Born and raise in the Phoenix area and I used to say that you never get used to the heat, you just learn to tolerate it. Now that I am more seasoned, so to speak, I have come to the conclusion that its really not all that bad considering. Basically Memorial Day through Labor Day is the the worst of the heat. Some years worse than others. June is the dryest month of the year and the last two weeks of June are generally the hottest.
Today and the past two weeks or so have been brutal. Its been several years since we have had back to back to back to back .... 110+ degree days so I guess we were due. When September comes around your mind says it should be cooling down, but it doesn't. The evenings do start to get comfortable in September and that stays until mid June.
Average rain fall is around seven (7) inches a year in Phoenix, but that is misleading. Summer afternoon thunderstorms drop an inch or two inside of an hour and then nothing for months. The rainiest months tend to be Oct - Jan when we get the storms off the California coast. Seems we get rain during the last week of October which is when deer season opens and the last week of January when the Phoenix Open golf tournament is here.
The summer storms generally build during the day south in Mexico and work their way up through Tucson and into Phoenix in late afternoon and evening. These storms can be distructive with high winds and blowing dust. Most of them are all blow and no go (no rain), but when the rain comes it comes in buckets.
So much for weather. In my opinion, drawing a deer tag in AZ has continued to get worse the past ten years or so. Used to get a deer tag most every year, but in the past ten I have received only three and I do not apply for primo areas. The last tag I drew (in '05) was in my favorite area and it is so hard to get to that no one used to make the effort. Opening day '05 was a sea of hunters on quads and a rooky game ranger stopping everyone he could contact to check tags and licenses. Oh, and there were no deer to be seen, imagine that. I did not hear a single shot on Friday or Saturday. (seasons always open on Friday) We hunted the same area for five days in '01 (my previous tag)and only saw one other camp and never saw the hunter. We could pass up small bucks because we always saw deer. Not any more!! If we are drawn this year, we are not going to hunt until mid week when all the crowd has left.
AZ elk tags are few and far between so I started hunting Colorado three years ago. I know I am going to get a tag every year and even though the cost is much higher, just knowing I will be hunting is worth the effort of saving it each year.
Used to fish for Bass at Lake Pleasant and Bartlet Lake (within an hour of Phoenix) , but gave that up years ago when I got hooked on Tuna fishing out of San Diego. Once you pull on a 100+ pound tuna, bass just don't seem to get it for me.
Great segway into other places within reach of the Phoenix / Tucson / Flagstaff areas. San Diego (Zoo, Sea World, Sea Port Village, Ocean Sportfishing and great year round weather), Los Angeles (Disneyland, Magic Mountain, some beaches and to a lesser extent than San Diego, sportfishing), Las Vegas (Adult Disnyland) Colorado, Utah, New Mexico (additional hunting opportunities), the Grand Canyon and lets not forget Mexico resorts such as Rocky Point and Cabo.
Bottom line is every place has its good and bad including where you live now. Its all in what you want out of life and what your definition of quality of life is. I have tried to move to the Denver area several times during my life because I think it would be a good change for me, but my roots are too deep and my job is too good where I am. I also must think about my familiy and what is best for them.
If you let your wife take the job and you move to AZ, there will be a culture shock no matter what. If you end up not liking Arizona, you can always head back to what you know and are comfortable with. All you have lost is a bit of money and a bit of time. If, like some people, you like the lifestyle change you made a great decision.
One other thing to note here is that Phoenix and Tucson are melting pots of people from all over the US. A lot of people from back east winter here for the great weather. (Snowbirds) Many people from California move here to escape the California earthquakes. Right after the last big quake, I-10 was a sea of U-Haul trucks leaving California headed east. Because the Cubs play spring ball here, we have been refered to as Chicago's sister city and many people have moved here from Chicago. Our sports teams are so bad that most of the people in the stands wear the visiting teams jersey's. The D'backs just played a series with Boston and the fans in the stands were about equil D'back and Red Sox fans.
Best I can give you for now. I like the location, have learned to tolerate the summers and have learned to hunt and fish in near by areas. I still accumulate my points in AZ though and will draw a quality bull elk tag in the next few years.
Similar to one of the other posts you received on this, if you make it to AZ and want information on hunting, drop a line and I will be happy to assist.
My long winded .02 cents.
264X300
