Seligman Arizona. Tell me about it.

[Magana559]

Seligman seems like a very small town away from the crime, and away from society.
I'm going to be honest here. I'm from California and was injured on the job 3 years ago and it's left me with a hole in my pocket and looking for a peaceful place to live a relatively simple life. I cannot afford to live here anymore and my heart misses the country living.

With that said I would like to know what you guys know of this place and maybe answer a few of my questions.
First off, I know water is a issue but with that said can I grow my own food? I guess I should clarify, I would like to grow a large garden and a few meat animals.

Exactly how far away is it from a city with box stores and supplies? Can I get mobil reception our there? Maybe Internet on a my phone? any good hunting or fishing (wishful thinking right?)in the area? And is maybe drilling for water an option? Or is it too expensive?

Any information is very valuable to me. Thank you very much in advance.

[Magana559]

Also have a friend that is a heavy equipment operator that is looking to leave CA as well and is willing to help me with setting up a pad/septic and maybe move his whole operation out of state.

[square butte]

I think your water bill may be a limiting factor for the size of the garden and livestock - unless you have one heck of a well. Sometimes the soil in AZ can take quite a bit of amendment before it's productive.

[trails4u]

Magana;

I lived and worked in AZ for about 10 years....lived in the Prescott area, but traveled extensively as part of my work. I'd say what you're looking for can certainly be found in AZ, but maybe not in the area you're thinking. Water will be a VERY limiting factor if you're looking for 'off the grid' living in that part of the state. My advice would be to do some research around the Verde River. Cottonwood, Cornville, maybe even Chino Valley, Paulden areas come to mind. There's water....but there are also some very remote, secluded areas. Very nice people in this part of the world, as well.

You could also consider the Kirkland, Skull Valley, Baghdad end of the world....again, some of this lies in river valleys, so water is more available. Also very remote....and (as of 10 yrs. ago) affordable.

In the southeastern part of the state, there's Safford and some small surrounding communities that were appealing to me. You're along the Gila River corridor in this part of the state....so there's water here, and land at the time was available and affordable.

It really just depends on how 'rough' you want to rough it. There are many small communities, some would call them encampments, throughout the state, where all the water is trucked in. I'm guessing you don't want to go this extreme given your interest in self-sufficiency.

[GRUMPA]

I don't live near Seligman but I've been there a couple of times. Rather a nice area and there's a few things I've learned along the way. Gardening is on the tough side, meaning the local wildlife can and will think you (at your expense) created an all you can eat buffet. We tried it a couple of times around here (Concho AZ) and even the mice/rats join in on the fun.

The soil here has very little nutritional value for much to grow and required a lot of work. Fruit trees seem to do well especially apples and apricots, we have grapes to but never get a chance to harvest them, the Tarantula Hawks go bonkers and eat them all the time. Like I said the local wildlife is our biggest problem, and deer do love apples.

Water.....we had a well drill back in 98 that cost us 5K and is 300' deep. NOW!!!.....figure almost 12K and a good long wait. They wanted to install a 220v well pump but we chose to install a 110v unit on our own and used Poly pipe instead of the 20' sections of steel pipe that they use. Reason is if the pump ever fails I can pull it out of the ground with my tractor and repair/replace on my own instead of paying an outfit $800 just to pull it up.

This area for the most part is off the grid, power or anything for that matter is miles away and folks just want to live the simple life and wont pay someone to bring any utilities in. Living on solar is OK and it takes some getting used to.

Winter.....for some it's nothing but for others it's a pain. We don't mind it and we use wood to heat the house and compared to the price of propane to heat it's nothing in comparison.

Here's a few pictures of what my place looks like: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/album.php?albumid=558

[marlin39a]

I live about 60 miles south of Seligman. I go there frequently in Summer to shoot Prairie Dogs off Route 66. It is a tourist stop off I-40. There is nothing there except some roadside diners, gas stations, and BNSF trains going through all day and night. Verizon works ok for me there. Prescott with shopping is about 90 miles south. Kingman about 60 miles west. Flagstaff about the same east. Elevation is about 5400 ft. You can do a lot better than this place. Cold in winter, hot in summer.

[Bad Water Bill]

As a person past their 40s one should always consider medical help.

The older we get the sooner most might need a quick trip to a h0spital.

[williamwaco]

Consider Rural Texas - 500 miles North to South and 500 miles East to West.

If you stay away from the west part you can drill your own water well almost anywhere.

That said, Most counties require a permit to drill a water well.

Check on that before you spend any money.

Lots of preppers I know are buying land in the Eastern regions.
(East of I35)
For the most part, you get enough rain over there you don't need to irrigate.

[Larry Gibson]

I live about 60 miles south of Seligman. I go there frequently in Summer to shoot Prairie Dogs off Route 66. It is a tourist stop off I-40. There is nothing there except some roadside diners, gas stations, and BNSF trains going through all day and night. Verizon works ok for me there. Prescott with shopping is about 90 miles south. Kingman about 60 miles west. Flagstaff about the same east. Elevation is about 5400 ft. You can do a lot better than this place. Cold in winter, hot in summer.

Went through "downtown" Seligman day before yesterday on my way back from Prescott and have been in that area several times. It is just off I40. Marlin39a give an excellent brief description. It is probably not what you want. Internet works there as does Verizon Cell service. Amenities are a long ways off in Kingman, Prescott, etc.) . I would suggest Kino and Prescott and other areas to the south, especially at a bit lower elevation.

"Also have a friend that is a heavy equipment operator that is looking to leave CA as well and is willing to help me with setting up a pad/septic and maybe move his whole operation out of state."

There would be no real business opportunities for such in the Seligman area. Also, as mentioned, If you have medical problems then something further south or in the Kingman/Bullhead city area would be better. As for gardening, also as mentioned, a good rodent/deer fence would be wise as would a better are at a lower elevation with better soil.

Larry Gibson

[Bad Water Bill]

A neighbor and his wife spent every vacation looking for a retirement site in Az.

They NEVER collected anything but retirement funds (30 years in the same house and never saw the inside of the attic or a reason to hang anything on a wall) a lawnmower and a snow shovel were all that was in the garage.

Settled in Prescott and went prospecting.

A year later He lost a lung due to some type of desert ??? and the elevation made it impossible to live there.

If you have lived at a lower elevation all of your life 4-7,000 foot can become a major concern.

Also moving from a high humidity area to the desert could be something to consider as well.

[WILCO]

http://www.city-data.com/city/Seligman-Arizona.html

[Magana559]

Alright guys this is why I love this site, just a well of information!

Looks like seligman might be out of the question, water and good soil is something I want. I can deal with soil I need to "fix" not a total make over ha ha. Fruit trees like apricots, peaches, nectacres and cherries i can most definitely work with, my parents own a few acres of orange groves and kind of know the ins and outs.

I have a friend that lives in cottonwood area but he is very hard to reach.

I should clarify a bit more, I am not yet retired but I do hope to go back to work some day (doc says it can happen) as I'm 25 years old and I'm engaged to my beautiful fiancé that sees my vision of being self sufficient. We do not have kids as I do not see us in a position where we can have kids. My friend that wants lo leave the state and start fresh is also my age but married and has a son. I talked to him today and it seems like he is serious about this.

With all that said, looks like cottonwood, Prescott (can be $$!), bullhead, and Kingman area are places I should look into.

[Magana559]

Would like to thank you guys once again. Time to research some more.

[Magana559]

GRUMPA you have a beautiful home! I'm very turned onto the solar idea. I have a question but excuse my ignorance. remember I lived in California all my life.
Why is it that your home looks so low to the ground? My uneducated guess would be thermoregulation, as in to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Again I thank you for sharing.

[gew98]

solar power is a pig in a poke presently. You spend a wad expecting it to pay for itself in 10 years and find out most of your solar panels need replacement between 7-10 years. No win there.

[GRUMPA]

GRUMPA you have a beautiful home! I'm very turned onto the solar idea. I have a question but excuse my ignorance. remember I lived in California all my life.
Why is it that your home looks so low to the ground? My uneducated guess would be thermoregulation, as in to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Again I thank you for sharing.

That picture just makes it look that way, I'm taking the picture 5' off the ground right next to my 2.5K water tank. I built out 20' the entire length of the mobile home and I think It's that that's throwing you off. There been a couple of members stop by and the home is almost 3' above the ground on 1 end and 1' above the ground on the other. The building with the solar panels is just the shop.

Despite the fact it gets warm/hot here we use a swamp cooler and the house rarely gets over 72deg. During the winter it does get cold but with a wood burning stove I can get it to 80deg when the outside is 10dg no problem.


solar power is a pig in a poke presently. You spend a wad expecting it to pay for itself in 10 years and find out most of your solar panels need replacement between 7-10 years. No win there.

Yes you do spend a lot up front, but we had no choice, well we did...but solar was cheaper than bringing in a power line at 1.6mil. Our panels we put up in 05 with no signs of power loss at all, we run everything off of it even the well pump. We added on to it just recently and have a total output of 3.1kW at peek.

[gew98]

That picture just makes it look that way, I'm taking the picture 5' off the ground right next to my 2.5K water tank. I built out 20' the entire length of the mobile home and I think It's that that's throwing you off. There been a couple of members stop by and the home is almost 3' above the ground on 1 end and 1' above the ground on the other. The building with the solar panels is just the shop.

Despite the fact it gets warm/hot here we use a swamp cooler and the house rarely gets over 72deg. During the winter it does get cold but with a wood burning stove I can get it to 80deg when the outside is 10dg no problem.



Yes you do spend a lot up front, but we had no choice, well we did...but solar was cheaper than bringing in a power line at 1.6mil. Our panels we put up in 05 with no signs of power loss at all, we run everything off of it even the well pump. We added on to it just recently and have a total output of 3.1kW at peek.

I have worked for xeveral companies in the past couple years doing solar panel install from the ground up to switchgear. They don't deliver for the taxpayer money spent. It's almost as though it was intended as such .

[MaryB]

With a 25 year warranty on my panels for 80% output I seriously doubt a 7 year replacement life or the manufacturers would be out of business pronto. Stay away from thin film, they do have a short lifespan. Mono or polycrystalline solar panels have a very long life(I have one that is probably going on 40 years old and is still at 70% of rated output). Properly installed and maintained(they do need washing now and then) they will have a 7-10 year payback for grid tie and for off grid... well it is the only choice besides run a generator all the time.

[Magana559]

Solar panels are probably going to be a necessity if I plan on buying inexpensive land. Most places I have seen are rather remote and do not offer grid power.

I know there are very complex solar systems and then we have simple systems. I would like to be on the grid and have solar to run a AC or run a well to keep the cost of electricity down. With that said, I'm keeping my options open.

You know GRUMPA I know exactly how awesome a wood stove can be. My parents have one to heat the ranch home they own. We live in the central valley where we get a frost season and the nights dip into the 19 to low 20s. A good wood fire beats a propane heater any day in my book. Just warms the soul in them bitter cold nights.

I was busy looking up properties in a few different regions, my price range is in the 120 to 150 max. I would rather not buy a 150k home when I can buy a lot and have a manufactured home on a larger lot for a lower price. Like I said, I want simple but nice.....If that is too much to ask! Ha ha.

Looks like my next step is to go out and look at a few of these places. I actually plan on moving early next year as I can't dip into the wedding fund just yet.

Again I thank everyone that has helped me with information.

[Magana559]

Also I see a bunch of lookers, come on in and chime in with response! I can take it if you tell me it's a bad idea. I know most of you are very wise and have more life experiences than I do. Any help, any advice is welcome.

Maybe you guys know of a better place or maybe a different state. I'm not 100% set on AZ (but it seems rather nice!) And from what I'm told very pro gun.

Anyway, let me know what you have to say. (Just don't tell me to stay in this god awful place!)

Thanks again,

David

[gmsharps]

[QUOTE=Magana559;2775699]Also I see a bunch of lookers, come on in and chime in with response! I can take it if you tell me

While I was in the military I X'd off the states I did not want to retire in for reasons as taxes, state politics and the such. I narrowed my states to 3. Texas, Arizona and Alaska. I was stationed in Sierra Vista AZ years ago and liked it as it was a bit higher in elevation and kept the temps a bit more tolerable or better to my likeing. Arizona had the best hunting year round than any place I have been. The shooting matches were numerous but had to spend some family time also. Lots of stuff to see and do outdoors like western history,hiking, camping. Something I also liked was you could see where you are going as the trees were few and far in between in that area.The drawbacks were it was a long way back to the family. Most of my family was in the Oklahoma area. Vehicle insurance was higher in AZ than most places I had been, I guess due to a smaller population in the state. Land was expensive for a parched piece of land and it was also very expensive to get water and electricity to some areas. Wells I was told had to be registered with the state and only controlled amounts of water could be pumped. I ended up settling in Texas the shooting is good but the hunting is no where as good but is closer to family. As you can see Grumpa found a way to over come the electricity issue but depending on how citified you are whether you could do the off grid way of life or not. I do envy him and what he has accomplished. just my 2 cents worth

gmsharps

[Magana559]

Excellent response! Things I very much need to look into.
A well/water is very important to me as I would like to maybe one day have the fruits put a bit on money flow to expand the compound.

I very much agree with you that GRUMPA has achieved what I would like to do one day! I have to dig deeper and with the help of many friends I can achieve what I would like one day.

I'm fighting against the odds as I have several things against me. I'm only 25 years old, it's my first time buying a home/property, I'm limited income, and I'm crippled (slows me down but I can get by).

The good thing is I worked all my life and my fiancé is very supportive and works. With that said we have a very strong will to achieve our goals.

With that said I guess I would like to live a reasonable distance from a city where we can find work.....I want it all don't I!!!

Somebody else recommend east Texas but I need to research that area, it might be a bit far away from my family as well.

[GRUMPA]

What we found out when it came to the point the Mrs. and I wanted remote property it took some research. Around these parts you can buy land, but the "details" are what gets people. Found out that all the mineral rights belonged to a company called the Arizona New Mexico land company, dates back to the time of the railroad. We bought those contingent on the sale which cost more but we didn't want anyone coming in and literally taking it over. This is something that wont be told to a person, a person has to find this stuff out. Another thing is what are the deed restrictions, another thing that doesn't come up. Something like deed restrictions the title company knows.

Work in my area? All I can say is don't count on it.

Solar?...Do your research. It took us years of research to find out things and many things we didn't until we lived here for a while. You'll get all kinds of info from folks selling you what you need just fine but it varies a bit in real life.

Find out what the tax structure is, in other words if you plan on putting a home on a piece of vacant land the tax rate is higher. We chose to keep the mobile separate from the land to keep our tax base low. It changes from county to county so what 1 does the other doesn't which can be confusing.

1 last thing.....give up the idea of running an A/C on solar, there's a reason we use a swamp cooler which draws 2Amps.

[leadman]

My friend has property for sale north of Heber, Az. This is about 6K feet elevation so snow does fall in the winter sometimes. The area he is in has 4 community wells that you can haul your water from. He has a metal building about 20' X 40', a double wide, shed with water tank and solar/batteries, septic tank, and a large propane tank. I think the property is 20 acres. Don't know the asking price but can find out if you are interested. The property is fenced.
This might be an area more to your liking as there are towns close by (by Az standards). The drive from the black top is about 20 miles but then there is a Circle K there. Heber/Overgard is about 5 miles extra which is small but ShowLow is probably 15 miles? and is a larger city with full amenities.
If you look at a map it is listed as Chevlon Estates IIRC. Hunting and fishing are close. He has taken antelope in walking distance from his place with a bow. No shooting in the estate area but places to shoot are very close by.
The property is in the junipers, just out of the pine forest.
Good luck in your search.

[Just Duke]

Yes we looked there............................................. ...................
You will find water at 14,000 feet down. That's also through solid Granite. The locals tell me they pay $300.00 a month for water to be hauled in.

[Just Duke]

1 last thing.....give up the idea of running an A/C on solar, there's a reason we use a swamp cooler which draws 2Amps.

Yes.......

[GRUMPA]

Yes we looked there............................................. ...................
You will find water at 14,000 feet down. That's also through solid Granite. The locals tell me they pay $300.00 a month for water to be hauled in.

I worked out there once putting in a septic system, hit granite 3' down. I'm not kidding when I say just doing the perk test was a challenge. Looked more like all these little craters all over the place. Finally got it in, but what a pain that was.

[Jr.]

I worked out there once putting in a septic system, hit granite 3' down. I'm not kidding when I say just doing the perk test was a challenge. Looked more like all these little craters all over the place. Finally got it in, but what a pain that was.
this is a huge kicker for anywhere in northern AZ if its not granite its malapai or just plain old sandstone bedrock but the area is on two huge aquifers the coconino and the moencopi depending on your location and elevation you can find water relatively easy where I'm at there are wells set only 60 feet or so and at one time there were watermelon fields watered off of artesian wells but because the water is so close to the surface it isn't as sweet as the water a little further south.

[Magana559]

Very good information. I'm digging a bit deeper and I'm starting to look at Kingman, AZ. Land looks very nice and from what I have read the wells are shallow. I don't exactly know what shallow is or what shallow is compared to but that's the main reason why I'm asking questions! Haha.

we have a similar problem here, we hit what they call hard pan, mixture of hard clay and stone.

Places of interest are Kingman, cottonwood, Prescott valley and surrounding areas.

So tell me gentlemen, what do you guys think? I know you guys don't know my likings but I'm all the way out here and you guys know the places a whole lot more. Only so much you can get off the Internet and pictures.

[Magana559]

this is a huge kicker for anywhere in northern AZ if its not granite its malapai or just plain old sandstone bedrock but the area is on two huge aquifers the coconino and the moencopi depending on your location and elevation you can find water relatively easy where I'm at there are wells set only 60 feet or so and at one time there were watermelon fields watered off of artesian wells but because the water is so close to the surface it isn't as sweet as the water a little further south.

What area is this? Seems nice.

[Magana559]

Also hauling water is probably a no go as it might be too expensive to try and grow stuff and have some livestock.

[Jr.]

Little town called Joseph City the only real problem here is employment the biggest economic drivers are a coal fires power plant and the rail road but almost everyone grows a garden has chickens horses etc. Houses tend to be fairly cheap and usually have a fair amount of land and there are a lot of "outer areas" with land for sale make sure to get a perk test though.

[Just Duke]

Prescott is so out of water it is against the law to even harvest your roof water.

[Just Duke]

Kingman. lol ask the Phoenix folks about Kingman. ;) We have a version of it. It's called Pahrump.

[Just Duke]

Try New River AZ.

[Magana559]

Little town called Joseph City the only real problem here is employment the biggest economic drivers are a coal fires power plant and the rail road but almost everyone grows a garden has chickens horses etc. Houses tend to be fairly cheap and usually have a fair amount of land and there are a lot of "outer areas" with land for sale make sure to get a perk test though.

Sounds like it's what i want, but employment might be a issue. I'll check in see how far is a city with jobs.

Perk test eh? Another thing I need to look up ha ha.

Thank you for the information!

[Magana559]

Try New River AZ.

definitely will, thank you.


Kingman. lol ask the Phoenix folks about Kingman. ;) We have a version of it. It's called Pahrump.

i take it it's not all that great?

[Jr.]

What line of work would you be looking for?

[NewbieDave007]

i take it it's not all that great?

That's a nice way to put it. I'm really not trying to offend anyone, but who am I kidding if they live in Kingman then they can't read and I'm safe. j/k.

On a serious note Kingman is just a place to get gas on your way to/from Vegas. Also, I can't help but to think of Timothy McVeigh when I hear someone mention Kingman. You are young, so you might need to Google him.

Good luck with the search.

Dave

[Jr.]

A perk test is a series of three holes being dug to see if the soil quality a depth is adequate for a septic (sewage) system to be installed.

[Magana559]

What line of work would you be looking for?

I used to be a master mechanic before my back injury. I'm limited on heavy lifting, bending, twisting, and climbing. Doc says I can get better but I have to take it easy. Right now I'm on SSDI at 1k a month but I'm trying hard to get back to work. (I would make more than double this working! !!)
I was also in management for a large parts company and I can work a sales job as well. Unfortunately I cannot do what I do best.




That's a nice way to put it. I'm really not trying to offend anyone, but who am I kidding if they live in Kingman then they can't read and I'm safe. j/k.

On a serious note Kingman is just a place to get gas on your way to/from Vegas. Also, I can't help but to think of Timothy McVeigh when I hear someone mention Kingman. You are young, so you might need to Google him.

Good luck with the search.

Dave

ah I see, sounds like fun ha ha ha! I know about Timothy McVeigh.


A perk test is a series of three holes being dug to see if the soil quality a depth is adequate for a septic (sewage) system to be installed.

ah yes my friend that i was telling you guys about knows all about septic tanks and installing em. His father owns a septic tank/engineering company. Thanks for the advice, I'm writing all this down as it's great information.

[Magana559]

QUOTE=Jr.;2777073]What line of work would you be looking for?[/QUOTE]

My fiancé also works in retail/sales, we can definitely adapt.

Im tired of paying $800 a month for a crummy apartment, cost of living is way too high and prices of fuel are very high.

[Jr.]

You can find work around here. May not be exactly what you're used to but if you want simple country living this is about as good as it gets not a huge market for mechanics or contractors because everyone is. but there are always jobs open might not pay what California does but its plenty to live happy here.

My wife and I love it here so much so that I turned down an 80 k plus job at a refinery in NM just yo stay here working at less than half that.

[Magana559]

Sounds exactly what Im looking for. I honestly can say I believe my mechanic days are over and we ready to make a change. I dont think I can lean over a vehicle for 10-12hrs a day 6 days a week or lift trannys (lol) or cranks.

We are simple people that do not need the latest and greatest. I know self sustained life isnt easy, I know its lots of hard work, but I believe this is the only thing that can make me as good as im going to get. The inactivity of city living is absolutely debilitating.

[Cornbread]

Jr, how long have you lived in Joseph City? I might know you or your family if you have been there for a number of years. I lived in Joseph City for a while as a teen and my little brother went to high school there after I had left for the military.

[Jr.]

My whole life all 26 years of it. To be honest its kinda strange to here someone say they know where it is at.

[Magana559]

Well I talked to the fiancé and looks like we will make a trip to visit Joseph City, AZ in the future.
Thanks Again Jr! Good talking to you.

[onceabull]

The best thing I can think of about Joseph City, Az. is that,if you leave right after breakfast,you can have lunch in Pagosa Springs, Co... :-P Onceabull

[Jr.]

Glad to here it taking the girl varmint hunting this afternoon should be a blast.

[Cornbread]

Jr can you PM me your real name? We might know each other's families. I think you are right around my friend Dave Ekstrand's son's age(his name is Corey). Dave is in his early 50s and is about 12 years older than I am but he was the guy that encouraged me to join the Marines which I eventually did. When I lived there I lived up on the edge of Bushman's property off of Fish Ln on the NW side of Joe town.

[MaryB]

Small town SW Minnesota, there are jobs, not great paying but very liveable wages. House can be bought for $20-30k if you don't mind doing some work. Decent hunting, really good pheasant lands, lots of public wildlife management areas open to hunting, bad part is -30 to 114 degree swings from winter to summer. And out on the prairie never ending wind but that leaves the option for wind power out of town. Small manufacturing and meat processing are the largest industries, couple kitchen cabinet plants, a place that makes wind turbine blades and towers... small town USA living with Minnesota Nice thrown in, people here are friendly.

[Magana559]

Glad to here it taking the girl varmint hunting this afternoon should be a blast.

Hope you guys had lots of jacks to hit! Always wondered why jacks are considered taboo to eat, seems to me its a lot of meat.


Small town SW Minnesota, there are jobs, not great paying but very liveable wages. House can be bought for $20-30k if you don't mind doing some work. Decent hunting, really good pheasant lands, lots of public wildlife management areas open to hunting, bad part is -30 to 114 degree swings from winter to summer. And out on the prairie never ending wind but that leaves the option for wind power out of town. Small manufacturing and meat processing are the largest industries, couple kitchen cabinet plants, a place that makes wind turbine blades and towers... small town USA living with Minnesota Nice thrown in, people here are friendly.

I wish I could but the I dont think I could handle heavy snow. Lots of shoveling everyday and my back will not comply. I never had a issue with the cold, nothing a good wood stove cant fix! :-P

[Sweetpea]

The jacks around here are quite full of ticks.

A friend ate one once, and told me it was quite bad.

[blackthorn]

Where I grew up in south-central Manitoba, we ate jack rabbits as well as the smaller bush rabbits. As I recall there was nothing wrong with the meat on either.

[leadman]

The jacks here in Az. are a dark red meat. I have eaten them and make jerky out of them. Best to soak the meat in salt water to get some of the blood out of it. Better for a stew than anything else I tried.

Prescott has become very pricey since all the Calif. folks started moving in. Not the small town it once was, even has rush hour traffic now.

[Magana559]

The jacks around here are quite full of ticks.

A friend ate one once, and told me it was quite bad.

well that is too bad. Maybe it just depends on the area where the rabbit is harvested.


Where I grew up in south-central Manitoba, we ate jack rabbits as well as the smaller bush rabbits. As I recall there was nothing wrong with the meat on either.
i take it it was quite more vegetation than in the desert? I may be noticing something here.


The jacks here in Az. are a dark red meat. I have eaten them and make jerky out of them. Best to soak the meat in salt water to get some of the blood out of it. Better for a stew than anything else I tried.

Prescott has become very pricey since all the Calif. folks started moving in. Not the small town it once was, even has rush hour traffic now.

that is too bad. I have seen a few small towns explode here in the valley. Hope the values haven't changed, I hope you guys didn't get a bunch of bad apples from Ca.

[starmac]

Prescott is a neat place, but probably 20 years ago or so, it got the title of the 3rd best town to retire in and housing went up over night. It used to be one of my favorite towns in AZ, but there are areas of it, that if you crank up your skill saw after 6 oclock in the evening or on the weekend, they will flat haul you to jail.

[GRUMPA]

I've tried to nibble on the local Jack's and so has a few people I know. Let me tell you those are some tough critters, the sole of my boot comes to mind.

Cottontails on the other hand are small and not bad when made into a stew. Thing is there's more Jack's around then there are Cottontails by a long shot.

[starmac]

I don't remember ever trying to eat a jack even though I killed them by the hundreds when I was a kid. I just fed them to the hogs usually. I do know some of the mexicans that came up and worked on the farms, made chili out of them. I suspect they made good chili.

[Magana559]

Wonder if you grind them up into sausage if they taste any better, maybe with some pork butts and some pork belly?

I just hate to waste meat.

[smokeywolf]

Jack Rabbit = fertilizer.

smokeywolf

[Jr.]

Jack Rabbit = fertilizer.

smokeywolf
Yes.

Too many diseases in them now ate a lot when I was younger but now they are full of ticks, usually stew them down with potatoes and onion and feed them to the dogs.

[David2011]

Magana,

Wherever you decide to settle you might look into the availability of a Master Gardener's program since you're interested in growing some of your food. The courses are usually low cost, offered by the state in conjunction with the county extension, contoured to the specific issues of your area. They will tell you what will grow in the soil of the area and how to grow it, fight the bugs, fertilize, water efficiently (best part of the whole course) and the basics of everything you need to know about growing food and other plants. The soil in the southwest is typically alkaline and won't grow just anything. In New Mexico the subjects are taught by a combination of local experts and college research personnel, often PhDs in their area of expertise. The course I took cost a whopping $75 for 14-16 3 hour sessions. Arizona is probably a little different but it's worth looking into. I'll graduate as a certified master gardener next month and feel much better equipped to deal with growing stuff in the harsh alkaline desert environment. Becoming certified is a separate commitment from taking the course. Just taking the course provides a wealth of information and access to expert advice from people familiar with your area.

Best of wishes!
David

[Magana559]

Was very busy today running around getting bills paid and what not.
Thought I would check in before I went to bed. Seems like jacks are dog food ha ha!

I'll type something better tomorrow as brain seems to not function at 3am.