thoughts on new coconino road rules

[Mommahunter]

well im a new registered user but I have been coming on here for oh maybe 4 years and reading whats going on. Yep I am a lady hunter, love to hunt! I think I was the first person in our group of friends that brought this road thing up when I found out about it on here! I cant tell you how many of them had no idea what I was talking about. I can tell you so many of our non hunting friends knew either! Im torn a little here and there on this subject. Im going to say that I am really sad that our camping in the woods is going to seem like a KOA in some ways. And that Elk camp is going to be way crowded! Mostly I am going to say...Im NOT A LAZY HUNTER but I have asthma and my lungs tend to give me trouble and by me having to park 30' off the road and eating dust is surely going to really mess me up!!! And by golly I will walk always have to some amazing spots. Yep my hubby has to stop endless times for me to catch my breath but I get there! But now im wondering how some of those spots am I really going to be able to do it. We usually hike in anyways 2-3 miles or more....I give it all I got but Im not sure if I can honestly push myself even further. Im not asking for sympathy, im just stating its hard I always give my all, but this is going to make it even harder for someone that struggles sometimes to catch a breath, and finds as I get older it seems to be getting worse. So not every hunter is lazy because they are upset with some of the new rules, and I would think most of you will understand where Im coming from. I am sure im not the only one in this boat. Please dont say well stop hunting.....thats not even a thought....that will never happen. I do it because I love it! I am just worried that my lungs are not going to cooperate for me....Im not looking for special treatment im just stating a fact that this is going to be really hard physically on myself and im sure others. We are not ROAD Hunters.....we walk and hike but these new rules are 100% going to change things for me Im sure! Usually hunt the quiet zones anyways, have a few others spots but I dont know if I will be physically able to walk 6-7 miles or more now to get to them. Just my two cents...thanks for listening!

[elkaholic]

i know kaibab is 30 ft from road -vechile parking - now is coconino 30 or 300.

 

the problem i see is theft - talk about making it easy for the low lifes to get access to your stuff , while your hunting!

 

before they took their chances sneeking into a camp- now its just drive-by!

 

this should be a safety issue - not only for the forest and the possible distructuion of roads by parrell parking but the public being in danger of vechile collisions etc. we all know bad dust can cause serious visiblility problems i see potental for a tragic accident !

 

nfs has their heads up their aces

[chico]

Hope all goes well for you on future hunts and just getting out in the great outdoors. This weekend is going to be interesting in 5BN and 5B South. We chose to stay home instead of trying to find a nice camp spot in 5BSouth like we usually do. Hope folks that do go out post feedback on how road closures and camping next to the open roads will influence going again or not. When hunt time comes the highways are going to resemble a really long parking lot. Anyways wish all that do go out, to have a good and safe time. Remember all those that gave so we all could enjoy this weekend. God Bless.

[Anaconda]

So I have a question about the camping 30 feet from the road rule.

Is that just for parking your truck ?

Can you park within 30 feet of the road, and set your tent up another 100 feet back, as long as your truck is within 30 feet of the road ?

[mtn-memories]

So I have a question about the camping 30 feet from the road rule.

Is that just for parking your truck ?

Can you park within 30 feet of the road, and set your tent up another 100 feet back, as long as your truck is within 30 feet of the road ?

 

+1

[Elkaddict]

So I have a question about the camping 30 feet from the road rule.

Is that just for parking your truck ?

Can you park within 30 feet of the road, and set your tent up another 100 feet back, as long as your truck is within 30 feet of the road ?

Yes, you can carry your stuff as far as you want. On the Coconino it's 300' from designated roads and 30' from all other open roads that are not designated for camping.

[naturegirl]

Hope folks that do go out post feedback on how road closures and camping next to the open roads will influence going again or not.

 

 

+1

[coues krazy]

Here is some feedback, people are still camping where ever they want. They cant enforce this stupid new law. I was at the clints well 3d shoot this weekend, and people camp where they want to camp. Never saw a forest srevice truck all weekend, and we were within 2 miles of an office.

[Elkaddict]

Here is some feedback, people are still camping where ever they want. They cant enforce this stupid new law. I was at the clints well 3d shoot this weekend, and people camp where they want to camp. Never saw a forest srevice truck all weekend, and we were within 2 miles of an office.

OK, so what are you going to do? You know the road is closed and you want to walk in but you see truck/atv tracks on it...do you drive in because everyone else is? Or take your chances that no one is in there now, and walk?

I would really like to know what people are going to do.

Seems as though the camping regs wouldn't be that hard to enforce, of course if they ( FS) work Mon - Fri / 8 to 5 they might not catch many illegal campers.

[bstpeter]

I was scouting the southern part of 5bn and half mile into the woods where there are no FS roads a fresh quad track.....on the way back out I doubled back and bear track on the quad track.....I'm sure you will have people driving Quads everywhere including Hunters who Don't care...I also saw a freshly killed small cow Elk that had been skinned????? Sup with that

[naturegirl]

..I also saw a freshly killed small cow Elk that had been skinned????? Sup with that

 

Did you report it to G&F? last year my husband came across a does with an arrow in her head. he took GPS coordinates and gave them to G&F. we've done that a few times over the years with stuff that was illegal.

[naturegirl]

update. was up again last weekend. everything looked the same as last year and the year before with people and campers doing the same stuff

[Anaconda]

Another question, the map shows some roads as "SEASONAL".

 

Can I assume this means when I go hunting in November, those roads will be closed ?

[cosninocanines]

Another question, the map shows some roads as "SEASONAL".

 

Can I assume this means when I go hunting in November, those roads will be closed ?

 

Seasonal varies, some roads are located in "quiet areas" and others are in "wet weather areas" and may be closed for short periods any time of the year.

 

This is from the Coconino Nat Forest web site

Quiet Areas

" Hunters, (the recreation group who requested this special area designation), desire areas where they can hunt on foot or horseback without the intrusion of motorized vehicles. Also, the value of the area during these special periods for wildlife, horseback riders, hikers, mountain bikers and other forest users cannot be overlooked. Wildlife, for example, benefit from the absence of noisy vehicles through stress reduction, much the same as you and I would, yet may still be hunted in these areas during regular hunting seasons."

 

Wet Wearher

"The wet weather travel restrictions are resulting in the temporary closure of many roads and the prohibition of cross-country motor vehicle travel including ATVs when soils are saturated due to precipitation."

Here in the Flagstaff area this usually occurs after most hunting seasons are over however some late December and January hunts could be affected.