Arizona Unit 38M: public land, hunts and harvest
Arizona's game management Unit 38M covers 766 square miles, and 20.5% 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 landBureau of ReclamationNational park or monument (no hunting)Military (closed or by permit)Tribal land (tribal permit)City, county and otherUnit 38MNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| AZGFD region | Region 5 (Tucson) |
|---|---|
| Size | 766 square miles (490,540 acres) |
| Public land open to hunting | 20.5% (100,544 acres) |
| AZGFD wildlife areas | Tucson Mountain |
| Towns in and near it | Tucson, Oro Valley, South Tucson, Sahuarita, Marana and Benson |
| Highways | I-10, AZ 86, AZ 77 and I-19 |
How much public land is in Unit 38M?
20.5% of Unit 38M is public land open to hunting: 100,544 of 490,540 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 95,802 acres or 19.5% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 38M |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 95,802 | 19.5% |
| City, county and other | 44,401 | 9.1% |
| National park or monument (no hunting) | 20,567 | 4.2% |
| Military (closed or by permit) | 11,936 | 2.4% |
| BLM | 3,869 | 0.8% |
| Tribal land (tribal permit) | 2,277 | 0.5% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 741 | 0.2% |
| National forest | 72 | under 0.1% |
| AZGFD land | 60 | 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: Coronado National Forest.
What can you hunt in Unit 38M in 2026?
AZGFD's 2026 booklets list no draw hunt that includes Unit 38M.
Over-the-counter archery deer, 2024: AZGFD estimates 208 archers hunted Unit 38M for 986 days and took 26 deer (mule deer bucks 24, whitetail bucks 2) (AZGFD 2024 Over-the-Counter Archery Deer Harvest Summary).
Which AZGFD wildlife areas are in Unit 38M?
Tucson Mountain Wildlife Area (81,257 acres inside the unit).
How do you get to Unit 38M?
Highways through the unit: I-10 (about 46 miles inside it), AZ 86 (about 14 miles inside it), AZ 77 (about 14 miles inside it), I-19 (about 7 miles inside it) and AZ 210 (about 4 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Tucson, Oro Valley, South Tucson, Catalina Foothills, Tanque Verde and Casas Adobes. Nearby towns: Sahuarita (2 miles), Marana (3 miles) and Benson (14 miles).
Which units border Unit 38M?
Unit 38M touches 5 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 33 | 1,037 | 72.2% | 8 | ||
| Unit 34A | 690 | 59.3% | 7 | 2 | |
| Unit 34B | 500 | 72.7% | 6 | 2 | |
| Unit 36A | 617 | 68.2% | 9 | ||
| Unit 37A | 1,674 | 67.6% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Arizona Unit 38M?
20.5% of Unit 38M is public land open to hunting, 100,544 of its 490,540 acres; the largest share is state trust land at 95,802 acres. 2,277 acres are tribal land, which needs the tribe's own permit. 11,936 acres are military land.
What can you hunt in Unit 38M in 2026?
AZGFD's 2026 draw lists no hunt that includes Unit 38M. Over-the-counter seasons are set statewide in AZGFD's regulations.
What is the closest town to Unit 38M?
Tucson, Oro Valley and South Tucson are inside the unit. Just outside: Sahuarita (2 miles), Marana (3 miles) and Benson (14 miles).
Which AZGFD region is Unit 38M in?
Region 5, run from the Tucson office. It borders Unit 33, Unit 34A, Unit 34B, Unit 36A and Unit 37A.
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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 5 Unit 33 Unit 34A Unit 34B Unit 36A Unit 37A