Who's Not Afraid to Hunt Down South?

[Coach]

I'm certainly not "afraid" to hunt down there. I've done some backpack trips along some of the well-used smuggling routes. It is a little creepy at times, if you are completely solo because your imagination can spoil the beauty of the rare opportunity if you let it. I've seen it as more of an annoyance than anything. One year I hunted the Whetsones with work buddy who grew up there hunting. On the way in we encountered BP making arrests, and later some guys set fire to a ranch as retribution for turning their buddies in - most of the time we would get to a hill and glass and see strings of illegals, take time out of our hunt to call them in, etc.

 

I would be hesitant to set up a big camp and leave it unattended down there, simply because everything you leave at camp is very valuable to someone coming across - food, water, tents, clothing, even vehicles, are potentially life-saving to someone who has been on foot for days, hungry and thirsty and needing to get another few miles North.

[awatson]

Doesn't bother me to head out there; just need to be vigilant. I've seen it a lot worse as far as volume. What Coach describes, I've seen in years past, but it doesn't seem nearly as bad recently. Probably depends on exactly where you are. It's definitely a good idea not to leave stuff unattended in higher traffic areas. I have glassed them up while they were in my camp, with me looking back at them from a mile away.

[cw4192]

sounds like to me we have Americans that don't give a sh$$t about turning in crime and people here illegally. That is my opinion on the people who turn their heads. I dont want to hear bitching about about stolen cams, ransacked camps, home break ins and all my guns are gone, etc!!! Enjoy. . Bury you're heads in the sand like everybody else.

[awatson]

I'll take SoAZ. You just stay in Phoenix, OK? Go North, with everyone else...

[double lunger14]

I hunt the solo units quite often (alone) is it a smart thing to do? Pry not . Don't get me wrong hopping out of your truck at 430 am alone to open a gate can get scary, or backpacking in 3 miles In the dark alone is scary too. I do hunt with a sidearm with me when I'm archery hunting. I have had multiple encounters with illegals and 1 encounter with drug smugglers that were well armed. I did my own thing and told them I was just a hunter that I would cause no trouble. They went one way and I headed straight back to my truck. That day I wasn't alone my dad was with me but he was a few miles away and we both had radios but somehow the drug runners had some advanced technology and they scrambled my radio frequency when I tried to contact my dad. All I suggest is always be aware of your surroundings, carry a side arm, have your cell phone and BP number and a GPS to give BP your coordinates if you run into any illegal activity. Have fun and safe hunting to all

[reezenhunter]

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I do a fair amount of hunting down south, I've had two issues nothing bad enough to scare me away but bad enough that you wouldn't catch me down there without at least a handgun. Most of the people you run into are non-issues but when that one guy decides he needs your truck more than you do having that 10MM sure is nice! I wouldn't camp alone down there anymore like I used to but I have no problem hunting down there.

[PRDATR]

Most of them move in the night and hole up during the day either under low hanging branches of Oaks up on hillsides so they can see who is moving around below them or in the bottom of canyons where it is nice and shady.

That is where I have seen their encampments and their foot trails are most everywhere once you get south of the lake whether you are up high or down low. You can rarely walk more than 200 yards north to south without crossing one. Telltale signs are they are wider than a game trail and water bottles strewn about with the occasional shoe, backpack or other article of clothing. Hunting alone as I do you shouldn't have any problems but take a radio and camp near others.

Pred, who the heck would be scared in the day when you can see and have a gun.Have you ever been down there and had someone sneeze at 20 yards from your tent at 2 am would that bother you? and what the heck would a radio do when your by yourself.

 

The first time I hunted 36B my son and I were working the side of a hill about 30 yards from the ridge. I was just above him and came across a small game trail that went into some oaks. As I ducked under the branches much to my surprise there was a nicely flattened out bench complete with tarps, sleeping bags, cook stove, canned food, clothes and lots of Mexican magazines like the Hollywood gossip ones you see in the supermarket at the checkout stands. Made the hair on the back of my neck standup. Also came upon a similar setup in a grove of Tamarack's on a riverbank a few miles west of Red Rock when I was quail hunting.

Can't say I have had anyone come into camp while I was there that I was aware of, but the last time I was there (last year) I was a 150 yards or so from the closest camp by choice as I usually retire early by most peoples standards and like to hit the hay by 10pm. Anyway there isn't much you can do if your alone and they want to come in. I have also been in a few areas down there where cell phone reception is nill, but at least with a two way radio the chances of raising another hunter are pretty good if you fall and break something.

[John O]

I have come to really enjoy the Aug/Sept archery hunt down south each year. Lot's of coues and muley transition areas, very little pressure, and no problem finding decent bucks. I realize there is a heightened sense of awareness required to be down there, but I would contend that the most dangerous part of the hunt is the highway drive there and back. Happy hunting to those going out, and good luck!!

 

Lots of good info in this thread. Thanks all for chiming in. I'll just add a few things that have worked for me:

- I do a lot of off season scouting so I am very familiar with the areas I will be hunting.

- I always hunt areas that either have good cell phone reception, or have a short hike to a spot with known reception.

- For any area I will be hunting in that is a significant hike, I go on a pre-hunt hike and save the track in my GPS so I can find my way out safely in the dark.

- I carry a compact 40, with an extra mag.

- I let someone know when I expect to be back, and tell them where I will be. They know to come looking if I don't check in by a certain time.

- I have several good friends who work for Border Patrol, and are down there a lot. I ask them often if there are particular areas of the unit that have had an uptick of activity, or are unsafe to scout in. Their information has helped a lot, as most of the areas I go to have very little activity.

- I don't let the fear of what could happen keep me from having a great time. At the same time, I am not ignorant of the dangers in hunting down there, and am hypersensitive to the conditions and my surroundings.

- Lastly, I am not looking to make a statement or cause trouble should I encounter a situation. I believe anyone I run into would feel the same. I am happy to call Border Patrol if needed, but I have no desire to take matters into my own hands.

 

 

Last year we glassed up a group on a saddle, and were able to call their coordinates in to Border Patrol. It was cool to watch it all happen when the agents on horseback showed up and busted them all. Attached is a photo of it going down. If you look on the left side of the photo, you can see one of the BP agents on horseback coming in.

 

 

Good luck to all, and be safe.

 

[PRDATR]

Tucson CBP, 520-748-3000 is the latest number I have in my phone. Good Post John O.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I go down to unit 36b every year and tell you what, theres always some kind of excitement!

we normally set up camp down off of rubi road in california gulch or warsaw canyon depending on the amount of people but last years hunt was a real eye opener! on our 3rd day of the hunt we had a group of id say maybe 10+ near our camp site you can clearly here them giving signals back and fourth to each other around 2 am a few of them went into our camp and actually ram sacked the place took water food you name it! I set the alarm off on my pick up and turned on the spot lights on they all scattered shortly after there were two helicopters flying pretty low, and to top that off the following morning we got our a** chewed off by border patrol!! turns out we ended up about a mile south of the border. who knew a piece of barb wire on the floor was the border lol

That right there is funny.............

[Lucafu1]

we hunt either 36a or b every year (deer and pig) and you just have to be aware. only problem ive had is running into a man and his dying wife (cold and rainy night). they were left by the coyotes and she died in front of us from hypothermia. i called BP, gave them my grid coordinates (that was a PIA in itself), we were too deep in so they brought in a helicopter to pick her up. they called me back when she got to the road that she didnt survive ( i knew that). anything can happen out there, as long as you understand that you will be fine.

[arn243]

BP dispatch in Nogales is 520-761-2567, Cell signals are getting better in the area

Even though we are packing the extra weight of guns and ammo we still call in our intentions to go overnight to BP Dispatch before we go in backpacking so that they dont come investigating us.

They are very good about taking the information.

[Huntress283]

First year (last year) I put in for a rifle deer hunt I didn't get drawn, I was so disappointed I decided to pick up a left over tag for 36B. Most people I talked to said I wouldn't see any activity. I wasn't alone on this hunt thankfully and I was carrying a rifle and my hand gun, I felt safe. Definitely wouldn't have felt safe if I was alone. I was only able to hunt 2 days. The first day we came across 5 people walking directly below us from the high point we were glassing from, they noticed us after they passed us and minded their own business. The second day we hiked to a different high point and this time there was a larger group crossing (I think we counted 16) they kept to themselves as well. I never felt threatened. I had just as much fun spotting them as I did spotting coues. Here's a picture of the larger group crossing

[AZLance]

One time while hunting, I stepped on a rattle snake, I didn't get bit, so now while hunting I step on all rattle snakes I find. I'm not afraid!

[Bitter24]

Why is everyone so freaked out about hunting near the border, its part of living in AZ. Your going to see illegals. You will probably end up finding dope (if you do some hiking at any point). You stand a better chance breaking a ankle vs being attacked. If the mulies are able to get close enough to you for something to happen then you werent looking very hard. Call it in to BP and go back to hunting. Just my thoughts though some people will disagree and thats fine.