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Arizona's 2019 elk application overview

Jump to: New for 2019 State Information Draw System Elk Breakdown Elk points

Arizona is arguably the first state in the West to address the fact that the point system they had in place was, in fact, broken and in need of a change. The long and short of this story is that if there is a 0% chance at drawing the best permits in the state, then why invest in this application? With the change made in 2016, Arizona broke the mold and took the first aggressive step forward toward fixing the very real problem that many next-generation hunters were facing when they started applying. These applicants, who previously would have indefinitely had a 0% chance of drawing the elite hunts in the state, now were guaranteed at least 50% of the nonresident permits issued in the random drawing each year. This may have only resulted in one or two permits making it to the random drawing each year for some of the more limited hunts that didn’t have a whole lot of permits to begin with, but a chance is a chance. Coupled with the fact that Arizona looks at two application choices before they move to the next applicant, the strategy of applying for Arizona has improved for all hunters—unless you were already close to maximum points, of course.

Note: The online application deadline for Arizona elk is Feb. 12, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. MST. You can apply online here.

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Why Arizona for elk in 2019

2018 was a throwaway year for big bulls

Arizona was no different than other western states when it came to the number of big bulls it produced in 2018. Top units struggled to perform like they have in the past and mediocre units didn’t produce many Cinderella stories. Many have cast the blame to the fact that the moisture levels in the West were horribly low in the spring and resulted in poor antler growth that year across the board. History has shown us that the age class of bulls that should have been harvested this year fared better than normal as hunters passed on these bulls in search of one that may not have even existed this year. However, that should result in a bumper crop of bulls that are a year older than normal in the coming season.

Excellent public land access

Arizona has the highest percentage of public land in all of the western states with the largest national forest in the state, Coconino National Forest, located in the heart of prime elk habitat. This state offers any hunter seemingly endless amounts of public ground to cover while scouting and hunting, creating an ideal situation if you are considering a do-it-yourself (DIY) hunt.

Higher chances for nonresidents

As stated in the introduction, Arizona has taken the first steps before any other western state to address what was a broken system. Now, even with zero points, an applicant has a chance to draw even the hardest tags in the state for all species.

Big bulls

Every unit in the state that offers an elk season is capable of producing bulls that score over 320”. Although it isn’t common across all units, it is absolutely possible.

Opportunity for elk

Like many states, if you will look towards the late season when it comes to elk, there is often more opportunity—whether you prefer to hunt with archery equipment or with a rifle. The odds of drawing an elk permit in Arizona are much better if you are willing to hunt out of the rut.

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New for 2019

2019 is the last year for paper applications

This will be the last year you can apply for elk and antelope with a paper application.

Convenience fee

If you choose to purchase your hunting license or any other permits through any vendor other than the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) you could be subject to a convenience fee added to the transaction. Previously, vendors billed the state $1.00 for all transactions. This is no longer the case and, if the vendor wants to be compensated for their time selling the license or permit, they are now allowed to add a service fee to the transaction in order to be compensated if they choose.

Failed credit card payments

If you're applying online, be sure to keep your credit card payment information current and up-to-date. If your payment is declined at the time of the draw, your application will not be drawn. AZGFD will no longer call customers to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards have failed. The deadline for updating your credit or debit card information online is 11:59 p.m. MST on Feb. 28, 2019.

Female/antlerless draw odds on INSIDER

Last year we started offering antlerless elk draw odds for Arizona and many other states. You can read more about this new enhancement here. If your main focus is to simply draw a tag to fill the freezer, utilizing Draw Odds to determine the best antlerless elk hunts might be the perfect option for you.

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State information

Below you can find important information and an overview of Arizona’s rules/regulations, the draw system, bonus points, tag and license fees, and an interactive boundary line map on our State Profile. You can also view the Arizona Elk Profile to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy units.

Arizona State Profile Elk Profile Draw Odds Elk Filtering 2.0

Important dates and information

• The deadline to apply online is Feb. 12, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. MST.
• You can apply online or with a paper application—2019 is the last year paper will be accepted for elk and antelope applications.
• The deadline to update credit card information is Feb. 28, 2019.
• Payment must be made by Visa or Mastercard for online applications.
• If you send in a paper application, you can pay with a personal check, cashier’s check, money order, or certified check (no cash).
• Up to 10% of the available tags for any hunt code can be awarded to nonresidents.
• If you are unsuccessful in the draw, then you will be awarded a bonus point for that species.
• The Arizona Big Game Super Raffle drawing will be held July 14, 2019. More information can be found here.

Continuing to provide the most accurate Arizona draw odds

You have access to the most accurate draw odds by utilizing Arizona Draw Odds on INSIDER. Since the change in the draw system in 2016, many nonresidents have the opportunity to draw tags that were previously unattainable for anyone who did not have a high number of points.

Using the draw odds detailed pages for Arizona, you’ll quickly be able to see how the draw system change affected hunters with minimal points and for those max point holders.

PointGuard

This program provides hunters with peace of mind in knowing that they can surrender their tag for any reason without losing their coveted bonus points. PointGuard coverage costs $5 per species. See more details here.

The current drought status in Arizona
 

2019 Arizona drought update. Source: United States Drought Monitor

Arizona, like all western states, has been under historic drought conditions for many years. 2018 proved to be an extreme year and particularly tough for the elk. This was apparent by the lack of monster bulls that typically come out of Arizona compared to prior years. Although there has been abnormal amounts of snow in the upper elevations of Arizona this winter, the state as a whole is so far behind the curve that the snow and rain will need to stay consistent for some time in order to fully recover.

2018

2017

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The Arizona draw system

Understanding the draw

Arizona allows its applicants to apply for up to five choices; however, only the first two selections are considered during the first pass. Historically, all bull elk permits have been awarded during this first pass, which makes selections three, four and five mostly irrelevant.

Increasing Points

Arizona has a modified bonus system in place. What this means, in essence, is that it is a bucket of raffle tickets. If you happen to be in the maximum point pool for any particular hunt code, then there is typically way fewer tickets in that bucket and you have a much stronger chance of drawing—even up to 100% in rare occasions, especially for nonresidents.

There are four ways to increase your bonus points:

1. Earn a bonus point each time you are unsuccessful in the draw (one point per year).
2. Or apply for “bonus points only” to gain a bonus point in the event that you do not want to risk drawing a tag until you have a higher number of points.
3. You can also travel to Arizona and take a hunter education course and earn a permanent bonus point.
4. Earn a permanent loyalty point. An applicant is awarded this point by applying for a species for five consecutive years. This is also a species-specific point and this permanent point will not be taken away when you draw a tag.

If you are successful in the draw, then your bonus points will revert back to zero. If you have earned a loyalty and/or hunter education point, then you will keep those indefinitely. If you fail to apply for five consecutive years, then all points will be lost. Special note: Once a loyalty bonus point is accrued, the applicant shall retain the loyalty bonus point provided the applicant annually submits an application, with funds sufficient to cover all application fees and applicable license fees for each applicant listed on the application, for a hunt permit-tag or a bonus point for the genus for which the loyalty bonus point was accrued. An applicant who fails to apply in any calendar year for a hunt permit-tag or bonus point for the genus for which the loyalty bonus point was accrued shall forfeit the loyalty bonus point for that genus. If you fail to apply and lose your loyalty point, you will have to start over and continue to apply for that species again for five consecutive years to get the loyalty point again.

Unlike many states, where if you don’t have the points you have no chance of getting a tag, Arizona gives hunters with only a few points a chance. Even if you don’t draw anything this year, you can get a bonus point to increase your chances next year. You can apply for bonus points only in Arizona, but you must buy a $160 nonrefundable hunting license and pay a $15 application fee per species. You may also add an additional $5 to each application per year, if you choose to add PointGuard, which adds a level of protection for unseen events that would prevent you from hunting if drawn.

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Arizona's 2019 elk breakdown

Current elk herd condition

There are some subtle things to consider when looking towards Arizona for 2019. It would be easy to get discouraged when looking at the results of 2018, but there are some silver linings to consider that could result in a banner year for Arizona elk hunters. Overall, the population of elk is in great shape in Arizona. With minimal impact from predators along with a more rigid management strategy over the last few years, hunters should expect to see a good number of animals in most units across the state. The real silver lining lies within the fact that, because of the extremely dry conditions in 2018, antler growth was far less than normal. Historically, when this happens, the age class of bulls that would have normally been taken in each unit tend to fare better than normal as hunters tend to pass them looking for something bigger. Many of these bulls will end up making it through a season and end up a year older than normal. This, along with some fantastic winter weather that will hopefully continue into spring across large portions of the state, could mean that we are headed for one heck of an elk season with above average bulls coming out of many of the units.

2019 top hit list hunt units to consider for 350" or better bulls
Unit	Trophy potential	Bull:cow ratio	Public land %	Harvest %
Unit 23	380"+	40:100	98.1%	Early archery N: 80% Early archery S: 67% Early rifle N: 77% Early rifle S: 100% Late archery: 0% Late rifle: 56%
Unit 9	380"+	65:100	76.6%	Early archery: 67% Early rifle: 92% Late archery: 47% Late rifle: 36%
Unit 1	370"+	54:100	91.1%	Early archery: 63% Muzzleloader: 75% Late archery: 30% Late rifle: 75%
Unit 10	360"+	14:100	39.2%	Early archery: 62% Early rifle: 78% Muzzleloader: 30% Late archery: 0% Late rifle: 26%
Unit 18A	360"+	NA	52.1%	Early archery: 44% Early rifle: 52% Late rifle: 15%
Unit 18B	360"+	3:100	59.2%	Early archery: 34% Early rifle: 66% Late rifle: 36%
Unit 27	360"+	24:100	94.6%	Early archery: 39% Early rifle: 95% Late archery: 10% Late rifle: 65%
Unit 3A	360"+	37:100	29.5%	Early archery: 62% Early rifle: 90% Late rifle: 25%
Unit 3C	360"+	37:100	82.8%	Early archery: 62% Early rifle: 90% Late rifle: 25%
Unit 15A	350"+	NA	80.2%	Early archery: 44% Early rifle: 52% Late rifle: 15%
Unit 17A	350"+	25:100	72.5%	Early archery: 34% Early rifle: 66% Late rifle: 36%
Unit 2C	350"+	50:100	59.3%	Early archery: 63% Muzzleloader: 75% Late archery: 30% Late rifle: 75%
Unit 7W	350"+	34:100	87.7%	Muzzleloader: NA Early archery: 57% Late archery: 13% Late rifle: 27%
Unit 8	350"+	62:100	94.9%	Early archery: 38% Late archery: 43% Late rifle: 26%

Wolves in Arizona

There is a small population of wolves in Arizona. In 1998, 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) in eastern Arizona. Additional releases have occurred since the initial release. We have covered the status of these wolves in numerous news articles. As of 2017, there were a total of 22 packs observed between Arizona and New Mexico with a total of 114 wolves counted during the annual survey. 63 of these were observed in Arizona. The number reflects only those animals that were visually seen. Biologists admit that more wolves likely exist in Arizona that were not counted.

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How to uncover hidden gem elk units

Locating a hidden gem in Arizona is like many states: the more primitive the weapon and the further away from peak rut, the better the odds of drawing. Arizona, maybe more than any other state, has a number of these opportunities in both archery and muzzleloader units. However, if you are hung up on rifle hunting, there are still a few gems hidden in areas of the state that have lower elk populations as well as higher amounts of private land. Many applicants get started in Arizona swinging for the fence on a rut hunt in the early season, but, if you are just looking to hunt elk more often, use the Filtering 2.0 tool to see that hunting elk in Arizona doesn’t have to be a long-term goal.

To get started with Filtering 2.0

• Select state.
• Select species.
• Adjust the Trophy Slider to your desired size (e.g. 310”+).
• Click whether you are a resident or nonresident and indicate how many points you currently possess.
• Select your minimum percentage of odds for drawing the tag. This can be very good for weeding out units with easier to draw tags.
• Select which season(s) you want to hunt. Have other hunts going on throughout the fall? You can also set your date parameters and Filtering 2.0 will automatically find what's in season that time of the year.
• Choose what harvest percentages you would like to see in the units.
• Choose the public land percentages you would like to see.
• Lastly, click on any of the remaining units to read in-depth Unit Profiles containing valuable information.

Hidden gem units: Elk units with 320" plus trophy potential that have 100% draw odds at 5 points (resident)
Unit	Season	Trophy potential	Public land %	Harvest success
3B	Muzzleloader	330"+	44.9%	17%
4B	Late archery	320"+	47%	18%
7E	Early archery	330"+	76.8%	NA
7E	Late archery	330"+	76.8%	8%
7E	Late rifle	330"+	76.8%	9%
7W	Late archery	350"+	87.7%	13%
9	Late archery	380"+	76.6%	47%
10	Late archery	360"+	39.2%	0%
15A	Late rifle	350"+	80.2%	15%
15BE	Late rifle	330"+	60.3%	15%
17A	Late rifle	350"+	72.5%	36%
17B	Late rifle	320"+	82.2%	36%
18A	Late rifle	360"+	52.1%	15%
18B	Late rifle	360"+	59.2%	36%
19B	Late rifle	330"+	38.9%	36%
20C	Late rifle	320"+	78%	36%
23	Late archery	380"+	98.1%	0%

Hidden gem units: Elk units with a 320"+ trophy potential that have a 100% draw odds at 5 points (nonresident)
Unit	Season	Trophy potential	Public land percentage	Harvest success
3B	Muzzleloader	330"+	44.9%	17%
7E	Late rifle	330"+	76.8%	9%
7W	Late archery	350"+	87.7%	13%
9	Late archery	380"+	76.6%	47%
15A	Late rifle	350"+	80.2%	15%
15BE	Late rifle	330"+	60.3%	15%
17A	Late rifle	350"+	72.5%	36%
17B	Late rifle	320"+	82.2%	36%
18A	Late rifle	360"+	52.1%	15%
18B	Late rifle	360"+	59.2%	36%
19B	Late rifle	330"+	38.9%	36%
20C	Late rifle	320"+	78%	36%
23	Late archery	380"+	98.1%	0%

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B&C entry trends for Arizona elk

Typical elk entries

Units listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Units in this table are included if any part of the unit is found within the county. Data provided below courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Arizona's top Boone & Crockett producing counties since 2010 for typical elk
County	No. of entries	Units found within county
Coconino	10	9, 10, 7W, 7E, 11M, 6A, 6B, 8, 5BN, 5BS, 5A, 4A
Gila	9	22, 23, 24A
Apache	6	2A, 3A, 3B, 2C, 1, 27
San Carlos Indian Reservation	5	NA
Yavapai	4	6A, 6B, 8, 17A, 17B, 18A, 18B, 19A, 20A, 20C
Mohave	3	15A, 15BW, 15BE, 16A, 18A, 18B

Nontypical elk entries

Units listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Units in this table are included if any part of the unit is found within the county. Data provided below courtesy of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Arizona's top Boone & Crockett producing counties since 2010 for nontypical elk
County	No. of entries	Units found within county
San Carlos Indian Reservation	8	NA
Coconino	6	9, 10, 7W, 7E, 11M, 6A, 6B, 8, 5BN, 5BS, 5A, 4A
Apache	2	2A, 3A, 3B, 2C, 1, 27
Fort Apache Indian Reservation	2	NA
Gila	2	22, 23, 24A
Graham	2	27, 28, 31, 32
Greenlee	1	27, 28
Hualapai Indian Reservation	1	NA
Mohave	1	15A, 15BW, 15BE, 16A, 18A, 18B

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Discovering the best bull:cow ratio units

We provide data on bull to cow ratios for each unit in Arizona. Male to female ratios are a critical measuring data tool for wildlife managers and indicate the current status of the herd. A higher bull to cow ratio may indicate that a unit could have a higher availability of mature bulls compared to a unit with a lower bull to cow ratio. This doesn’t always indicate that the bulls will be the highest scoring bulls, but more bulls equate to more bulls to find and harvest. When selecting a unit, or comparing several units, take this into consideration to help your decision. For a complete understanding of male to female ratios, please refer to a recent article covering this in-depth. The best way to find the units with the best bull:cow ratios is to use Filtering 2.0 under Arizona elk. And then sort the results by male:female ratio. You can jump to those results here.

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The points system for elk

• 2019 maximum resident bonus points for elk: 26
• 2019 maximum nonresident bonus points for elk: 29

For another view of the bonus point breakdown using tables, you can check out the table below. The table view will allow for an easier readout of the higher point totals.

Managing points and expectations

Because this is one of the most mature point systems in the country, it is important for new applicants to have a basic understanding of what they are up against when looking to hunt the rut in Arizona. The long and short is this: even if you apply for two decades, given that you are already 20+ years behind the curve, the idea that you would ever find yourself in a maximum point situation for a rut hunt is unlikely. The only slim possibility is a 10-year-old who only wants to hunt elk in Arizona once in their life. If you don’t fall into that category than your target hunt needs to be for a hunt that has a more realistic finish line wrapped around it. As we have already discussed: you will find this in the later seasons. Here is where it does get interesting and where Arizona broke the mold a few years ago in changing their system. Now that 50% of the nonresident permits are guaranteed to make it into the random drawing in every hunt, even a new applicant has a chance at the best permits in the state, which means you should swing for the fence with the first choice every year while backing it up with a more realistic selection on the second choice. The reason for this is if you have a less than 1% chance of drawing the early hunt with zero points and you still have a less than 1% chance of drawing the early hunt with 20 points, why would you wait to draw? You lose nothing by burning your points on other hunting opportunities in the state while also applying the very next year in the same manner. This way you never miss a year or, really, any ground on drawing an elite tag all the while hunting many more times over the course of those same 20 years. Obviously, your odds do improve over 20 years as it is a bonus point system, but, when you really break down the math, are .01% odds any different than 1% odds? We will let you be the judge of that.

Find your draw odds

I have 0 points. What can I expect?

Resident and nonresidents are in a similar boat when looking to draw an elk permit with zero points and this boat doesn’t come with a paddle. Your best bet—if looking to hunt as soon as possible—is to find units with the highest number of random permits offered each year and apply versus the number of applicants from the previous year and hope for the best. Drawing a random permit for elk in Arizona takes some serious luck, but, if you are applying for a hunt that only has a few permits to begin with, you are not trying to draw as hard as you could be. Remember that only your first two choices are considered on the first pass and, historically, all of the permits are awarded during this first pass making your third, fourth and fifth choices irrelevant for the most part. If you are looking to simply put meat in the freezer, then don’t overlook the antlerless permits as the odds when applying for these hunts are much better during even your first year.

Residents

Unit 22 North, late archery, had a 49% chance of drawing with zero points in 2018. Also, Unit 7E late archery had a 100% chance of drawing with zero points for residents in 2018. However, the success rate last season was 8% for the hunters who were brave enough to give this hunt a try. Most of the other hunts in the state fell somewhere in the .01% - 49% drawing odds with zero points, with the majority well under 20% odds. Without some inside knowledge of a specific bull or area you want to hunt, it may be a better idea to buckle down for a couple years and wait for a better opportunity on a hunt that has a better track record.

Nonresidents

Nonresident odds are even tougher and, other than the late archery in Unit 22 North with a 48% chance, most of your odds are going to range from .01% up to 48% (again, the majority are well below 5% odds) with the best odds being for hunts that historically have a very low success rate. Applying for Arizona elk as a nonresident should be considered a medium to long term goal depending on what your personal hunting goals are. The best idea is to sit back and get comfortable because you are going to be at this a little while before you see any sort of results.

What can I do with 3 or 4 points?

With three to four points you are still a ways off from drawing some of the premier units of the state; however, as we discussed earlier, it is a good idea at this point to be applying for what you consider the best hunt in the state per your goals. Then, follow up this selection with a hunt that may be your end goal if the other doesn’t pan out.

Residents:

Stay focused as the grass is going to get green sooner than later for you. You are not quite in a spot that gives you much of a chance at some of the best hunts in the state. It would be a mistake not to apply for these premier type of hunts with your first choice at a minimum while using your second choice for a hunt that has a higher number of permits. With four points, there are 10 different units with higher than a 330+ trophy potential and better than a 50% chance of drawing. Six of these are late archery hunts in Units 5A, 7E, 7W, 9, 10, and 23. There is also one late muzzleloader hunt in Unit 3B and several rifle hunts in the block units in the northwest corner of the state in Units 18A, 15A, 15BE as well as Unit 7E.

Nonresidents:

You are doing great. Just grab your wallet and do what you have been doing for the past four years. The odds are slim that anything magical is going to happen, but it could and that is better than what was said only a couple of years ago. Stay the course with applying for the long shot as your first choice while backing this up with a more realistic hunt that you could potentially get once you are at a maximum point status. This way if you do come out of the hat early you are headed to either one of the best hunts in the state or to the destination you had in mind in the first place—just a little sooner than expected.

What can I expect with 9 or 10 points?

Residents:

Well, luck just hasn’t been on your side and the chances are you have a buddy or two that have gone on multiple elk hunts while you have been waiting your turn. This could be the year and, depending on the areas you prefer to hunt and what you end goal is, you have some real options to consider. With 10 points, you now have enough to draw an early rifle hunt in Units 17A, 18A, 18B as well as the early archery season in Units 7W, 8, 15A and 27. Using the Filtering 2.0 system, you can filter to each of these selections with ease and look over the bull:cow ratios, success rates and amount of public land to see if it is the hunt you are looking for. There are a number of fantastic late rifle hunts available at this point that will allow you to hunt some of the top producing units away from the rut. There are still some more premier hunts that are getting more in reach all the time so be realistic with your goals and apply accordingly. You would hate to burn your points on a so-so hunt at this point.

Nonresidents:

Things are starting to take shape for you at this point and there are a number of late rifle hunts—some in top producing units available to you at this time. This is really a pivotal moment for you in your application strategy as you could choose to apply for a hunt that will likely result in a maximum point status. In the meantime, if you still are not seeing a hunt that fires you up, then you really may be in for a seriously long wait for your chance to hunt elk in Arizona. Using the Draw Odds, you can get a better picture of when you can expect to draw some of the best permits in the state and a better idea of what you are up against in terms of the number of years it will take to reach the next level. There are a couple of real options to consider if you are looking for a good representative bull like Units 27, 3A, 3C, 9, 10 and the general units in the northwest portion of the state: Units 15A, 18A, 18B, 17A. Remember that these units have higher volumes of private land to contend with, but also do not have the nonresident quota attached to them. You will have the same chance to draw as a resident when applying for these units.

What can I expect with 15 or 20 plus points?

Residents

With 15 points there is only a handful of units in the state that are out of reach. If you have your sights set one of these opportunities, then plan on waiting a few more years. Some of the harder to draw hunts will most likely continue to creep a little. What this means is you have some serious options to consider and part of me is really wondering what you are waiting for? Hopefully, you have been so busy with other hunts that, before you knew it, you had 15 points and a wall full of other animals. If that isn’t the case, it’s high time you dust off your bow or rifle since 2019 has some serious potential to produce some exceptional bulls.

Nonresidents:

So, here is the deal: 15 years is a long time to be building up to a hunt and every year you keep applying the culmination of that hunt gets that much more important. Now, you are going to eventually draw a permit and you are going to say that anything short of a world class bull would be considered a failure or a waste of time or money. You get what I am saying. It’s unfortunate that in this day and age, sometimes, it simply takes this kind of time for you to get a chance to go hunting period with no strings attached and the time invested doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to get a world class opportunity when you choose to go. So, if anything less than a monster just makes you sick to your stomach, then stay the course and continue to use both your first and second choice for what you consider the best hunts in the state. Meanwhile, if you are done waiting and just want to go on an above average elk hunt, you now have some awesome opportunities to consider that range from early season archery and rifle hunts in a number of units across the state to some late rifle hunts in units that have incredible track records, but you don’t quite have the points you need for a rut hunt. Using the Filtering 2.0 feature will help you narrow down the opportunities and give you a much clearer picture of what your options are depending on your goals.

This INSIDER APPLICATION STRATEGY article has been made available for sample use.
Learn more about what INSIDER has to offer here.