Arizona Unit 26M: public land, hunts and harvest
Arizona's game management Unit 26M covers 2,103 square miles, and 17.7% of it is public land open to hunting, mostly state trust land (measured from USGS PAD-US). AZGFD's 2026 hunt lists open no draw hunt here.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: AZGFD's 2026 booklets. Harvest: AZGFD harvest summaries to 2025. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1. Boundary: AZGFD.
National forestBLMState trust landAZGFD landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationNational park or monument (no hunting)Military (closed or by permit)Tribal land (tribal permit)City, county and otherUnit 26MNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| AZGFD region | Region 6 (Mesa) |
|---|---|
| Size | 2,103 square miles (1,345,646 acres) |
| Public land open to hunting | 17.7% (238,278 acres) |
| AZGFD wildlife areas | Robbins Butte, Base and Meridian |
| Towns in and near it | Peoria, Casa Grande, Coolidge, Gilbert, Buckeye and Surprise |
| Highways | I-10, AZ 87, US 60 and AZ 202 |
How much public land is in Unit 26M?
17.7% of Unit 26M is public land open to hunting: 238,278 of 1,345,646 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 212,252 acres or 15.8% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 26M |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal land (tribal permit) | 384,899 | 28.6% |
| State trust land | 212,252 | 15.8% |
| BLM | 18,357 | 1.4% |
| City, county and other | 16,990 | 1.3% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 4,466 | 0.3% |
| AZGFD land | 2,543 | 0.2% |
| Military (closed or by permit) | 1,740 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 601 | under 0.1% |
| National park or monument (no hunting) | 473 | under 0.1% |
| National forest | 59 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside AZGFD's unit boundary 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. Arizona State Land Department rules let a licensed hunter on state trust land while hunting; other uses need its recreation permit. National forest: Tonto National Forest.
What can you hunt in Unit 26M in 2026?
AZGFD's 2026 booklets list no draw hunt that includes Unit 26M.
Over-the-counter archery deer, 2024: AZGFD estimates 101 archers hunted Unit 26M for 570 days and took 12 deer (mule deer bucks 12, whitetail bucks 0) (AZGFD 2024 Over-the-Counter Archery Deer Harvest Summary).
Which AZGFD wildlife areas are in Unit 26M?
Robbins Butte Wildlife Area (437 acres inside the unit) and Base and Meridian Wildlife Area (214 acres inside the unit).
How do you get to Unit 26M?
Highways through the unit: I-10 (about 68 miles inside it), AZ 87 (about 32 miles inside it), US 60 (about 29 miles inside it), AZ 202 (about 25 miles inside it) and AZ 347 (about 22 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Peoria, Casa Grande, Coolidge, Chandler, Florence and Apache Junction. Nearby towns: Gilbert (on the line), Buckeye (on the line), Surprise (on the line) and Eloy (on the line).
Which units border Unit 26M?
Unit 26M touches 10 other units. Their size, public land and the number of 2026 draw hunts that include each:
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Elk hunts | Deer hunts | Pronghorn hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 20B | 755 | 83.4% | 3 | ||
| Unit 21 | 1,052 | 97.1% | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| Unit 24B | 779 | 94.3% | 5 | ||
| Unit 25M | 1,285 | 8.4% | |||
| Unit 37A | 1,674 | 67.6% | 2 | ||
| Unit 37B | 1,182 | 83.6% | 3 | ||
| Unit 39 | 1,939 | 72.6% | 2 | ||
| Unit 40A | 1,085 | 50.5% | 2 | ||
| Unit 41 | 2,835 | 56% | 2 | ||
| Unit 42 | 1,488 | 66.8% | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Arizona Unit 26M?
17.7% of Unit 26M is public land open to hunting, 238,278 of its 1,345,646 acres; the largest share is state trust land at 212,252 acres. 384,899 acres are tribal land, which needs the tribe's own permit. 1,740 acres are military land.
What can you hunt in Unit 26M in 2026?
AZGFD's 2026 draw lists no hunt that includes Unit 26M. Over-the-counter seasons are set statewide in AZGFD's regulations.
What is the closest town to Unit 26M?
Peoria, Casa Grande and Coolidge are inside the unit. Just outside: Gilbert (on the line), Buckeye (on the line) and Surprise (on the line).
Which AZGFD region is Unit 26M in?
Region 6, run from the Mesa office. It borders Unit 20B, Unit 21, Unit 24B, Unit 25M, Unit 37A, Unit 37B, Unit 39, Unit 40A, Unit 41 and Unit 42.
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Where these numbers come from
- Hunts and permits: AZGFD's 2026 Pronghorn and Elk booklet and 2026-27 regulations.
- Harvest: AZGFD harvest summaries (AZGFD harvest reporting).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee managers). Unit boundary: AZGFD game management unit boundaries.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
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.
Arizona hunting Region 6 Unit 20B Unit 21 Unit 24B Unit 25M Unit 37A Unit 37B Unit 39 Unit 40A Unit 41 Unit 42