30A Boy, you guys weren't Kiddin'!!

[Spooner]

Just returned from my T-Day Holiday scout for 3 days in 30A. Was able to discover some areas to get into and saw a few bucks. But it certainly was quite a chore to say the least. It is disgusting the quality areas that are either extremely difficult to access or having no accessibility at all!!. Great looking territory everywhere you turned, but only seeing it from a distance. Again, I am not very familiar with the unit or its past history with private enterprise, but it seems there's something other than "ranching" being planned there. As well as there has to be some illegal conditions surrounding the land locking of vast areas of public land. Especially roads originally bladed in w/county, state, federal tax dollars. Only to be locked off.

 

Here's to hoping the area I settle upon, w/access, is productive/successful. There's defintely bucks there. Some good hiking to be had too!

[Rembrant]

Two words: BACK PACK.

Mike

[Spooner]

Two words: BACK PACK.

Mike

 

 

Mike, you got that right! Unfortunately there are draw backs to that as well. 2 words: NO TRESPASSING. But pack is what I have found to be the advantage, where not posted. And I am set up and prepared for it. But is the case here. Don't know if you've been down there, that is the state of the norm here. Posted everywhere. Just finding somewhere with allowable parking for any length of time to accomodate even packing in. Difficult. But that is what makes it the ultimate challenge and even more a success if overcoming the obsticles.

 

Will

[Rembrant]

Way to be Will!

Find your way in and you'll have it to yourself. Most people don't have the intestinal fortitude to get'er done.

Mike

[Spooner]

Way to be Will!

Find your way in and you'll have it to yourself. Most people don't have the intestinal fortitude to get'er done.

Mike

 

 

I don't know,but seems my reply didn't come through, so I will attempt to post it again.

Defintiley was something intestinal on Friday night Mike (didn't come from a bottle or can either). Some sort of virus or flu, and at that time definitley not fortitude!!, to hinder my determination a little more than it was already being hindered w/the access issue. Extremely ill, but did not stand in my way. Had my boy and a buddy along with plenty of moral support, I forged ahead. We'll see Mike what comes of it.

 

Will

[mattys281]

The part that really burns me is when they charge you a "trespass fee". I can understand them not wanting litter or damage to their private property, but it doesn' seem right to have to pay a private person a fee to use public land.

[Mon]

4X4 ORD your right it seems that the whole unit has NO Tresspassing signs up. The other day we saw a No Tresspassing sign on a Forest gate which should mean its on public land. It is kind of scary because you don't know what is posted and what is not posted I have seen some areas down there that seem open to public hunting only to go a few hundred yards down the road and see a "sign' along a side road. There is a lot of good looking areas down there but questionable access. Was thinking about hunting the Swisselms(spelling). anybody ever hunted them?

[Spooner]

4X4 ORD your right it seems that the whole unit has NO Tresspassing signs up. The other day we saw a No Tresspassing sign on a Forest gate which should mean its on public land. It is kind of scary because you don't know what is posted and what is not posted I have seen some areas down there that seem open to public hunting only to go a few hundred yards down the road and see a "sign' along a side road. There is a lot of good looking areas down there but questionable access. Was thinking about hunting the Swisselms(spelling). anybody ever hunted them?

 

 

Attempted to scout them as well this past weekend. From the Leslie Canyon road side up to the Rucker, same issues. Didn't try to find ways in from H-191. No Trespassing POSTED. I too saw Posted on National Forest lands. Cattle guards. Next to Unit 30A and 29 designation signs! I truly think it's the work of some that have leased areas for grazing and feel that entiltes them to post. Or "those" thinking it will discourage 50-60-80% of us with a dilema??? Fenced, wide open, Nat. Forest, all POSTED. Need to find a relation map showing the private, leased, public relation. And original roads placed by federal, state and county. Don't know if there is such a record that exists.

[elmergoo]

4X4 ORD your right it seems that the whole unit has NO Tresspassing signs up. The other day we saw a No Tresspassing sign on a Forest gate which should mean its on public land. It is kind of scary because you don't know what is posted and what is not posted I have seen some areas down there that seem open to public hunting only to go a few hundred yards down the road and see a "sign' along a side road. There is a lot of good looking areas down there but questionable access. Was thinking about hunting the Swisselms(spelling). anybody ever hunted them?

 

 

Attempted to scout them as well this past weekend. From the Leslie Canyon road side up to the Rucker, same issues. Didn't try to find ways in from H-191. No Trespassing POSTED. I too saw Posted on National Forest lands. Cattle guards. Next to Unit 30A and 29 designation signs! I truly think it's the work of some that have leased areas for grazing and feel that entiltes them to post. Or "those" thinking it will discourage 50-60-80% of us with a dilema??? Fenced, wide open, Nat. Forest, all POSTED. Need to find a relation map showing the private, leased, public relation. And original roads placed by federal, state and county. Don't know if there is such a record that exists.

AZ G&F puts out just that map . You can pick it up at Wide World of Maps.A map of just 30-A and all the private land and oh yea the swissheims are guess what ?

[Spooner]

4X4 ORD your right it seems that the whole unit has NO Tresspassing signs up. The other day we saw a No Tresspassing sign on a Forest gate which should mean its on public land. It is kind of scary because you don't know what is posted and what is not posted I have seen some areas down there that seem open to public hunting only to go a few hundred yards down the road and see a "sign' along a side road. There is a lot of good looking areas down there but questionable access. Was thinking about hunting the Swisselms(spelling). anybody ever hunted them?

 

 

Attempted to scout them as well this past weekend. From the Leslie Canyon road side up to the Rucker, same issues. Didn't try to find ways in from H-191. No Trespassing POSTED. I too saw Posted on National Forest lands. Cattle guards. Next to Unit 30A and 29 designation signs! I truly think it's the work of some that have leased areas for grazing and feel that entiltes them to post. Or "those" thinking it will discourage 50-60-80% of us with a dilema??? Fenced, wide open, Nat. Forest, all POSTED. Need to find a relation map showing the private, leased, public relation. And original roads placed by federal, state and county. Don't know if there is such a record that exists.

AZ G&F puts out just that map . You can pick it up at Wide World of Maps.A map of just 30-A and all the private land and oh yea the swissheims are guess what ?

 

 

 

AHH!! Let me guess elmergoo, "private". That's what I found it to be. Access wise. I have the AZGFD's Unit 30A Game map. There must be a different one than this. It shows the outline of the unit, but the public roads. Does not label any landmarks nor differentiate between public or private. Just altitude color code. I will check for another one. I did dig out my forest service map. Gee, areas I was seeing posted signs, were National Forest everywhere. Including some that were fenced in!

[Diamondbackaz]

I assume you were on Tex canyon road which is a boundary for 30a and 29 where the cattle gaurds are marked with small signs???? There is at least two parcels of private land on that road and many others within the Forest boundary.. An excellent map to get is the Northern Chirachaua Mountains put out by the forest service. Do not confuse this map with the standard Forest map. This map has most of the roads w/ numbers, topography, and shows where the private land is. An excellent Map for anyone to own. You can take road 4362 off of Tex Canyon road and access a lot of area including half moon valley. This area is closed off from the west from private land but open from the tex canyon side. Half moon valley can also be accessed from hwy 80.

[Spooner]

I assume you were on Tex canyon road which is a boundary for 30a and 29 where the cattle gaurds are marked with small signs???? There is at least two parcels of private land on that road and many others within the Forest boundary.. An excellent map to get is the Northern Chirachaua Mountains put out by the forest service. Do not confuse this map with the standard Forest map. This map has most of the roads w/ numbers, topography, and shows where the private land is. An excellent Map for anyone to own. You can take road 4362 off of Tex Canyon road and access a lot of area including half moon valley. This area is closed off from the west from private land but open from the tex canyon side. Half moon valley can also be accessed from hwy 80.

 

Thanks for the info D-backaz. I definitley agree this map would be very helpful. Is this available at Wide World or at the Tonto Forest on McDowell Rd. maybe? I have been into Half Moon from the H-80 side. I did notice from the National Forest map for Coronado, it appeared you could access it from the north as well. This road looks as though it could be quite a ride. Interesting area. Yes, along Tex Canyon Road, it was obvious to recognize the legitimate private parcels, but you also could see signs were simple stuck up in obvious public land areas. This posted thing for the most is simply an aggravation. It makes you work just a little more diligently and actually could sharpen your senses a bit more. I feel encouraged by my final choices of areas I will be hunting! and yes, I have found legal access.

[Mon]

Is the map available anywhere in Tucson for those of us who live in the south? I was on Tex Canyon Rd on friday saw some postings on land on the 30A side of the road near a trail that the forest service had blocked of to motorized traffic that is why it's so confusing also saw a forest road with a numbered sign tried to find it on the forest map to try to pinpoint where we were in relation to the private land and we could not find it on the map. I just hope when we hunt in december that we will be able to figure out where the posted private land is and where the public land is. Does anyone know any of the ranchers in the area are they willing to grant access to their land? I'm talking about the land that is not fenced off or locked up but posted. That info would be real helpful.

[bowsniper]

I have run into this situation a lot. A rancher leases the grazing allotment, and then thinks he can post no trespassing signs or even lock gates on public land. All you can do is get all the map information you can and verify what is public land. A public lands rancher cannot legally close or block off public land. In the past I have been tempted to use bolt cutters on illegally locked gates, but haven't done it yet.

 

 

Mark

[Spooner]

Is the map available anywhere in Tucson for those of us who live in the south? I was on Tex Canyon Rd on friday saw some postings on land on the 30A side of the road near a trail that the forest service had blocked of to motorized traffic that is why it's so confusing also saw a forest road with a numbered sign tried to find it on the forest map to try to pinpoint where we were in relation to the private land and we could not find it on the map. I just hope when we hunt in december that we will be able to figure out where the posted private land is and where the public land is. Does anyone know any of the ranchers in the area are they willing to grant access to their land? I'm talking about the land that is not fenced off or locked up but posted. That info would be real helpful.

 

Hey Mon, I just called here in Phx., the Tonto Nat. Forest location near me, and they have it in stock, $7.00. Call one of your nearest National Forest, Coronado, Santa Catalina, locations, they should have it. Good Luck on your hunt down there. Maybe we will run into one another while scratching our heads looking at a Posted sign on a crapper door somewhere.