nateNAU

We don't have any clear water up here in any of the lakes. It's amazing a fish could even find a lure.

I went out this past Saturday bear hunting to one of my spots around Prescott. I sat a tank from sunrise to sunset. Only had one coatamundi walk past all day. With almost 5 years of trail cam info I know this tank is a producer. I have had a personal vendetta for a boar we have named scar. A jet black, black muzzled boar who is just a slob, with scars all over his face. 2020 and 2021 I have had sows and cubs come in, but no legal bear. This year without being able to use trail cams, I've had to rely on past data as to when the bears hit the tank. I don't know if scar is still alive but I would really like to wrap my tag around him. The second to last pic is a sow with scar walking in. She gets the f out of Dodge when she sees him. I am taking my 6 year old boy out in about 3 weeks for a 3 or 4 day hunt at this tank. Hopefully we can tag out.

For bear there is the holy Trinity. 1. Consistent water.- a water source that is not seasonal and always! Has water! 2. Main food source. Acorns,prickly pear, and to a lesser extent juniper berries. 3. Thick,thick cover.- deep dark canyons and such. If you find a spot with all three you will not only find a bear, you will find many. I live in 7e and that perfect trifecta is lacking. Bears are highly travelsome and almost impossible to pattern. I travel father south to bear hunt.

I don't think there is really better spot than others. I've done well at one end of the lake to the other. I prefer to fish the narrows. In my mind that choke point is good, even if the fish are deep because you can cast almost to the middle.

Ya. I think it was a funny story. It's a friend of a friend so take that what it's worth but the guy had a deer tag in hand but stopped to cut firewood. As he was using a chain saw, the deer walked out across a field and he walked back to his truck, grabbed his rifle and shot it. You never see good bucks in 5bn outside of the rut. I spend a ton of time in that unit and when I run a trapline in dec and Jan is the only time the monsters come out. Within 100 miles of Flagstaff, 5bn is the only unit in my opinion that you could have a solid chance at a 200" deer.

You should. I would pick 5bn over any unit south of the ditch.

I think everyone is looking at this with doom and gloom and failing to look at some of the new hunting opportunities that have opened up. I live in east Flagstaff and have been shafted as far as December and January deer. I have at least an hour drive to 6a, 8, or 10. Now all of a sudden 7 and 5bn have late hunts. Something I have never seen in my lifetime. I'm sure some years the quota will be reached early but even if 1 out of 5 years they don't there will be some awesome hunting in units that have never been available before.

If you are coming to northern Arizona, I would suggest the Williams area for fishing. We have had decent luck at Dogtown, Whitehorse and kaibab lake. Around Flagstaff you have upper lake Mary and Ashurst. Mary is decent but you will mostly catch pike and I don't know why I keep going to Ashurst. I have caught fish probably 2% of the times I have fished it and I have lived here my whole life and fished it a lot. It's also a good time to take some small hikes around these areas as you might find an elk shed!

Will do!

The fire missed me by about 1000 yards. If the wind shifts I might still be f'ed, but so far I'm good. I'm under evacuation orders but won't leave untill I absolutely have too. The fire swept through 200-500 homes. How many are still standing, no one knows at this point. I've heard sheriff's and summit fire were working on someone trapped in a burning home. Absolute worst case scenario.

Finally!

I was on parental duty this weekend and took the kids out fishing. Second cast I hooked this big walleye. 24". My biggest walleye and only the third I have ever caught out of here. 300 casts later we decided to call it a day!

Part 2. Went back out today. Yesterday we were planning on fishing ashurst but found the gate closed and we had to change plans for mary. I had all light tackle set up for trout. Today we went back to upper, this time set up with bigger poles, heavier test and steel leaders. We were able to get a couple pike and failed to close the deal on about 4 more fish.

I will cook it tomorrow or monday and let you know. This is the first walleye that I have kept. I have had pike out of lake mary and they were great. I grew up on trout in Arizona and Montana and am absolutely burnt out on them. Any fish is better than a trout in my opinion.

Haha probably. So interesting story, I had a G&f person come out and ask me a lot of questions about my fishing experience on upper lake mary one time. He asked me if I was keeping the fish and I told him now because of the mercury. He told me that for wild animals the epa set regulations and asked me when have I ever been concerned about what the epa says I should eat. The fda is what you typically defer too for food. Fda and epa have widely varying definitions of what is safe and that the fish in this lake are far better than any canned Tuna you can buy as far as mercury levels are concerned, his words. I don't know what to believe but I do know that mercury consumption is an issue over an individuals lifetime and us arizona land lovers get far less seafood than a lot of other individuals. Too be safe this will be the only high mercury fish we will eat for a while!

No worries. Most animals are safe in front of me when I have a bow in my hand.

It's nice to hear sig is getting their act together. I work for a firearm manufacturer and we also sell retail and one of our biggest deciding factors in what guns we carry is customer service. Sig for a long time has been horrible, often accusing the customers of wrongdoing and flat out refusing to accept blame for faulty workmanship. A lot of companies have been upping their warranty game and that has put the pressure on some of the older companies to follow suit.

Awesome bull! 5bn archery is my first choice. I have a nice spot on my wall just for him!

I love pig pedestal mounts!

Says the guy who hasn't shared one thing with this site.

Had a quick hunt this year. Found a pair of feeding in some tall grass. 50 yard shot with my new 375 caliber wildcat.

All the damage was low in the chest so there actually wasn't any meat loss