javihammer
Active Member
- Messages
- 135
Top 18 reasons it is great to be an Arizona Hunter
1. We grow the biggest elk, muleys, coues deer and antelope in the world
2. Our Game and Fish department tells private landowners to pound sand when they try to strongarm tags from the public. Case in point, AZGFD cancelled the antelope hunt in unit 19B a couple years ago when a private ranch got grabby (hope the same strategy works for the Boquillas ranch). Arizona doesn't have private land tags. This means no funny business, no inequities, and wildlife truly managed as part of the public trust. A great thing.
3. Our Game and Fish department and Commission solicits public input and actually considers it when making changes and lots of Arizona hunters seem to provide input. Case in point, the premium tag structure that was shelved just recently based on 800 public comments. Our Commission did a great job and represented hunters well by striking down the premium proposal and listening to the overwhelming majority of hunters that were against it.
4. Our Governor and game department are unafraid to push back when asked to enforce unreasonable federal mandates?case in point, the travel management rules mandated by the Forest Service (HB 2551)?kudos to Governor Brewer for standing up for us
5. The sound of Gambel quail calling all around you as you load up your shotgun and get ready to go after them as the sun peeks over the mountains and lights up the saguaros in the morning?.feels like right before kickoff when you are part of the kickoff team in high school, the anticipation of knowing you are going to get to lay down some big hits is a total rush.
6. We have one of the best public shooting ranges in the country, Ben Avery?.Disneyland for rednecks
7. Kaibab ? To call it a good deer unit isn't doing it justice, that place is gorgeous and way more than just a good deer unit.
8. Our Game department doesn't pay a commission to groups that auction our coveted governor tags. One example is the Arizona governor mule deer tag at the SFW expo?our department knows that this tag markets itself as well as the lesser tags around it, SFW should be paying them a commission to sell it. Maybe they will someday.
9. Good Mexican food - The Mexican restaurants in most small towns in Arizona serve better Mexican food than the best restaurants in the Big Cities to the North of us. Ground beef is for meatloaf, not for tacos. Shredded or Machaca beef and homemade green chile taste real good and are worth a couple trips into town.
10. Most Arizona guides are skilled hunters that can find trophies on almost any public ground, some literally wrote the book on western hunting ( Duwayne Adams). They don't need to call into the Outfitter home office to get permission, GPS coordinates and trail cam pictures purchased from spotters (AKA trophyrazzi). Real Arizona guides don't worry about how many grip and grin photos they can superimpose their logo onto or create stylized fist pump action videos. Real Arizona based guides just quietly rewrite record books with regular hunters on public land.
11. Arizona hunters know that cholla cactus doesn't actually jump, it is just really sticky and hurts real bad when it pokes into the side of your boot?..walk carefully and lookout for snakes. Veteran desert hunters carry a pocket comb, and it isn't to comb their hair.
12. Our Game department provided a forum for real unaffiliated ?Average Joe? constituents to provide input on a proposal to allocate hundreds of raffle and auction tags to an expo last year (HB 2072). Arizona hunters banded together and beat it with help from some of our friends from other states, local media and legislators. I remember someone in leadership from a pro-auction tag wildlife group telling me the fight was futile and to just accept that hunting has changed and to accept the wealth tag pill, it sure was nice to see him eat his words. The old AZSFW folded up shop after that one, but they weren't affiliated with SFW in Utah?.yeah right. Prior to this, an SFW infection was considered a life sentence like herpes. Hopefully it is now just seen as an annoying bug that can be cured with treatment and prevented by avoiding the big SFW burrito (also known as the EXPO). The Utah DWR needs a health inspection.
13. I have never seen a sign anywhere in Arizona that required me to pack out my poop. If anyone knows of such an area I would prefer to not know about it.
14. The Southern portion of our state is kind of dangerous??..which means plenty of leftover coues deer tags! Those little deer a pretty cool. I carry a Glock life insurance policy and look behind me every couple minutes.
15. Purplish-orange desert sunsets and cold Mexican beer??a winner for sure
16. We have the best draw system in the world. You don't need to hire a tag service to interpret our rules. No extra credit for outfitters, no sidebet drawing for special people (other than a couple governor tags and the super raffle?.a handful of tags), no private landowner tags, no blue light special for antlerless, no lifetime carte blanche bonus tags. Arizona has one fairly simple bonus point system, no squaring or mathematical voodoo. Just pick 5 hunt numbers and CAREFULLY get your correct fees and application in on time. Unless you have the coin to buy a Governor tag, you aren't special, just get in line with the rest of us. If the wait gets too long, apply for a cow tag. If you have any questions about when you will draw a tag, prepare to be frustrated, there are few guarantees in bonus point land. If you want to see ?your? animal before you buy the tag, get an auction tag in Utah, they can show you pictures and tell you what his name is and give you a cap to wear when you shoot him. If you want to schedule when you will shoot your animal, hunt over a corn flinger in Texas. Those are the rules, if you want to hunt in Arizona you need to be flexible.
17. It smells good when it rains here
18. Hospitality. You can usually tell if another hunter is from Arizona or not because an Arizona hunter will give you a subtle two-finger wave and a nod when you walk or drive by. That means ?I saw you? in case someone questions them about your whereabouts later. Kind of an outback insurance policy and a good indicator of whether you can get some help getting the meat in the truck later. If you want to show you are not from Arizona, you can pull up real close to the truck in front of you while you are driving out in the morning darkness, nothing says this guy is clueless more than an inconsiderate aggressive driver that passes you and leaves a dust trail without making eye contact.
Did I miss any?
1. We grow the biggest elk, muleys, coues deer and antelope in the world
2. Our Game and Fish department tells private landowners to pound sand when they try to strongarm tags from the public. Case in point, AZGFD cancelled the antelope hunt in unit 19B a couple years ago when a private ranch got grabby (hope the same strategy works for the Boquillas ranch). Arizona doesn't have private land tags. This means no funny business, no inequities, and wildlife truly managed as part of the public trust. A great thing.
3. Our Game and Fish department and Commission solicits public input and actually considers it when making changes and lots of Arizona hunters seem to provide input. Case in point, the premium tag structure that was shelved just recently based on 800 public comments. Our Commission did a great job and represented hunters well by striking down the premium proposal and listening to the overwhelming majority of hunters that were against it.
4. Our Governor and game department are unafraid to push back when asked to enforce unreasonable federal mandates?case in point, the travel management rules mandated by the Forest Service (HB 2551)?kudos to Governor Brewer for standing up for us
5. The sound of Gambel quail calling all around you as you load up your shotgun and get ready to go after them as the sun peeks over the mountains and lights up the saguaros in the morning?.feels like right before kickoff when you are part of the kickoff team in high school, the anticipation of knowing you are going to get to lay down some big hits is a total rush.
6. We have one of the best public shooting ranges in the country, Ben Avery?.Disneyland for rednecks
7. Kaibab ? To call it a good deer unit isn't doing it justice, that place is gorgeous and way more than just a good deer unit.
8. Our Game department doesn't pay a commission to groups that auction our coveted governor tags. One example is the Arizona governor mule deer tag at the SFW expo?our department knows that this tag markets itself as well as the lesser tags around it, SFW should be paying them a commission to sell it. Maybe they will someday.
9. Good Mexican food - The Mexican restaurants in most small towns in Arizona serve better Mexican food than the best restaurants in the Big Cities to the North of us. Ground beef is for meatloaf, not for tacos. Shredded or Machaca beef and homemade green chile taste real good and are worth a couple trips into town.
10. Most Arizona guides are skilled hunters that can find trophies on almost any public ground, some literally wrote the book on western hunting ( Duwayne Adams). They don't need to call into the Outfitter home office to get permission, GPS coordinates and trail cam pictures purchased from spotters (AKA trophyrazzi). Real Arizona guides don't worry about how many grip and grin photos they can superimpose their logo onto or create stylized fist pump action videos. Real Arizona based guides just quietly rewrite record books with regular hunters on public land.
11. Arizona hunters know that cholla cactus doesn't actually jump, it is just really sticky and hurts real bad when it pokes into the side of your boot?..walk carefully and lookout for snakes. Veteran desert hunters carry a pocket comb, and it isn't to comb their hair.
12. Our Game department provided a forum for real unaffiliated ?Average Joe? constituents to provide input on a proposal to allocate hundreds of raffle and auction tags to an expo last year (HB 2072). Arizona hunters banded together and beat it with help from some of our friends from other states, local media and legislators. I remember someone in leadership from a pro-auction tag wildlife group telling me the fight was futile and to just accept that hunting has changed and to accept the wealth tag pill, it sure was nice to see him eat his words. The old AZSFW folded up shop after that one, but they weren't affiliated with SFW in Utah?.yeah right. Prior to this, an SFW infection was considered a life sentence like herpes. Hopefully it is now just seen as an annoying bug that can be cured with treatment and prevented by avoiding the big SFW burrito (also known as the EXPO). The Utah DWR needs a health inspection.
13. I have never seen a sign anywhere in Arizona that required me to pack out my poop. If anyone knows of such an area I would prefer to not know about it.
14. The Southern portion of our state is kind of dangerous??..which means plenty of leftover coues deer tags! Those little deer a pretty cool. I carry a Glock life insurance policy and look behind me every couple minutes.
15. Purplish-orange desert sunsets and cold Mexican beer??a winner for sure
16. We have the best draw system in the world. You don't need to hire a tag service to interpret our rules. No extra credit for outfitters, no sidebet drawing for special people (other than a couple governor tags and the super raffle?.a handful of tags), no private landowner tags, no blue light special for antlerless, no lifetime carte blanche bonus tags. Arizona has one fairly simple bonus point system, no squaring or mathematical voodoo. Just pick 5 hunt numbers and CAREFULLY get your correct fees and application in on time. Unless you have the coin to buy a Governor tag, you aren't special, just get in line with the rest of us. If the wait gets too long, apply for a cow tag. If you have any questions about when you will draw a tag, prepare to be frustrated, there are few guarantees in bonus point land. If you want to see ?your? animal before you buy the tag, get an auction tag in Utah, they can show you pictures and tell you what his name is and give you a cap to wear when you shoot him. If you want to schedule when you will shoot your animal, hunt over a corn flinger in Texas. Those are the rules, if you want to hunt in Arizona you need to be flexible.
17. It smells good when it rains here
18. Hospitality. You can usually tell if another hunter is from Arizona or not because an Arizona hunter will give you a subtle two-finger wave and a nod when you walk or drive by. That means ?I saw you? in case someone questions them about your whereabouts later. Kind of an outback insurance policy and a good indicator of whether you can get some help getting the meat in the truck later. If you want to show you are not from Arizona, you can pull up real close to the truck in front of you while you are driving out in the morning darkness, nothing says this guy is clueless more than an inconsiderate aggressive driver that passes you and leaves a dust trail without making eye contact.
Did I miss any?
