Most folks can't get any sort of accurate picture of life in Arizona. The 'Not from around here...' syndrome kicks in. It has no similarity at all to most other states.
Working a patented claim on BLM land I spent many months on a remote claim in the desert. Nearest town was many miles away. The only road was dirt & rocky gravel, 4WD being real handy. Most times at least a week went by without a single vehicle traveling the road, usually a couple of weeks. Sum zero Law Enforcement.
In the event of coming across growers or other bad nasties a firefight might occur. We're not talking about tossing a few rounds back & forth & good to go. No, it was wide open, flat, miles of gullies & ravines with some various cactus scattered here & there among the rattlers.
Unlikely to happen upon a single grower. More likely 2 or 3, with at least one tasked as armed lookout while others 'worked' the crop. You might encounter 2 or 3 active shooters, well armed & determined, nothing to lose. A serious protracted gunfight might go on for hours, not seconds!
'Going hunting' is no different than prospecting/mining because nobody but the grower knows exactly where you're going to stumble on a plantation, or heavily armed smugglers. It's a whole different world that fully defies any armchair quarter-backing. Very much have to live it to get the full picture.
If you plan to keep on living it that may require some serious firepower and a whole bunch of ammo. Still can't wait to get back
