The late December season spans the beginning of the Coues deer rut and provides hunters with a great opportunity at record-book deer. During this season, the largest bucks drop their guard while searching for does. Success rates are always high but draw rates are low. For the best chance of drawing a tag in a unit that consistently produces trophy-class deer, try any of the 36s in December: Unit 36A -- 50 tags, 11 percent odds, 53 percent success; Unit 36B -- 150 tags, 12 percent odds, 36 percent success; Unit 36C -- 75 tags, 11 percent odds, 66 percent success.

Unit 34B
In Unit 34B, access is severely restricted on the northeast side of the Whetstone Mountains. For this reason, hunt the east, south and west sides. French and Joe canyons on the east are always popular. The west side usually has lower hunter numbers and some tremendous bucks. Try the areas from Apache Canyon south to Mud Spring Canyon. For a look at some not-so-typical whitetail country, access the west side through the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area off Highway 83 north of Sonoita.

Unit 35A
Unit 35A boasts one of the highest buck-to-doe ratios in the state but includes a large amount of land that is off-limits to hunters. Tags on Fort Huachuca are limited to properly licensed military personnel, the Coronado National Monument does not allow hunting, and there are a few private ranches that either do not allow access or severely restrict hunters. But don't let that stop you.

Hunt the public lands in the Canelo Hills and the west side of the Huachuca Mountains by heading southeast out of Sonoita along Highway 83. Look for areas to glass with good visibility of the oak-studded grasslands and hillsides. Also, be sure to check the desert habitat in the Mustang Mountains at the north end of the unit.

Unit 36B
Some of the biggest bucks in the state are found in Unit 36B, a large unit with most of the deer hunting opportunities found within the Coronado National Forest.

ARIZONA HUNTERS WHO CARE

Each year more than 350,000 illegal aliens are apprehended in Arizona or roughly 1,000 each day. And yet immigration experts conservatively estimate that for every individual captured by the U.S. Border Patrol illegally entering the United States at the Mexican border, seven more get through. And the traffic is changing the desert landscape. While illegal immigrants affect wildlife by pushing animals out of home ranges and competing for water, the trash they leave behind is not only visible but a deep concern. Discarded water bottles, food wrappers and clothes mark the passage throughout Arizona's Red Zone. Rest areas, some the size of a football field, have been found nearly knee-deep in trash. Lance Altherr and a handful of bow hunters attacked the trash problem in 2002 by organizing a group called Arizona Hunters Who Care. "We decided it was time to do something instead of just complain," Altherr said. Twice each year AHWC joins with volunteers from Safari Club International, the Arizona Deer Association, Grounds keeper Landscaping, Waste Management, Arizona Game & Fish, the U.S. Border Patrol and others to pick up trash southwest of Tucson. Over the last four years they have collected over 100,000 pounds of trash. The original clean-up crew of 15 people has ballooned to more than 250 volunteers who in the spring of 2005 picked up 48,000 pounds of trash. At the next cleanup, Altherr hopes to have 500 volunteers. Most of the trash is hauled off in rollaway dumpsters, but this year the group picked up about 2,500 backpacks and 60 bicycles. These were cleaned and repaired, then donated to needy kids in the Tucson area. If you are interested in helping, go online to www.azhunterswhocare.org for more information. -- Trent Swanson

Near the Mexico border, try the areas around Holden Canyon and California Gulch. They can be reached off the Ruby Road that connects Arivaca and Nogales. In the north, both sides of the Tumacacori Mountains hold good deer populations. Many roads lead from either the Arivaca Road or I-19 then cross private and state land before entering the Tumacacoris. This area is always popular so prepare to do some hiking to get away from the crowds.

Unit 36C
All access into Unit 36C is off Highway 286 between Robles Junction and Sasabe. Many ranch roads head west off the highway and lead to the base of the Baboquivari Mountains. There can be substantial hunting pressure close to the roads so do some hiking and don't forget to glass the flats.

This unit borders the eastern edge of the Tohono O'odham Reservation, which is only denoted by a poorly maintained, unmarked three-strand fence. Be sure you know where you are; the fines can be steep!