Arizona deer hunts range from a few hundred dollars for a resident on an OTC archery tag to $12,500 or more for a guided trophy mule deer hunt on the Arizona Strip. For a nonresident, the license and tag are about $460 to $475, and most guided Coues whitetail hunts cost $3,500 to $6,500. Here’s the breakdown.
License and tag costs (2026–27)
These fees are from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
| Item | Nonresident | Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting license | $160 (combination) | $37 (hunting) or $57 (combination) |
| Drawn deer tag, including application fee | $315 | $58 |
| Total for a drawn deer hunt | $475 | $95–$115 |
| OTC archery deer nonpermit-tag (instead of a drawn tag) | $300 | $45 |
| Total for an OTC archery hunt | $460 | $82–$102 |
| PointGuard (optional, draw only) | $10 | $10 |
If you don’t draw, a nonresident is out the $160 license (good for a year) plus the $15 application fee, and earns a bonus point.
DIY hunt: what to budget
| Expense | Typical range |
|---|---|
| License and tag | about $460–$475 |
| Travel (gas or flights, rental) | $400–$1,500 |
| Food and camp supplies | $150–$350 |
| Lodging if not camping | $0–$900 |
| Meat processing | $100–$250 |
| Shipping or hauling meat home | $0–$250 |
| Trip total, not counting gear | about $1,100–$3,700 |
These ranges are estimates. Coues deer are small, often under 100 pounds, so processing and transport are cheap. The big expense is optics: serious Coues hunters use high-power binoculars on a tripod, and that gear can cost more than the trip.
Guided hunt prices
Here are real examples from Arizona outfitters’ published prices. Licenses and tags are not included.
| Hunt | Example price |
|---|---|
| Coues whitetail, archery or rifle, 5 days, fully guided | $3,500 |
| Coues whitetail, guide only, 5 days | $4,000 |
| Coues whitetail, fully outfitted, 5 days | $5,500 |
| Coues whitetail, fully outfitted, 7 days | $6,500 |
| Coues whitetail, rifle during the rut | $4,750 |
| Desert mule deer, rifle, 4 days | $3,250–$3,750 |
| OTC archery deer, guided | $6,000 |
| Kaibab or Arizona Strip mule deer, 5 days, 1-on-1 | $7,500 |
| Kaibab or Arizona Strip mule deer, 10 days, 1-on-1 | $12,500 |
One Coues outfitter we reviewed takes $500 to $1,500 off per hunter for 2-on-1 hunts, depending on length. Some of the published rates above are a few years old, so confirm current prices with the outfitter.
The cost of building points
Many Coues whitetail and desert mule deer hunts have hundreds of tags and are much easier to draw. Kaibab and Arizona Strip hunts are a different story and can take many years of points. Each year a nonresident applies without drawing costs $175: the $160 license plus the $15 application fee. One license covers both the February elk and pronghorn draw and the June deer draw if it is still valid, so applying for several species spreads that cost out.
What’s usually NOT included
- Your license and tag
- Travel to and from Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson are the usual airports)
- Lodging and meals on guide-only hunts
- Extra spotters
- Meat processing and trophy shipping
- Taxidermy
- Tips, usually 10–20% of the hunt price
Ways to save
- Bowhunt on an OTC tag. No points needed, and you choose your units and dates. See how OTC archery works.
- Apply for early whitetail rifle hunts. They usually have the most tags.
- Go guide-only. Handle your own camp and meals and save $1,500 or so.
- Share a guide. 2-on-1 discounts are common.
- Look for openings. See discount guided hunts and self-guided and DIY hunts.
Compare prices
See Arizona deer outfitters and what they charge
Contact outfitters directly through their Horn & Fin listings.
Related: How Arizona draw points work · Draw odds by unit · Arizona Deer Hunting Guide · Guided vs. DIY deer hunting · How to apply for the deer draw
License and tag fees are from the Arizona Game and Fish Department for 2026–27. Guided hunt examples are from outfitters’ published price lists and can change at any time.