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Blog Posts > This is the End – Arizona Sheep and Deer

This is the End – Arizona Sheep and Deer

Eric Pawlak

| May 24, 2022

Eric Pawlak
May 24, 2022

Species: Mule Deer, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Coues Deer

The Arizona sheep and deer draw deadline is an exciting and much-anticipated day here at WTA TAGS. It marks the end of peak application season, and the entire staff often celebrates with a much-needed team-building day on Nebraska’s Lake McConaughy! Walleyes, here we come!

But, before we take our foot off the gas, there is much work to be done before that June 14 deadline.

Here is a breakdown of the more exciting aspects of the 2022 Arizona sheep and deer draw.

Sheep

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The state of Arizona is a must-apply state for the desert bighorn species of wild sheep. While no western state has been successful in managing for a significant increase in sheep tags over the last two decades, Arizona does offer the second-highest number of desert bighorn sheep permits to non-residents. This year, there will be 14 non-resident permits available to out-of-state hunters. Furthermore, every one of the Arizona units has the potential to produce a desert ram scoring in the 160s. In fact, several units will probably produce sheep in the 170-class in 2022. With the all-time B&C at 168 inches, Arizona truly offers the lucky applicant a chance at a world-class ram.

Deer

Mule Deer

Have you ever dreamed of hunting Boone & Crockett mule deer? Drawing a tag in Arizona, north of the Grand Canyon will give you this opportunity. The mule deer living on the Arizona Strip and the Kaibab Plateau are some of the best-scoring deer in the West. Drawing one of these tags is what mule-deer hunters’ dreams are made of.

Coues Deer

While drawing one of Arizona’s top-tier mule deer tags is extremely difficult, the Coues deer tags are far easier to draw and should be given serious consideration. For anyone wanting to collect their Coues, Arizona is the #1 state to apply in. Again, the drawing odds for these tags is reasonable and the hunting, while challenging, has an extremely high level of success, particularly for those tag holders who hire an experienced Arizona outfitter. For those sportsmen not wanting to cross our southern border into Mexico, applying for Coues deer in Arizona is a no-brainer option.

Youth Deer Tags

Finally, Arizona offers the very best youth deer tags in the country. Before your child turns 18, he or she can and should apply for this awesome tag. Their drawing odds will never be quite the same. Drawing the very first time applying will have odds of around 1 in 10. Last year, with two bonus points, drawing odds were better than 1 in 4. Once drawn, kids can either hunt mule deer or Coues deer on these very special tags and quality deer of either species is certainly attainable, especially if hiring an outfitter. Most of all, your child will have a fun and memorable experience.

Again, June 14 is the last day to apply for sheep and deer tags in Arizona. If you are already building points for these species in Arizona, don’t forget to apply this year and keep adding those valuable points. If you aren’t applying for these species in Arizona, you should start. Either way, give WTA TAGS a call today and let us help. We can be reached Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MST) at 800-755-TAGS (8247) or drop us an email.

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Estate hunting, often referred to as high fence hunting, is one of the most misunderstood segments of the modern hunting landscape. The term can carry strong assumptions, but those assumptions rarely reflect the reality of what these hunts actually involve.

At its core, estate hunting offers hunters access to large, privately managed properties where wildlife is carefully stewarded, and hunting opportunities are predictable, efficient, and highly successful. These hunts are not intended to replace traditional public-land or limited-entry experiences. They are meant to provide an alternative option for hunters with specific goals, time constraints, or physical considerations.

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What Defines an Estate Hunt?

Estate hunts take place on privately owned ranches or preserves enclosed by a perimeter fence. These properties can range from several thousand acres to well over 100,000 acres, depending on location, species, and management model.

Within these boundaries, wildlife populations are actively managed year-round. Landowners and outfitters focus on habitat improvement, water development, herd health, genetics, and balanced harvest rates. The result is a stable wildlife population with a strong age structure and consistent hunting opportunity.

Because animals remain on the property, outfitters can offer hunts with a very high harvest probability. In many cases, hunters can pursue specific age classes, horn characteristics, or species that would otherwise require years of applying or limited-entry permits.

What the Experience Is Actually Like

One of the most common misconceptions about estate hunting is that animals are easily located and harvested quickly in a confined space. In reality, many estate properties are vast, and hunters may never see the perimeter fence during their hunt.

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Why Europe Should Be Your Next Hunting Destination

When hunters think of the ultimate adventures, Africa and Alaska are usually at the top of the list. Yet tucked away in Europe is a world-class hunting experience that most never know enough about to wish for. It’s a mistake, one I made myself for years, until a recent trip to Slovakia opened my eyes to what hunting in the Old World is truly like. In Europe, centuries of tradition reshape your thoughts about international hunting.

The Hunt You Didn’t Expect

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The hunting itself felt foreign yet familiar. Watching roe bucks chase does across open ag fields reminded me of hunting pronghorn during the rut. We watched as bucks chased does miles over the horizon, only to return and chase more. We would use the standing corn and sunflower rows for cover, glassing open areas where roe deer congregated on clover and alfalfa food plots.

The guides knew every ridge and valley, pointing out where certain bucks lived and separating solid trophies from medal-class deer. Some mornings started at 3 a.m., with hunters in position before dawn. While some stayed afield all day, others slipped back to the lodge for a late-morning feast and rest before the evening hunt.

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The hunting was amazing, and we were not limited to roe deer. Once we arrived, we learned that we could add mouflon and red stag to our hunt. Wild boar roamed the same areas. Come September, fallow deer would be available as well. It’s a mixed-bag type of hunt, where you can customize your hunt on the fly.

The mouflon hunting took us into mountains that could have been transplanted from Montana. We parked at the end of a logging road and stalked through timber, glassing for those distinctive curved horns. On one stalk, we heard an odd noise: two mouflon rams butting heads. Following the sound, we intercepted a bachelor band of rams, all jostling and sparring as they moved through the forest. When the biggest ram separated from the group at 70 yards, I made my shot at a free-range animal that had lived wild in these mountains for years.

The quality of the animals shocked everyone. Multiple hunters took mouflon that exceeded expectations. One member of our group dropped a 320″ red stag that wasn’t even on our radar when we planned the trip. These aren’t high-fence operations—this is free-range hunting across extremely varied terrain.

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