Buenos Aries Refuge Closed

[AZLance]

Guys, this is not good! Hunting season right around the corner, and half of 36 a,b,&c is closed. I was down there yesterday and it looked like a war zone. The national gaurd is everywhere, BP helicopters buzing everywhere, BP agents everywhere, and big charter buses full of illegals heading north to the detention center all day long. I talked to an agent, who said the "flood gates have opened, like they have never seen before". Read the press release below....

 

 

 

Bird Watchers Will Have To Find Another Refuge

10-13-2006 1:25 AM

 

(Tucson, AZ) -- A large portion of a popular bird watching area is off limits today. Part of the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge south of Tucson is closed due to security concerns surrounding illegal immigration. Officials say that over the past two years, over 250-thousand illegal immigrants have entered the refuge. Officials add that immigrants and officers alike have experienced increased levels of violence. The popular area shares a five-mile section of border with Mexico.

 

 

Copyright 2006 Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Company

[TAM]

You're right, that's not good news. It's great news!!! Sorry that it will suck for hunters down there, but there is a much bigger problem at hand and the closures could make it better for us all down the road.

 

Good luck!

[audsley]

These reports are a bit exaggerated. I spent the weekend on Buenos Aires taking down fence as a volunteer. The illegal problem is better at the moment than it was a few months back.

 

We camped about 2 miles due east of the refuge headquarters, then worked across the highway on Saturday. Encountered no illegals either place. No fresh footprints. Discarded clothing and other junk did not look especially fresh. I slept in the open bed of my pickup both Friday and Sat. night. People I was camping with brought two labs, and nothing set the dogs to barking either night.

 

It's my understanding that the border patrol and reserve units saturated the southern edge of the refuge along the border for a couple of weeks. That might have stemmed the flow thru BANWR for a while. Patrol levels are now back to normal.

 

Varmint callers should head down there. Coyotes are now legal on BANWR year round, and BANWR has more than it needs. Heard lots of coyotes. Put a stalk on one that wouldn't shut up but he never showed himself. Wished I'd brought a call.

[AZLance]

On the Kings Anvil ranch which is 38 miles from the border, the Minutemen have had over 300 illegals come into sight in just over a week. BP has only apprehended about 1/3 of them. All of these illegals came thru the refuge to get there.

[dave]

Audsley,

 

You have to admit that when you are doing something the illegals want (removing fence) that they should leave you alone right?

 

Hey, since they don't want a fence, how about them rolling it up for us? Could we call them volunteers?

 

I am sure they will all voluteer to be present at the trash pick-up also.

 

I just find it curious how anyone could think that someone could exaggerate this situation.

 

Maybe we should all vote for Napolitano, Giffords & Griljavelina since they will win anyway.

 

Kinda like the Bears beat the Cardnals last night.

[elmergoo]

i AGREE with TAM Enough is Enough.

[audsley]

For the record, the refuge people believe removing the fence will hamper the illegals since they use north-south fence alignments to guide them. Personally I think it works both ways since that practice also tells the BP where to look for them.

 

I suspect they use east-west fences as distance markers.

 

Azhunterswhocare mentioned the 300 illegals that came through the refuge in a week. That number is still lower than what it used to be.

 

The main point of my post is that hunters shouldn't avoid the refuge because of the closure. I'm not saying we don't still have a big problem.

[AZLance]

That 300 got thru our National Gaurd and Border Patrol... Just shows how many they are catching. I saw the buses rolling north again today, full of El Presidente Bush's amigos...

[dave]

No problemo, without the fence to guide them, the blue tank folks will be issuing Garmins to them in espanole.

 

Just to set the record straight, Audsley is my friend and I was giving him a hard time. Not too many guys work as hard as he has for our hunting future. I wish there were more like him.

[vegasjeep]

No problemo, without the fence to guide them, the blue tank folks will be issuing Garmins to them in espanole.

 

Just to set the record straight, Audsley is my friend and I was giving him a hard time. Not too many guys work as hard as he has for our hunting future. I wish there were more like him.

 

 

These guys piss me off, why do they not get littering tickets when they leave spray painted black jugs full of water out in the desert?

[AZP&Y]

Here is the official statement posted on the AZ game and fish website:

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/h_f/huntingunits...AreaClosure.pdf

 

Buenos Aires

National Wildlife Refuge

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

has determined that the portion

of the Buenos Aires National

Wildlife Refuge south of the

Garcia Road will be closed to

public use under authority found

in 8 RM 13.5 and 50 CFR 25.21(e)

as of October 3, 2006. Garcia Road

runs east/west parallel to the

international boundary about one

mile north of the line. This area is

about 3500 acres in size. It has

been determined that this portion

of the Refuge poses a threat to

public safety.

 

The situation in this zone has

reached a point where continued

public use of the area is not prudent.

The Buenos Aires National Wildlife

Refuge has been adversely affected

by border-related activities. The

international border with Mexico has

also become increasingly violent.

Assaults on law enforcement officers

and violence against migrants have

escalated. Violence on the Refuge

associated with smugglers and

border bandits has been welldocumented.

Many of these activities

are concentrated at, or near, the

border. The concentration of illegal

activity, surveillance and law

enforcement interdictions make

these zones dangerous

Emergency closures normally

remain in effect for 30 days or less.

However, the activities that have

built up to this decision point are not

likely to diminish in less than 30

days. We anticipate that this closure

will remain in effect for a much

longer period.

[dave]

Too bad some of my favorite hunting ground is closed.

With this being a National thing, we should be playing defense 2 miles into their country. Would that wake their army up?

400 rush in, 300 get by, the second line is one mile into their country. 300 rush in, 225 get by, the third line is the border. No one gets by. Imagine that?

[hunter07]

Yea im sure that will work........hahaha. The Gov. Just dosent want to spend the money.

[KGAINES]

Dave it does irritate me that we are losing something because of what is going on, and the way that is described it is a situation of national defense. We are losing freedoms in our Country because of what is happening in another country, I don't mind the searches at the airports, I don't mind being stopped and searched for whatever reason, as long as I am safe in my country it is ok, when there are armed gunmen coming across our borders for any reason, drugs, people smuggling, or just trying to be bad, we need to kill them, they need to be shot, no tv, no reporters, just ship them back. I have said before I don't mind someone coming over here to work, and there are legal ways to do that, but if you come across our borders with guns you are attacking this country and its citizens and it should be dealt with accordingly.

[dave]

I don't think all the people that have moved here from Kalifornia and New Jersey will agree with that. They have no clue of reality.

 

After working in school district 13 down here in Pima County 30 years ago with Gabrials dad as a board member, I can't believe she is spouting the crap she does. She is greener than a gourd.

All we need is her, Griljavelina, and sir Napolitano to save us.

 

It is really a tough thing to have compassion for the souls that are dieing and save the American way that they all want to come to.

 

You have to draw a line in the sand somewhere and Ms. G has missed the line.

 

My name is dave and I approve this message.