Arizona's Unit 10! Will ROME fall???

[CEI]

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwGK9pcjkX0/UQ0ITND_rqI/AAAAAAAAD0w/feIUMayDG2A/s1600/momma&son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwGK9pcjkX0/UQ0ITND_rqI/AAAAAAAAD0w/feIUMayDG2A/s400/momma&son.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unit 10 shed hunting during the spring would not be allowed.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Arizona's world famous Unit 10 is more than likely one of best places in the WORLD to hunt trophy elk and pronghorn.  Currently, threats are being made by the grazing rights lessee of the Boquillas Ranch (Diamond A Cattle Company) to shut down the ranch or charge a $60 access per hunt, per person access fee.  The Navajo Nation owns the private property and the other pieces of land are owned by the state of Arizona.  The wildlife that resides within the Boquillas Ranch and all of Arizona are owned by the PUBLIC of Arizona.<br /><br />I recently read a letter that was sent to the Arizona Game & Fish Commission from former Unit 10 Game Warden, Tim Pender. Tim's not playing politics and he is finally able to lay out the cards the way they are dealt.  Below is a link to Tim Pender's letter:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cactusbull.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BOQUILLAS-RANCH.pdf">Tim Pender's Letter</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My final thoughts...  </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I would be willing to accept an agreement if there was indeed an issue and it came from the private property owners (the Navajo Nation).  This agreement is not the Navajo Nation's proposal.  The Navajo Nation currently only charges a $32 fee to hunt small game and predators for 1 calender year on their OWN reservation.  This is the proposal from a greedy cattle company that wants control over public wildlife, state trust land, and the people that access the private property.   These are the facts!    </div><br /><br />

 

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[SO I HUNT]

Tim Pender has hit this right on the head of the nail.... It's all about money and the rules on the ranch has always been for the hunters, tourist site seeing! Kind A like do as I say, but not as I do! I say fine with the $60 on the ranch and the ranch pays the public say $65.00 to every person that holds hunting lic. for not letting us on the state lease land!

[mklong40]

After reading this letter from Tim, I am even more dumbfounded on how a "company" who doesnt own land can charge and/or close the access altogether. How is this legal? I also took away the fact that hunters are keeping this ranch clean and closed up. Its the dang ranch itself dirtying it up. This is crazy. Coming from someone whose on the Boquillas 3 or more times a year, this will hurt if the G/F pass this.

[Outdoor Writer]

I am even more dumbfounded on how a "company" who doesnt own land can charge and/or close the access altogether. How is this legal?

 

If the rancher LEASES the land from the Navajo tribe, it's legal. Just as someone rents a house from a landlord, the rancher who pays the rent can limit who has access and how.

[mklong40]

Well outdoor writer, with one slight difference.....State taxpayer money isnt paying for my backyard.......

[DesertBull]

Carve the "ranch" out of unit 10 and make a unit 10A and 10B. 10B being the ranch.

 

0 tags for unit 10B.

[Anaconda]

Carve the "ranch" out of unit 10 and make a unit 10A and 10B. 10B being the ranch.

 

0 tags for unit 10B.

Ditto this.

 

At the very least, I feel (all states) any private ranch that wants "land owner tags' should be required to allow un-restricted public hunter access.

[gotcoues]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there huge tax breaks for grazing cattle? Seems simple enough, hold the tax breaks for ransom. We already pay to pay in the form of tax breaks.

[yotebuster]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there huge tax breaks for grazing cattle? Seems simple enough, hold the tax breaks for ransom. We already pay to pay in the form of tax breaks.

You are wrong. They pay for the grazing land as rent. Then they can write off on they're taxes against they're income the same as any business owner would. Not exactly my idea of "huge tax breaks" and certainly not something that you can "hold in ransom".

[rut]

I spoke with Tim Pender this afternoon thanking him for the telling it like it is with the Boquillas farce....one thing he encouraged me to do is write a letter to the AGFD disagreeing with their Pending Access Agreement and if nothing else table the proposal until all other options are considered ie: reasonably priced "Kaibab type of access stamp and get my hunting buddies to do the same....he seems to think this is the only way we can keep the AGFD from selling us out....

 

Just my 2 cents worth,

 

Jim Parker

[cw4192]

yotebuster, you are wrong. they lease america's land, what have I got for them leasing my land, nothing, I should be able to hunt the land that I pay taxes for period!!! LEFTY

[cw4192]

GET LAWYER THAT IS THE AMERICAN WAY

[CEI]

Good topic I guess! We enjoy blogging about real issues and not just what we, or our supporters are doing.

 

Tim Pender is correct about writing letters to the commission.

 

State Trust Land is not considered public land by definition. You must purchase a permit to recreate on State Trust Land. If you are actively hunting your AZ Hunting License is your permit. Cattle Companies have to purchase permits to graze cattle on state trust land. I am sure the Diamond A Cattle Company does have all of the proper permits to graze their cattle on the state trust land.

 

Again, I respect private property rights, but checkerboard public land is being used as private land all of the time. It's not right, but it's the TRUTH.

 

The only way to fight for what is right is to get involved. You can write letters and send emails to commissioners and legislators. You can also join a non-profit that has core values you believe in.

 

Best,

Craig Steele

[yotebuster]

yotebuster, you are wrong. they lease america's land, what have I got for them leasing my land, nothing, I should be able to hunt the land that I pay taxes for period!!! LEFTY

You can hunt the state land they lease. They control access to the private land they lease. If you can get access via a county maintained road to any state or federal land they lease grazing rights to, you have full access to hunt it. If its landlocked by private land with no access, then you don't, unless you have a helicopter. There's no law saying they have to provide you with a means of accessing public land across their private land. Often ranchers are nice

Enough to allow this, sometimes they aren't.

[THE RIFLEMAN]

AND THE NAVAHO'ES ARE ALLOWING THE RANCHER TO CHARGE THE FEE'S???? As the landowner the injuns could nix the fees as a show of good faith to the rest of Arizona!!!!