Unit 15 Unit 15
A world-class Gila elk unit with rare wide-open pronghorn plains stitched to it
Gila high country — western Catron County, Arizona line · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,637
sq mi
Public land
77.5%
approx.
Elevation
6,900–10,200
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 15 sits on the Arizona border south of Quemado, spanning the Gila and Apache National Forests across roughly 1,637 square miles. It is a split-personality unit: the northern half is flat, rolling sagebrush and grassland basins dotted with juniper that hold strong pronghorn, while the southern half breaks into ridges and canyons timbered in ponderosa and Gambel oak that grow record-class bulls. Elk are the marquee draw here — the unit consistently produces Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett bulls — with mule deer and antelope rounding out a genuinely three-species unit. Access is mostly public national forest, an advantage over NM's private-ranch elk country to the north.
Terrain
Northern basins are open and gently rolling; the south rises into steep, rocky canyon-and-ridge country along the Gila NF, climbing toward 10,000 ft.
Cover: Sagebrush and grassland flats with scattered juniper in the north; pinyon-juniper on the mesas grading into ponderosa pine and Gambel oak in the higher southern canyons.
Landmarks: Gila National Forest · Apache National Forest · Arizona state line · Quemado-area grassland basins · Gila River headwaters drainages
Access
Roughly three-quarters public federal land, largely Gila/Apache NF with BLM and checkerboarded State Trust sections in the northern basins. Private ranches are scattered through the plains and valleys and participate in New Mexico's landowner E-PLUS tag system, so some elk and antelope tags here are landowner-allocated on private ground — verify a parcel is public before hunting it. No tribal land within the unit.
Managers: USFS Gila NF, USFS Apache-Sitgreaves (Apache NF), BLM, NM State Trust, private ranch (E-PLUS)
Access points: US 180 corridor from Quemado · Gila NF and Apache NF forest roads off US 180 · County roads south of Quemado toward the AZ line
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant trophyThe headline species — a premier Gila elk unit that produces genuine record-book bulls year after year, with a large harvest concentrated in the timbered southern canyons.
- →Focus the ponderosa/Gambel-oak canyons and ridges in the southern half where mature bulls hold
- →Glass grassy parks and burn edges at first and last light
- →Work water sources and wallows in the dry timber during the September rut
- →Hunt the transition between open north basins and southern timber for traveling herds
Pronghorn
common qualityStrong antelope in the open northern sagebrush-grassland basins, with success rates notably higher than most NM units.
- →Glass the flat juniper-studded basins north of the timber
- →Spot-and-stalk using terrain folds and juniper for cover
- →Watch stock tanks and windmills midday in warm weather
- →Judge horn mass early — this unit grows respectable bucks
Mule Deer
common opportunitySolid mule deer across the pinyon-juniper mesas and grassland breaks, more an opportunity hunt than a trophy draw.
- →Work pinyon-juniper transition zones and mesa rims at dawn
- →Glass oak-brush pockets in the southern canyons
- →Hunt draws and benches between the open north and timbered south
Pro tips
- →Treat this as two units in one — plan a north basin plan for antelope and a south canyon plan for elk
- →Water dictates elk movement in September; scout tanks, seeps and wallows before opening
- →Confirm public vs. private and State Trust status on your GPS before committing to a stalk in the northern basins
- →This is largely a primitive-weapons (archery/muzzleloader) elk unit — pattern accordingly and get close
- →Burn scars and grassy parks in the southern timber are prime glassing terrain for mature bulls
Watch out for
- !Private ranches and E-PLUS landowner tags mean some ground and some tags are private — don't assume all elk/antelope habitat is open
- !Checkerboarded State Trust sections in the north require a valid access permit and can trap you between private parcels
- !Water is scarce; carry your own and don't count on stock tanks being full
- !Fire restrictions and forest-road closures are frequent in drought years — check before you go
- !Long, rough forest roads with no cell service — come self-sufficient with recovery gear
Logistics
Quemado is the closest services hub on US 180 with fuel, lodging and basics; Reserve to the south and Datil/Pie Town to the east add limited services. Expect long gravel forest-road drives to trailheads and self-sufficient camping on the Gila/Apache NF. Cell coverage is sparse to nonexistent once off US 180.
Nearest towns: Quemado, Pie Town, Datil, Reserve
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official New Mexico sources:
Research sources: NMDGF Game Management Unit 15 Boundary Map · GOHUNT New Mexico Unit 15 Profile · NM Big Game Hunting — Gila National Forest Elk Hunts (Units 15, 16A...) · Worldwide Trophy Adventures — New Mexico Gila Unit 15 Elk
FAQ
- How big is Unit 15 in New Mexico?
- Unit 15 (Unit 15) covers about 1,637 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,900 to 10,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 15?
- Approximately 77.5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Gila NF, USFS Apache-Sitgreaves (Apache NF), BLM, NM State Trust, private ranch (E-PLUS). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 15?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official New Mexico agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 15 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.