Arizona bison mainly roam in two separate locations within the state. You could make an argument that there are three areas because of the House Rock Wildlife Area in conjunction to the Raymond Wildlife Area. The House Rock Wildlife Area is where the original House Rock herd came from, which now resides primarily within the Grand Canyon National Park. Both the Raymond and House Rock Wildlife Areas have hunts for designated cow and yearling bison, with House Rock Wildlife Area adding two designated yearling bison hunts. These hunts are as guaranteed as they can get, as they are very controlled and are typically one-day hunts.
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The Kaibab Plateau Herd, located on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, is night-and-day different from the other two herds. This herd is primarily located within Grand Canyon National Park but will come out of the park on occasion. After the giant Dragon-Bravo fire ripped through much of the habitat in and around the Grand Canyon last year, the AZGFD and the National Park Service are waiting to see what bison will do. For now, they remain inside the park for the most part, but with spring green-up starting, bison are venturing out more and more. With the lack of snow pack this year, fall hunts could be tougher, especially if the most readily available water is within the park. This year, there have been a few changes to hunts and tag numbers in the House Rock Wildlife Area. One cow hunt was removed entirely, and the other two hunts were reduced one tag each, making them resident-only hunts. All the hunts remained the same for 5A/5B and 12A for tag allocation, but season dates shifted back one day.
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Arizona has two separate bison application periods. There are not any mature-bull hunts in this application timeframe. If you are looking for a chance at a mature bull, remember that you can pick up a bonus point during this application period and apply for the spring draw during the September/October application period. Since 20% of the bison tags in this draw will go to max point applicants, some of these hunts will not have a random tag. It will be hard to say which hunts will go to max point applicants, but they will most likely be in the Raymond Wildlife and House Rock Wildlife controlled hunt areas.
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The Arizona big game online application deadline for sheep, fall bison, and deer is 11:59 p.m. Arizona time on June 2, 2026.
Our online/print magazine has everything in one location: Application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning and much more. If you would like access to all of our research join today!
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| Up-Front Fees | |
| 365-Day Hunting & Fishing License (adult) | $160 |
| 365-Day Hunting & Fishing License (youth ages 10-17) | $5 |
| Application Fee or Bonus Point Only (per species) | $15 |
| PointGuard Plus (365-day membership, all species) | $25 |
| PointGuard Option (per species) | $10 |
| Post Draw License Fees (if successful) | |
| Any Bison Permit | $5,400 |
| Cow/Yearling Bison Permit | $3,250 |
| Yearling-Only Bison Permit | $1,750 |
AZ Bison Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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