GMU 13B Unit 13B — Flagstaff
Remote, roadless trophy mule deer country north of the Grand Canyon
Arizona Strip — BLM & Grand Canyon-Parashant · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
3,140
sq mi
Public land
97%
approx.
Elevation
1,200–7,300
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 13B is a vast, lonely slice of the Arizona Strip stretching from the sagebrush flats down to the Grand Wash Cliffs and the Colorado River. Managed under alternative (trophy) guidelines for older-age-class bucks, it produces some of the largest mule deer in the world, though deer live at low densities and tags are brutally hard to draw. Beyond deer, the unit holds desert bighorn in the canyon country and a thin, low-density pronghorn population on the open valleys.
Terrain
Rugged, sprawling high-desert plateau country dropping through cliff-and-canyon breaks to the Colorado River and Lake Mead. Big, remote, and cut by countless backcountry roads.
Cover: Sagebrush and grassland flats give way to pinyon-juniper on the mesas, with pockets of ponderosa on the higher benches and Mojave desert scrub down in the river breaks.
Landmarks: Grand Wash Cliffs · Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument · Colorado River / Lake Mead · Pakoon Basin · Main Street Valley
Access
Roughly 97% public and overwhelmingly BLM, so access is rarely the problem — the challenge is distance and roads. High-clearance 4WD is essential; graded backcountry roads turn impassable when wet. State Trust parcels require an Arizona recreation permit. The small Kaibab Paiute Reservation near Pipe Spring is tribal land and not open to general AZGFD hunting.
Managers: BLM (Arizona Strip District), Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Lake Mead NRA, AZ State Trust, Tribal (Kaibab Paiute, closed)
Access points: Sunshine Route / BLM 1069 from the Fredonia side · Main Street Valley roads · Grand Wash Cliffs / Pakoon Basin roads off the west end · County roads south from Colorado City
Species notes
Mule Deer
limited trophyThe marquee draw. Deer exist at genuinely low densities across all habitats, but alternative management for mature bucks yields exceptional trophy potential — this is world-class Strip mule deer country with sub-2% rifle draw odds.
- →Glass the higher pinyon-juniper benches and rims above 4,000 ft where the better bucks hold
- →Cover enormous country — plan to burn miles of road glassing at first and last light
- →Focus on isolated pockets of cover and water in an otherwise dry, open unit
- →Scout well ahead of the hunt; this is a once-in-decades tag you don't want to waste
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyDesert (Nelson) bighorn inhabit the rugged canyon and cliff country toward the Grand Wash Cliffs and Colorado River. A rare, coveted premium tag with high hunter success.
- →Hunt the steepest rimrock and canyon breaks along the Grand Wash Cliffs and river corridor
- →Spend all day behind quality glass on the escape terrain
- →Be prepared for foot access into roadless canyon country
Pronghorn
limited opportunityA thin, low-density pronghorn herd roams the open sagebrush valleys. Numbers are modest but tag holders enjoy high success on this uncrowded ground.
- →Glass the big open flats and valley bottoms at dawn
- →Watch the Main Street Valley and similar grassland basins
- →Use vehicle to cover ground between glassing points
Pro tips
- →Treat this as an expedition — self-sufficient camp, full fuel and water, and days of scouting before opening morning
- →Deer are where the feed and isolation are; the higher pinyon-juniper benches above 4,000 ft consistently hold the better bucks
- →Roads look benign on the map but eat tires and time — budget far more travel time than mileage suggests
- →If it rains, get to a main road fast; the clay turns to gumbo and can trap you for a day or more
- →Quality optics on a tripod are worth more than boot miles in this glassing-heavy unit
Watch out for
- !Extreme remoteness — no fuel, water, cell service, or help inside the unit
- !Clay backcountry roads become impassable when wet
- !Kaibab Paiute Reservation lands are closed to general hunting — know the boundary
- !State Trust parcels require an Arizona recreation permit
- !Very low deer density means low odds without heavy scouting; carry extra water year-round
Logistics
There are no services inside the unit — fuel, water, food, and lodging come from St. George or Mesquite before you head in. Cell service is essentially nonexistent. Carry extra water, at least one full-size spare (two is smart), recovery gear, and paper maps or a GPS with offline layers.
Nearest towns: St. George, UT, Mesquite, NV, Colorado City, Fredonia
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Arizona sources:
Research sources: AZGFD Hunt Arizona / Where to Hunt · GOHUNT Arizona Unit 13B Profile · BLM Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument
FAQ
- How big is GMU 13B in Arizona?
- GMU 13B (Unit 13B — Flagstaff) covers about 3,140 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,200 to 7,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 13B?
- Approximately 97% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Arizona Strip District), Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Lake Mead NRA, AZ State Trust, Tribal (Kaibab Paiute, closed). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 13B?
- Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Arizona agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 13B on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.