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SirRoyal

Big Boquillas Ranch Threat or Leverage or Both!

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Close it! Then cut it out of the unit so nothing can be hunted. When the elk numbers skyrocket, and they surely will, they will beg for hunters to come in to kill em so their precious cattle can eat and drink.

 

This is nothing more than another power play/money grab.....

 

Close it and cut it out of the unit!!!! Azgfd has the power to do this.

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In other words (this is what I read into the above post anyway), the owners of the Big Bo want to lease the hunting rights to guides and rich hunters only, and make a ton of money for access rights. So G&F is trying to kill off as many bull elk as possible while they can.

 

Ranching is an expensive business, and getting money this way adds to the profits with little work needed by the ranch hands or outgoing money by the owners. I understand that. But the checkerboard of public land that will be lost for access is a huge deal. I have never hunted the Big Bo, or unit 10 much at all, but I think it would be a devastating loss for the hunters in unit 10.

 

Basically, pay up or get off. I doubt AZG&F will pay up, so the future of the Big Bo will more than likely be hunted only by the elite. So much for "Public Lands" scattered throughout the Big Bo. Too bad corner hopping is illegal.

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The rest of the big checker board ranches will no doubt go the same way. Too bad for us average guys.

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If game and fish owns the animals as they say they do then no hunting licenses for private ranches? What would everyone think of that?

Then the ranches would get no benefit and no one would be upset that only the rich could hunt them.

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The ranches in AZ do not get "landowner tags". But they are the ones who allow access to the public land locked in the middle of private land in the GMUs. Those who draw tags in those GMUs either pay a trespass fee, or go hunt somewhere else. G&F has no control over that.

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Private land is just that, private land. Keeping people off the land locked public sections has been upheld in court. It's a crummy deal, but not much can be done other than negotiate. Someone with a lotta money is probably negotiating with em too. The way the rules are as far as game, the landowner can't let anyone without a tag that they got in the drawing, hunt there. I'm sure part of the landowner side is they want tags. Wonder who the rich guy/outfitter is that's behind it? Lark

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The ranches in AZ do not get "landowner tags". But they are the ones who allow access to the public land locked in the middle of private land in the GMUs. Those who draw tags in those GMUs either pay a trespass fee, or go hunt somewhere else. G&F has no control over that.

You are right, but they can control if the land can legally be hunted by anyone.... I say close these ranches off too any hunting for a few years and the greedy will find a way to make it fair for all hunters. Taxpayers are being denied access to public lands that are landlocked and to hunting game that belong to all the people of this state. We are not talking about High Fence hunting ranches who pay a lot of $$$$$ to build herds and then profit from hunting, we are talking greedy ranchers who are trying to get in bed with a few greedy guide/outfitters to profit a lot of $$$$$ off of game and land that belong to all Arizona taxpayers.

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I don't know if greedy is the right word. Ranches are businesses. Folks don't buy em because they wanna play cowboy. They have real high overhead, real high cost to get started, are subject to all kinds of things they can't control. Beef prices, fuel prices, weather, enviro idiots, gov't, etc. the owner is looking at a way to increase the bottom line. No doubt there is someone whispering in their ear about the potential. Probably a buncha somebodies. Probably folks we've all heard of before too. But calling someone greedy for trying to make their investment pay off ain't correct. Lark

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I don't mind them wanting to make money but when it includes checkerboard lands the access issues should not allow complete closer. If it was all deeded land I could care less what they do with it. The ranch could also be shooting themselves in the foot if they shut down basic access they are gambling that some super rich folks will draw tags every year that will pay high access fees. On years when the draw does not favor their clients they will not make much money.

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i wouldn't be surprised at all if SFW has something to do with us. lots of big money people behind them

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