The Kaibab Plateau herd has two hunts this year: the early spring hunt and the second hunt. The early spring hunt offers the longest season, while the second hunt runs for three weeks, providing hunters ample time to locate and harvest a bull. Both hunts are for bull bison only. Harvest success can vary significantly from year to year and is driven primarily by weather conditions. During years when the second hunt experiences warm, dry weather, bison tend to leave the park more consistently, resulting in improved harvest success. Success rates have also improved since Arizona Game and Fish began spacing the hunts further apart, allowing the bison more time to settle between hunt periods. This has been a positive change for tag holders, especially considering these hunts are among the most expensive and difficult-to-draw tags in Arizona. These hunts are valid in Units 12A (excluding the northeast portion of the House Rock Wildlife Area), 12B, and 13A.

The National Park Service estimates the Kaibab Plateau herd on the North Rim at approximately 200 animals, a significant decline from estimates approaching 900 bison just five or six years ago. The herd spends the majority of its time inside Grand Canyon National Park. Similar to the bison herds in Montana and Wyoming, these animals have learned exactly where the park boundary lies and have become extremely reluctant to leave the protection it provides. To encourage bison to cross onto huntable ground, Arizona Game and Fish places salt along the park boundary. Rather than attempting to still-hunt and risk pushing bison farther into the park, the department recommends sitting over these salt locations as the most effective hunting strategy. This style of hunting is not for everyone and requires the patience and mental discipline to remain in the stand for fifteen to sixteen hours a day, often for as long as necessary to create an opportunity. Even the most patient hunters will be tested, as the average successful hunter typically spends around twenty days afield before filling a tag.

For hunters pursuing these bison without an outfitter, the challenge increases considerably. Many outfitters maintain blinds on the most productive salt sites throughout the season. When multiple hunters want to hunt the same salt location or water source, Arizona Game and Fish enforces a first-come, first-served policy regardless of whether a blind or treestand has already been established. Even so, disputes occasionally arise because competition for the best locations can be intense. To secure one of the premier spots, hunters often need to be in position well before shooting light or remain there continuously by spending the night in their blind.