New to AZ

Hello all,

I will be moving to Tucson next summer for work. Curious about what is available OTC and what I can reasonably expect to draw if I put in as a resident. I am primarily interested in big game. Would love to hunt coues deer, mule deer, elk, or antelope. Any advice? Thanks!

Michael

OTC we have Archery deer in August and Archery deer in December and January. Most southern units are open during those hunts but check the regs for all the open units. A few northern units are open as well. Fall Archery turkey is OTC. There are a few OTC units for javelina Archery up north. They have some difficult elk hunts OTC in places they want to get rid of elk. Best bet for coues will be leftover tags after the draw. Also lots of leftover javelina tags after the spring draw. Bear in the fall and Mt. Lion year round are OTC as well.

As for drawing it all depends on what you want to hunt. There are tags you can draw first time but those will be difficult cow hunts or very difficult late archery elk hunts. Or those coues hunts that have leftover tags can be drawn without points but you want to wait for leftovers rather than use your points. Most decent early archery elk and late rifle elk take 5-10 years with some of the best early Archery elk taking 13+ years. Early rifle elk can take 25+ years and good deer tags generally take 5-10 years to draw except the strip or late Kaibab which can take 15+ years. Antelope generally takes 20+ years for a rifle tag. 10 years for a Archery tag. Sheep obviously is terrible odds your whole life.

That covers the basics but having said that the way the draw works everyone has a chance to draw any tags any given year. Odds are bad for it but more guys draw with low points than guys with high points. Just decide what you want and stick with it. If you're looking for the biggest and best hunts in AZ prepare for a 15+ year wait with the knowledge that any year you could pull a tag before then but would need some luck. Or if you're just looking to hunt you can have tags every other year if you want. Worse quality and more people but atleast you're out there.