How big is GMU 4B in Arizona?

GMU 4B (Unit 4B — Pinetop) covers about 1,339 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,800 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

What species does the catalog list for GMU 4B?

Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Arizona agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

GMU 4B Unit 4B — Pinetop

Big, open elk-and-pronghorn country east of Pinetop toward Springerville.

White Mountains foothills & grasslands — Apache-Sitgreaves NF · Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Bull elk standing at the edge of dark timber

Area

1,339

sq mi

Public land

70%

approx.

Elevation

5,800–9,000

feet

Motorized

extensive

access

Overview

Unit 4B is a large unit sprawling east and northeast of the White Mountains proper, from the pine country near Pinetop down into the open high-desert grasslands and juniper breaks around Springerville, Eagar and toward St. Johns. It is a strong Rocky Mountain elk unit — a solid limited-entry draw with a good annual elk harvest — paired with productive pronghorn grasslands, general-season mule deer and a small bear take. The mix of forest and grassland gives it a more varied, open feel than the timbered units to its west.

Terrain

Pine and mixed-conifer high country on the west and south grading into rolling grassland, juniper-covered mesas and volcanic breaks across the broad eastern half of the unit.

Cover: Ponderosa pine and aspen up high; extensive grassland parks, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper across the lower and eastern country; cottonwood and willow along the Little Colorado drainages.

Landmarks: Springerville / Eagar · Little Colorado River headwaters · Escudilla Mountain (east edge) · Nutrioso · Concho / St. Johns grasslands (north)

Access

The western and southern portions are solid national forest; the large eastern grassland half is a checkerboard of State Trust, private ranchland and scattered BLM, so access is less continuous — knock on doors, respect posted ground, and use the land-ownership layer before crossing fences. State Trust parcels require an Arizona State Land recreation permit. No general tribal closures inside this unit, but plan private-land access carefully.

Managers: USFS Apache-Sitgreaves NF (Springerville RD), AZ State Trust, Private (ranchland around Springerville/Eagar/St. Johns), BLM

Access points: Hwy 260 / Hwy 60 (Show Low–Springerville) · Hwy 191 (Springerville–St. Johns / south to Alpine) · FR 285 and grassland ranch roads · Hwy 61 toward Concho

Species notes

Rocky Mountain Elk

common quality

A dependable limited-entry elk unit — bulls concentrate in the forested west and south and along the timber-grassland edge, with moderate success (upper-20% range) and good-quality bulls in the mix.

→Hunt the timber-to-grassland transition where bulls feed at dawn and dusk
→Bugle-locate rutting bulls in the pine country, then close through cover
→Watch stock tanks and springs in dry early hunts
→Glass the juniper breaks and meadow edges on the eastern fringe

Pronghorn

common quality

The broad eastern grasslands hold a good pronghorn population — quality bucks and solid success (around 60%) on a managed number of tags.

→Glass the open grassland flats and mesas from vehicle and high points
→Spot-and-stalk using terrain rolls and juniper stringers for cover
→Waterholes and stock tanks are key in the dry country
→Judge horn mass and prong length carefully in the wide-open terrain

Mule Deer

common opportunity

Mule deer are spread across the juniper breaks, grassland edges and pine country — a general-season opportunity hunt with a modest but steady take.

→Glass juniper-and-grassland edges at first and last light
→Hunt drainage heads and breaks off the mesas
→Still-hunt pine ridges in the forested western half

Black Bear

limited opportunity

Black bear are present in low numbers in the forested southern and western country — an incidental fall opportunity, not the draw here.

→Focus the higher pine and canyon country, not the eastern grasslands
→Glass oak and mast slopes in early fall
→Hunt near water in warm early seasons

Pro tips

→Run the land-ownership layer before hunting the eastern half — it is a State Trust/private checkerboard, not open forest.
→Elk is a limited-entry draw; build points — there is no OTC bull tag.
→The timber-grassland edge is the money zone for both elk and pronghorn.
→Stock tanks concentrate elk, pronghorn and deer across the dry eastern country.
→OTC archery deer is a low-cost way to hunt this unit outside the draws.

Watch out for

!Large State Trust and private-ranch checkerboard across the eastern grasslands — a State Land recreation permit is required and private ground must be respected.
!Long distances and sparse services in the grassland country — carry extra fuel and water.
!Monsoon lightning and flash flooding in late summer; dirt roads turn to mud.
!Cold, potential snow on late-fall hunts at the higher elevations.
!Fire restrictions common on the Apache-Sitgreaves NF in dry years.

Logistics

Springerville and Eagar are the practical hubs (fuel, lodging, groceries, some processing); Show Low is the larger supply town to the west. Dispersed camping is easy on the Apache-Sitgreaves NF in the west and south, but the eastern grasslands are largely private/State Trust — camp on the forest. Distances are long across this big unit, so fuel up before heading into the grassland country.

Nearest towns: Springerville, Eagar, St. Johns, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside

Nearby units

GMU 4A · Unit 4A — Pinetop GMU 3A · Unit 3A — Pinetop GMU 3C · Unit 3C — Pinetop GMU 5A · Unit 5A — Flagstaff

Seasons & regulations

This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Arizona sources:

Research sources: AZGFD — Game Management Unit 4B · AZGFD — Hunt Arizona (harvest data & guidelines) · Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest · Arizona State Land Department — Recreation Permits

FAQ

How big is GMU 4B in Arizona?: GMU 4B (Unit 4B — Pinetop) covers about 1,339 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,800 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in GMU 4B?: Approximately 70% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Apache-Sitgreaves NF (Springerville RD), AZ State Trust, Private (ranchland around Springerville/Eagar/St. Johns), BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
What species does the catalog list for GMU 4B?: Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Arizona agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Put GMU 4B on your map.

Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.

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