in 2002 there was a huge fire in the 3a/3b areas in Northern AZ, it took about 5 years for the wildlife to really come back. In 2009 my dad arrowed this 349 inch bull in the 3B area and a 305 in in 2010 (yeah he got drawn 2 years in a row, people were ready to string him up). The Mulies have made a good comeback, there are a lot more deer then when I was growing up for sure, mostly due to the new growth resulting from the fire.
If you've never spent time down there find a guide, look for a word of mouth local guys. Guys like Jed know those animals like their own kids. Ill give the old man a shout and see who he knows in the Springerville area.
