GMU 2B Unit 2B — Pinetop
Checkerboard grassland pronghorn and high-volume cow-elk country east of St. Johns
Little Colorado high plateau — St. Johns / Salt Lake Road · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
825
sq mi
Public land
45%
approx.
Elevation
5,700–7,100
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 2B covers rolling high-desert grassland and pinyon-juniper on the Little Colorado plateau east of St. Johns, reached off Highway 60, Highway 191 and the Salt Lake Road. Pronghorn are the traditional draw across the open grass, backed by scattered plains mule deer that concentrate north of Salt Lake Road toward the Navajo New Lands. Elk are managed for population reduction here, so antlerless and limited-opportunity hunts move a lot of animals through the harvest even though trophy-bull odds are modest. The unit is a private/State Trust/BLM checkerboard, so lining up legal access is the whole game.
Terrain
Open, rolling high plateau grassland broken by shallow drainages, volcanic knolls and juniper stringers, sloping down toward the Little Colorado River corridor.
Cover: Great Basin grassland with snakeweed and rabbitbrush, pinyon-juniper woodland on the higher ground and rocky rises, and cottonwood/willow along the drainages.
Landmarks: Salt Lake Road corridor · Little Colorado River · Navajo Nation 'New Lands' (northern boundary) · Highway 60 / Highway 191 · Town of St. Johns
Access
Land is a checkerboard of private, State Trust and BLM sections. Hunting is legal on State Trust and BLM ground, but access is NOT guaranteed and you need permission to cross private property to reach it. A valid Arizona State Land recreation permit is required on State Trust sections. The Navajo Nation 'New Lands' forms the northern boundary and is closed to general AZGFD hunting — do not count it as open public land.
Managers: BLM, AZ State Trust, Private ranch, Tribal (Navajo New Lands — closed)
Access points: Salt Lake Road east of St. Johns · Apache County Roads 4003, 6001 and 6268 off the highways · Highway 191 corridor north/south
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe signature big game here, spread across the open grassland with better concentrations away from the subdivided fringes. Buck success on the limited tags is strong; the challenge is glassing open country and threading a stalk on wary animals.
- →Glass from high knolls and section-line roads at first and last light
- →Use terrain rolls, drainages and fencelines to close the distance
- →Watch stock tanks and windmills during hot, dry early hunts
- →Scout access to a specific parcel holding a good buck before the opener
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityElk are intermixed across the unit and are managed for population reduction, so antlerless and limited-opportunity hunts put big harvest numbers on the board at moderate success. Treat it as a meat and opportunity hunt rather than a trophy-bull unit.
- →Hunt the pinyon-juniper edges and drainages where elk shade up midday
- →Glass grassland openings at dawn and dusk for feeding herds
- →Cover country — elk shift widely across the checkerboard
- →Focus on State Trust/BLM blocks you can legally access
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA low-density plains mule deer opportunity, with the better concentration in the northern strip between Salt Lake Road and the reservation boundary. Deer hold in the juniper and drainage cover rather than the open flats.
- →Still-hunt and glass pinyon-juniper pockets and drainage heads
- →Concentrate north of Salt Lake Road where densities are higher
- →Work juniper-to-grassland transitions at dawn and dusk
Pro tips
- →Sort out legal access first — the checkerboard is the single biggest factor here
- →Carry a land-ownership map/app to stay off private without permission
- →Get your State Land recreation permit before hunting State Trust sections
- →Glass the open grass for pronghorn and hunt juniper edges for deer and elk
- →Have a wet-weather bailout plan for the dirt roads
Watch out for
- !Navajo New Lands on the northern boundary are closed to general hunting
- !State Trust access requires a recreation permit and is not guaranteed
- !Private inholdings throughout the checkerboard — verify boundaries
- !Clay roads become impassable when wet
- !Limited water and services once off the highway corridors
Logistics
St. Johns is the practical hub for fuel, lodging and supplies, with more in Springerville/Eagar to the south. Roads are a dense grid of ranch and county two-tracks that turn greasy and impassable when wet — carry recovery gear and watch the weather. Cell service is spotty off the highways.
Nearest towns: St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, Concho
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Arizona sources:
Research sources: AZGFD — GMU 2B · Hunt Now Arizona — Unit 2B
FAQ
- How big is GMU 2B in Arizona?
- GMU 2B (Unit 2B — Pinetop) covers about 825 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,700 to 7,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 2B?
- Approximately 45% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, AZ State Trust, Private ranch, Tribal (Navajo New Lands — closed). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 2B?
- Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Arizona agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 2B on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.