Arizona Unit 40B: public land, hunts and harvest
Arizona's game management Unit 40B covers 3,445 square miles, and 11.7% of it is public land open to hunting, mostly BLM (measured from USGS PAD-US). AZGFD's 2026 hunt lists open 2 deer hunts and 4 bighorn sheep hunts here.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: AZGFD's 2026 booklets. Harvest: AZGFD harvest summaries to 2025. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1. Boundary: AZGFD.
BLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationNational park or monument (no hunting)Military (closed or by permit)Tribal land (tribal permit)City, county and otherUnit 40BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| AZGFD region | Region 4 (Yuma) |
|---|---|
| Size | 3,445 square miles (2,204,741 acres) |
| Public land open to hunting | 11.7% (258,708 acres) |
| Deer hunts, 2026 | 2 hunts, 500 permits |
| Bighorn sheep hunts, 2026 | 4 hunts, 9 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Yuma, San Luis, Wellton and Gila Bend |
| Highways | I-8, AZ 85, AZ 195 and US 95 |
How much public land is in Unit 40B?
11.7% of Unit 40B is public land open to hunting: 258,708 of 2,204,741 acres. The largest share is BLM, 147,268 acres or 6.7% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 40B |
|---|---|---|
| Military (closed or by permit) | 1,428,586 | 64.8% |
| National park or monument (no hunting) | 328,992 | 14.9% |
| BLM | 147,268 | 6.7% |
| State trust land | 81,288 | 3.7% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 29,744 | 1.3% |
| Tribal land (tribal permit) | 6,517 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuge | 408 | under 0.1% |
| City, county and other | 362 | 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.
What can you hunt in Unit 40B in 2026?
Draw hunts that include Unit 40B, by species. A hunt may cover other units too; the count of hunts held only here is in its own column.
| Species | Hunts | Only in Unit 40B | Permits | Earliest season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 2 | 0 | 500 | Nov 6 to Nov 15 (hunt 1068) |
| Bighorn sheep | 4 | 4 | 9 | Nov 13 to Dec 3 (hunt 6035) |
Source: AZGFD 2026 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information (elk and pronghorn) and AZGFD 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations (deer, bighorn sheep, fall javelina and fall turkey).
Bighorn sheep, 2026: hunt 6033 (Dec 1 to Dec 31, 4 permits), hunt 6034 (Dec 1 to Dec 31, 1 permit), hunt 6035 (Nov 13 to Dec 3, 2 permits) and hunt 6036 (Dec 4 to Dec 31, 2 permits).
How many elk, deer and pronghorn are taken in Unit 40B?
| Species | Year | Hunts only in Unit 40B | Hunters | Taken | Shared hunts that included it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 2025 | 0 | 2 |
Sums of AZGFD's per-hunt figures for the hunts held only in Unit 40B. Source: AZGFD 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Each hunt, year by year, is on the deer page.
Over-the-counter archery deer, 2024: AZGFD estimates 27 archers hunted Unit 40B for 154 days and took 5 deer (mule deer bucks 5, whitetail bucks 0) (AZGFD 2024 Over-the-Counter Archery Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get to Unit 40B?
Highways through the unit: I-8 (about 72 miles inside it), AZ 85 (about 28 miles inside it), AZ 195 (about 24 miles inside it) and US 95 (about 24 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Yuma, San Luis, Wellton, Somerton, Fortuna Foothills and Ajo. Nearby towns: Gila Bend (2 miles).
Which units border Unit 40B?
Unit 40B touches 6 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 39 | 1,939 | 72.6% | 2 | ||
| Unit 40A | 1,085 | 50.5% | 2 | ||
| Unit 41 | 2,835 | 56% | 2 | ||
| Unit 43B | 859 | 19.9% | 1 | ||
| Unit 46A | 626 | 99.9% | 1 | ||
| Unit 46B | 712 | 99.8% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Arizona Unit 40B?
11.7% of Unit 40B is public land open to hunting, 258,708 of its 2,204,741 acres; the largest share is BLM at 147,268 acres. 6,517 acres are tribal land, which needs the tribe's own permit. 1,428,586 acres are military land.
What can you hunt in Unit 40B in 2026?
AZGFD's 2026 draw lists 2 deer hunts (500 permits) and 4 bighorn sheep hunts (9 permits) that include Unit 40B. Over-the-counter seasons are set statewide in AZGFD's regulations.
What is the closest town to Unit 40B?
Yuma, San Luis and Wellton are inside the unit. Just outside: Gila Bend (2 miles).
Which AZGFD region is Unit 40B in?
Region 4, run from the Yuma office. It borders Unit 39, Unit 40A, Unit 41, Unit 43B, Unit 46A and Unit 46B.
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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 4 Unit 39 Unit 40A Unit 41 Unit 43B Unit 46A Unit 46B