Unit 12A deer hunting: 2026 hunts, harvest and draw
AZGFD's 2026 regulations list 8 deer hunts open in Unit 12A, with 1,000 permits in all (one of them shared with other units). The largest is hunt 1015, any antlered deer, October 23 to November 1, with 400 permits. On the 7 hunts held only in Unit 12A in 2025, AZGFD's harvest survey counts 470 hunters and 358 deer taken; AZGFD lists 354 as mule deer and 2 as whitetail.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: AZGFD's 2026 2026-27 regulations. Harvest: AZGFD harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025. Draw: AZGFD's 2025 report.
National forestBLMAZGFD landNational park or monument (no hunting)Unit 12ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 12A |
|---|---|
| AZGFD region | Region 2, Flagstaff |
| Deer hunts, 2026 | 8 (1,000 permits) |
| Hunt types | general, youth only, CHAMP (challenged hunters), muzzleloader and archery only |
| Earliest season | August 21 to September 10 (hunt 1204) |
| Deer taken on its own hunts, 2025 | 358 by 470 hunters |
| 2025 draw, first-choice applicants | 13,957 for 875 permits issued |
| Public land open to hunting | 99.8%, mostly national forest |
What deer hunts does Unit 12A have in 2026?
8 hunts: 4 general, 1 youth only, 1 CHAMP (challenged hunters), 1 muzzleloader and 1 archery only. 7 are held only in Unit 12A. Permits are AZGFD's numbers for the whole hunt.
| Hunt | Type | Season, 2026 | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1013 | General | Oct 23 to Nov 1 | Any antlered deer | 60 | 12A East (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1014 | General | Nov 20 to Nov 29 | Any antlered deer | 15 | 12A East (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1015 | General | Oct 23 to Nov 1 | Any antlered deer | 400 | 12A West (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1016 | General | Nov 20 to Nov 29 | Any antlered deer | 100 | 12A West (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1154 | Youth only | Oct 9 to Oct 12 | Antlerless deer | 100 | 12A West (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1179 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | Sep 18 to Sep 24 | Any antlered deer | 10 | 12A West (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1185 | Muzzleloader | Nov 6 to Nov 12 | Any antlered deer | 15 | 12A East (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) |
| 1204 | Archery only | Aug 21 to Sep 10 | Any antlered deer | 300 | 12A (excluding Grand Canyon National Park) and 12B |
Source: AZGFD 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, PDF pages 29, 31 and 32. Note numbers refer to AZGFD's printed notes, which set boundaries and restrictions; read them before you apply.
How many deer are harvested in Unit 12A?
Year by year, the hunts held only in Unit 12A. Hunter and harvest totals are sums of AZGFD's figures for those hunts.
| Year | Hunts | Hunters | Hunter days | Mule deer | Whitetail | Deer taken | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 470 | 2,079 | 354 | 2 | 358 | 76 |
| 2024 | 7 | 443 | 1,875 | 326 | 24 | 350 | 79 |
| 2023 | 8 | 659 | 4,013 | 397 | 4 | 401 | 61 |
| 2022 | 7 | 389 | 1,884 | 254 | 2 | 259 | 67 |
| 2021 | 7 | 509 | 2,518 | 269 | 5 | 274 | 54 |
Deer per 100 hunters is worked out from AZGFD's own hunter and harvest figures for the same hunts.
Every hunt that included Unit 12A, as AZGFD reported it:
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Mule deer bucks | Mule deer antlerless | Whitetail bucks | Whitetail antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1014 | General | 12A East | 48 | 33 | 150 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 48% |
| 1015 | General | 12A East | 13 | 11 | 47 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 91% |
| 1016 | General | 12A West | 322 | 286 | 1,406 | 222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 222 | 78% |
| 1017 | General | 12A West | 70 | 62 | 285 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 82% |
| 1153 | Youth only | 12A West | 71 | 59 | 110 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 83% |
| 1179 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 12A West | 9 | 8 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 75% |
| 1183 | Muzzleloader | 12A East | 13 | 11 | 54 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 36% |
| 1203 | Archery only | 12A and 12B | 217 | 179 | 1,078 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 40% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Mule deer bucks | Mule deer antlerless | Whitetail bucks | Whitetail antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1013 | General | 12A East | 59 | 46 | 174 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 70% |
| 1014 | General | 12A East | 15 | 14 | 63 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 79% |
| 1015 | General | 12A West | 305 | 251 | 1,200 | 193 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 196 | 78% |
| 1016 | General | 12A West | 59 | 59 | 268 | 34 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 50 | 85% |
| 1153 | Youth only | 12A West | 60 | 54 | 95 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 89% |
| 1179 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 12A West | 9 | 8 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 75% |
| 1183 | Muzzleloader | 12A East | 13 | 11 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 64% |
| 1201 | Archery only | 12A & 12B | 261 | 233 | 1,785 | 146 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 146 | 63% |
Earlier years: 2023, 2022, 2021
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Mule deer bucks | Mule deer antlerless | Whitetail bucks | Whitetail antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1014 | General | 12A East | 49 | 42 | 189 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 74% |
| 1015 | General | 12A East | 10 | 10 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 80% |
| 1016 | General | 12A West | 300 | 266 | 1,373 | 205 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 207 | 78% |
| 1017 | General | 12A West | 50 | 44 | 196 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 91% |
| 1154 | Youth only | 12A West | 25 | 21 | 36 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 86% |
| 1176 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 12A West | 9 | 9 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 78% |
| 1180 | Muzzleloader | 12A East | 15 | 13 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 46% |
| 1198 | Archery only | 12A | 287 | 254 | 2,093 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 33% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Mule deer bucks | Mule deer antlerless | Whitetail bucks | Whitetail antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1014 | General | 12AE | 48 | 39 | 151 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 77% |
| 1015 | General | 12AE | 9 | 8 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 63% |
| 1016 | General | 12AW | 292 | 258 | 1,350 | 150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 59% |
| 1017 | General | 12AW | 45 | 42 | 212 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 86% |
| 1154 | Youth only | 12AW | 25 | 21 | 42 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 90% |
| 1176 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 12AW | 9 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| 1180 | Muzzleloader | 12AE | 15 | 15 | 76 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 93% |
| 1198 | Archery only | 12A and 12B | 285 | 254 | 1,974 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 26% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Mule deer bucks | Mule deer antlerless | Whitetail bucks | Whitetail antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1014 | General | 12AE | 68 | 55 | 270 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 53% |
| 1015 | General | 12AE | 19 | 11 | 65 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 88% |
| 1016 | General | 12AW | 352 | 289 | 1,705 | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 42% |
| 1017 | General | 12AW | 63 | 44 | 224 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 80% |
| 1155 | Youth only | 12AW | 100 | 90 | 162 | 2 | 62 | 0 | 5 | 69 | 77% |
| 1177 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 12AW | 10 | 7 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 40% |
| 1182 | Muzzleloader | 12AE | 15 | 13 | 71 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 43% |
| 1204 | Archery only | 12A/12B | 362 | 315 | 2,486 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 22% |
Source: AZGFD 2025 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2024 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2023 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2022 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2021 Deer Harvest Summary. Success is AZGFD's printed figure, and AZGFD's parts (bulls, cows, species) do not always add up to its harvest total; both are shown as printed. Hunt numbers change from year to year; the area column says where each hunt was. Rows AZGFD printed with a blank middle cell are left out rather than guessed.
How many hunters applied in the 2025 draw?
AZGFD's 2025 draw report lists 8 deer hunts that included Unit 12A: 13,957 first-choice applications for 875 permits issued. These are 2025 counts, not a forecast.
| Hunt, 2025 | Area | Hunt type | Season | First-choice applicants | Second-choice applicants | Permits issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1014 | 12AE | Any antlered deer | 10/24 to 11/2 | 758 | 943 | 60 |
| 1015 | 12AE | Any antlered deer | 11/21 to 11/30 | 795 | 895 | 15 |
| 1016 | 12AW | Any antlered deer | 10/24 to 11/2 | 3,875 | 3,252 | 350 |
| 1017 | 12AW | Any antlered deer | 11/21 to 11/30 | 6,431 | 3,739 | 75 |
| 1153 | 12AW | Antlerless deer | 10/10 to 10/13 | 339 | 125 | 75 |
| 1179 | 12AW | Any antlered deer | 9/19 to 9/25 | 174 | 60 | 10 |
| 1183 | 12AE | Any antlered deer | 11/7 to 11/13 | 147 | 204 | 15 |
| 1203 | 12A/12B | Any antlered deer | 8/22 to 9/11 | 1,438 | 999 | 275 |
Source: AZGFD 2025 Deer draw report. AZGFD's report also prints a percentage column whose basis it does not state, so it is not copied here.
What did AZGFD's 2025 survey count?
In Unit 12A, AZGFD's 2025 mule deer survey classified 195 animals in 30 groups: 42 bucks and 53 young per 100 does. In survey area 12AE, AZGFD's 2025 mule deer survey classified 53 animals in 13 groups: 64 bucks and 77 young per 100 does. In survey area 12AW, AZGFD's 2025 mule deer survey classified 412 animals in 57 groups: 36 bucks and 70 young per 100 does.
Source: AZGFD 2025 Mule Deer Survey Summary.
How much public land is in Unit 12A?
99.8% of Unit 12A is public land open to hunting: 650,072 of 651,307 acres, the largest share national forest (649,415 acres). The Unit 12A page has the full land table, towns and roads.
Measured by FilledTag inside AZGFD's unit boundaries from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee managers). Public land open to hunting here means national forest, BLM, state trust land, AZGFD land, national wildlife refuges, national recreation areas and Bureau of Reclamation land. Tribal land, military land and national parks are counted on their own rows and left out of that figure.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer permits does Unit 12A have in 2026?
1,000 permits across 8 hunts in AZGFD's 2026 regulations. The largest is hunt 1015 (any antlered deer). One of these hunts also covers Unit 12B.
When is deer season in Unit 12A in 2026?
The first deer hunt open here starts August 21 (hunt 1204, archery only) and the last ends November 29. Each hunt's dates are in the table on this page.
How many deer were harvested in Unit 12A in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 harvest survey counts 358 deer taken by 470 hunters on the 7 hunts held only in Unit 12A, against 350 in 2024. Hunts shared with other units are counted in AZGFD's table for each hunt, not added here.
How many hunters applied for Unit 12A deer in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 draw report counts 13,957 first-choice applications for the 8 deer hunts that included Unit 12A, and 875 permits issued. AZGFD publishes no forecast for 2026; these are 2025 counts.
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Where these numbers come from
- Hunts, seasons, legal animals and permits: AZGFD 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations.
- Harvest, hunters and days: AZGFD 2025 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2024 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2023 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2022 Deer Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2021 Deer Harvest Summary.
- Draw applicants and permits: AZGFD 2025 Deer draw report.
- Unit boundaries: AZGFD game management unit boundaries. Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee managers).
FilledTag is not part of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from AZGFD's published reports or measured from AZGFD and USGS maps; nothing here is estimated by FilledTag. AZGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.