Overview: Desert Bighorn Sheep numbers have been
decreasing over the past few years. The
population is now estimated at between 25 and 35
sheep. 1994 was the first year hunting was
allowed in this herd. One ram was harvested. It
only scored in the low 160 but larger rams were
observed during the surveys and hunt. In 1995, 2
tags were issued and both hunters harvested nice
rams in the mid 170. In 1996 2 tags were
offered. Both tag holders killed nice rams, one
scoring 172 6/8 and the other scoring 179 6/8.
In 1998 a nice ram was harvested that scored in
the low 170's. Due to the low sheep numbers no
tag will be offered for 2007.

Area: The Desert Bighorn Sheep in unit 28 are
located in the Peloncillo Mountains South of Hwy
70. These mountains can be accessed from San
Simon, Bowie, or the New Mexico side near
Stein's pass or 12 miles across the state line
south and West of Duncan.

Some key areas to look are Orange Butte, Midway
Canyon, Tule Well, McKenzie Peak, and Engine
Mountain. It is highly recommended that time be
spent scouting in order to locate the best ram
available. For additional information on this
area, contact the BLM (Safford Field Office) or
the local Wildlife Manager.

Overview: Unit 28 rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
are located north of U.S. Highway 70 and south
of U.S. 191 in the Gila Mountains. The sheep
seem to be doing very well and appear to be
increasing in numbers each year. From last years
survey data it appears that the unit population
is somewhere between 200 and 275 animals. Each
year we are seeing very high lamb numbers and
some very nice rams have been seen. This year we
will be offering six total tags in two different
15-day hunts. This new hunt structure seems to
have worked out very well. It reduced crowding
in the area, and all four hunters last year harvested
sheep in a very short time. We expect to harvest
six very nice rams again this year.

Area: Most of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
are located between Bonita Creek, Eagle Creek,
and the Gila River. As is the case with most
sheep country the terrain is very rough, rugged,
and steep. Access is limited to only a few
roads. The country around Bonita Creek can be
accessed from the Safford area, by using the
Solomon pass road or by using the Bonita creek
Sanchez Road. Using the Eagle Creek pump station
road can access Eagle Creek. The majority of the
sheep are in the Eagle Creek drainage. The
Phelps Dodge Corp. has a lot of private holdings
in this area and it is highly recommended that
you contact someone in security at the Morenci
office to be able to obtain access into this
area. The Phelps Dodge Corp. will not allow
access into active mining sites.

The Gila box has very limited access and will
require some hiking from either of the other two
areas listed earlier.

It is recommended that a good deal of time be
spent in the preseason on scouting the area to
find the best sheep available. Some of the
canyons or spots on the maps to scout are Gold
Gulch, Bat Canyon, Turtle Mountain, Midnight
Canyon, Horseshoe Canyon, Copperplate Canyon,
Hot Springs Canyon, and almost any canyon coming
off Turtle Mountain. These will all hold sheep
at different times.

This hunt has been a very successful and fun
hunt in the past for those lucky enough to draw
a tag. With a little work and preseason
preparation this will be a great hunting
opportunity. Weather at this time of year can be
very unpredictable so you may need to be ready

Overview: Black bear numbers in unit 28 are
relatively low, however the bears that do
inhabit the unit may be found in two general
areas in Unit 28. One area is found at the
northeastern part of the unit, South of Hwy 78.
The other area stretches along the San Carlos
Indian Reservation in the Gila Mtns.

Areas: The Mule Creek area in the northeastern
portion of the unit is contiguous with the bear
habitat in Unit 27. This is fairly thick and
brushy and is not an easy area to hunt. If this
is the area you choose to hunt it is highly
recommended that time be spent scouting prior to
the hunt in order to find where the bears are
located and where the best location is for you
to be in order to effectively hunt this area.

The more open habitat along the crest of the
Gila Mountains is easier to hunt. In past years,
many bears have been "glassed up" by hunters
purposely looking for them on these open ridges.
Although the area is more open the steep and
rough terrain can make it difficult to get
around in.

In September, the bears have been feeding on
prickly pear fruit. Areas to hunt should contain
large patches of prickly pear. These areas may
be found in Johnny Creek, Markham Creek, Brushy
Canyon, Day Mine Canyon and the Fishhooks
Canyons. Pre-season scouting is advisable to
locate the areas currently being utilized by the
bears.

Unit 28 has a 1 female quote, this means the
hunt is closed the Friday following the first
female harvested. It is the hunter's
responsibility to call the Department in order
to determine which units are still open to bear

Overview: Javelina may be found throughout Unit
28. The average herd size has been gradually
declining from 9.7 in 1988 to 7.7 in 2007.
Average hunt success is 32% for the past 5
years. The outlook for the 2007/2008 hunts should not
show much of a change in hunter success and is
predicted to be somewhere between 30% & 35%.

Areas: Javelina are scattered throughout Unit
28. Most of the flatter country in Unit 28 can
be very difficult to hunt (locate animals). The
foothills provide better glassing opportunities.
It is best for a hunter to explore and find an
area suitable to his or her hunting style.

One effective way to hunt Javelina is to spend
time glassing to locate a herd. Once a herd is
located you can plan how to get within a
distance that you feel comfortable.

Some areas to explore are the Gila Mountains,
north and west of Safford, the Whitlock
Mountains, southeast of Safford and the
Peloncillo Mountains, west and south of Duncan.
A BLM map may be purchased from a local map shop
and examined to better locate the areas
mentioned above. At the present time, there are
no major access problems in unit 28.

Overview: Unit 28 is quite large, it is
approximately 2400 square miles of surface area.
This year we are offering 800 permits between 2
hunts. There will be an Oct. rifle hunt with 400
tags, and Nov. rifle hunt with 400 tags. Because
of the open terrain in Unit 28 it typically has
a high hunter success averaging around 25%.
During our winter wildlife surveys this year we
observed a ratio of 12 buck per 100 does and 38
fawns per 100 does. Due to the drought these
numbers are down from past years. Even with
these lower numbers we are still predicting a
high hunter success. The bucks harvested this
year will be a mix of older age and younger
deer. Unit 28 should provide some good deer
hunting opportunities this year.

Areas: The Gila Mountains, north and west of
Safford have relatively low numbers of mule
deer. Good hunting can be found on the Diamond
Bar Ranch, North of Ft. Thomas. Contact either
the BLM or the Game and Fish Wildlife Manager
for instructions on access. Also located in this
area is the Fishhooks wilderness area. These
canyons can provide some beautiful scenery.

This also includes an area called "Indian
Corner." It is surrounded by Indian reservation,
and some nice mule deer bucks have been
harvested there in past years.

Some other good places to look in the Gila
Mountains are Day Mine Canyons, Oliver Knoll
area, Markham Creek, Pima Gap, Bryce Mountain,
Solomon Pass, Bonita Creek, and Turtle Mountain.

The area around Guthrie Peak, between Hwy 191
and the Gila River offers many canyons to hunt
mule deer in. This area is east of Safford. The
BLM has just recently dedicated a road into this
area called the Back Country By-way. It can be
accessed from Hwy 191 and there are signs to
indicate were to turn. Hunters can obtain more
information from BLM (Safford Office) or the
wildlife manager on specific access questions.

The Whitlock Mtns., southeast of Safford offers
good mule deer hunting. Traveling east of
Safford on Hwy 70 and turning south just east of
the agriculture inspection station may access
this area. The Whitlock Mtns. are south and east
of this road. Additional access may be found
through the Hackberry Ranch. The ranch road is
20-21 miles east of Safford on Hwy 70. The
Whitlock Mtns. are southwest of the Hackberry
Ranch road.

The Peloncillo Mtns. start at Ash Peak near Hwy
70 and end just above San Simon. These mountains
can also be accessed from the Hackberry Ranch.
Hunters should obtain some maps and look for
such names as Ash Peak, Woods Canyon, Poppy
Canyon, Gillespie Canyon, Sands Draw, Tule
Wells, Antelope Canyon and McKenzie Ranch. There
are so many good areas that a BLM map should be
obtained and explored for specific access. At
present time, most areas are open.

The outlook for the 2007 mule deer hunt in unit
28 is good. It is very important that the first
time hunter in the unit spend some time
scouting. The unit is quite large and some
country is hard to hunt or may contain low deer
numbers. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HUNTING.

Overview: Unit 28 offers limited whitetail
hunting. Only 10-12 whitetail are taken in Unit
28 each year. The majority of those are
harvested in the northeastern part of Unit 28,
south of Hwy 78. This area is called Mule Creek
Pass. This area is quite thick with brush and
can be difficult to hunt without horses.

A few deer are also taken on Turtle Mountain.
This area is northeast of Safford and lies
between Bonito Creek and lower Eagle Creek north
of the Gila River. It is best to check with the
BLM in Safford after arrival in the area to
obtain more information on road conditions and
access to Turtle Mountain. Four Wheel Drive is
recommended for this area and depending on the
weather conditions, can be a must.

The Fishhook Wilderness Area in the northwest
portion of Unit 28, along the San Carlos
Reservation, can also hold pockets of whitetail.

To be successful on the a whitetail hunt
it is highly recommended that detailed maps are
obtained and time is spent in the preseason
scouting. This will help you become familiar
with the area and possibly locate where the deer
(bucks) are running. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HUNTING.

Overview: Unit 28 is a very large area with
approximately 2400 square miles of surface area.
Cottontails can be found throughout the unit.
The majority of the cottontails harvested in
this unit are in conjunction with other hunting
activities such as dove and quail.

With this years dry conditions the most
productive hunting areas will most likely be
located near a good source of water. The overall
rabbit numbers in Unit 28 appear to be down
slightly from past years due primarily to the
current drought conditions that exist. The
number of rabbits in an area can respond quickly
to a change in weather conditions.

Area: The Gila River in Unit 28 runs from the
New Mexico State line to the San Carlos Indian
Reservation. Much of the area along the river is
privately owned, therefore it is a good idea to
obtain permission before attempting to hunt an
area.

The San Simon Valley has numerous dirt stock
tanks. These may be found southeast of Safford.
East of Hwy 191, south of Hwy 70, and north of
I-10. Tanque road heads east from Hwy 191 just
north of Stockton Pass road. There are numerous
"water holes" along Tanque road. By exploring
some of the side roads of the area good hunting
opportunities may be found.

Haeckel Road heads south from Hwy 70, east of
Safford. The road may be found just east of the
old Agriculture Inspection Station. Haeckel Road
will take you all the way to the town of Bowie.
Numerous stock tanks may be found along this
stretch of road as well.

A map of the area will be very helpful when
hunting in this unit. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD
HUNTING.

Overview: Dove numbers in the unit have
increased during the past few years. Mourning
Dove makes up the majority of the harvest. Good
hunting opportunities can be found at livestock
water and along the Gila River.

While pre-season scouting, one may find cut
grain fields along the Gila River. These attract
large numbers of dove and can provide fast and
furious shooting. Scouting may also locate a
"water hole" used by dove. Keep in mind that the
birds may water after they feed. Their trip to
water may take place later in the morning.

With this year's dry conditions the birds are
being found close to some source of water. Even
with the dry conditions there seems to be fair
numbers of birds across the desert. One of the
key factors with dove hunting success has to do
with summer rains and how long the bird stay
around before they start to migrate south. Some
years their timing seems to coincide with the
start of the early hunt. A little preseason
scouting can payoff big on opening morning.

Areas: The Gila River runs from New Mexico to
the San Carlos Indian reservation. Grain fields
may be found around Duncan and throughout the
Gila Valley. Checking these fields just before
season will locate the fields currently being
used by dove. Be sure to obtain permission from
the landowner before shooting.

The San Simon Valley has numerous dirt stock
tanks. These may be found southeast of Safford.
East of Hwy 191, south of Hwy 70 and north of
I-10. Tanque road heads east from Hwy 191 just
north of the Stockton Pass road. There are
numerous "water holes" along Tanque road. By
exploring some of the side roads, good hunting
may be found.

Haeckel Road heads south off of Hwy 70, east of
Safford. The road may be found just east of the
old Agriculture Inspection Station. Haeckel Road
will take you all the way to Bowie. Numerous
stock tanks may be found along this stretch of road.

Overview: Quail populations in unit 28 are down
from the population highs of the 1995-1996
season. The amount of winter moister received
each year has a direct correlation on the number
of bird seen the next year. Winter moisture
effects the breeding ability of Quail. Years of
high winter rainfall produce large numbers of
young birds where low winter rains produce few
birds. Unit 28 received average winter rains
this past winter. Very few birds were seen paired
up, and a very few young birds were seen early
this spring. The birds seem to be more
frequently located near a water source. Both
Gambel's and Scaled quail may be found in Unit
28. Gambel's may be found anywhere in the unit,
while Scaled may be found in the foothills of
the Peloncillo Mountains. Scaled quail were
slower in recovering from the droughts of past
years. The
Scaled Quail in the unit seemed to be able to
utilize the summer rains and their numbers can
be effected by the amount of summer rains that
Unit 28 receives.

Areas: Gambel's quail may be found along the
Gila River. Some of the areas along the river
are quite thick with brush. Quail may be found
coming and going to the river with roosting
sites found in the mesquite thickets. Some
patience is required to hunt quail in these
areas, even though quail numbers are quite high
along the river.

Gambel's quail may also be found in the
foothills of the Gila mountains, north and
northwest of Safford, the Whitlock mountains,
southeast of Safford, the Black Hills, East of
Safford and the Peloncillo mountains south and
west of Duncan.

The Gila Mountains may be accessed by crossing
the Gila River at Solomon, Safford, Thatcher,
Pima or Eden. A road parallels the river on the
north side and runs from the mouth of Bonito
Creek to Geronimo. There are many side roads and
sand washes that will allow access to the Gila
Mountains and quail can be located in most
areas.

The Whitlock Mountains may be found by traveling
east from Safford on Hwy 70. At milepost 362.1
on Hwy 70 between Safford and Duncan, you will
find the Hackberry Ranch road. This road travels
south and allows access to the Whitlock
Mountains, which are west of the ranch
headquarters.

Just before the Hackberry Ranch road, a smaller
road takes off Hwy 70 to the north. This allows
access to the Black Hills. This road has many
forks and gives the hunter access to many sand
washes and good quail hunting.

The desert, east of Hwy 191 offers good Gambel's
hunting. Many small roads can be found heading
east. Tanque road, just north of the Stockton
Pass road offers access to these sloping hills
that run into the San Simon Wash.

Scaled quail may be found in the foothills and
on the grassy slopes surrounding the Peloncillo
Mountains. These mountains are located west and
south of Duncan. They may also be accessed from
the Hackberry Ranch. The Lazy-B Ranch south of
Duncan offers limited Scaled quail hunting.
Access to this ranch may be found off the
highway between Duncan and Lordsburg, about 5
miles into New Mexico.

In general quail can be found throughout unit
28. A scouting trip prior to your hunt can prove
to be very beneficial. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD
HUNTING.