CouesWhitetail

Apparently spur length is a much more reliable way to judge turkey age than beard length. And as Brian pointed out, the jakes have center tail feathers that stick up, so your bird was likely 2-3 years old based on 1 inch spurs. here is a link I found helpful when I was searcing for turkey aging info: http://www.wildturkeyzone.com/articles/aging.htm

Nice pics Doug, thanks for sharing. I was out doing owl surveys the last few days and got to enjoy the sight of the moon rising like that over in aravaipa canyon. Amanda

I would like everyone to welcome Western Hunter as our newest sponsor. Many of you know Chris Denham (aka Muley62). Chris is the editor of Western Hunter magazine and will now be an official supporter of this site. Western Hunter is an awesome magazine filled with great hunt stories as well as gear reviews. To read more about the magazine or sign-up for a subscription, visit Western Hunter magazine's website. In addition to the great magazine, Chris offers a hunt application service. So if you are looking for help on applying for hunts, give him a call and see what he can do for you. He is well-versed in all the ins and outs of applying for hunts in all the western states. Chris is also a dedicated conservationist who volunteers his time on all kinds of projects (youth camps, trash pick-ups, water projects) and has served on numerous boards for Arizona's conservation groups. Nice to have you onboard Chris! Amanda

Dang it!! How did that happen??? I guess it's because what I have to say is twice as important as the rest of you!!! J/K Amanda

Wow, those are some hefty looking cats! Amanda

I think it's a chipmunk.... Nice pics Scott. Can't wait to see a bruiser Coues in those pics. Hey, you should put a cam out where you saw that GIANT buck last year. Amanda

Nice pics! So glad to hear you are enjoying your Covert 1 cam! They sure are fun, aren't they? Amanda

Nice pics! So glad to hear you are enjoying your Covert 1 cam! They sure are fun, aren't they? Amanda

nicely done!! Amanda

This turned out to be a problem camera and I sent him a new one. Apparently it's a bad chip or somethign like that. Amanda

Looks to me like his dad's bird went swimming after the shot.....maybe TJ will fill us in. Amanda

Alright!!! Way to go Peg!!! Must be a great feeling of accomplishment! Looks like a great bird too! I hope you are getting it mounted or at least doing the tail mount. Congratulations to your dad too!! That's some great success for your family! Amanda PS., I am glad my turkey hunt story inspired you to hang in there! I will tell the other ladies and send them the link to your story!

Hey All, I have been doing some owl surveys for the BLM in the east end of Aravaipa canyon. Two trips so far and they have been productive for owls and other wildlife. On one of the trips, I took my neices with me. They are from Maine and I thought they might enjoy camping in that area. On another trip my husband and I did a short backpack trip. Hopefully we will be back in a week or two to explore some new canyons. My neices found the bones of a fawn that had likely been eaten by a mountain lion. There were bones up on a little cliff and then the majority had fallen down into the leaves below. They had fun digging around and they were rewarded with more and more bone peices. We have seen many herps (reptiles and amphibians) on these trips. AZ Black Rattlesnake that luckily rattled to warn my husband before he took another step. My husband was moving the bush aside to walk through it when he heard the rattle. Big, black snake. And here is an example of what NOT to put in the baby crib.......beer and rattlesnakes......this was in an abandoned building that we checked out. It's a very large Blacktail rattlesnake that, when cornered, backed into the crib. Lots of canyon treefrogs calling in the day and the night. And my dog Julie managed to find this lyre snake that was in the process of eating a clark's spiny lizard. Either he decided after awhile that he wouldn't be able to swallow it or he got worried by my presence but he left and hid in a slot in a big hackberry tree. a red racer crossing the road: a madrean alligator lizard: And a centipede that was hunting in little rock crevices. That thing was on a mission and in constant motion. After our backpack trip we came out and had breakfast under this GIANT hackberry tree. It was very impressive. The photos probably don't do it justice. Flowers added color everywhere we went. Columbine: Don't know what flower this is, but it was hot pink (not very good photo). Found a little humming bird nest. And managed to find some owls. They were nesting in cubby holes in the cliff walls. And there was an endless amount of scenery. Can't wait to go back!! Amanda

I thought I had heard that frogg toggs were easily torn....is that not the case? and are they quiet or do they rustle alot? Amanda

Very neat snake...I have never seen one in the field. Nice that they are helping you take care of the termites! Amanda

Great spot you have there! Thanks for sharing the pics! Amanda

I wish! I didn't exactly have any glassing time, but didn't see any sheep or coati's either Amanda

Sorry Snapshot!! At least this time I threw in some pics of some other snakes and lizards. Amanda

That Cobra Ranch looks awesome. When did your family ranch there? Amanda

Wow, that's awesome!! Turkey with a bow is a great accomplishment! Congratulations! Amanda

Beautiful! I have some friends that fish the San Juan often and it always looks like fun. nice job saving that guy TJ, hope your back didn't get hurt too bad! Amanda

You are right, those pics sure make me want to get out there and do some fishing! Seems like a great family outing!! Amanda

Congratulations! I am jealous!! That's a gorgeous bird! So was it the hen that led that tom over to you due to your calling, or did he leave the hen and come over once he got closer? Amanda

Fences sure are a hazard to wildlife. That's really sad. Amanda

Cool snake. I didn't remember patch-nosed snakes having any pinkish color like yours shows, but they are probably pretty variable. Here are a couple pics of a road killed Eastern Patch-nosed snake I found during my WT hunt last year in NM.