Unit 36C - Safety advise

[Flash]

I am one of the fortunate hunters to have a December tag in 36C. I have never been there before and it looks like the first part of my hunt and my scouting trips I am going to be alone (of course when I applied everyone wanted top go if I got a tag :}). I have heard a lot of stories of problems down there with illegal alien activity and I have had a bad experience like that before in another area. I'm not sure where I will be hunting yet, but I am wondering on your opinions on safety of camping alone down there. I am worried about a late night visit and mostly about coming back to a ransacked camp. Any feelings on it? Thanks.

[COOSEFAN]

I hate going down there alone, matter of fact, I was supposed to go this week to check cams and I chickened out! I was supposed to go to the 35's and an area that is known for the drug traffic.....even had a shootout near us last year! When I do have to go alone I take an enclosed utility trailer and I keep all my gear in it and sleep in it also. My trailer has no windows and is fully enclosed, I use ratcheting tie-downs attached to the inside of the back door and lock myself inside it at night. The side door I keep padlocked. Several years ago a buddy and I had an illegal knocking on the door.....that was not cool at all!!!

 

It's always best to have company with ya and pack a side arm, I camp on top of ridges and not in the washes, I also look for an area that is wide open with no thick vegetation close to camp if possible. We have never had a problem, some encounters, but never any problems, never anything messed with or stolen, I think those incidents are rare but I also feel that it depends on how far you are from the border. I have always thought that the farther you are from the border, the more desperate the illegals are and the more drastic the measures they'll take.....BUT, probably higher chances of drug smugglers closer to the border?!?!Best of luck to ya. JIM>

[Armen20]

Flash,

 

Congratulations on drawing the Dec. tag. I've hunted and camped alone in 36C this past January (archery) and again this last October for rifle coues. I would concur with Coosefan; you're better off going with someone else. However, if no one you know drew a tag for the same hunt, going alone is still way better than not going at all. As Coosefan said, keep your camp secured. I slept with a sidearm by my side each night, and carried it with me during the archery hunt when I hiked back in a few miles into an area where I'd previously seen illegal activity. The peace of mind alone is worth its weight.

 

During my archery hunt last January I saw no other hunters or campers but I had five illegals come within 50 yards of my camp late one afternoon before they saw me and turned around. That can make for some uneasy nights by the fire alone at night. Nevertheless, I'd say the odds are low that anything negative would happen and I'm inclined to think the drug runners pose the real threat; the illegal laborers coming across usually (not always) try to avoid any contact with los americanos.

 

Just keep your camp secured, all valuables locked out of sight in your vehicle/trailer, go huntin' and HAVE FUN!!

 

Rich

[MRL1984]

This year in 36A was probably the best year for lack of illegal activity I have had in the last 4 or so years. We didn't see a single UDA. The Border Patrol is hitting the area pretty hard. I realize C is closer to the border and I don't know how much Border Patrol is doing down there.

 

The recommedations of camping on hill tops vs bottoms is pretty good idea. We always camp on top of the ridge and have never had any visitors to our camp except other hunters, Game and Fish, and Border Patrol.

 

A weird thing was someone on top of the highest ridge around well after dark who wanted to play flashlight tag with us for about 30 minutes. Eventually he came down the mountain and hit a different road, which was followed by headlights leaving down the other road. We figured it had to be another hunter since it appeared he had a really good flashlight. A call was put in to Border Patrol, and the pistols were worn around camp until bedtime.

 

As I have done more than once since I got on here will say there really isn't much to worry about from most of the folks walking the desert. You are less likely to run into a coyote or smuggler than Juan Gonzales (best I could do for John Doe), which makes it so you don't have a whole lot to worry about. I really think most of the thefts that are blamed on illegals are either other hunters, anti's or coyotes. Your average UDA isn't looking to carry more weight, and the coyotes that pick them up have them leave everything they carried with them at the pickup point. Water and food on the other hand, well that is probably going to be your average UDA since they don't bring much of either with them. I did notice lots of empty Red Bull cans laying around this year, must be looking to get wings so they can rest their feet.

[fatfootdoc]

I hate going down there alone, matter of fact, I was supposed to go this week to check cams and I chickened out! I was supposed to go to the 35's and an area that is known for the drug traffic.....even had a shootout near us last year! When I do have to go alone I take an enclosed utility trailer and I keep all my gear in it and sleep in it also. My trailer has no windows and is fully enclosed, I use ratcheting tie-downs attached to the inside of the back door and lock myself inside it at night. The side door I keep padlocked. Several years ago a buddy and I had an illegal knocking on the door.....that was not cool at all!!!

 

It's always best to have company with ya and pack a side arm, I camp on top of ridges and not in the washes, I also look for an area that is wide open with no thick vegetation close to camp if possible. We have never had a problem, some encounters, but never any problems, never anything messed with or stolen, I think those incidents are rare but I also feel that it depends on how far you are from the border. I have always thought that the farther you are from the border, the more desperate the illegals are and the more drastic the measures they'll take.....BUT, probably higher chances of drug smugglers closer to the border?!?!Best of luck to ya. JIM>

 

 

 

That sounds like a good system until they hotwire your hot rod and you end up in Mexico with your utility trailer!!!! ag

[JLG]

There is an area near the Elkhorn Ranch that gets alot of people camping around it. I camp there alot on my 36C hunts and I feel pretty safe doing so.

One thing I did notice last year, is that the MinuteMen have seemed to push the UDA's into the foot access only areas of 36C. We would see a fair amount of UDA, down by 286, now it seems that they are taking the routes were they are less accessible to the Minutemen, which is the moutains now. I counted 26 on a deer hunt I was on last year. After they went through I wanted to see if the route they took was well used. It was about a foot wide, 1" deep and covered in tennis shoe tracks.

Once you start seeing a fair about of trash along the trails, than you know it is a popular route for UDA's. They will, it seems try to stay close to the base of the mountains to avoid the huge ups and downs, but it also depends on the existing trails in the area too. When I first saw the "26" they were in a wash that gave them a bunch of cover. I had walked through the same wash earlier in the day and it had alot of human sign in it, trash and evidence of the occasional camp.

I have started sleeping in the backseat of my F-250 Crewcab. I lock all the doors and keep my 9MM close. Its pretty comfortable and makes me feel safe to an extent. Although I guess those folks can break into a truck pretty quickly, which right up until now, I didn't give much thought too, Hmm, JLG.

[firstcoueswas80]

So far this year scouting (about 15 days or so) I am yet to see an illegal. I passed two BP agents in 36b yesterday... They asked me if I had seen anything that they might be interested in so they could go chase it. Seems look like they have slowed down quite a bit down there!

[Armen20]

So far this year scouting (about 15 days or so) I am yet to see an illegal. I passed two BP agents in 36b yesterday... They asked me if I had seen anything that they might be interested in so they could go chase it. Seems look like they have slowed down quite a bit down there!

 

 

Same thing here in 36C. October 2007 I saw over 50 UDAs within a three-day span. Last January I saw no more than 10. This past October I didn't see a single one. No fresh trash either. All trash and discarded articles looked pretty aged. That includes the "foot access only" areas.

 

Something appears to be happening w/ the movement of UDAs in that area.

 

Rich

[azpackhorse]

I've seen more smugglers this year than several past years combined, not so much immigrants.

[scoutm]

I've seen more smugglers this year than several past years combined, not so much immigrants.

 

Illegals need jobs and we're in short supply of those...Smugglers need idiots and we have plenty of them

[azpackhorse]

Very very true

[Ron G.]

I was down in 36B this past Sunday and watched a helicopter rounding up illegals. Seemed to be herding them down towards a road. Seemed like it was working 2-3 different groups because it would keep jumping back and forth over a mountain range. 3 of the illegals I saw looked like they took cover in a wash when the helicopter went out of site. I was hoping the helicopter would kick some deer out of their beds, but no luck...