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PD shooting in AZ or NM mid-march?

CT10ring

CT10ring

Hey I'm traveling down thru AZ w a camper mid-March, hope to hit Rt. 66 and explore.

I have heard of PD's near Seligman, etc., and wonder if anyone has information
about dos/don'ts, BLM land, "good spots" to recon, ranches open to experienced varmint shooters, etc.

Glad to travel further-it's part of the fun...
New Mexico too- (think the season is year round in NM)?

Any help is appreciated!
 
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CT10ring said:
Hey I'm traveling down thru AZ w a camper mid-March, hope to hit Rt. 66 and explore.

I have heard of PD's near Seligman, etc., and wonder if anyone has information
about dos/don'ts, BLM land, "good spots" to recon, ranches open to experienced varmint shooters, etc.

Glad to travel further-it's part of the fun...
New Mexico too- (think the season is year round in NM)?

Any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...
If you want a good population of dogs in Seligman the boquillas ranch is best spot. You have to pay$20 a day per person and only allowed in certain spots of the Aubrey Valley. They have a schedule in there web site that tells you when you can get a permit. There is a lot of sectuons blocked off with lots of them, but game and fish released black footed ferrets in there to make a comeback. I have helped do head counts on them. I know of a few spots off the rance but not a good population of dogs. Here is one of the ferrets we caught. The small areas i left alone this season that closes end of this month. Hoping thet grow some. If they are all gone then that will not be fun. As far as hunting rules on blm, just need a general hunting license 20180429_034047.jpg
 
AZ has a weird split season it is closed certain months of the year for "puppiny " read the regs to understand it before your trip. Seligman is not what it used to be, cause the Navajos bought the Big O, We have more luck south of the 40 now, you need to stay mobile be able to set quick and move to another spot quick, there are no towns large enough to set up on all day. Stay out of the roadkill, only eat at westside lilo's.
 
Jtate said:
AZ has a weird split season it is closed certain months of the year for "puppiny " read the regs to understand it before your trip. Seligman is not what it used to be, cause the Navajos bought the Big O, We have more luck south of the 40 now, you need to stay mobile be able to set quick and move to another spot quick, there are no towns large enough to set up on all day. Stay out of the roadkill, only eat at westside lilo's.
Click to expand...
Westside Lilos is great!
 
Westside lilos to me is worth the trip from where i live. I go out on south side of I40 but they are shy unless you sneak on in some. There is large amounts on south side off of I40 deep in from crookton road but all private land
 
Jtate said:
AZ has a weird split season it is closed certain months of the year for "puppiny " read the regs to understand it before your trip. Seligman is not what it used to be, cause the Navajos bought the Big O, We have more luck south of the 40 now, you need to stay mobile be able to set quick and move to another spot quick, there are no towns large enough to set up on all day. Stay out of the roadkill, only eat at westside lilo's.
Click to expand...
Yes on Lilo's.
 
PD's have only started to come out in the last few days. They are not very active yet. Keep an eye on the weather forecast. Plan to be out on the warm days. Season ends on 3/31.

Someone mentioned the Big Boquillas. I don't think they are open for PD's until August.
CORRECTION: The Big Bo IS open 3/15 thru 3/31. I have shot PD's on the Big Bo. IME, there is very little pressure there. This is as close to an all day PD spot as you will find.

Check out AZ Landowner Compact: https://www.azgfd.com/landowner-compact/

This will give you some leads on public access lands and the access rules.

Subscribe to ONX. It is a useful tool for land access and scouting.

Google Earth can also be useful for remote scouting.

West of Ash Fork and South of I-40 is the place to look. PD shooting in AZ is very different from places like WY or SD. The shooting pace is slower and the PD's more dispersed. Homework, scouting, and mobility pay off.

I know there are PD's in the eastern part of the state, but have never actually gone in pursuit of them. The places I have seen them are at higher altitude. I am not sure how active the PD's in eastern AZ will be in March.
 
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Arizona prairie dog shooting season is July 1 to March 31. Some people call it a split season because the Az game & fish commission meets in spring of each year to establish new rules for the upcoming year which starts July 1st to June 30th the following year. To shoot prairie dogs at Boquillas ranch (Hunt Big Bo.com) you will need to purchase an Arizona small game non-resident license as well as a $20 per day per person permit for access to the Boquillas ranch. You will need the AZ license first to complete the application for the permit. There is a limited numbers of permits available for each day till the 31st of March. Also there is a no offroad vehicle restriction(side by side or quads not permitted) as well as restrictions on camping on the ranch. No shooting within a mile of ranch headquarters at Pica Camp which is a few miles north route 66. There is a KOA campground in town in Seligman with RV hookups. Motel 66 is one of the better places to stay and Westside Lilo's is good for food.
You can shoot the area around Seligman but be careful as some of the communities are hidden and you can easily be within a quarter mile of an occupied building without knowing it. Prairie dog numbers are limited due to plague and heavy shooting in the last few years. Mornings will be best till about 1pm after that shooting is very slow or there so much wind and dirt you won't be able to hit or see your target. Shots will be in the 200-300 yard range early morn and up to 800 yds after a some shooting. If you get a hundred shots that's a good day.
 
JB10 said:
If you want a good population of dogs in Seligman the boquillas ranch is best spot. You have to pay$20 a day per person and only allowed in certain spots of the Aubrey Valley. They have a schedule in there web site that tells you when you can get a permit. There is a lot of sectuons blocked off with lots of them, but game and fish released black footed ferrets in there to make a comeback. I have helped do head counts on them. I know of a few spots off the rance but not a good population of dogs. Here is one of the ferrets we caught. The small areas i left alone this season that closes end of this month. Hoping thet grow some. If they are all gone then that will not be fun. As far as hunting rules on blm, just need a general hunting license View attachment 1240516
Click to expand...
Great info & thank you!
 
Jtate said:
AZ has a weird split season it is closed certain months of the year for "puppiny " read the regs to understand it before your trip. Seligman is not what it used to be, cause the Navajos bought the Big O, We have more luck south of the 40 now, you need to stay mobile be able to set quick and move to another spot quick, there are no towns large enough to set up on all day. Stay out of the roadkill, only eat at westside lilo's.
Click to expand...
thanks! Lilo’s it is :)
 
JB10 said:
If you want a good population of dogs in Seligman the boquillas ranch is best spot. You have to pay$20 a day per person and only allowed in certain spots of the Aubrey Valley. They have a schedule in there web site that tells you when you can get a permit. There is a lot of sectuons blocked off with lots of them, but game and fish released black footed ferrets in there to make a comeback. I have helped do head counts on them. I know of a few spots off the rance but not a good population of dogs. Here is one of the ferrets we caught. The small areas i left alone this season that closes end of this month. Hoping thet grow some. If they are all gone then that will not be fun. As far as hunting rules on blm, just need a general hunting license View attachment 1240516
Click to expand...
Hey do you have a phone # for Big Boquillas?
I’ve emailed w no reply yet...
Looks like there is a march PD shoot.
thx again.
 
CT10ring said:
Hey I'm traveling down thru AZ w a camper mid-March, hope to hit Rt. 66 and explore.

I have heard of PD's near Seligman, etc., and wonder if anyone has information
about dos/don'ts, BLM land, "good spots" to recon, ranches open to experienced varmint shooters, etc.

Glad to travel further-it's part of the fun...
New Mexico too- (think the season is year round in NM)?

Any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Prairie Dogs can easily be found on publicly accessible land in the Seligman area, south of I-40. My best advice is to spend some time scouting and do your homework. Northern AZ is a checkerboard of public and private land, so it pays to carry maps and to be aware of exactly where you are.

There are a number of ranches in the area that allow public access:
https://www.azgfd.com/landowner-compact/

If you prefer to skip the legwork, the Big Boquillas Ranch is a nice option. They charge $20/day per person for Prairie Dog access. The down side is that they only offer access in August/September and in March:
https://huntbigboranch.com/
 
CT10ring said:
Hey do you have a phone # for Big Boquillas?
I’ve emailed w no reply yet...
Looks like there is a march PD shoot.
thx again.
Click to expand...
Frankly they're not much for answering emails. Purchase your AZ game and fish license first @ AZ game&fish.
Then go to the BigBo site and purchase your permit. When you're on the BigBo site it may look like you're on the AZ G&F site but don't let that confuse you. The other thing that is weird is you pay for the Prairie dog permit first with PayPal and then it will redirect you to the BigBo site. If you don't have a PayPal account good luck. AZ G&F has had a ton of IT issues so patience is key.
 
Friend just went to big bo and there was no activity. They took a shot at two and that was it.
they checked the box holes and they were all abandoned like something wiped them out.
a ranch hand told them they had not seen many at all this year
 
LCazador said:
Frankly they're not much for answering emails. Purchase your AZ game and fish license first @ AZ game&fish.
Then go to the BigBo site and purchase your permit. When you're on the BigBo site it may look like you're on the AZ G&F site but don't let that confuse you. The other thing that is weird is you pay for the Prairie dog permit first with PayPal and then it will redirect you to the BigBo site. If you don't have a PayPal account good luck. AZ G&F has had a ton of IT issues so patience is key.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the detailed info!
It is appreciated.
I went to the BigBo “gate”.
gate closed & locked.
Sign in sheets were there.
No phone # or other info.

Found a rancher’s phone # and he kindly
directed me to a “likely” spot.

Saw some PD’s driving in.
Then ran into a long range shooter.
Pretty awesome.
I’m liking AZ. Stunning country & warmer than
central ID.
:)
749F8DAB-A58C-4E61-A26A-0FC996EBD057.jpeg
 
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