Job offer to AZ, what's the outdoor opportunities?

[AZ8]

One advantage of the heat: Place your takeout food in the trunk of your car. When you get home, it’s still piping hot!

 

[Fitzwho]

It has definitely been Phoenix-like in Midland the last couple weeks (fellow Midlander, grew up here, and been back for 8 years). It’s not a bad spot for access to Western Hunting as far as Texas goes.

I can’t say much about living in Phoenix, but as a nonresident, I will be going on my 3rd hunt in AZ in 5 years. Coues would surely be easier to draw as a resident, and you would be able to actually scout. Mountain biking would be out your back door.

Coming from Midland, it’s 300 miles to anywhere else in Texas. 300 miles from PHX and you could be in some cool country. You’ll be closer to Utah and Nevada (and California...). Closer to western NM and really no further from Colorado, Wyoming, etc.

 

[KChunter71]

Phoenix has to of the best gun ranges I’ve seen. I’m jealous! KC has nothing to hold a candle to those two. Ben Avery and Rio Salgado Sportsman club. The summers are hot but not much different than Texas. I worked at one of the hospital in Phoenix for 6mo. You will find the people that like to hunt.

Also if you take AZ bow safety course you get a bonus draw point. Also NW is just next door.

safe travels and enjoy the new job

 

[unclericco]

Spent a week in Phoenix once. They don't print enough money for me to take a job there... but I would say the same for the area you currently live. As a guy from Wyoming, I just appreciate the 4 seasons too much to live in a place devoid of 3 of them.

But Laramie?

 

[Mfritts]

Job offer is official. Looks like the family and I will be locating to Phoenix soon. Time for a new adventure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brendan]

Visited for a long weekend a couple years ago. Real Mind f*** when it's 106 in Phoenix, and then below freezing that night two hours away up in Flagstaff.

Flagstaff was awesome. It was May, and I was above timberline looking for Elk, ran into snow. Great hike up in the Aspens and Lodgepole pines.

Went back to Phoenix and went bass fishing, caught a bunch.

Yes, it's hotter than hell, but cool (relatively) and dry over night and early mornings. Coming from someplace where we've been getting temps in the 90's with 100% humidity lately, if given the chance I'd move.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Job offer is official. Looks like the family and I will be locating to Phoenix soon. Time for a new adventure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats! I think pretty much everything has already been covered, but Arizona is a great place to move for an outdoorsman, even if you’re not planning on staying forever. I only stayed 2 and a half years (wife couldn’t stand the climate) but I was lucky enough to draw one decent elk tag, a rifle coues tag, hunt archery deer for a month and a half every year, go to some great rifle and archery ranges (Papago, Ben Avery and Usery) and meet some great people. I never took advantage of the spring and fall bear hunting opportunities or the javelina, but those ones can stretch your season even more. Now that we moved back to Colorado, and I invested in a lifetime hunting license in Arizona, I have resident draw odds in two great elk states; I know people that would kill for that. Moving to Arizona was one of the best decisions I ever made, even though I’m quite happy being back in Colorado. Good luck and take advantage of all the opportunities because they’re nearly endless.

 

[Starbux]

lots of good info for living in AZ, but how does the state treat retirees? We currently live in Colorado and are starting to think about retirement. The wife’s family all has residency in Florida due to the lack of state tax, but I’m not a fan of the humidity there. We want two places...one warm and one cooler. The way Colorado is headed, we’re thinking the cooler location may be Boise or Montana.

 

[Racethesunset]

lots of good info for living in AZ, but how does the state treat retirees? We currently live in Colorado and are starting to think about retirement. The wife’s family all has residency in Florida due to the lack of state tax, but I’m not a fan of the humidity there. We want two places...one warm and one cooler. The way Colorado is headed, we’re thinking the cooler location may be Boise or Montana.

Every winter, the flocks descend on Arizona for a reason. Have a look at Carefree and O-r-o Valley (remove the dashes, it makes an emoji for some reason).

 

[WoollyBug]

The dove hunting is also great! I live in Mesa and drive maybe 20 min to a field and get some decent birds. It does a get a little crowded but thins out the farther you are willing to go.

 

[M22]

Currently living in Midland/Odessa Texas, and as luck would have it, between corona and oil prices have been unemployed for 4 months. Have an offer coming in to to take over and build a sales team for an established company in Phoenix, but of course that would require moving to Phoenix. I'm a hunter that is just getting into the western backcountry scene (one antelope in WY), but I'm also an avid fisherman, camper, shooter/reloader and mountain biker. I realize phoenix is not in the mountains, but what's the upside to AZ residency?

• Can residents hunt elk every year?
• what's the Mule deer / Couses / Antelope scene like?
• Varmints/pigs?
• Fishing?

It looks as though there is plenty of public land, so I am assuming camping opportunities abound?

obviously the family and I have a tough decision to make, and we currently have no friends or family in AZ either. We have a 4 yr old girl, and another girl due in November, so thoughts on family life in Phoenix would be appreciated as well.

Also, anyone looking for a Sales/Business Development/Sales Management professional, feel free to PM me. I specialize in Protective Coatings, am NACE CIP 2 and also have very strong storage tank, and oil and gas background.

Thanks in advance

Mark

There's lots of opportunities for hunting, angling, camping, lots of cool ranges, and lots of cool mountain bike trails. I've never lived in Phx, but I've got buddies there and can give you lots of recommendations, feel free to PM me.

 

[TheGDog]

Honest Question because I don't know : How does Phoenix compare in contrast to the [Golden Valley / Kingman] area?

Are Teeth in as short a supply in Phoenix as they are there? I'm asking the question honestly. I'm unfamiliar with the rest of that state. Was visiting a black-sheep relative, and was really shocked at how many folks seemed to have messed-up Meth Teeth in that region.

And I'm native SoCal.... but that place was unmercifully hot! Then around Xmas/New Years oh man... Geez.. the wind wipped thru there like at I dunno 45-50mph and made it get like in the low 20's just from the wind-chill factor alone!

For small game though? In that particular area? You can just set out a pot of water with an air-rifle... and wait. And Rabbits and Quail will just keep comin'. Also tons of coyotes go rollin' thru there at night!

 

[Racethesunset]

Not really comparable to Kingman.

Phoenix metro area is vast and diverse. Gotta be 50-60 miles across.

I like the edges where the mountains start into the wilderness.

There are good communities all over town. There are some bad ones, of course, too.

 

[taggart_lumpy]

yeah kingman isn’t that great haha

 

[TheGDog]

Thank You. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

[TheGDog]

yeah kingman isn’t that great haha

YEah, I gathered that much from speaking with that relative. I was just kinda curious how pervasive some of that kind of "element" is in other areas of the state is all.

 

[schmalzy]

Congrats man. I’m in Houston area but have longed to live in AZ.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[stonewall]

haven't read all the replies, but...

BUY A LIFETIME LICENSE if you do move there. this will save you from having to buy the license each year when you apply. if you become a NR again, you'll pay NR tag prices, but you'll be good to go on the license

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Arizona born and raised, I can tell you if your into elk hunting AZ is a turd. 9 years for me so far and no archery bull tag. Deer tags are ok to get but the hunts are pretty tuff and pressure can be an issue. Lake fishing can be had but pressure is pretty high there also. The best thing AZ has is public land. The thing I see happening now that you cant really get away from is population growth and real estate prices. So many people are coming here now more than ever and hunting opportunities are going down. The big three cities will have us liberal in the next year or so and that's not going to be good for hunting and fishing. We have been looking for land in other states with more hunting and fishing opportunities but im not seeing much trending any better than we are here. We will most likely end up in northern AZ somewhere and just do the one bull tag and hunt cows after that, no use in waiting another 10 years. If you throw out ELK AZ is pretty good in my opinion.

 

[BBob]

haven't read all the replies, but...

BUY A LIFETIME LICENSE if you do move there. this will save you from having to buy the license each year when you apply. if you become a NR again, you'll pay NR tag prices, but you'll be good to go on the license

Ha ha! I bought mine long ago and could barely afford it at the time. Friends thought about it but claimed it was too expensive and told me they didn't think it was worth it. They've gone up multiple times since and so have licensing fees so who's laughing now? It is so nice to have a non-expiring license and never have that task to do. Bought mine as a hunt/fish with permanent trout stamp too!