Unit 3A elk hunting: 2026 hunts, harvest and draw
AZGFD's 2026 Pronghorn and Elk booklet lists 7 elk hunts open in Unit 3A, with 705 permits in all (all of them shared with other units). The largest is hunt 3012, bull elk, November 27 to December 3, with 225 permits. On the 7 hunts held only in Unit 3A in 2023, AZGFD's harvest survey counts 41 hunters and 9 elk taken; AZGFD lists 7 of them as bulls and 2 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 landCity, county and otherUnit 3ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 3A |
|---|---|
| AZGFD region | Region 1, Pinetop |
| Elk hunts, 2026 | 7 (705 permits) |
| Hunt types | general, limited opportunity and archery only |
| Earliest season | September 11 to September 24 (hunt 3127) |
| Elk taken on its own hunts, 2023 | 9 by 41 hunters |
| 2025 draw, first-choice applicants | 8,690 for 795 permits issued |
| Public land open to hunting | 29.6%, mostly state trust land |
What elk hunts does Unit 3A have in 2026?
7 hunts: 4 general, 1 limited opportunity and 2 archery only. All of them also cover other units. Permits are AZGFD's numbers for the whole hunt.
| Hunt | Type | Season, 2026 | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3001 | General | Sep 25 to Oct 1 | Bull elk | 20 | 3A and 3C |
| 3012 | General | Nov 27 to Dec 3 | Bull elk | 225 | 3A and 3C |
| 3036 | General | Nov 6 to Nov 12 | Antlerless elk | 175 | 3A and 3C |
| 3064 | General | Oct 9 to Oct 15 | Antlerless elk | 125 | 3A and 3C |
| 3091 | Limited opportunity | Dec 11 to Dec 24 | Any elk | 50 | Zeniff Hunt Area and Dry Lake Hunt Area (AZGFD note 156 and 158) (also 4B) |
| 3127 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Bull elk | 75 | 3A and 3C |
| 3171 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Antlerless elk | 35 | 3A and 3C |
Source: AZGFD 2026 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information, PDF pages 15, 16, 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 3A?
Year by year, the hunts held only in Unit 3A. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | 41 | 214 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 22 |
| 2022 | 10 | 66 | 277 | 5 | 17 | 20 | 30 |
| 2021 | 1 | 7 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 29 |
Elk per 100 hunters is worked out from AZGFD's own hunter and harvest figures for the same hunts.
Every hunt that included Unit 3A, as AZGFD reported it:
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3127 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 68 | 62 | 529 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 45% |
| 3171 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 32 | 28 | 215 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 21% |
| 3002 | General | 3A and 3C | 16 | 13 | 58 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 92% |
| 3012 | General | 3A and 3C | 238 | 183 | 825 | 48 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 33% |
| 3036 | General | 3A and 3C | 198 | 158 | 671 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 2 | 70 | 44% |
| 3064 | Youth only | 3A and 3C | 150 | 142 | 467 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 8 | 74 | 52% |
| 3091 | Limited opportunity | 3A (Zeniff Hunt Area) and 4B (Dry Lake Hunt Are | 48 | 29 | 173 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 59% |
| 3096 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 3A and 3C | 13 | 10 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 70% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3126 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 100 | 91 | 618 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 82% |
| 3168 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 33 | 30 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 37% |
| 3001 | General | 3A and 3C | 19 | 19 | 48 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 95% |
| 3013 | General | 3A and 3C | 221 | 206 | 1,054 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 42 | 20% |
| 3037 | General | 3A and 3C | 200 | 184 | 865 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 39 | 21% |
| 3065 | Youth only | 3A and 3C | 150 | 127 | 418 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 67 | 53% |
| 3090 | Limited opportunity | 3A (Zeniff) and 4B (Dry Lake) | 50 | 43 | 353 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 23 | 53% |
| 3095 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 3A and 3C | 13 | 10 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 50% |
Earlier years: 2023, 2022, 2021
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3140 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 122 | 114 | 937 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 56% |
| 3182 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 48 | 38 | 296 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 21% |
| 3002 | General | 3A and 3C | 25 | 22 | 92 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 91% |
| 3012 | General | 3A and 3C | 276 | 224 | 1,018 | 71 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 36% |
| 3035 | General | 3A and 3C | 250 | 229 | 896 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 2 | 108 | 47% |
| 3064 | Youth only | 3A and 3C | 200 | 190 | 564 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 5 | 108 | 57% |
| 3080 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3081 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3082 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3093 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33% |
| 3094 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
| 3096 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 19 | 13 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 38% |
| 3097 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 20 | 14 | 86 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14% |
| 3102 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 3A and 3C | 15 | 15 | 60 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 73% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3149 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 125 | 123 | 875 | 68 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 57% |
| 3190 | Archery only | 3A and 3C | 48 | 37 | 233 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 35% |
| 3001 | General | 3A and 3C | 25 | 25 | 92 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 92% |
| 3011 | General | 3A and 3C | 273 | 238 | 1,214 | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 42% |
| 3033 | General | 3A and 3C | 250 | 243 | 1,082 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 10 | 108 | 44% |
| 3061 | Youth only | 3A and 3C | 200 | 183 | 728 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 6 | 90 | 49% |
| 3080 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3081 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 60% |
| 3082 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3083 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 10 | 8 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 25% |
| 3084 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 10 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 50% |
| 3085 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 10 | 10 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 30% |
| 3086 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 10 | 10 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20% |
| 3104 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3105 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 60% |
| 3106 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 5 | 5 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 60% |
| 3113 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 3A and 3C | 15 | 15 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 67% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3132 | Archery only | 3A/3C | 95 | 88 | 629 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 62% |
| 3173 | Archery only | 3A/3C | 48 | 39 | 306 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 31% |
| 3002 | General | 3A/3C | 24 | 22 | 72 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 89% |
| 3010 | General | 3A/3C | 246 | 204 | 960 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 36% |
| 3033 | General | 3A/3C | 250 | 240 | 1,099 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 6 | 95 | 40% |
| 3061 | Youth only | 3A/3C | 197 | 177 | 601 | 3 | 0 | 90 | 10 | 104 | 59% |
| 3078 | Limited opportunity | 3A | 9 | 7 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 29% |
| 3100 | CHAMP (challenged hunters) | 3A/3C | 14 | 11 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 57% |
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 8 elk hunts that included Unit 3A: 8,690 first-choice applications for 795 permits issued. These are 2025 counts, not a forecast.
| Hunt, 2025 | Area | Hunt type | Season | First-choice applicants | Second-choice applicants | Permits issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3002 | 03A/03C | Early Bull elk | 9/26 to 10/2 | 3,995 | 3,652 | 20 |
| 3012 | 03A/03C | Bull elk | 11/28 to 12/4 | 1,142 | 1,544 | 250 |
| 3036 | 03A/03C | Antlerless elk | 11/7 to 11/13 | 1,247 | 1,277 | 200 |
| 3064 | 03A/03C | Antlerless elk | 10/10 to 10/16 | 463 | 650 | 150 |
| 3091 | 03A/04B | Any elk | 12/12 to 12/25 | 49 | 51 | 50 |
| 3096 | 03A/03C | Any elk | 10/17 to 10/23 | 124 | 92 | 15 |
| 3127 | 03A/03C | Early Bull elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 1,625 | 1,511 | 75 |
| 3171 | 03A/03C | Antlerless elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 45 | 110 | 35 |
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 survey area 3A/3C, AZGFD's 2025 elk survey classified 279 animals in 27 groups: 16 bulls and 8 young per 100 cows.
Source: AZGFD 2025 Elk Survey Summary.
How much public land is in Unit 3A?
29.6% of Unit 3A is public land open to hunting: 146,432 of 494,611 acres, the largest share state trust land (93,196 acres). The Unit 3A 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 3A have in 2026?
705 permits across 7 hunts in AZGFD's 2026 booklet. The largest is hunt 3012 (bull elk). 7 of these hunts also cover Unit 3C and Unit 4B.
When is elk season in Unit 3A in 2026?
The first elk hunt open here starts September 11 (hunt 3127, archery only) and the last ends December 24. Each hunt's dates are in the table on this page.
How many elk were harvested in Unit 3A in 2023?
AZGFD's 2023 harvest survey counts 9 elk taken by 41 hunters on the 7 hunts held only in Unit 3A, against 20 in 2022. Hunts shared with other units are counted in AZGFD's table for each hunt, not added here.
How many hunters applied for Unit 3A elk in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 draw report counts 8,690 first-choice applications for the 8 elk hunts that included Unit 3A, and 795 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.