Closure area is smaller than last year's

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is advising hunters that a portion of the Big Boquillas Ranch in northwestern Arizona is closed to vehicles this hunting season. Foot access will be allowed in the closed area. The closure affects approximately 60 square miles around the Rose Well Camp area and is much smaller than the 175 square miles closed in that area in 2004.

The remainder of the ranch is open to vehicular access by hunters, although off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and the transportation of horses and livestock onto the ranch are prohibited. 

The Big Boquillas Ranch is approximately 730,000 acres and comprises nearly one half of Game Management Unit 10, which is located near Seligman. More than one half of the ranch is private property owned by the Navajo Nation and the remaining portions are state trust land leased by the Navajo Nation. For questions about the restrictions, contact the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources at (928) 871-6592.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department asks that hunters obey all signs and instructions while this closure is in effect, and respect all ranch land by avoiding the following: cross-country vehicle travel, littering, leaving gates open, and camping too close to waters.

To view a map of the closure area, click here.