Unit 5B elk hunting: 2026 hunts, harvest and draw
AZGFD's 2026 Pronghorn and Elk booklet lists 13 elk hunts open in Unit 5B, with 2,354 permits in all (one of them shared with other units). The largest is hunt 3016, bull elk, November 27 to December 3, with 772 permits. On the 17 hunts held only in Unit 5B in 2025, AZGFD's harvest survey counts 1,724 hunters and 714 elk taken; AZGFD lists 383 of them as bulls and 325 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 landAZGFD landNational park or monument (no hunting)Unit 5BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 5B |
|---|---|
| AZGFD region | Region 2, Flagstaff |
| Elk hunts, 2026 | 13 (2,354 permits) |
| Hunt types | general, limited opportunity and archery only |
| Earliest season | September 11 to September 24 (hunt 3132) |
| Elk taken on its own hunts, 2025 | 714 by 1,724 hunters |
| 2025 draw, first-choice applicants | 12,347 for 2,374 permits issued |
| Public land open to hunting | 83.6%, mostly national forest |
What elk hunts does Unit 5B have in 2026?
13 hunts: 5 general, 2 limited opportunity and 6 archery only. 12 are held only in Unit 5B. Permits are AZGFD's numbers for the whole hunt.
| Hunt | Type | Season, 2026 | Legal animal | Permits | Open area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3003 | General | Sep 25 to Oct 1 | Bull elk | 24 | 5B |
| 3016 | General | Nov 27 to Dec 3 | Bull elk | 772 | 5B |
| 3040 | General | Oct 9 to Oct 15 | Antlerless elk | 193 | 5B North |
| 3041 | General | Oct 16 to Oct 22 | Antlerless elk | 325 | 5B South |
| 3067 | General | Oct 9 to Oct 15 | Antlerless elk | 450 | 5B South and 6A |
| 3083 | Limited opportunity | Oct 9 to Oct 15 | Antlerless elk | 25 | Twin Arrows Hunt Area (AZGFD note 51) |
| 3084 | Limited opportunity | Oct 16 to Oct 22 | Antlerless elk | 25 | Twin Arrows Hunt Area (AZGFD note 51) |
| 3132 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Bull elk | 168 | 5B North |
| 3133 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Bull elk | 200 | 5B South |
| 3154 | Archery only | Nov 13 to Nov 26 | Bull elk | 48 | 5B North |
| 3155 | Archery only | Nov 13 to Nov 26 | Bull elk | 50 | 5B South |
| 3176 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Antlerless elk | 24 | 5B North |
| 3177 | Archery only | Sep 11 to Sep 24 | Antlerless elk | 50 | 5B South |
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 5B?
Year by year, the hunts held only in Unit 5B. 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 | 17 | 1,724 | 8,966 | 383 | 325 | 714 | 41 |
| 2024 | 17 | 1,748 | 8,904 | 494 | 297 | 789 | 45 |
| 2023 | 17 | 1,649 | 8,987 | 388 | 325 | 713 | 43 |
| 2022 | 15 | 1,660 | 8,890 | 436 | 261 | 702 | 42 |
| 2021 | 15 | 1,545 | 7,908 | 432 | 255 | 694 | 45 |
Elk per 100 hunters is worked out from AZGFD's own hunter and harvest figures for the same hunts.
Every hunt that included Unit 5B, as AZGFD reported it:
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3132 | Archery only | 5B North | 160 | 154 | 1,422 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 29% |
| 3815 | Archery only | 5B North (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3133 | Archery only | 5B South | 192 | 172 | 1,641 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 22% |
| 3154 | Archery only | 5B North | 46 | 39 | 323 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3818 | Archery only | 5B North (Hopi) | 2 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3155 | Archery only | 5B South | 48 | 43 | 336 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 19% |
| 3176 | Archery only | 5B North | 21 | 21 | 106 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 19% |
| 3177 | Archery only | 5B South | 48 | 41 | 302 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 22% |
| 3016 | General | 5B | 762 | 619 | 2,622 | 201 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 284 | 46% |
| 3803 | General | 5B (Hopi) | 28 | 23 | 63 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 61% |
| 3040 | General | 5B North | 192 | 168 | 540 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 14 | 91 | 54% |
| 3805 | General | 5B North (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 71% |
| 3041 | General | 5B South | 370 | 334 | 1,239 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 8 | 166 | 50% |
| 3067 | Youth only | 5B South and 6A | 347 | 325 | 1,017 | 0 | 0 | 208 | 16 | 225 | 69% |
| 3083 | Limited opportunity | 5B North (Twin Arrows Hunt Area) | 24 | 21 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 38% |
| 3084 | Limited opportunity | 5B North (Twin Arrows Hunt Area) | 25 | 25 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 40% |
| 3811 | Limited opportunity | 5B North (Hopi: Twin Arrows Hunt Area) | 25 | 23 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 65% |
| 3812 | Limited opportunity | 5B North (Hopi: Twin Arrows Hunt Area) | 25 | 25 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 68% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Antlerless | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3131 | Archery only | 5B North | 163 | 147 | 1,227 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 46% |
| 3815 | Archery only | 5B North (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3132 | Archery only | 5B South | 196 | 165 | 1,395 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 54% |
| 3154 | Archery only | 5B North | 47 | 34 | 251 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 47% |
| 3155 | Archery only | 5B South | 49 | 35 | 282 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 26% |
| 3173 | Archery only | 5B North | 24 | 22 | 150 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 18% |
| 3821 | Archery only | 5B North (Hopi) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 3174 | Archery only | 5B South | 50 | 42 | 314 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 52% |
| 3003 | General | 5B | 22 | 20 | 58 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 85% |
| 3801 | General | 5B (Hopi) | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3017 | General | 5B | 772 | 681 | 3,151 | 228 | 47 | 0 | 275 | 40% |
| 3804 | General | 5B (Hopi) | 28 | 24 | 91 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 79% |
| 3041 | General | 5B North | 189 | 173 | 613 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 81 | 47% |
| 3807 | General | 5B North (Hopi) | 7 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| 3042 | General | 5B South | 367 | 318 | 1,041 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 153 | 48% |
| 3068 | Youth only | 5B South and 6A | 349 | 294 | 878 | 0 | 0 | 219 | 219 | 74% |
| 3083 | Limited opportunity | 5B North (Twin Arrows, Two Guns, Grapevine, and Diablo) | 50 | 38 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 32% |
| 3812 | Limited opportunity | 5B North (Hopi) | 50 | 35 | 118 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 51% |
Earlier years: 2023, 2022, 2021
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3145 | Archery only | 5B North | 164 | 158 | 1,521 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 28% |
| 3815 | Archery only | 5BN (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 51 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 29% |
| 3146 | Archery only | 5B South | 192 | 174 | 1,388 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 52% |
| 3168 | Archery only | 5B North | 48 | 44 | 367 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 27% |
| 3818 | Archery only | 5BN (Hopi) | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3169 | Archery only | 5B South | 50 | 36 | 216 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 31% |
| 3187 | Archery only | 5B North | 23 | 21 | 200 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 33% |
| 3188 | Archery only | 5B South | 49 | 43 | 294 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 26% |
| 3005 | General | 5B | 24 | 24 | 76 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 79% |
| 3802 | General | 5B (Hopi) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
| 3016 | General | 5B | 673 | 602 | 2,871 | 215 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 226 | 38% |
| 3805 | General | 5B (Hopi) | 25 | 22 | 97 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 27% |
| 3040 | General | 5B North | 192 | 174 | 630 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 3 | 94 | 54% |
| 3807 | General | 5B North (Hopi) | 7 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 80% |
| 3041 | General | 5B South | 275 | 255 | 933 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 9 | 173 | 68% |
| 3067 | Youth only | 5BS and 6A | 500 | 471 | 1,342 | 0 | 0 | 313 | 31 | 344 | 73% |
| 3086 | Limited opportunity | 5BN (Twin Arrows, Two Guns, Grapevine, and Diablo) | 50 | 41 | 173 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 37% |
| 3812 | Limited opportunity | 5BN (Hopi) | 50 | 40 | 139 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 20 | 48% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3154 | Archery only | 5B North | 168 | 153 | 1,344 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 30% |
| 3812 | Archery only | 5BN (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 43% |
| 3155 | Archery only | 5B South | 199 | 197 | 1,705 | 91 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 46% |
| 3176 | Archery only | 5B North | 46 | 39 | 308 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 36% |
| 3815 | Archery only | 5BN (Hopi) | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 3177 | Archery only | 5B South | 48 | 44 | 350 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 18% |
| 3195 | Archery only | 5B North | 24 | 21 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 43% |
| 3196 | Archery only | 5B South | 50 | 43 | 321 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9% |
| 3015 | General | 5B | 675 | 606 | 2,661 | 248 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 271 | 45% |
| 3803 | General | 5BN (Hopi) | 25 | 25 | 88 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 32% |
| 3038 | General | 5BN | 193 | 181 | 696 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 10 | 99 | 55% |
| 3039 | General | 5BS | 275 | 250 | 932 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 8 | 105 | 42% |
| 3805 | General | 5BN (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 29% |
| 3064 | Youth only | 5BS and 6A | 499 | 487 | 1,386 | 0 | 0 | 349 | 32 | 381 | 78% |
| 3096 | Limited opportunity | 5BN (Twin Arrows, Two Guns, Grapevine, and Diablo) | 50 | 42 | 156 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 24 | 57% |
| 3809 | Limited opportunity | 5BN (Hopi) | 50 | 45 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 40% |
| Hunt | Type | Area | Permits issued | Hunters | Hunter days | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Harvest | Success (AZGFD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3137 | Archery only | 5BN | 138 | 128 | 979 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 47% |
| 3813 | Archery only | 5BN (Hopi) | 6 | 6 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3138 | Archery only | 5BS | 190 | 178 | 1,464 | 93 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 53% |
| 3159 | Archery only | 5BN | 28 | 23 | 156 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 52% |
| 3160 | Archery only | 5BS | 26 | 24 | 139 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 29% |
| 3178 | Archery only | 5BN | 22 | 19 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 42% |
| 3179 | Archery only | 5BS | 48 | 44 | 345 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 27% |
| 3003 | General | 5BN | 22 | 18 | 53 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 87% |
| 3014 | General | 5B | 630 | 581 | 2,650 | 218 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 237 | 41% |
| 3804 | General | 5B (Hopi) | 11 | 11 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 80% |
| 3038 | General | 5BN | 188 | 172 | 637 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 4 | 90 | 52% |
| 3806 | General | 5BN (Hopi) | 7 | 7 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 3039 | General | 5BS | 274 | 247 | 934 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 9 | 111 | 45% |
| 3064 | Youth only | 5BS/6A | 498 | 481 | 1,370 | 0 | 0 | 292 | 14 | 305 | 58% |
| 3084 | Limited opportunity | 5BN (Twin Arrows, Two Guns, Grapevine, & Diablo) | 49 | 41 | 185 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 31% |
| 3810 | Limited opportunity | 5BN (Hopi) | 54 | 46 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 25 | 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 18 elk hunts that included Unit 5B: 12,347 first-choice applications for 2,374 permits issued. These are 2025 counts, not a forecast.
| Hunt, 2025 | Area | Hunt type | Season | First-choice applicants | Second-choice applicants | Permits issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3016 | 05B | Bull elk | 11/28 to 12/4 | 3,805 | 4,738 | 772 |
| 3040 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 10/10 to 10/16 | 1,056 | 1,233 | 193 |
| 3041 | 05BS | Antlerless elk | 10/17 to 10/23 | 2,088 | 2,798 | 375 |
| 3067 | 05BS/06A | Antlerless elk | 10/10 to 10/16 | 2,110 | 1,325 | 350 |
| 3083 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 10/10 to 10/16 | 29 | 34 | 25 |
| 3084 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 10/17 to 10/23 | 10 | 28 | 25 |
| 3132 | 05BN | Early Bull elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 946 | 1,248 | 168 |
| 3133 | 05BS | Early Bull elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 2,003 | 2,237 | 200 |
| 3154 | 05BN | Bull elk | 11/14 to 11/27 | 32 | 87 | 48 |
| 3155 | 05BS | Bull elk | 11/14 to 11/27 | 72 | 123 | 50 |
| 3176 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 28 | 76 | 24 |
| 3177 | 05BS | Antlerless elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 82 | 191 | 50 |
| 3803 | 05B | Bull elk | 11/28 to 12/4 | 49 | 22 | 28 |
| 3805 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 10/10 to 10/16 | 15 | 6 | 7 |
| 3811 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 10/10 to 10/16 | 1 | 9 | 25 |
| 3812 | 05BN | Antlerless elk | 10/17 to 10/23 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| 3815 | 05BN | Early Bull elk | 9/12 to 9/25 | 18 | 5 | 7 |
| 3818 | 05BN | Bull elk | 11/14 to 11/27 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
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.
How much public land is in Unit 5B?
83.6% of Unit 5B is public land open to hunting: 433,245 of 518,150 acres, the largest share national forest (347,800 acres). The Unit 5B 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 5B have in 2026?
2,354 permits across 13 hunts in AZGFD's 2026 booklet. The largest is hunt 3016 (bull elk). One of these hunts also covers Unit 6A.
When is elk season in Unit 5B in 2026?
The first elk hunt open here starts September 11 (hunt 3132, archery only) and the last ends December 3. Each hunt's dates are in the table on this page.
How many elk were harvested in Unit 5B in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 harvest survey counts 714 elk taken by 1,724 hunters on the 17 hunts held only in Unit 5B, against 789 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 5B elk in 2025?
AZGFD's 2025 draw report counts 12,347 first-choice applications for the 18 elk hunts that included Unit 5B, and 2,374 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.