What's your favorite thing about AZ?

[hunter4life]

The thing I love about Arizona is that alot of people move there instead of coming to New Mexico. Although, NM's population is growing pretty fast and I fear it will get pretty crowded in the decades to come.

[KGAINES]

I guess because rain and clouds are rare in AZ compared to other states I appreciate it much more. This pic was from my front door.

[wklman]

my favorite thing about Arizona is that its not California.

[az4life]

Az you may have guessed by my handle, I am a native of AZ also. I Did not realize there were so many of us natives on the forum!

 

The largest stand of ponderosa pines anywhere in the country only 2 hours away from the valley. Driving up to one of the rim lakes for morning fishing on the old hwy 87 through sunflower and then an afternoon of hunting sqirrells on the control road. Deer hunting, Bird hunting, hiking, camping, 4 wheeling, bass and crappie fishing while relaxing in between water ski runs on apache lake, fish crek hill with trailer in tow and oncoming traffic less than 1 inch from touching as we crawl up/down the road.

 

Fun and wonderful things all !

Yup, we Had it all! Big city but friendly and "smaller town" feel.

 

I say "Had" because I have seen many of the best things found here, change in negative ways over the past 10-15 years. Many things I enjoyed so much in the past are gone, and may never return due to change.

 

We all should live for each day and take part in the things that we enjoy and love while we can because change is one thing that is inevitable. I have finally learned that you can fight change, you can go along with change, or you can turn the tables, and "create" change "for" yourself and make new rules and your own "game" to play in.

 

Enjoy it while you can!

[billrquimby]

I'm another native. Born in Tucson, attended grades K-12 in Yuma, returned to Tucson, graduated from UA and have been here ever since. I've been fortunate to have traveled all over the world and have found nowhere else where I would rather live and die than Arizona. The reasons have already been mentioned: We have every type of terrain anyone might want and we have incredible scenery and great weather. Where else in North America can you hunt ten different species of big game (provided you can draw the tags)?

 

Now that I'm retired I divide my time between Tucson in the winter and Greer in the summer, so I have the best of our desert and mountains.

 

Problem is, Tucson is getting too big for me. I was born on my grandfather's ranch on east Speedway, just past Alvernon, in 1936. I used to take a .22 and chase jackrabbits all over that part of town as a boy. To give you an idea how rural it was then, my birth certificate reads "born three miles east of Tucson in Pima County." My wife's family ranch was at Fort Lowell and Park Avenue. Both were in the boondocks and on dirt roads within my memory. heck, I can remember when the pavement on Speedway ended at Campbell and at what now is El Con Mall on Broadway. Wilmot was in another country.

 

After a couple of months of living in Greer I get hit with culture shock whenever we drive back to Tucson -- first when we drive through that mess at Hondah/Pinetop/Lakeside/Show Low, and again when we reach Oro Valley. Needless to say I avoid Maricopa County whenever possible.

 

BillQ

[muskrat]

Well, I was born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada. I then lived in northern Maine. Truth be told, I think I'd rather be back home. That being said, Arizona is a close second, and is feeling more like "home" to me, all the time. I am glad I moved here because it is soooo much different than where I came from. Had I moved to Tennessee, or Michigan or wherever - it would have been different, sure - but not so drastic a change as from northern Maine to AZ.

 

I love the diversity of game, and as many have mentioned - the vastness of the state, and the many different types of terrains and ecosystems that can be found within our state. Desert is much different than I imagined it. It has been neat to see creatures I had only heard of before moving here - sheep, elk, javelina. I love the southwest "scene" - saguaros and Mexican food, kokopellis and gila monsters.

 

I don't mind the heat so much, but I sure miss a nice grey, rainy day now and then. I'm not much of a city guy, so even in the burbs, I feel a little claustrophobic. I grew up i n a town of 5000 that literally, had only one traffic light. Slower pace is better for me.

 

My only regret is that I haven't been able to hunt/travel/explore/fish as much of the state that I would have liked.

[COOSEFAN]

I am born and raised Arizonan! I will never move out of this state BUT plan on moving out of this dang city! It is growing WAY fast and the freeways get worse every day! This growth is making me money on my house though, and in 2 years the wife will be out of college, we'll move up north, and she can support ME! That's my plan. I love this state, the diversity is second to none, the quality of animals, and the opportunities are countless. I have seen this state from one corner to the other and back in my 30 years and there is still so much more I haven't seen and done here yet. Gotta love it! JIM

[azyoung]

AZ Native 43 years Grew up in Flagstaff. Left for three years in the service - USMC, KMCAS Hawaii Just love AZ Sorry to see so many people move here. Not much wild country left. I remember spending several days in the outback and never see anyone. Now it seems you always run into someone messing around. I love watching the sun rise is southern Az glassing for Coues or watching a snow storm blow in on the Strip tracking Mulies. Still a great state I will never leave but will always look for new secret spots. I love taking my son to the same places I hunted when I was his age

 

azyoung

[Kilimanjaro]

While I do enjoy being here in AZ right now, it is most definately not my home.. I still miss the TX Hill Country very dearly and hope to God to be able to get back there ASAP.. that will always be my home to me.... but Az is a good place to call home for the time being. It would have to be my third choice state to live in behind Tx and then Mt.. I've been here since '03. I have liked Az since I was a kid when all the guys on my Dad's side of the family would load up and we would come out here to spend a week chasin' Mearns and Gambels around with the dogs. We would have a blast and I learned that I really liked the country down around Sonoita. It reminded me alot of home because of the oaks and grass without all the catus and cholla and such.. So, I decided to give it a try for a few years.. I figured I would have plenty of places to run the pups and get into a few Mearns coveys and get a chance or two at a big Coues buck while I'm out here.. The hunting is good here.. I have really enjoyed hunting the ocotillo thickets at first light way up in the hills, chasin' bears up near the rim, and bird hunting all over the whole state!! I just wish it wasn't so hard to get some of the tags here.. I would really like to hunt elk and maybe a good muley at least once before I leave.. I guess I'll just have to keep tryin' to pull one of those tags! Another thing I don't like so much is the weather here.. thats cuz there is none!! I miss RAIN! And cloudy days.. and foggy mornings.. and a dusting or two of snow in the winter and all that.. There is nothing but the unrelenting sun out here for months on end!! I miss seeing those wicked summer T-storms build up almost every evening that we get in our part of Tx during summer. The monsoons are great and they make the desert a beautiful place, but since I've been here its just been alot of fluff and puff with them with lightning and big dirt storms , but with little moisture in them. I miss the rain that comes with a storm!

Az has alot to do if you enjoy the outdoors.. I have really enjoyed the hiking and climbing here, the snow skiing up in the White Mts ( when there is snow!), and the diversity of the geography here.. lots to do here!! So, while its not home to me, its sure not a bad place to rest the head while I'm away from home and I sure am glad to be where I am at the moment! It could have been a helluva lot worse for me!

[bobbyo]

Hey Tex,

Do you miss the chiggers, ticks and lets not forget the water moccasins. Texas is beautiful, but it has to be Arizona for me. Have not paid one tresspass fee in 30 years of hunting in Arizona. Would like to get one of those monster whiteails someday though.

Bob

[Kilimanjaro]

nope.. don't really miss those nasty little turds... but they are only bad during the spring turkey season... but the moccsin comment is outta line!! Come on now, somebody from Az baggin on a Texan about snakes?? Az has more snakes than anywhere I've ever been! I see them ALL THE TIME out here! I think Az wins that battle hands down, even though we know both states have tons of them!!!

 

BTW, I have never once paid a tresspass fee in my life either..anywhere...

 

Like I said, Az is nice and I like it here, but these pics are of my HOME and there's no place like the Tx hill country anywhere else and I miss it like you wouldn't believe.....these are from last April when I went back turkey hunting... the bluebonnets where blooming pretty good..

 

 

 

Not knockin on Az at all, just wanted to share a few pics with any of ya'll who have never been to my home before..

[DEERSLAM]

I've hunted the TX hill country 3 times and love it!

[ultramag]

Iam glad to see so many native arizona folks.myself 31 years I did not think there were this many of us left.I love the monsoon season because it is the start of scouting and bow shoots in the high country.I just wish we would get some rain.I like the fact that in 2 hours drive i can be in the cool pines on the rim, fishing at roosey.the diverse wildlife we have here.i like the sunrise out in the desert with all the birds singing.and of course the bugle of elk in sept.the winter when sometimes its feels so cold you have to remind yourself its arizona.desert muledeer and of course coues,desert sheep.

as a native i dont like the population increase that has seem to explode in the last 10 years. I remember dove hunting five years ago in the area where my home is now. my dad and I would go to roosey and fish in the summer for a week, sometimes salome cove we would have to ourself and we caught bass almost every cast.hard to do that now.

I still love this great state but i think its more "what it used to be" and not so much where its going.

[dave]

I always thought it was a blessing to have the opportunity to hunt coues in southern Arizona.

 

I always hope that a young hunter may be walking along his path and something will step up in front of him.

 

Wouldn't it be great if a young hunter was able to take the next world record.

 

This is the beauty of coues hunting, the record is in hand of God and He lets us all experience it.

 

The record is in the heart of every hunter that has taken a coues. Every coues is a throphy and the world record will go to God for His design.

[BASS]

Yet another native, and for me it has to be the abilty to change so quickly. People on the net are always amazed at how in one weekend we can be in so many different kinds of terrain so quickly with out having to travel hours and hours. Arizona is just a great place.