Clearing the Way for Wildlife in Northern Arizona
Hat Ranch Fence Removal Project
By: Karina Puikkonen
In August, a group of Mule Deer Foundation staff, partners, and volunteers gathered in Northern Arizona and rolled up their sleeves to remove fencing for mule deer and other big game. The project site was at Hat Ranch, a historic property west of Flagstaff, which sits in the heart of some of Arizona’s most important migration corridors for mule deer, elk, and pronghorn.
Built in the late 1800s, Hat Ranch was an active operation for decades before coming under the ownership of Northern Arizona University in 2021. Today, the ranch serves as a hub for research, teaching, and sustainability, but it also happens to sit along an important migration route that has been mapped and identified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the U.S. Geological Survey. GPS collars traced the pathways these three species follow between their mountain summer ranges near Flagstaff and winter range areas near Hat Ranch.
Unfortunately, an old network of livestock fences crisscrossed the Hat Ranch landscape. No longer maintained or in use, these fences posed a barrier for wildlife. There were risks of animals becoming entangled or getting injured on down and low-lying strands of wire. Recognizing the issue, AZGFD organized a collaborative effort to remove miles of abandoned fencing. The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) provided funding and recruited volunteers, with support from the Arizona Antelope Foundation and other partners.
What was supposed to be three-miles of fence removal turned into a six-mile effort! Thanks to a large volunteer turnout and the help of wire winders, trucks, and heavy equipment, courtesy of Murphy’s Diesel, the outcome doubled. Crews cleared the old fencing from a star-like pattern across the ranch and hauled out piles of rods and wires.
The Hat Ranch fencing day wasn’t complete without additional discoveries. MDF’s Jake Smith stumbled across a set of shed mule deer antlers on the ranch and one truck ended up with a flat tire. But by the end of the workday, this historic ranch’s landscape became open, wildlife-friendly habitat once again.
Another important aspect to the Hat Ranch project is its proximity to major highways in Northern Arizona. Interstate 40, north of Hat Ranch, and Interstate 17, south of Flagstaff, cut directly across these migration routes. For mule deer that rely on moving between summer and winter ranges to find food, water, and shelter, these roads are obstacles along this migration corridor.
The good news is that additional solutions are on the horizon. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is leading efforts to build safe wildlife crossings along these highways. One of the most exciting is the Willard Springs Overpass, now under construction on I-17. This structure will give the same deer moving through Hat Ranch a safe way to cross the interstate and reconnect with herds east of I-17.
The Hat Ranch fence removal project means more than cleaning up old ranching relics. It helps to restore a safe passageway for generations of mule deer, elk, and pronghorn that will continue to use this migration corridor. Thanks to partnerships and passionate volunteers, this work will leave a lasting mark on Arizona’s big game populations.
Watch the Murphy’s Deisel YouTube video from the Hat Ranch fencing project and join MDF to support our current fencing goal: to modify or remove 1,000 miles of fencing by the end of 2027. Help us add more wildlife-friendly habitat to critical migration corridors like this one in Arizona!
