Southeast Arizona?

[Kaitum]

My wife and I are traveling to southeast Arizona in another month for a short vacation and to check the area out. Our long term goal is to retire to that area for half the year. My wife went to school and worked in Arizona (mostly northern AZ) for 15 years so she's fairly familiar with the state. I've only ever been to northern AZ once. So I'm wondering what I have to look forward to for hunting prospects if we do end up in southeastern AZ in our retirement days? Areas we're considering include Portal, Sierra Vista, Patagonia, and Elgin. How's the deer hunting? I assume there are javalina around? Outside of quail and doves, anything else?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[junior88]

SE AZ is a hotbed for coues whitetail. All of the areas you named are right in the middle of it. Elgin is very picturesque and some of the homes there are beautiful. however you also have to think about illegal immigration. You'd be right in the middle of it. Along with javelina there are also goulds turkey, pronghorn, mule deer, and bear. Just some food for thought.

 

[Kaitum]

Thanks for the info. Having Gould's turkey around would be cool, only turkey subspecies I haven't hunted yet. I will admit the border issues do give me some concern but know nothing about those issues outside what I've heard from the media (and I realize how slanted that story can be).

 

[schmalts]

Don't know about the crime there but Patogonia is one nice looking town. I love that kind of country with the rolling hills and I used to bow hunt that area well over over a decade ago and there was no shortage of game. But things have changed with the drug and illegal activity.

 

[Oak]

Lots of predator hunting down there. Coyotes, mountain lion, gray fox, bobcats. Saw all of them when I was Coues hunting a couple of years ago.