Arizona Unit 24B Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Arizona Unit 24B sits among the state's more heavily scrutinized mule deer units, and for good reason — it combines a huge public land base with real, documented harvest data that gives applicants something concrete to plan around. For hunters researching Arizona Unit 24B mule deer hunting, this unit offers a mix of accessible terrain, a strong public land footprint, and tag structures that have shifted noticeably in recent years across its four hunt types.

Unit 24B spans 497,574 acres with elevations ranging from 1,311 to 6,235 feet, encompassing everything from low desert benches to higher mixed terrain. At 97% public land, this is about as open as it gets for DIY access in Arizona — the overwhelming majority of the unit is available to hunters without needing private land permission. Roughly a third of the unit (32%) falls within designated wilderness, which matters for anyone planning to hunt deep into the more remote country, since wilderness areas typically mean foot or stock access only, no mechanized entry.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 24B Worth Applying For?

The honest answer depends on what a hunter is chasing. Unit 24B is not a unit with a strong, documented trophy pedigree — the counties overlapping this unit show a limited history of record-book entries, which suggests hunters should treat this as an opportunity and experience unit rather than a unit to bank on for a wall-hanger. That said, limited trophy history doesn't mean the deer aren't there; it means the data available doesn't support promising hunters a shot at a trophy-class buck.

Where Unit 24B does perform well is in the fundamentals: public land access is excellent at 97%, meaning DIY hunters can move freely across nearly the entire unit without navigating a patchwork of private ranches. The harvest numbers also tell a real story of a unit that produces results in most years, even if that success rate has been trending downward recently.

The tag quota trends are worth close attention. Hunt type 1093 saw its tag numbers jump from 200 to 275 tags between 2024 and 2025 — a 38% increase — while hunt type 1095 was cut dramatically, dropping from 325 tags in 2024 to just 40 in 2025, an 88% reduction. Hunt type 1094 also saw tags trimmed from 325 to 275 (a 15% cut), while hunt type 1096 has held steady at 40 tags across the two years reported. This tells hunters that demand and opportunity in Unit 24B are being actively rebalanced by the department year over year, and applicants need to check current-year quotas before assuming any hunt type will look the same as it did even one season prior.

For hunters prioritizing access, acreage, and a fair shot at filling a tag, Unit 24B is worth serious consideration. For hunters chasing a unit with a proven trophy track record, this isn't the place to spend years of point-building — better to treat it as a solid opportunity unit.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 24B has generated four consecutive years of harvest data, and the trend is informative. In 2022, 970 hunters harvested 389 animals for a 40% success rate. That improved to 46% in 2023 with 928 hunters and 428 harvested. Success peaked in 2024 at 51%, with 862 hunters and 441 animals taken — the best year in this dataset by a clear margin.

Then 2025 saw a sharp reversal: 831 hunters harvested only 252 animals, a 30% success rate — the lowest of the four years reported. That's an 21-percentage-point swing in a single season, which is a significant shift and worth flagging for anyone drawing a tag in the near future. Hunters should not assume the 46-51% success rates of 2023-2024 represent the current baseline; the most recent data point suggests conditions or hunting pressure changed meaningfully heading into 2025. Applicants should treat the multi-year average as more informative than any single year, and should check HuntPilot's unit page for updated harvest figures as new seasons are reported.

Trophy Quality

Trophy record data for the counties overlapping Unit 24B shows a limited history of entries. This doesn't mean quality bucks don't exist in the unit, but it does mean there isn't a strong documented pattern of trophy-class production coming out of this area the way there is in some of Arizona's more well-known deer units. Hunters whose primary goal is a record-book buck should approach Unit 24B with realistic expectations — this is better categorized as a unit for hunters who want a fair shot at a mature deer and value the acreage and access over trophy potential. As always, individual bucks exceeding the local norm can and do turn up in any unit; the available data simply doesn't support promising exceptional trophy potential here.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Unit 24B covers four survey years between 2022 and 2025, drawing from seven total surveys. The average buck-to-doe ratio across that period sits at 31:100, with an average of 83 animals observed per survey. A 31:100 ratio is a modest number by mule deer standards and suggests a herd with a buck segment that is present but not abundant relative to does — consistent with a unit that sees solid hunting pressure and modest survey samples. The average of 83 animals observed per survey is a relatively small sample, which means hunters should be cautious about reading too much into any single year's ratio; the multi-year average of 31:100 is the more reliable figure for understanding the herd's general buck availability heading into a season.

Access & Terrain

With 97% public land, Unit 24B is about as DIY-friendly as Arizona mule deer units get. Hunters won't need to negotiate private land access for the vast majority of this 497,574-acre unit, which significantly simplifies pre-season scouting and in-season mobility. The elevation range of 1,311 to 6,235 feet spans a wide band of habitat, from lower desert country to higher benches and ridgelines, giving hunters options to hunt different elevations as weather and deer movement dictate throughout the season.

The 32% wilderness designation is a meaningful factor for trip planning. Wilderness areas within the unit will restrict motorized and mechanized access (no vehicles, e-bikes, or game carts), meaning hunters targeting those pockets need to plan for foot or stock-based access and pack-out logistics. Unlike Wyoming, Arizona does not require nonresidents to hire a guide to hunt wilderness areas, so DIY hunters are free to pursue these more remote areas on their own — but should plan accordingly for the physical demands of deeper backcountry access. Hunters looking to scout specific drainages, water sources, or glassing points within the unit should use HuntPilot's public land and terrain map overlays to identify likely areas before the season, particularly given the size of the unit and the mix of accessible low country versus wilderness-restricted high country.

How to Apply

Given the tag quota shifts documented above — particularly the steep cuts to hunt type 1095 and the increase to hunt type 1093 — hunters should check the HuntPilot Arizona state page (/states/az) or the current unit page for the latest available tag numbers and application details before submitting, since quotas are adjusted annually and can change significantly between seasons.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Arizona page at /states/az.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Arizona Unit 24B? Unit 24B covers a broad elevation range from 1,311 to 6,235 feet across 497,574 acres, offering a mix of lower desert terrain and higher mixed country. With 97% public land, hunters have access to nearly the entire unit, and the 32% wilderness component means a significant portion of the higher or more remote country is restricted to foot and stock access only — no motorized or mechanized travel.

What is harvest success like in Unit 24B? Harvest success has varied considerably in recent years. Success rates were 40% in 2022, 46% in 2023, and peaked at 51% in 2024, before dropping to 30% in 2025. Hunters should look at the full four-year trend rather than any single season, since the swing between 2024 and 2025 was substantial.

How big are the deer in Unit 24B? Trophy record data for the counties overlapping this unit shows a limited history of record-book entries, meaning hunters shouldn't count on Unit 24B as a proven trophy destination. Mature bucks can certainly be found here, but the documented trophy history doesn't support strong expectations for record-class animals.

Is Unit 24B worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing public land access and a real chance at filling a tag, yes — 97% public land and multiple years of solid harvest data make this a workable DIY option. For hunters specifically chasing trophy potential, the limited trophy record history suggests looking elsewhere or treating this unit as a numbers-and-experience hunt rather than a trophy pursuit.

What is the buck-to-doe ratio in Unit 24B, and does it indicate a healthy herd? The average buck-to-doe ratio across four survey years (2022-2025) is 31:100, based on seven total surveys averaging 83 animals observed per survey. This is a modest ratio that suggests a functional but not abundant buck population relative to does. Because the survey sample sizes are relatively small, hunters should weight the multi-year average more heavily than any single year's snapshot when assessing herd condition.