Beginning
at the junction of the Stone Cabin-King Valley
road and Kofa National Wildlife Refuge; south,
east, and north along the refuge boundary
to the Stone Cabin-King Valley road; north
and west on this road to the junction of
the Stone Cabin-King Valley road and Kofa
National Wildlife Refuge boundary.
Overview: The desert bighorn sheep population in unit 45C has been on a gradual decrease since 1991; however, the population has remained stable the last three years. Currently there are three permits available in 45C. Most of unit 45C has been exposed to very little disturbance, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Kofa Wildlife Refuge has been successful in enhancing the habitat through sheep water developments in 2007. Hunter success for 2009 was 100%. The three and five year hunt successes are 100% and 91% respectively. The average score of the rams taken in the previous ten years is 157. The entire sheep habitat in unit 45C is on the Kofa Wildlife Refuge. Sheep hunters will want to consult with the Kofa Refuge prior to hunting to ensure that hunters are aware of any special regulations that may be in effect.
Areas: Hunters are encouraged to contact the Kofa Refuge early to find out which areas and roads they can and cannot hunt (contact phone number and address is in the hunting regs). Of course, all sheep hunters will want to purchase a complete set of topographic maps, and should use them as a reference for the areas mentioned here. Hunters should keep in mind that very little of the unit's sheep habitat can be directly accessed by vehicle, rather, the available roads will only get one close. ATV's may be useful, but check with the Kofa Refuge about where they can be used. Off road vehicle travel is prohibited, including travel in washes, and all ATV's must be licensed and insured for highway driving, in addition to having a current OHV decal sticker.
The Stone Cabin-King Valley road forms the unit's northern boundary and the Kofa boundary form the unit's western, eastern and southern boundaries. From Highway 95, forty miles north of Yuma, one can access the southern end of the Castle Dome Mountains from the Castle Dome road. The northern part of the unit can be accessed by the Stone Cabin-King Valley Road. Macpherson Pass can be used to travel from the Castle Dome road to the King Valley Road. Macpherson passable only with a four-wheel drive and you should allow at least 3 hours for this trip. Vehicle travel is limited to designated roads. Again, the Kofa should be consulted along with the topo maps to figure out which routes can be used.
Overview: For the purpose of deer management, 45C is managed with 45A and 45 B as one unit. The deer herd on the Kofa Wildlife Refuge fluctuates up and down regularly. Overall, the population is relatively stable with a slight downward trend since 2003. In 2009, hunter success for all of Unit 45 was 18% with a three year average of 16% hunt success. Quality bucks can be found in the unit. Hunters generally concentrate in and around desert washes where most of the deer are found. This is a good strategy, but hunters who are interested in a challenging hunt and larger, older bucks should try the broad, desert flats near to the larger washes, such as those located in King Valley. Hunting the flats is a challenge because vantage points from which to glass are few, but persistent hunters often find the largest bucks here. Whichever strategy one uses, it should involve scouting for areas that show signs of deer usage, and then concentrating the effort on those areas during the season. Even in November, temperatures in Unit 45C can often be fairly warm, so deer will be most active in the early morning and late evening hours. The refuge boundaries are marked with signs but it is extremely important for hunters to know where they are. This might require a little research prior to the season, and most definitely a good set of maps.
Areas: All of 45C lies within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The flats surrounding the Castle Dome Mountains contain large desert washes. All washes in this area eventually meander down to the Colorado River. To hunt the washes one should locate deer sign in a specific area, and then spend time glassing into the washes and rolling hills. Successful hunters also glass into the washes in the early morning and evenings from the high ridges between the washes. Four-wheel drive is recommended. Hunters should keep in mind that very little of the Kofa is accessed by vehicle and vehicles are required to stay on designated roads. ATV's may be useful, but check with the Kofa about where they can be used and ATV's must be licensed and insured for highway driving.
The Stone Cabin-King Valley road forms the unit's northern boundary and the Kofa boundary form the unit's western, eastern and southern boundaries. From Highway 95, forty miles north of Yuma, one can access the southern end of the Castle Dome Mountains from the Castle Dome road. The northern part of the unit is accessed by the Stone Cabin-King Valley Road. Take Macpherson Pass to travel from the Castle Dome road to the King Valley Road. McPherson Pass is passable only with a four wheel drive and you should allow at least 3 hours for this trip. Vehicle travel is limited to designated roads. Again, the Kofa should be consulted along with the topo maps to figure out which routes can be used.
Note: Unit 45C contains land managed the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge had specific regulations that are in effect and hunters should contact the refuge regarding the area they wish to hunt:
Overview: Unit 45C does not have the tremendous dove populations that can be found in other Yuma area units, because there isn't any agriculture. Hunters who wish to get away from the crowds and still get a limit can find a place in 45C. Try hunting near water sources.
Areas: Hunters interested in a completely different dove hunt might try locating water sources out in the refuge. The refuge provides a map of the water catchments in the area. Shooting in these areas will be less frantic, and there will be fewer people. Water sources near to roosting sights will prove to be the most fruitful.
Overview: Unit 45C's quail populations, like the rest of the state, fluctuate greatly with the levels of precipitation received. Fortunately, unit 45C has not been hit as hard by the drought as it's surrounding areas. During the 2009 season, quail numbers were high and several hunters reported limits. All parts of the unit can provide very good quail hunting opportunities.
Areas: All of 45C lies within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Kofa refuge often supports good populations of quail. The area contains a multitude of large desert washes heading west from the Castle Dome Mountains. During good conditions one will easily find quail in these washes.
Four-wheel drive is recommended. Hunters should keep in mind that very little of the Kofa is accessed by vehicle and vehicles are required to stay on designated roads. ATV's may be useful, but check with the Kofa about where they can be used and ATV's must be licensed and insured for highway driving.
Mountain Lion
Mountain lion hunting is not permitted on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
