut up, and let the timber talk. Once you've got a bugle, close the distance. Don't wait for a second one.

Late Season: Climb and Glass

Late-hunt elk are far less vocal, and the guide's advice flips. Get on high points and use binoculars and a spotting scope. In 7 East that means the Hochderffer Hills, Saddle Mountain or White Horse Hills. In 7 West it means Kendrick, Sitgreaves or Slate. Pick a point that looks over burned ground or fresh green feed, and glass the edges of it. Don't forget that elk move long distances to rain-fed forage. If your first spot is empty, shift to where the feed is better.

Kachina Peaks Wilderness: Hunt the Water

Water is very limited in this hunt area, so early-season elk mostly have to come out of the wilderness to drink. AZGFD's tank list for the early hunts is Reese Tank, Lockett Meadow Tank, Lenox Trick Tank, 89 Mesa Trick Tank, Schultz Tank, High Tank, Freidlein Tank, Alfa Fia Tank and Bismark Lake. High Tank is the only water source inside the hunt area itself. The guide's best clue is game trails running from the wilderness down to water. Find those and you've found where the elk are coming and going.

There's no motorized travel in the wilderness, so know your trailheads. AZGFD lists Kachina, Weatherford, Inner Basin, Humphreys, Aubineau and Bear Jaw, plus the Waterline trail. Scout them before the hunt. The Inner Basin isn't designated wilderness, but it's in the hunt area. The boundary there is the elevations above the Water Line trail. The wilderness is well marked, but run a mapping app on your phone to be sure.

Know your permit, too. 7 East tag holders can hunt the wilderness hunt area. Wilderness hunt area tag holders can't hunt outside it.

Retrieval Rules Matter Here

Motorized use on Coconino and Kaibab National Forest land is limited to designated roads, trails and areas on the Motor Vehicle Use Map. Those maps are free at Forest Service offices. Only motorized retrieval of elk is permitted in Unit 7. Motorized retrieval of any other wildlife, including all other big game, isn't allowed on national forest land here. Plan your pack-out before you pull the trigger, and don't plan to drive off the MVUM routes.

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

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 7 elk tags deliver mid-tier success rates relative to Arizona's premier units. Rifle hunters with solid scouting can expect 35–50% success. Bull quality ranges from branch-antlered 4×4s to occasional 280+ class bulls in low-pressure areas. Archery hunters typically see 15–25% success.

Elk Draw Odds

Draw odds data not available for this specific unit/species combination in our database.

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Unit 7 elk draw odds are significantly better than the top-tier White Mountains and Kaibab units. Hunters with 5–12 bonus points can realistically target Unit 7 in most seasons. This makes it a viable stepping-stone unit while building points for a premier draw.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 7

Unit 7 mule deer occupy a broad elevational range from the chaparral and juniper foothills to the ponderosa pine benches of the Prescott NF in the Bradshaw Mountains and Black Hills. Bucks follow a predictable seasonal migration, dropping to lower-elevation browse areas of cliff rose and scrub oak as rifle season arrives in October. Unit 7 produces bucks in the 150–175-inch range with exceptional individuals exceeding 180 inches. The mix of public Prescott NF land and private ranch parcels creates a productive mosaic that rewards hunters who know where the fence lines fall.

Unit 7 mule deer: the agency's nine named spots and the migration problem

Start with AZGFD's own list

The unit guide is specific, which is rare. AZGFD's GMU 7 guide names these areas for the general deer hunt: Schultz Pass, Forest Road 418, White Horse Hills, Saddle Mountain, Hochderffer Hills, Kendrick Mountain, Forest Road 191, Slate Mountain and Cedar Mountain. The agency says they hold the highest deer densities in the unit. It also says they'll draw the highest hunter densities. Both halves matter.

The guide doesn't rank them, so we won't pretend to. We'd pick two or three that sit close together and learn them, rather than driving all nine.

Kendrick, Schultz and the high country

Kendrick Peak tops out at 10,374 feet and Schultz Peak at 10,026. Hochderffer Hills sits at 9,156 and White Horse Hills at 9,063. Those are the big-relief names on the agency's list, and they give you real glassing vantage. Saddle Mountain (8,854) and Slate Mountain (8,207) are lower and easier to work. That's a useful spread if you want to move up or down as deer shift.

Forest Roads 418 and 191 are the two road numbers the guide gives you. It doesn't say where deer sit along them, so treat them as access to the named country and not as destinations. Pull the Motor Vehicle Use Map before you go. It's free from the Forest Service.

Why the herd isn't always here

This is the part that decides tags. GPS collar data show a large share of Unit 7's deer are migratory. Most move from Unit 7 to Unit 9 in the fall, winter there, and come back in spring. AZGFD combined Units 7 and 9 for all deer hunts because of it. The guide also warns that a large portion of the herd migrates north to Unit 9 during the general hunt.

So the density figures on the named areas are a starting point, not a promise. Early in your window you'll likely find more deer on the high ground. Later, expect fewer resident animals and more pressure on what's left. The guide doesn't give dates for the movement, so scout for fresh sign and don't hunt on assumption.

Country to skip

The guide says mule deer occur through most of the unit, with the exception of the lower-elevation open grassland. Don't burn a morning out there. The 12,000-foot summits around Humphreys Peak and Agassiz Peak show up as glassing points in our terrain data, but the agency doesn't list them as deer areas. We'd treat them as a long shot unless you've seen deer there yourself.

Water

Our terrain data lists springs including Kendrick Spring, Doyle Spring, Raspberry Spring, Flagstaff Spring, Coyote Spring, Pat Spring, Little Spring and Slate Well. The agency doesn't say which ones hold deer. Plot them on a current map, then check the ones near the named areas.

Unit 7 terrain and land status

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

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Humphreys Peak (12,620 ft), Fremont Peak (11,933 ft), Rees Peak (11,450 ft), Kendrick Peak (10,374 ft)

Holding ground: Doyle Saddle (11,373 ft), Hart Prairie (8,554 ft), Interior Valley (8,456 ft), East Elk Spring, Beale Spring

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

Hunting Unit 7 mule deer: beating the crowds and the retrieval rules

Plan for crowds on the good ground

AZGFD says the highest-density deer areas will also carry the highest hunter numbers. That's the trade. The agency's rifle success figure for Unit 7 is 22 percent, and it didn't give us a breakdown by weapon, so we can't tell you how archery or muzzleloader hunters fare. A fair read is that most hunters go home without a deer.

To improve your odds, get off the roads. Hike in from Forest Road 418 or 191 rather than driving the same loop everyone else does. Be on a glassing point before light. Peaks like Kendrick, Schultz and Hochderffer give you a view over the country below. Glass early and late, then sit tight through midday if the area is busy. Pressured deer move, and you may catch them moving.

Pack out your own deer

This one catches people. Motorized retrieval of deer is not allowed on Coconino or Kaibab National Forest lands in Unit 7. Only elk can be retrieved with a motor vehicle. Don't shoot a buck a mile off the road and plan to drive to it.

Think about that before you pull the trigger. Look at the distance back to your truck. Bring a pack frame or game carts if the terrain allows, and a partner if you can. A deer taken high on Kendrick or Schultz is a long, steep carry. The Motor Vehicle Use Map shows which roads are legal to drive. Carry it.

Archery nonpermit-tag rules

If you're hunting archery on a nonpermit tag, the reporting rule is strict. You must report your harvest within 48 hours at www.azgfd.gov/ArcheryDeerReport or by phone at 623-236-7961. Once the harvest limit for the unit is reached, the unit closes to archery deer hunting at sundown on the following Wednesday. Check online or call before you hunt each time. Don't assume it's still open.

Hunting a moving herd

Since many deer leave for Unit 9 during the general hunt, don't sit on a spot just because it's on the list. If you're finding old sign and no fresh tracks, move. Try another named area at a different elevation. Slate Mountain at 8,207 feet and Saddle Mountain at 8,854 feet sit well below Kendrick, so you can test different bands of country without crossing the unit.

A realistic day: hike in the dark, glass until the light is good, and cover ground between glassing sessions. Be ready to pack out by hand. We'd rather spend the effort on a good carry than on a road that won't be legal.

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

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.

Mule Deer: 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.

Shots to refuse

Nothing behind or overlapping the animal you picked.
Your maximum range is the farthest you have shot a three-shot group into a paper plate from the rest you are carrying.
Pass the shot you are talking yourself into.

Plan the carry: roughly 40– 120 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — two large coolers. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle22%

Unit 7 mule deer hunters with solid pre-season scouting report 40–60% rifle success. The unit consistently produces bucks in the 150–175-inch range. Quality bucks are available throughout the unit but require effort to locate in the broken Bradshaw terrain. Archery success typically runs 20–30%.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts (n/p)
Rifle — Late Rifle Nov bull/buck only (combined pool)	1100	2,615	30.1%	—
Rifle — General Rifle Oct bull/buck only (combined pool)	10	39	15.4%	—

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 7 mule deer draw odds are better than the top-tier Arizona units, making it accessible with 5–10 bonus points in most years. The October general firearms season sees more competition; the archery and muzzleloader tags are a better entry point if you're building points for a future premium tag.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

🛣️

Road Conditions

Mostly two-track and gravel on open range. High-clearance useful; 4WD after rain.

👥

Hunting Pressure

Tag-limited, so pressure is low by design. Respect private-land boundaries on mixed-land range.

🌦️

Weather

Hot days and cold nights, with persistent wind common on the open flats.

📱

Cell Service

Coverage is patchy to nonexistent. Plan on a satellite communicator.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for an Arizona Unit 7 pronghorn tag?

Apply through AZGFD's online draw portal during the published application window. Arizona uses a weighted-random bonus-point system, so applying every year — even in years you don't expect to draw — keeps your point total growing.

Are pronghorn tags in Unit 7 worth burning points on?

Point-value decisions depend on your goals and timeline. Review AZGFD's historical draw results for Unit 7 and compare against other pronghorn options statewide before committing.

Can I draw a Unit 7 turkey tag on zero bonus points?

Yes, often. With 230 tags issued against 166 applicants over three years, Unit 7 is one of Arizona's more accessible turkey draws. Many resident hunters draw on zero points, and leftover tags sometimes remain available after the main draw.

Is Unit 7 a good elk unit in Arizona?

Unit 7 is a solid mid-tier elk unit in central Arizona's Prescott NF. It won't match the White Mountains or Kaibab for bull quality, but it offers better draw odds and a real chance at a respectable 250–290 class bull for hunters with moderate bonus point totals.

What is buck quality like in Arizona Unit 7 for mule deer?

Unit 7 consistently produces bucks in the 150–175-inch range with occasional individuals exceeding 180 inches in remote areas. The Bradshaw Mountains provide quality habitat, and conservative tag allocation helps maintain mature buck structure.

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.

AZGFD Hunt Guidelines — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Hunt structure, Permit allocation framework · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Season dates, Unit boundaries, Legal methods · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Draw Results & Bonus Points — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bonus-point draw mechanics, Historical draw results · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Turkey Hunting — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Merriam's turkey distribution, Unit 7 habitat summary, Season structure · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Draw Portal — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 7 turkey draw odds, Weighted bonus-point system, Historical applicant/tag data · accessed 2026-04-17
Kaibab National Forest — Williams Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Williams RD road network, Motor Vehicle Use Map, Dispersed camping rules · accessed 2026-04-17
Arizona Elk Hunting Overview — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Elk distribution in central AZ, Season overview · accessed 2026-04-18
Prescott National Forest — Recreation and Road Information — USDA Forest Service · supports: Forest road conditions, Motor Vehicle Use Maps, Trailhead access · accessed 2026-04-18
Arizona Deer Hunting Overview — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Mule deer distribution in central AZ, Season structure, Tag allocation · accessed 2026-04-18

Unit 7

Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 7

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 7

Where to Find Pronghorn in Unit 7: Ponderosa Parks and Lower Flats

Government Prairie and Kendrick Park

Indian Flat, Slate Lake and Smith Tank

The meadows at O'Leary and Saddle Mountain

Lower country: Pronghorn Flat, Cedar Wash and the craters

Which country to skip

Unit 7 terrain and land status

Named features inside the unit

How to Hunt Unit 7 Pronghorn: Scout High, Follow the Forage, Pack It Out

Pronghorn Success Rates

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Turkey Hunting in Unit 7

Merriam's turkey country in Unit 7: three mountains and the pine around them

Sitgreaves, Kendrick and the San Francisco Peaks

Slate Mountain, Wildcat Hill and north of Slate Lakes

The forested hills near Williams

What the birds are eating, and fall country

Unit 7 terrain and land status

Named features inside the unit

Hunting Unit 7 turkeys: park, walk, and work the meadow edges

Turkey Success Rates

Turkey Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 7

Where the Elk Are in Unit 7: Government Prairie and Kendrick on the West, the Peaks' Water on the East

7 West: Government Prairie, Kendrick and Slate

7 East Early Season: Hochderffer Hills, Hart Prairie and Lockett Meadow

7 East Late Season: Maverick Butte, Missouri Bill Hill and Babbitt Lake

Country to Skip

Unit 7 terrain and land status

Named features inside the unit

How to Hunt Unit 7 Elk: Listen Early, Glass Late, Work the Water Around the Wilderness

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 7

Unit 7 mule deer: the agency's nine named spots and the migration problem

Start with AZGFD's own list

Kendrick, Schultz and the high country

Why the herd isn't always here

Country to skip

Water

Unit 7 terrain and land status

Named features inside the unit

Hunting Unit 7 mule deer: beating the crowds and the retrieval rules

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Explore Related Units

Unit 7 — Pronghorn

Unit 6A — Elk

Frequently Asked Questions

Free Hunt Planning Tools

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro

Sources & Verification