Where to start?

Hello all, just a low budget Muley freak here. I am looking to start applying for the muley hunts in AZ. Just wanting some info on the best places and best seasons to apply. Being that I am a non resident is there any areas of the state that I am locked out of? I have heard good things about the "strip" I am guessing that is unit 13B. Maybe I am mistaken, it sure would not be the first time or the last. The Kiabab what unit is that? Any guidance will be greatly appreciated. I am no newcomer to this Muley game. Have hunted the Paunsaugant before and now hold 16 points for that unit. I just felt it was time to diversify and expand my tag options. I think I can squeeze a Arizona buck next to my Colorado and Utah bucks on the wall. That wall has limited space so it will have to be under 36" wide..LOL Is your drawing a random draw or is it points based drawing? Any help will be greatly appreciated and hell I can even let you in on my secret Colorado area. A have taken a few good bucks off this area, but you decide if they are shooters.

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I can't help you much on the specific GMU's as I an a NR who just started applying in AZ a couple of years ago.

I can tell you that the AZG&F changed the draw rules last year. NR tags are limited to 10% for any given GMU. Up to 5% can go in the Bonus Round. The BR gives tags to those with the highest points.

The 1-2 Pass is a random draw. The remaining NR tags can go in this round, up to 10% total. That doesn't mean 10% of the tags go to NR's, it just means no more than 10% can go to NR's.

In the 1-2 round, anyone can be drawn, regardless of points.

If I understand correctly, someone with 10 points gets assigned 10 random numbers between 1 and 1,000,000. Someone with 1 point gets one random number. Tags are then distributed starting with number 1, then 2, then 3, etc... So it is possible for someone with one point to get drawn before someone with a bunch more.

Hope this helps.

And yes, I'd shoot any of those bucks...1 minute into opening day!! You got GPS coordinates??!!

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LAST EDITED ON Feb-13-17 AT 05:23AM (MST)[p]The strip is units 13a and 13b. I think that some people include 12b as being called a strip unit but I don't. The Kaibab is units 12a west, and 12a east.

13a and 13b have the biggest bucks in the state but are extremely hard to draw. I would plan on around twenty years to draw 13b rifle unless you're really lucky.

12b has lots of deer and very few big bucks on the early rifle hunt, but more big bucks on the late hunt. The late hunt in 12b is hard to draw. This is a winter range area with deer migrating from Utah into the unit daily during the hunts. 12b east is the paria plateau and I don't know much about it.

Units 12a west and 12a east have an early and late rifle hunt also. On the early rifle hunts in these two Kaibab units I would rather have this tag for a bigger buck than 12b west early rifle. It's kind of tough to find a big buck on the early hunt, but if you hunt hard it can happen.

Those units that I have listed are the most popular deer units in the state and are managed for deer.

The units in the Flagstaff area aren't the best for quality deer hunts unless you know certain areas where the few hang out. Some of the December rifle hunts say in units 23,27, and 9 can be good, and you might look into those hunts that are during the rut.

There are big deer in the desert units but they are harder to find and knowledge of the units helps.