Quick Tips
- Contact the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in the event you are drawn for the hunt
- The refuge will provide you a welcome packet with the rules of the refuge, this will be essential to planning your hunt
- An access pass is required for much of the refuge due to military activity
- Weather is typically hot
- Hunt near water
- Carry plenty of water
- Secure vehicles and campsites
- Expect to encounter illegal immigrants and drug traffickers
- Be in shape, don't take a hunt lightly
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Bighorn Sheep | 150"-160" | 160"+ |
On The Ground
Completely accessible, this unit is the eastern half of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge along the Mexican border and is nearly all wilderness. Only desert bighorn sheep are hunted here and can grow to over 180 inches. Backpack or horseback hunting is recommended. Illegal immigrants and drug traffickers often steal items left at campsites.
Hunters must be in good shape and prepared for hot weather and desert survival. Antelope and mule deer also live in the unit, but are not hunted on the refuge. In recent years, both desert sheep hunters had their camps raided by illegal immigrants.
Terrain
Large flat expanses of desert broken by steep mountain ranges, including the Growler Mountains, Childs Mountain, the southern part of the Granite Mountains, the Bryan Mountains and the Agua Dulce Mountains just north of Mexico.
Roughly 626 square miles
100% public land
Elevations from 750-3,100 feet
Rocky and steep desert mountains
Plan on a physically difficult hunt covering several miles
Vegetation
Cactus and desert scrub such as creosote bursage are the chief lowland plants. Sloping hillsides support creosote bushes, white bursage, mesquite, palo verde, ironwood, ocotillo and a lot of cacti, including cholla and saguaro.
Access
The entire unit is public ground within Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the refuge is designated wilderness. Vehicles must stay on El Camino del Diablo (The Road of the Devil), Christmas Pass Road and Charlie Bell Road. Vehicles should have four-wheel-drive and high clearance, but two-wheel-drive vehicles with high clearance can handle Charlie Bell Road.
Plan to hike long distances
No off-road driving
Some places are remote and rugged
Camping and Lodging
Most hunters camp along dirt roads and in some designated sites. Lodging is in Ajo, Gila Bend and Why.
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