Unit 16A

The Mogollon Divide dominates the northern landscape and serves as a primary navigation reference, with Willow Spring Mountain and Elk Mountain Divide offering key ridge-top glassing. Silver Peak and the Saliz Mountains anchor the eastern side, while the Kelly Mountains frame the western approach. Deep Creek Divide and Sheep Basin Divide break the country into distinct drainages.

Notable gaps and saddles—Sled Saddle, Silver Creek Divide, Six-shooter Saddle—mark natural travel corridors and water locations. N Bar Lake, Adam Hoague Lake, and Snow Lake provide rare high-country water; multiple named springs (Tub Spring, Sheep Spring, Elk Spring, Oak Spring) and scattered tanks anchor hunting camps in drier zones.

The unit spans from approximately 4,900 feet in lower valleys to just over 10,000 feet on high peaks—a vertical spread that creates distinct habitat layers. Lower elevations feature ponderosa pine and mixed oak woodland transitioning to denser mixed-conifer forest above 7,500 feet, with scattered alpine parks and meadows in the highest zones. The Mogollon Divide and associated ridges form the topographic spine, with the Kelly, Saliz, and Elk Mountains rising prominently.

Dense forest cover means glassing is limited to parks, ridge tops, and canyon rims; early season rewards high-elevation hunters willing to work timber, while lower drainages hold game later in the season.

Over 500 miles of road network provide fair access, but most routes are rough USFS tracks or seasonal roads suitable for high-clearance vehicles. Main gateways include Bursum Road from the west, NM 435 from the east, and NM 12 from the north; populated towns (Reserve, Alma, Cooney) offer resupply but are 20-40 minutes from trailheads. The road density suggests moderate distributed use rather than concentrated pressure—most hunters stick near main roads, leaving rougher canyon and ridge terrain lightly hunted.

High terrain complexity and limited water disperse pressure effectively. Early season brings more traffic; late season sees reduced pressure but requires precise water and camp knowledge.

GMU 16A occupies the southern portion of GMU 16, bounded by US 180 to the west, NM 12 to the north, and NM 435 to the east, with Bursum Road defining part of the western edge. The unit encompasses roughly 400+ square miles of high-country terrain in southwestern New Mexico's Mogollon region, stretching from Reserve and Alma in the lower valleys upward into the Mogollon Divide and surrounding mountains. This is transition country between the San Francisco River drainage to the west and the Gila River system to the east, offering varied elevation and habitat zones across multiple ridge systems and deep canyon networks.

Water is limited and scattered, a key constraint for hunting strategy. Major perennial drainages include Devils Creek, Copper Creek, and the Mineral Creek forks, which flow year-round or nearly so. Numerous named springs and stock tanks dot the ridges and basins—Burnt Cabin Cienega, Stout Mesa Tank, Saliz Mountain Tank, and Trail Tank are scattered across the unit.

Higher elevations support more reliable water; lower drainages dry seasonally. Turkey Creek, Quaking Aspen Creek, and Bearwallow Creek provide secondary options. Hunters must identify reliable water sources before settling on camp locations; dry camps require long daily pushes or relocations.

GMU 16A supports elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, mountain sheep, and javelina across its elevation gradient. Early season (September-early October) targets elk in high parks and open ridges—glass the Mogollon Divide and alpine parks above 8,500 feet. Mid-season concentrates on ridgetop and canyon-rim movement as animals shift with temperature.

Pronghorn occupy lower sagebrush flats and park edges; hunt open basins like Sheep Basin and Barlow Basin with optics. Mule deer thrive throughout but concentrate in mixed forest-park transition zones—work canyons and bench country methodically. Javelina hunts target lower drainages and oak woodland zones.

Water scarcity makes November hunting brutal but productive near reliable springs and tanks. Sheep hunting requires glassing distant ridges and working toward high, broken terrain—Silver Peak and upper Saliz Mountains hold both mountain and desert sheep in good years.