Thoughts on living in or moving to Arizona

[Weldor]

If big game hunting is important to you , look else where. Tags are sporadic at best and you can go many years without deer hunting and Elk hunting. Water is the key to bird hunting, dry year no birds, wet year good. Population growth has really changed the demographics. Not the great state it used to be.

 

[wind gypsy]

I have similar hobbies to you in the midwest - live on 6 acres and have another 40 an hr away that is fun to work on. I'd think in AZ I could fill that gap with a lot more shooting, some hiking, and a little more golfing.

 

[Weldor]

Plenty of that to do. Golf and such. There's plenty of ranges near Phx. not to many down state. Most wildcat shooting National forest etc is closed most of the year due to fire danger. Just a heads up.

 

[Cannonball]

Ive been in AZ since 98. Currently Im on an acre on a dirt road in the north valley. Lots of outdoor opportunities, but getting drawn for hunts is difficult

 

[PredatorX]

I have similar hobbies to you in the midwest - live on 6 acres and have another 40 an hr away that is fun to work on. I'd think in AZ I could fill that gap with a lot more shooting, some hiking, and a little more golfing.

Yes upper Midwest offers a lot of lifestyle things I like to do. However, for big game hunting I’m really limited to deer and quite frankly am bored with whitetails and have been for some time. Backpack hunting the mountains is a different story and i figure i could cut my travel time down in half which would be easier to scout hunt other states while hitting AZ when i get drawn. This would also get my wife the sun and warm weather she wants.

But, i would have to give up tractoring and timber cutting ( i drop about 100 trees a year) on the side for a good place to hunt. Plus I live in a forested and quiet area. Don’t really like cities and lots of people.

I know I’d be thrown into the population down there but maybe it is time to slow down as I’m not getting younger and consolidate and concentrate on mountain hunting spending more days afield. Hiking in AZ is insanely nice. Life is short and I’m running out of time lol

 

[PredatorX]

Plenty of that to do. Golf and such. There's plenty of ranges near Phx. not to many down state. Most wildcat shooting National forest etc is closed most of the year due to fire danger. Just a heads up.

That’s good to know I figured a guy could just long range shoot anywhere in the desert


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[Weldor]

Lots of public land, all depends on the monsoon or nonsoon and winter snow /rain. No Target shooting on State patent land. You can hunt/fish on it , but no shooting.

 

[TreeDux]

Your overall plan is solid and it seems like you have a good grasp of what would be involved. There is no shortage of outdoor adventures. My situation has some parallels and I have often considered the possibility of scaling down the home/yard/farm so that when Saturday rolls around I can hit the mountains without worrying about chores. It sounds good but I haven’t done it yet.

If the outside work aspect appeals to you there are groups out there love to get volunteers to take down old fences and maintain watering holes specifically for desert bighorns and mule deer. Projects like these could be both fun and rewarding.

 

[Weldor]

Food for thought also, home insurance in the mountains and some desert communities is virtually impossible to get. Wildfire risk is their excuse. Rates if you can find a company $3500 to $12k a year.

 

[LCguy]

I really did not like living in Arizona. I thought people were rude and uninviting. Quail hunting was great though.