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Burned most of my vacation time in Alaska so had only 4 days to get it done. Covered in bulls everyday and this bull came on a string to some estrus cow calls. Shot him at 18 yards and again at 32. Magical morning in the elk woods. 30” dead pine he ran past after shots 👊

Well, it got better but that day was a phenom. We got on bulls each day but no love for calls, just letting us know they were there at the bottom of the canyon or moving fast in the AM. Only found one herd with active satellites, which was the day it turned on. Rain on Monday did not help any. I have been out in the woods in rut every year since 2012 and this was by far the slowest rut I have seen. After trying to sneak in on a few bulls yesterday, my son was getting stressed about school and took a smaller bull. He is a great shot and shot a bull with two cows at 75 yards. The bull went about 100yards from the shot. On such a tough hunt I told him not to be upset with the size, be thankful for the opportunity. Two archery bulls by 16 years old, proud of him. Now he will focus on his 12AW late tag and then my other son’s late 23 tag. Still got a lot of memories to make this season!

I went to Wells Fargo at Baseline and Lakeshore this afternoon to get two pages notarized. The teller took me back to his desk to sign and stamp the docs and after the first page was signed and stamped someone walked by his desk and whispered something to him. I couldn't hear it but he seemed a little flustered. He started shuffling the pages and slid them over to me with my driver's license and said he couldn't do the other page right now . I was kinda confused until he followed that with "We're being robbed". I was kinda shocked and asked him if i should leave out the back door or what? He took me to the back room that had a pass key lock and I waited there for about ten minutes with the poor gal that was the one that he had approached. She was pretty shaken up. I started hearing sirens and pretty soon a slew of unmarked cars pulled up. I heard a loud bang but it didn't seem loud enough to be a gun but I wasn't sure. Turns out they tazed his butt and we could see him being taken to one of the cars through the side glass door. Going back tomorrow to get the other page notarized.

Yeah a dude passed fake 20s high on fentanyl and cities got burned awhile back. Charlie got killed an I didn't even torch a little ceasars yet.

He didn't mock Charlie but he claimed the shooter was MAGA, ya know, us conservatives.

Unit 10 early rifle here we come !

Burro meat is pretty good

3 have been killed in last 2 months between morristown and wickenburg. lots of dog food and glue sticks between all the horses and burros. Its out of control. I think all the ranchers should file one big lawsuit against the state for losses from all the destruction both these feral animal breeds cause.

They did a study to discover what we already know but still not going to do anything about it. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZGFD/bulletins/3f40e73

Nice job! Congrats.

Nice way to burn vaca. Nice Bull! Congrats

Some choose it because they know its a free trip back inside with all the creature comforts and a short stay. Come out with a free education and no debt.

Can confirm

Glad y'all are safe

I get that same message anytime photo is 3mb or larger which is probably the case with all newer cell phones today. I take photos with enough distance that there is enough area around the item to crop. Take the photo, open it in my gallery, click edit, zoom it in until item fills the screen, rotate so it's not upside-down or sideways, save it. Open the new saved version and check file size. If I can get it under 2.0mb it will load every time.

Sold pending funds

At least he took himself out of the gene pool. Sounds like the whole family is mental too

Should be the same as feral hogs... not wild animals therefore you can do as you please. Capture, keep or kill?

Remington 1894 12ga SxS, Grade B with ejectors, rare small frame(1902), 26" damascus barrels cyl&IM 2 3/4 chambers (rare gun) $990.00 Texts preferred 480-208-3854

Quick, remove every last jackass from Arizona, before they completely ruining this place!

I am naively hoping they get enough people on board to cure this problem. Then use it as a springboard to do the feral horses next. Honestly I cannot comprehend the hypocrisy and stupidity of the tree huggers trying to protect an invassive species at the cost of native species.

I was just getting ready to post this article and you said exactly what I wanted to say, a little common sense goes a long way!!! Feral burros: A threat to Sonoran Desert, wildlife AZGFD study quantifies effect of Arizona’s unchecked burro populations PHOENIX — A recent study by biologists at the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) found that non-native, feral burros are having a negative impact on some keystone plant species in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert landscape. These changes in habitat are already harming some species of wildlife and may pose a challenge to more species in the future. "For a number of years in areas with burros, our biologists anecdotally observed trees that were over-browsed and that had ripped bark and branches,” said Clay Crowder, AZGFD assistant director, Wildlife Management Division. "We initiated this study to have concrete data and a better understanding of the impact that the burros have on wildlife and their habitats." For the study, biologists chose the areas in and around Lake Havasu and Lake Pleasant. These locations were ideal because they included both areas with herds of burros as well as nearby areas with similar vegetation types, but without burros present AZGFD biologist Esther Rubin examines burro-damaged ocotillo near Lake Pleasant Biologists established transects at multiple sampling sites where they measured vegetation metrics, such as size, density, foliage density and, for some species, age structure. They also recorded evidence of wildlife such as tracks and dung piles. They looked for signs of deer and bighorn sheep and collected data on small mammals, reptiles and birds. “Our most significant findings were related to the vegetation,” said Esther Rubin, AZGFD Research Branch chief. “In one of the primary vegetation types, the ground cover was 30% lower in burro areas. Plant and foliage density was also lower and some of the plant species were smaller – but some of the most concerning findings had to do with palo verde trees, ironwood trees and saguaro cacti.” Both palo verde and ironwood trees are common to the Sonoran Desert and can live for upwards of 100 years and beyond. In their natural state, these trees grow very full and bush-like, with overhanging branches often touching the ground and creating a refuge of shade and protection for wildlife and for other plants. For this reason, palo verde and ironwood trees have been referred to as “nurse plants” because they provide protection to young plants of multiple species. In areas with burro presence, that protective habitat is being destroyed. “When you see these trees on the landscape, everything from burro height down is completely eaten,” Rubin said. “And when you get closer, you can see teeth marks where the burros chewed and ripped the bark away, which can eventually kill the tree.” Palo verde tree dying from burro feeding damage When these trees are damaged and no longer provide shady refuge, many plant and wildlife species are negatively affected, but there is one Sonoran Desert native that is being hit particularly hard in active burro areas: the iconic saguaro cactus. Taking about a decade to grow just a few inches, saguaros depend on trees like the palo verde to be their “nurse plants,” providing the protection they need to make it to adulthood. In areas with burro presence, the study found a 63% lower ratio of young to adult saguaros. “Saguaros are considered a keystone species, providing cover or forage for over 100 species of animals,” Rubin said. “Reduced recruitment of saguaros could have negative effects on the habitat and wildlife for decades, possibly centuries.” Unlike native ungulates living in the Sonoran Desert – think bighorn sheep and mule deer – burros possess several physiological traits that cause them to use and impact vegetation differently. “Burros and other equids have a less efficient digestive system than bighorn sheep and deer. So burros need to consume more plant material than an animal of equal size,” Rubin said. “Burros also have upper incisors that allow them to grab and tear vegetation in a way that native wildlife cannot.” Despite the negative effect burros have on wildlife habitat, AZGFD does not manage these animals. Burros are protected under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and, in some cases, the U.S. Forest Service. The BLM established seven herd management areas (HMAs) in Arizona and each HMA was evaluated to determine how many burros that landscape could support while maintaining what the Federal government refers to as a “thriving natural ecological balance”. This number is known as the appropriate management level (AML). “If you add all of the HMAs in Arizona together, the BLM has determined that the collective appropriate number is about 1,400 burros,” Rubin said. “The BLM estimate for the state is about 10,000 burros, and this doesn’t include the many burros that have spread to non-HMA areas. The actual number is likely much higher.” Burro numbers are far above recommended levels — and growing, at a rate of about 20% a year. Burros have also spread beyond designated HMAs, leaving many uncounted and unmanaged. Add to that their ability to thrive in the desert even when vegetation is poor, and it’s easy to see how Arizona ended up with a burro overpopulation. The BLM is responsible for monitoring burro numbers and, when necessary, removing burros from the landscape to holding areas. They also have an adoption program for burros and there is research being done on fertility control. However, none of these are options that will quickly return burro numbers to their appropriate management levels. “The long-term effect of burros on habitat remains a concern," Crowder said. "The BLM has the legal requirement to manage burros at numbers that maintain a thriving natural ecological balance, and our findings indicate that this requirement is not being met.” The interplay between management difficulties and public fondness for the burro is the topic of an upcoming documentary by Zala Films titled Burrocracy. “When it comes to the burro issue, no one is looking through the same lens," said Burrocracy filmmaker Asali Echols. “Our hope is to take a step back from the disagreement and arguing, look at the topic from a broader sense, hear the different perspectives, and maybe there could be some new ideas about how to move forward.” For now, Rubin hopes that this study will give AZGFD’s federal partners a better understanding of the effects that feral burros are having on the Sonoran Desert’s habitats and wildlife. “We manage the wildlife, and we need healthy habitat to support them,” Rubin said. “There are about 300 species that rely on the Sonoran Desert as their home, and I feel like the foundation of this home is crumbling — burros are nibbling it away.”

Sitting on a ridge right now in 27 reading this thread in the dark waiting for daybreak. Not a single bugle to be heard. I know there are elk here cause I had glassed them the last two days. It’s just stone quiet

I hope Disney loses twice as much this year. Walt has got to be spinning in his grave.

Nathan’s a good dude, deal with confidence!