Arizona requires no license, permit, or course to pick up naturally shed, dry antlers or horns — Commission Rule R12-4-322(B) says so outright — and no seasonal closure exists. Two catches: collecting sheds on National Park Service lands is prohibited, and anything 'fresh' (still carrying hide or flesh, including a skull with antlers attached) requires notifying the department and having an officer determine the animal died naturally before you can keep it. Parts collected illegally in another jurisdiction are illegal to possess once brought into Arizona.
LAST CHECKED August 29, 2026 · RULES CHANGE — CONFIRM WITH ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT (AZGFD) BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT.
Set by: National Park Service jurisdiction, reflected in AZGFD's Commission Rule R12-4-322(E)
No pending rule changes found as of the last check.
As of May 2026, USGS lists no documented CWD detection in free-ranging deer or elk here. That reflects documented findings, not proof of absence.
SOURCE: USGS NATIONAL WILDLIFE HEALTH CENTER — CWD DISTRIBUTION BY STATE AND COUNTY, VER. 4.0 (AUG 2026).
5 elk · 4 mule deer · 4 pronghorn — migration corridors, stopovers, and winter ranges mapped from GPS-collared animals and published by the USGS Corridor Mapping Team with the state agency.
SOURCE: USGS — UNGULATE MIGRATIONS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, VOLS. 1–6
Every state reports these numbers to the federal government on the same terms, so they compare cleanly across states. A license holder is a person — one hunter can buy several licenses or tags in a season.
SOURCE: U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE — HUNTING LICENSE CERTIFICATIONS. FEDERAL DATA RUNS TWO YEARS BEHIND; 2024 IS THE MOST RECENT SALES YEAR PUBLISHED.
A CLAIM CIRCULATING ONLINE THAT ARIZONA REQUIRES A SHED PERMIT IN 2026 IS CONTRADICTED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN 2026–27 REGULATIONS.