Unit 10 does not carry the name recognition of the Strip or the Kaibab. It does not appear on lists of Arizona’s top trophy units and it does not draw the kind of application pressure that makes hunters wait a decade for a tag. What it does offer is something genuinely valuable and increasingly rare in Arizona’s competitive draw landscape — a large accessible unit with consistent mule deer numbers, dramatic canyon and cliff terrain, good public land access, and draw odds that give hunters a realistic shot at a tag without burning their maximum bonus point accumulation.
For the hunter who wants to be in the field hunting mule deer in northwestern Arizona rather than sitting at home building points for a unit they may not draw for another fifteen years, unit 10 is worth serious consideration. The bucks are real, the country is beautiful, and the competition is low enough that hunters who do the work consistently find animals.
What GMU 10 Is and Where It Sits
Unit 10 is a large unit in AZGFD’s Region III centered around the Kingman area in northwestern Arizona. The unit stretches from Interstate 40 west toward the Hualapai Indian Reservation boundary and north toward Grand Canyon National Park. The geographic position of this unit places it between the legendary Strip country to the north and the more heavily hunted central Arizona units to the south and east giving it a character that is distinct from both.
The AZGFD official species list for GMU 10 is remarkably diverse for a unit that does not carry trophy unit status: mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, black bear, mountain lion, javelina, and Merriam’s turkey. That species diversity reflects the habitat diversity of a unit that covers significant elevation and vegetation gradients from lower desert terrain through pinyon juniper woodland up into ponderosa pine country in the highest portions.
Unit 10 is not a trophy mule deer unit in the way that term applies to the Strip or Kaibab. Decent bucks are taken here consistently every season but hunters chasing a specific score threshold would likely direct their applications elsewhere. The unit’s strength is consistent deer numbers in remote terrain with low hunting pressure — a combination that produces quality hunting experiences and reasonable harvesting success for hunters with realistic expectations and the willingness to work the country properly.
The Draw: Realistic Expectations for Unit 10
Unit 10 occupies a genuinely accessible position in the Arizona mule deer draw landscape. The unit’s relatively low profile among trophy hunters combined with its remote character and moderate deer density means draw odds here are significantly more attainable than the premium units and more competitive than the easiest draw units in the state.
This is a unit that hunters with a modest bonus point accumulation can realistically target as a primary application while using a more accessible unit as a secondary choice. It is also a unit where a hunter with zero to a few bonus points in a good draw year has a legitimate shot at a tag.
The 2026 fall deer draw deadline is June 2nd through the AZGFD portal at azgfd.com. Application fee is $13 for residents and $15 for non-residents. Always verify current draw odds, tag numbers, and season structures directly with AZGFD before applying as these change annually.
Terrain and Habitat: Where the Deer Live in Unit 10
The Aubrey Cliffs
The Aubrey Cliffs are the most distinctive geographic feature of unit 10 and the area that holds the highest mule deer densities in the unit. The cliff system creates dramatic broken terrain with canyon systems, ledges, and rugged faces that provide excellent mule deer habitat combining security cover, feeding areas, and water sources in a relatively compact geographic zone.
The dense pinyon juniper country surrounding and adjacent to the Aubrey Cliffs is the core hunting habitat for mule deer in this area. The PJ cover provides thermal regulation, bedding concealment, and consistent browse that mule deer rely on across the hunting seasons. Hunters who learn the specific canyon systems and the drainage patterns that organize deer movement through the Aubrey Cliffs terrain consistently find more deer than hunters who approach it as undifferentiated PJ country.
The Boquillas Ranch area on and adjacent to the Aubrey Cliffs holds excellent deer populations and while portions of this area involve private land considerations the public land adjacent to and within the Aubrey Cliffs provides legitimate access to some of the best mule deer habitat in the unit. Understanding the land ownership boundaries in this portion of the unit before you hunt is essential — carry a current land ownership map or use a mapping application with public land boundaries loaded.
The Williams Corner
The Williams corner of unit 10 in the southeastern portion where the unit boundary approaches the community of Williams and the Kaibab National Forest provides the second most productive mule deer habitat in the unit. The ponderosa pine and mixed terrain of the Kaibab National Forest within the unit boundary gives mule deer access to nutritious high-elevation browse and excellent cover.
The proximity to Williams and Interstate 40 makes this portion of the unit more accessible than the remote Aubrey Cliffs country to the northwest but it also means this area sees more hunting pressure during open seasons. Hunters targeting the Williams corner need to be prepared to move away from the road access points quickly to find deer that have not been pushed by early season pressure.
Cataract Canyon and the Northern Reaches
The area north and west of Round Mountain extending through Bishop Lake, Long Point, Paradise Ridge, and Cataract Canyon provides additional mule deer habitat with generally lower deer densities than the Aubrey Cliffs and Williams corner areas but with the trade-off of significantly less hunting pressure. The remote character of these northern reaches means deer in this area are less pressured and more likely to be moving during daylight hours throughout the season.
The canyon systems in the northern portions of the unit including Cataract Canyon provide the broken terrain that mule deer use for security and bedding. Hunters willing to drive the rough roads to reach these areas and then hike beyond the road corridor find consistently better deer-to-hunter ratios than the more accessible portions of the unit.
A Note on the Elk in Unit 10
Unit 10 carries a legitimate reputation as a quality elk unit alongside its mule deer hunting. Trophy bulls are present in the unit and in years of good precipitation the unit produces elk in the 400-point-plus class. Hunters who are applying for deer in unit 10 and who have elk bonus points should research the unit’s elk opportunities simultaneously as some portions of the unit that hold good elk also hold the best mule deer. The knowledge built during mule deer scouting often translates directly to understanding where to find elk when that tag eventually comes up.
Access: Getting Into Unit 10
Interstate 40 forms the southern boundary corridor of unit 10 and provides the primary approach route for hunters coming from the Phoenix area, Las Vegas, or Flagstaff. The Kingman area to the west and Williams to the east serve as the two primary hub communities for unit 10 hunters with fuel, food, lodging, and supply options in both locations.
Kingman is the AZGFD Region III headquarters location and the regional office there can provide current unit-specific information including road conditions and any access issues relevant to the current hunting season. The region covers units in the northwestern portion of the state and the staff are familiar with unit 10’s specific terrain and access considerations.
The road network into the Aubrey Cliffs and the remote northern portions of the unit consists largely of dirt and gravel roads that range from regularly maintained to extremely rough depending on location and recent weather. High clearance four wheel drive capability is recommended for accessing the best hunting areas in unit 10 especially during the fall hunting seasons when monsoon-softened roads may not have fully recovered.
The Hualapai Indian Reservation borders the unit on the west. The reservation boundary is a hard legal line and accessing reservation land for hunting without proper tribal authorization is a serious violation. Know exactly where the unit boundary runs in the western portions of the unit before hunting near the reservation edge.
Hunting Strategy: How to Find and Kill Mule Deer in Unit 10
Concentrate Effort on the Aubrey Cliffs and Williams Corner
The straightforward unit 10 strategy starts with understanding that deer density is not uniform across this large unit. The Aubrey Cliffs area and the Williams corner hold the most deer by a meaningful margin and hunters who invest their time in these specific areas rather than spreading across the full unit will encounter more animals. The remote low-density portions of the unit between these two core areas are worth hunting if you have already worked the high-density zones thoroughly or if pressure has pushed you to look for less-pressured country.
Glass the PJ Canyon Systems
The dense pinyon juniper canyon terrain of the Aubrey Cliffs area requires a specific glassing approach. The PJ cover is thick enough that deer are not easily visible from a single vantage point the way they are in the more open terrain of the Strip or Kaibab. Effective glassing in this terrain requires moving between multiple vantage points throughout the day to expose different angles into the canyon systems and PJ pockets where bucks bed and feed.
The approach of setting up above a canyon system before first light and systematically glassing the opposite facing slopes and canyon rims as light develops produces consistent deer sightings in this terrain. Bucks bed in the dense PJ on north and east facing slopes during midday and feed along the canyon edges and open transition areas in the morning and evening. Hunting the feeding movement at the transitions between the PJ and the more open terrain is the most productive single tactic in this unit.
Sitting Water
Water sources in the drier portions of unit 10 concentrate deer movement predictably especially during warm early season periods. Identifying the water sources that specific areas of the unit’s deer population depend on and positioning for morning and evening deer movement to and from water is a legitimate and effective strategy for unit 10’s desert and PJ terrain.
Pre-season mineral sites placed near water sources and on active game trails add an additional concentration point for deer activity. Natural mineral rocks placed weeks before the season allow deer time to find and pattern to the site creating a reliable focal point for your hunting strategy.
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The Rut
The mule deer rut in unit 10 runs through November and early December depending on weather and elevation. The general rifle seasons are timed to overlap rut activity and hunters with appropriate season tags have a legitimate opportunity to catch bucks in open daylight movement during peak breeding activity. Hunt all day during the rut period rather than just the traditional morning and evening windows — midday rut movement is common in unit 10’s canyon terrain when bucks are actively searching for receptive does.
Pass on Small Bucks Early
Unit 10’s consistent advice from experienced hunters is clear on one point: if a larger buck is your goal pass on the smaller ones early in the season. The unit holds mature bucks in the dense PJ canyon country but the ratio of mature to young bucks means hunters who shoot the first legal animal they see consistently take smaller deer than those who invest the patience to find a specific mature buck worth pursuing. Most of the larger bucks checked at harvest from unit 10 come from the denser PJ country where patient hunters have worked the terrain to find animals other hunters miss.
Gear for GMU 10
Unit 10’s terrain mix from desert scrub through PJ to ponderosa requires gear appropriate for significant temperature swings across a single hunting day. Early season October hunts can be warm at lower elevations and cold at higher elevations in the same afternoon. November and December hunts in the Williams corner ponderosa country require serious cold weather preparation.
Quality optics are the foundational investment for any Arizona mule deer hunt and unit 10 is no exception. A quality binocular on a tripod and a spotting scope for confirming buck quality are the standard equipment for the glassing-intensive approach this canyon PJ terrain demands.
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A quality rangefinder is essential in the canyon terrain of unit 10 where distances across drainages are routinely misjudged.
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Use our free ballistics calculator to dial in your specific load for the elevation and shot distances of unit 10.
A quality pack that carries your full day kit is essential for the longer approaches into the Aubrey Cliffs country and the remote northern portions of the unit.
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Meat Care in Unit 10
A successful mule deer harvest in the Aubrey Cliffs canyon country can require a significant pack-out from the kill site to your vehicle. Plan your field care and pack-out logistics before your hunt and have your cooler staged and ready to receive meat as soon as you reach your vehicle. A quality cooler that holds ice for days is a necessity for keeping meat in prime condition during extended field operations. The Yeti Tundra 65 handles exactly this situation and will protect your harvest through the pack-out and drive home.
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Use our wild game meat yield calculator to estimate your mule deer meat yield and plan your freezer space before your unit 10 hunt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is unit 10 a trophy mule deer unit?
Unit 10 is not considered a trophy mule deer unit in the same category as the Strip or Kaibab. The unit produces decent mature bucks consistently each season and hunters who pass on smaller deer and invest time in the dense PJ canyon country of the Aubrey Cliffs can harvest quality animals. Hunters with a specific score target in mind would likely direct their applications to other units.
How hard is it to draw a mule deer tag in unit 10?
Unit 10 is significantly more accessible than the premium trophy units and more competitive than the easiest draw units in the state. Hunters with a modest bonus point accumulation have a realistic shot at drawing a tag in most draw years. Verify current draw odds directly at azgfd.com before applying.
What are the best areas to concentrate hunting effort in unit 10?
The Aubrey Cliffs area and the Williams corner near the Kaibab National Forest hold the highest mule deer densities in the unit and are the recommended starting points for any unit 10 deer hunt. The remote Cataract Canyon and northern portions of the unit offer lower deer density with significantly lower hunting pressure for hunters willing to make the extra effort to access them.
Does unit 10 hold elk as well as mule deer?
Yes. Unit 10 carries a legitimate reputation as a quality elk unit with trophy bulls present in good precipitation years. The elk and deer ranges overlap significantly in the better habitat areas of the unit. Hunters who are building bonus points for both species simultaneously should research unit 10 elk opportunities alongside the deer hunting.
What other species can I pursue in unit 10?
The unit holds bighorn sheep, black bear, mountain lion, pronghorn, javelina, and Merriam’s turkey in addition to both deer species. The turkey hunting in the ponderosa pine country of the Williams corner and the Aubrey Cliffs north of Pica Camp is specifically noted as productive. The unit also has a healthy mountain lion population which reflects positively on the overall health of the prey species in the unit.
For a complete guide to the Arizona deer draw including bonus point strategy and deadlines check out our Arizona deer draw guide.
For draw points strategy and how the Arizona bonus point system works check out our Arizona hunting license and draw points guide.
For our complete Arizona hunting hub covering every species and season visit our Arizona hunting guide.
Use our wild game meat yield calculator to plan your harvest.
Use our free ballistics calculator to prepare your rifle before your hunt.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase through these links I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All gear mentioned is personally used or carefully researched and recommended.