State: Arizona

ARIZONA

Arizona Game and Fish Home Page

Arizona Drawing Odds

Arizona has some of the greatest quality hunting to be found in North America.  Through careful management, Arizona Game and Fish has found a remarkable balance between quality and opportunity, and has done so in habitat that many would consider marginal.

Species available in Arizona are beyond what most people expect for a state mostly known of its deserts.  Elk, mule deer, Coues deer, pronghorn, bison, black bear, Desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, turkey, and mountain lion are all available.  And, Arizona has a very high percentage of public land, making it very easy to find the places to chase these animals.

Here is a link from Arizona Game and Fish of all species available for hunting.

Quality does not come without a price - If there is one problem with having such great quality as Arizona offers, it creates extreme demand for tags.  Non-residents are allowed up to 10% of all tags, not guaranteed 10%, but allowed up to that percentage.  Given the large number of non-residents applying in Arizona, it is most likely that the 10% non-resident quota will be met in most units.

To increase your odds of getting to hunt in Arizona, you need to understand how the drawing process works.  No tag, no hunt.

How to get a tag:

Arizona has a fairly complicated process for non-residents wishing to draw a tag.  First, you must purchase a non-refundable general hunting license.  For 2010, that cost is $151.25.  That is a pretty steep price, just to put your name in the hat, but most people feel the quality of Arizona is worth the price.

Upon purchasing a license, you can then apply in the limited entry drawings.  There are two main drawings in Arizona.

1. Elk Antelope Draw - This is the early drawing for elk, antelope, bear, javelina, and bison.  The deadline for this drawing is usually in early February.  You had better have yourself organized for this drawing, as it comes early.

The good news is that draw results are available some time in late March or early April, giving you ample time to apply in other state, of unsuccessful.

2. Deer Sheep Draw - This is the later draw for deer and sheep.  The deadline for this drawing is usually in early June.  These draw results usually come out in July, which for those who draw August archery deer and antelope tags, this doesn’t give much time to get logistics in order.

Important Information about the Arizona Drawings:

Every state has some strange quirks about how they conduct their drawings.  Arizona is no exception  Listed below are the most important things to understand when applying in Arizona.  Here is a full explanation of how the Arizona Drawing process works.

Bonus Points - Arizona uses a bonus point system.  Each year you apply and are unsuccessful, you are awarded another bonus point for each species you applied for.  Under this system, you get an extra chance for every point you have.  So, in theory, the more times you are unsuccessful, the more points you should have, and the better your odds of drawing.

These points are imperative to drawing some of the better units in Arizona.  Each year, some people draw great tags with no points, but to put the odds in your favor, points are very helpful.

Extra points - You can earn bonus points in Arizona through two other options, beyond what you earn by applying for tags each year.

A) Arizona will award you a permanent bonus point if you travel to Arizona and take the non-resident hunter education class.  This is a one-day class and you must attend personally and have taken a hunter education class in your home state.

B) A loyalty point is awarded to every hunter who has applied for a species for five consecutive years.  Loyalty is rewarded in Arizona.   But, if you miss a year, you lose your loyalty point and must start a new five-year process to gain back your loyalty point.

Application and Payment - Arizona does not have an online draw system at this time.  All applications must be mailed in and proper payment must accompany each application.  Arizona deadlines are the dates the application must be received, not postmarked, so make sure you mail your application early enough to be delivered in time.

How the draw works -

This is an overview of how Arizona conducts their big game drawings.  Here are the Full Details of the Arizona Big Game Drawing Process.  It is recommended that you read this detail explanation, in addition to the summary that follows.

Arizona has implemented a system that is a tweak to the normal bonus points program.  They have split the drawing into a three step process.  Here is how those three drawings work, in order of how they are conducted.

1. The 20% Bonus Pass - This is where Arizona is trying to reward those hunters with the greatest number of points.  Arizona sets aside 20% of the tags for the hunters with the most points.  When you apply, Arizona looks at your first and second choices before going on to the third, fourth, and fifth choices.

In this first drawing, if you are in the top point holders for the hunts you applied for, you will be awarded a tag.  This is actually more of a preference point draw than a bonus point draw, as the hunter with the most points is awarded the tag, unless they are subject to the 10% non-resident quota and the quota has been filled by the time your name comes up.

2. First and Second Choice Pass - The remaining 80% of the tags are allocated to hunters based on the bonus point system.  You are assigned a random number for each bonus point you have.  Your lowest random number is used for the drawing.  The more points you have, the better your odds of getting one of the very low numbers.

The computer goes to the lowest numbered application and looks at your first and second choices.  If your first choice is full, or the non-resident quota is taken, the computer looks at your second choice.  If that choice is full, or the non-resident quota is met, you will not be awarded a tag.  This continues until each applicant’s first and second choices have been looked at.

3. Third Fourth and Fifth Pass - Any tags remaining after the first two steps are awarded to hunters in the same manner listed in the First and Second Choice Pass.  The tags available at this late stage of the draw are usually difficult hunts with low success rates, or antlerless tags.

Drawing odds - Arizona has some great hunts, but the odds for many of them are very difficult.  As a general rule, the better the trophy quality and hunt type (dates, weapon, public land), the lower the drawing odds.  Here is the link to the Arizona drawing odds.

Where to hunt?

Arizona is one of those states that does a great job of giving hunters a general idea of where to start their hunt.  The link below gives you a general overview of each unit, the boundaries, the species available and best starting places for hunters.  These Unit descriptions are invaluable as a starting point for planning your hunt. Click here for Arizona Big Game Unit Descriptions.

Once you draw your tag, the best place to get maps for Arizona is from Mytopo.com.  There, you can order maps by hunting unit.  Here is the link for Arizona Maps from MyTopo.com.