Portion of Big Boquillas Ranch CLOSED

[RockyMtnOyster]

From this site:
http://www.azgfd.gov/artman/publish/article_383.shtml

Portion of Big Boquillas Ranch closed to vehicle access this hunt season

News Media
September 13, 2005

Closure area is smaller than last year's

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is advising hunters that a portion of the Big Boquillas Ranch in northwestern Arizona is closed to vehicles this hunting season. Foot access will be allowed in the closed area. The closure affects approximately 60 square miles around the Rose Well Camp area and is much smaller than the 175 square miles closed in that area in 2004.

The remainder of the ranch is open to vehicular access by hunters, although off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and the transportation of horses and livestock onto the ranch are prohibited.

The Big Boquillas Ranch is approximately 730,000 acres and comprises nearly one half of Game Management Unit 10, which is located near Seligman. More than one half of the ranch is private property owned by the Navajo Nation and the remaining portions are state trust land leased by the Navajo Nation. For questions about the restrictions, contact the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources at (928) 871-6592.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department asks that hunters obey all signs and instructions while this closure is in effect, and respect all ranch land by avoiding the following: cross-country vehicle travel, littering, leaving gates open, and camping too close to waters.

To view a map of the closure area, click here.

 

[Bura Nut]

My personal opinion is that the Navajo Nation is moving towards landowner permits with the help of Jeff Flake. After last years fiasco with the land and now this year, I would bet there will be media issues with stuff like how bad the hunters treat the land which will grease the wheels to shut down the land and allow Flake or whomever champions landowner permits. Our new commissioner who came from Colorado will more than likely be sympathetic towards Ranching For Wildlife. I hate to think this will happen, but we all would be leaving our heads in the sand if we just sit back and hope it doesnt............. Thanks, Allen Taylor......

 

[gleninaz]

Allen-I agree and think Flake is a big time supporter of landowner tags and RFW. That said now that the USO issue is behind us we need to focus on pressuring G&F and politicians to do something with the Boquillas. No tags in that part of unit 10 at all if they close the ranch to public access. I am sure that our new SFW group would embrace this as a top priority if they are truly representing public hunters in AZ. This needs to be our number one goal and will be critical in beating the commercial interest groups who want to get landowner tags in this state. We need to stop listening to those who feel we need to grade roads and clean up the ranch for the indians hoping we can get fair treatment. Time to organize a battle plan and get this resolved. JMO.

 

[clish]

Glen; Your comments are insulting to the Navajo Nation. Arizona Game and Fish is not working on roads and sportsmen are not cleaning up the ranch for the Indians. They are doing it as a good faith effort to keep the ranch open. Therefore, they are doing it for themselves. Without those activities, the ranch would not be open!

 

[bowhntg2]

If that map is accurate, the area isn't that significant. The opening weekend of Archery deer had a few more road closures than what are shown. With that, the only REAL effect it has on anything is travel time since the Rose Well gates are locked down. I'm still curious as to the reasoning for the closure since it is posted by AZGF and not the Navajo nation. Because of the private land/state land checker board out there, landowner tags seem a bit shady.........Whether they think I can handle it or not, I don't just want answers, "I want the TRUTH!!!!!"

 

[gleninaz]

Clish-Close it then and get on with life. The fact is that the road was graded for $10000 and about thirty grand in work was done by sportsmen to keep the ranch open and it is not. Why is that insulting? I don't blame the Navajo Nation for wanting to control their own land but they should never be able to close public access to public land. They will hopefully be wise enough to know that if the sporting public gets truly behind an effort to control access they will lose in the end.