Unit 27 elk hunting: 2026 hunts, harvest and draw
AZGFD's 2026 Pronghorn and Elk booklet lists 10 elk hunts open in Unit 27, with 1,045 permits in all (2 of them shared with other units). The largest is hunt 3031, bull elk, November 27 to December 3, with 250 permits. On the 10 hunts held only in Unit 27 in 2025, AZGFD's harvest survey counts 882 hunters and 445 elk taken; AZGFD lists 343 of them as bulls and 100 as cows and calves.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: AZGFD's 2026 Pronghorn and Elk booklet. Harvest: AZGFD harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025. Draw: AZGFD's 2025 report.
National forestBLMState trust landTribal land (tribal permit)City, county and otherUnit 27Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 27 |
|---|---|
| AZGFD region | Region 1, Pinetop |
| Elk hunts, 2026 | 10 (1,045 permits) |
| Hunt types | general, limited opportunity and archery only |
| Earliest season | July 31 to August 6 (hunt 3169) |
| Elk taken on its own hunts, 2025 | 445 by 882 hunters |
| 2025 draw, first-choice applicants | 7,765 for 1,045 permits issued |
| Public land open to hunting | 94.6%, mostly national forest |
What elk hunts does Unit 27 have in 2026?
10 hunts: 4 general, 1 limited opportunity and 5 archery only. 8 are held only in Unit 27. Permits are AZGFD's numbers for the whole hunt.
| Hunt | Type | Season, 2026 | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3010 | General | Sep 25 to Oct 1 | Bull elk | 40 | 27 |
| 3031 | General | Nov 27 to Dec 3 | Bull elk | 250 | 27 |
| 3032 | General | Dec 4 to Dec 10 | Bull elk | 250 | 27 |
| 3062 | General | Oct 16 to Oct 22 | Antlerless elk | 150 | 27 |
| 3087 | Limited opportunity | Aug 7 to Aug 20 | Antlerless elk | 25 | Black Mountain Hunt Area (AZGFD note 61) |
| 3150 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Bull elk | 225 | 27 |
| 3167 | Archery only | Nov 13 to Nov 26 | Bull elk | 30 | 27 |
| 3169 | Archery only | Jul 31 to Aug 6 | Antlerless elk | 25 | Alpine Hunt Area (AZGFD note 163) (also 1) |
| 3170 | Archery only | Aug 7 to Aug 13 | Antlerless elk | 25 | Alpine Hunt Area (AZGFD note 163) (also 1) |
| 3188 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Antlerless elk | 25 | 27 |
Source: AZGFD 2026 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information, PDF pages 15, 17, 18 and 19. Note numbers refer to AZGFD's printed notes, which set boundaries and restrictions; read them before you apply.
How many elk are harvested in Unit 27?
Year by year, the hunts held only in Unit 27. Hunter and harvest totals are sums of AZGFD's figures for those hunts.
| Year | Hunts | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls and spikes | Cows and calves | Elk taken | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 882 | 4,887 | 343 | 100 | 445 | 50 |
| 2024 | 10 | 907 | 5,199 | 407 | 103 | 510 | 56 |
| 2023 | 7 | 961 | 5,253 | 331 | 129 | 460 | 48 |
| 2022 | 7 | 1,003 | 5,594 | 383 | 91 | 473 | 47 |
| 2021 | 7 | 1,053 | 6,007 | 305 | 130 | 439 | 42 |
Elk per 100 hunters is worked out from AZGFD's own hunter and harvest figures for the same hunts.
Every hunt that included Unit 27, as AZGFD reported it:
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3150 | Archery only | 27 | 211 | 202 | 1,921 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 20% |
| 3167 | Archery only | 27 | 29 | 29 | 250 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 28% |
| 3188 | Archery only | 27 | 24 | 22 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3169 | Archery only | 27 (Alpine Hunt Area) | 24 | 24 | 137 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 17 | 71% |
| 3170 | Archery only | 27 (Alpine Hunt Area) | 25 | 19 | 86 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 89% |
| 3031 | General | 27 | 233 | 191 | 646 | 109 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 73% |
| 3032 | General | 27 | 234 | 203 | 865 | 109 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 64% |
| 3062 | General | 27 | 149 | 138 | 598 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 2 | 60 | 43% |
| 3087 | Limited opportunity | 27 (Black Mountain Hunt Area) | 25 | 18 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 28% |
| 3107 | Muzzleloader | 27 | 37 | 36 | 149 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 78% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3149 | Archery only | 27 | 239 | 219 | 1,932 | 65 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 32% |
| 3166 | Archery only | 27 | 53 | 41 | 353 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 29% |
| 3185 | Archery only | 27 | 24 | 20 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10% |
| 3186 | Archery only | 27 (Alpine) | 24 | 23 | 117 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 35% |
| 3187 | Archery only | 27 (Alpine) | 25 | 23 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 22% |
| 3011 | General | 27 | 39 | 39 | 193 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 74% |
| 3032 | General | 27 | 248 | 184 | 703 | 162 | 0 | 0 | 162 | 88% |
| 3033 | General | 27 | 223 | 164 | 735 | 130 | 5 | 0 | 135 | 82% |
| 3063 | General | 27 | 199 | 169 | 752 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 83 | 49% |
| 3086 | Limited opportunity | 27 (Black Mountain) | 25 | 25 | 175 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 20% |
Earlier years: 2023, 2022, 2021
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3163 | Archery only | 27 | 242 | 230 | 2,145 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 25% |
| 3180 | Archery only | 27 | 30 | 30 | 242 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17% |
| 3199 | Archery only | 27 | 47 | 42 | 273 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 26% |
| 3031 | General | 27 | 425 | 389 | 1,570 | 239 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 260 | 69% |
| 3062 | General | 27 | 249 | 218 | 827 | 0 | 0 | 107 | 5 | 112 | 51% |
| 3089 | Limited opportunity | 27 (Black Mountain) | 25 | 17 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 35% |
| 3114 | Muzzleloader | 27 | 40 | 35 | 152 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 51% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3171 | Archery only | 27 | 250 | 248 | 2,140 | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 34% |
| 3188 | Archery only | 27 | 30 | 28 | 242 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14% |
| 3207 | Archery only | 27 | 49 | 41 | 411 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3009 | General | 27 | 40 | 40 | 156 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 73% |
| 3029 | General | 27 | 425 | 368 | 1,423 | 242 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 267 | 73% |
| 3059 | General | 27 | 300 | 255 | 1,059 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 2 | 84 | 33% |
| 3100 | Limited opportunity | 27 (Black Mountain) | 25 | 23 | 163 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 22% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3154 | Archery only | 27 | 216 | 204 | 1,765 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 36% |
| 3171 | Archery only | 27 | 28 | 26 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3190 | Archery only | 27 | 95 | 80 | 641 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 15% |
| 3029 | General | 27 | 386 | 338 | 1,531 | 202 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 215 | 64% |
| 3059 | General | 27 | 402 | 349 | 1,595 | 2 | 0 | 108 | 2 | 111 | 32% |
| 3089 | Limited opportunity | 27 (Black Mountain) | 25 | 18 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 40% |
| 3108 | Muzzleloader | 27 | 39 | 38 | 166 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 55% |
Source: AZGFD 2025 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2024 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2023 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2022 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2021 Elk 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 10 elk hunts that included Unit 27: 7,765 first-choice applications for 1,045 permits issued. These are 2025 counts, not a forecast.
| Hunt, 2025 | Area | Hunt type | Season | First-choice applicants | Second-choice applicants | Permits issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3031 | 27 | Bull elk | 11/28 to 12/4 | 3,031 | 3,869 | 250 |
| 3032 | 27 | Bull elk | 12/5 to 12/11 | 1,081 | 2,459 | 250 |
| 3062 | 27 | Antlerless elk | 10/17 to 10/23 | 1,084 | 953 | 150 |
| 3087 | 27 | Antlerless elk | 8/8 to 8/21 | 19 | 27 | 25 |
| 3107 | 27 | Bull elk | 9/26 to 10/2 | 885 | 1,072 | 40 |
| 3150 | 27 | Early Bull elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 1,510 | 2,065 | 225 |
| 3167 | 27 | Bull elk | 11/14 to 11/27 | 92 | 184 | 30 |
| 3169 | 27/01 | Antlerless elk | 8/1 to 8/7 | 18 | 28 | 25 |
| 3170 | 27/01 | Antlerless elk | 8/8 to 8/14 | 6 | 26 | 25 |
| 3188 | 27 | Antlerless elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 39 | 65 | 25 |
Source: AZGFD 2025 Elk 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 27, AZGFD's 2025 elk survey classified 758 animals in 43 groups: 28 bulls and 15 young per 100 cows.
Source: AZGFD 2025 Elk Survey Summary.
How much public land is in Unit 27?
94.6% of Unit 27 is public land open to hunting: 819,474 of 865,872 acres, the largest share national forest (779,713 acres). The Unit 27 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 elk permits does Unit 27 have in 2026?
1,045 permits across 10 hunts in AZGFD's 2026 booklet. The largest is hunt 3031 (bull elk). 2 of these hunts also cover Unit 1.
When is elk season in Unit 27 in 2026?
The first elk hunt open here starts July 31 (hunt 3169, archery only) and the last ends December 10. Each hunt's dates are in the table on this page.
How many elk were harvested in Unit 27 in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 harvest survey counts 445 elk taken by 882 hunters on the 10 hunts held only in Unit 27, against 510 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 27 elk in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 draw report counts 7,765 first-choice applications for the 10 elk hunts that included Unit 27, and 1,045 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 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information.
- Harvest, hunters and days: AZGFD 2025 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2024 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2023 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2022 Elk Harvest Summary, AZGFD 2021 Elk Harvest Summary.
- Draw applicants and permits: AZGFD 2025 Elk 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.