4 Animals You Can Legally Hunt in Arizona | Bass Angler Magazine (2024)

People sometimes feel differently about hunting. Some individuals don’t care for it, while others love it. If you’re someone who enjoys hunting, you should only do so safely and in places where it’s legal.

In Arizona, you have some great hunting opportunities if you enjoy this hobby. We’ll talk about that in the following article. We’ll also talk about some of the state’s best animals to hunt.

Arizona Gun Laws

You should first know about Arizona gun laws if you’re going to hunt with a firearm in the state.An Arizona minor aged 14-17 can open carryif they’re using the gun for target practice, hunting, or agriculture. Someone older than that needs to accompany them, though. You can legally carry as a teen in Arizona age 14-17 if you have a safety instructor, parent, grandparent, or another qualified adult with you.

Arizona is an open-carry state. That means you can carry a gun on you and have it visible for anyone to see. You can use that gun for protection or hunting.

If you buy a gun from a private seller, they don’t have to do a background check. That makes Arizona one of the more relaxed states concerning firearms. You can even carry a concealed firearm in the state, and you don’t need a license or permit to do that. You do have to be at least 21 to carry a concealed gun, though.

Arizona Hunting Laws

If you want to hunt animals in Arizona legally, you will need to consult something called the Arizona Hunting Regulations guide. That’s a physical or online booklet that tells you everything about Arizona hunting you need to know.

It can tell you what animals you might hunt year-round, as well as the seasonal ones. It also talks about when and where you can hunt them.

You can hunt animals in designated locales, such as certain public land areas. However, if you hunt on someone’s private property, you need to get their permission to do that. They can grant you written or oral consent.

If they catch you on their land hunting without their permission, though, they can take legal action against you. They might even shoot at you for trespassing if you came on their land without telling you, and you ignored fences and warning signs. Some Arizona landowners take that sort of thing pretty seriously.

Now, we’ll talk about some of the best animals to hunt in Arizona.

Turkeys

Generally, you can hunt year-round in Arizona. Certain caveats come with that statement, but you can read up on them in the Arizona Hunting Regulations guide.

You will need the proper licenses or permits to hunt in Arizona. You can usually get those pretty easily if you pay a nominal fee. However, if you’re hunting on your own land in Arizona, you don’t need a license or permit.

Turkeys remain one of the best things to hunt in Arizona. They grow to enormous sizes in the wild, and if you shoot one, you can cook and eat it.You might shoot yourself a Thanksgiving turkeyand enjoy it a lot more than if you bought it in a store.

Turkeys can’t fly, but they can scurry across the ground. They can flutter from branch to branch if they find a tree they can reach by leaping. They might look awkward or ungainly, but they can move pretty quickly if they know they’re in danger.

If you’re going after turkeys in Arizona, you will probably want a weapon like a patterning pump or a classic semi-auto. If you’re using a patterning pump, you’re not likely to find a better option than the Remington 870 Turkey Camo. If you want a semi-auto, you should look into the Remington 1100 Turkey model.

You might also use something like a TriStar Viper G2 Turkey. Whichever one you choose, you might start a younger hunter on the path to bigger game by taking them on a few turkey hunts as a teenager. Turkeys pose no threat to humans, so a young hunter can take their time and learn patience and discipline without any danger to themselves.

Deer

Many people think that venison tastes great, and you can also do all kinds of things with it. You might skin a deer and dry some of the meat for jerky. You can also cut the pieces into stew meat or cut yourself some venison steaks. You can also make venison sausage.

You can hunt for deer in Arizona, and if you kill some, you can live on the carcass for weeks in some cases. Bucks can reach 150 pounds, while fully grown females can get up to 100 pounds.

Deer are more dangerous than turkeys, though. During mating season, a buck can display a full antler rack that can disembowel a human in some instances. If you don’t watch yourself around a 150-pound buck, it can charge you and skewer you before you can get away from it.

With that in mind, you may choose to take a young hunter on a few turkey shoots before you move up to deer. Of course, you might also set up a deer blind and sit up there out of the way. You can wait for the deer to pass below and then fire at it without any danger to yourself.

If you’re out after deer in Arizona, the Sako Finnlight or the Ambush 300 Blackout are both excellent options. You might go with something like a Savage M220 Stainless Camo or a Remington Sendero SF II instead.

The Ruger American is your best option if you want a reliable rifle that won’t break the bank. You can usually get one for about $400. That price might appeal if you’re going to get one as a surprise birthday present for a young hunter in your family.

Antelope

Many people enjoy eating antelope as well, and you’ll find plenty of them in Arizona. They usually travel in herds, and a male can get up to 120 in some cases. You can find pronghorns in Arizona. They mostly live in the state’s north-central portion.

You can occasionally find them in the southeast as well. The pronghorn lives about 6-8 years and presents some danger because of their horns. A cornered pronghorn can cut you up or even impale you, just like a deer can.

If you’re going out after antelope in Arizona, a Remington model should serve you well. You might go with something like the Model 721 or 722. It remains one of the most dependable bolt-action hunting rifles around.

You can also utilize a Winchester Model 70. This one earned the nickname the “Rifleman’s rifle,” and the ones that came out before 1964 are true American classics. In 1960, the company came out with new ammunition for it. If you can find a pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 in good condition, expect to pay at least $2k for it.

Antelope are active around sunup and sundown, so you have to get up early or late if you want to hunt them. Practice shooting at twilight or dawn to get ready to hunt this elusive game.

Black Bears

Black bears also live in Arizona, and you can legally hunt them. Like any bear, you’re taking on a more serious risk element if you want to tangle with this animal. A black bear does not pose the threat that you’ll see with a Kodiak or polar bear, but you’re still taking a chance if you go out after them.

A female can get up to about 180 pounds, but a male can easily reach 600 pounds or more. Some tip the scales at 660 pounds, especially if they’re fattening themselves up during the summer months.

Black bears sometimes run from humans, but you can encounter a bold one sometimes if someone feeds it or it lives close to human habitation. If you encounter a black bear that does not fear humans, it can close the distance between you very quickly if it charges you. You should keep that in mind if you go out with young or inexperienced hunters.

If you go out after black bears in Arizona, you will probably want something like a 308 Winchester. The 308 Winchester is likely the best “big game” gun in North America. Many hunters own one if they go out after larger game. It packs quite a punch and has the stopping power to take down a charging bear if you hit it center mass.

If you hunt in Arizona, you might also consider game like elk, buffalo, or bighorn sheep. You can eat any of them if you prepare them correctly, and you can also stuff and mount the heads if you want to start a trophy wall.

Whether you hunt for food or sport, make sure to bring the right gear and protect yourself. Teach young hunters to handle a firearm safely and properly as well.