IA Born

Friend of mine is the district biologist for the FS over there. She posted some photos and the burn severity map on her FB page a while back. It looks GREAT. There is NO damage. It was one of the best cleansing, resource benefit burns I've seen. There should be some great deer hunting in that area this fall/winter!

Hey All: A friend of mine back in Iowa drew a 5B early archery bull tag and is looking to rent an ATV down around Flagstaff/Happy Jack, etc. He contacted me the other day and I said I'd put some feelers out for him. He doesn't want to mess with bringing his own due to the need to switch out carb jets every time because of the elevation difference. I'm planning on calling a couple of local places this week, but if you know anywhere or anyone who might be willing to rent him an ATV, let me know and I can put him in contact with you. Below is a snippet from his email to me. Thanks for looking and considering his request! I would probably put around 100-150 miles on it and would treat it like mine own. Doesn't need to be a brand new one, but I also don't want to spend two weeks working on it. Mine is 2004 Sportsman 400. I have to change the carb jets everytime I come out..PITA.

I grew up there and have followed the Iowa deer herds for quite some time. I have a couple of family farms that I still hunt every few years. That looks like a yearling or 1.5 year old up and comer. Despite what most people say about Iowa, there aren't 170" deer hiding behind every tree. When I was living in Tucson and took my parents to Madera Canyon, there were a couple of WT does feeding on the side of the road. My dad got excited and said "Look at the yearlings!" I had to explain to him that they were mature Coues whitetail does. Yep, a yearling deer in Iowa is about as big as a mature doe down here. A mature doe in Iowa is bigger than most Coues whitetail bucks down here. Mattys-Eastern/NE Nebraska got hit pretty hard by EHD the last couple of years, as did parts of Iowa. If you make it, don't get too bummed if you don't see the numbers you think you should see. It was bad. Johnnie-Knock on some doors and you'll get access to some of the farm ponds. There are some big bass in some of those farm ponds!

There are currently 4 or 5 resource benefit burns, all lightning strikes, that are burning on the Coconino NF right now, including the one you mention in the OP. I work with one of the biologists who helps with management issues and they are all burning light to moderate and cleaning up the areas they are burning in. They are all boxed in and unless a major wind gusts causes a spot fire, they aren't going anywhere. You can't compare this (or these conditions) to what happened at Los Alamos. Those were red flag winds combined with super dry conditions. That fire should have never been put on the ground. These conditions are actually pretty good for resource benefit fires.

Sorry, life got away from me over the weekend. Going to have to pass on this. Truly Sorry to drag it on for you. Bump for a great deal.

Have to check finances, but definitely interested. Where are you located? Also, is shipping an option?

I've been running a couple of cameras for my daughter's first elk hunt (cow tags) for a couple of months and got these pics on last weekend's card pull. My daughter loves them and they could very well be three of my favorite trail cam pics ever. Of course, she has declared these two off limits come hunt time! Its certainly fun to go through the pics with my daughter as we get ready for her hunt.

CAL-Ranch had a pound of IMR 4064 and IMR 4350. Also, Pistol Parlor had several 1-lb cans of IMR 4064, several H333, and a handful of others I don't recall off the top of my head. If I hadn't just split an 8-lb keg of 4064 with a friend that got lucky and found some, I would have cleaned up on it! I got their last IMR 4895, though. Sorry. At least I thought I would share some info for those looking. I can probably swing back in there mid-next week if there is anyone from the Valley looking for any of that and we can figure out a trade for what I'm looking for or I can sit on it until my next trip to the Valley.

I don't know...looks kinda sketchy! Awesome group!

They are in every mountain range along the border. Chiricahuas to the Pajaritos. I miss seeing them!

Everything says Elegant trogon to me, especially when I click on the pic and make it bigger. That's the only bird I know that looks like with that kind of green on its back. I"m guessing you are down southeast AZ somewhere and they are fairly common in canyons down there. Their call sounds about like a barking pig or sick seal. Cool pic!

Thanks for continuing to keep everyone honest on the use of the term "critical habitat." :-) My pleasure. Its great being able to talk to you guys about it all. This is nothing compared to the congressional inquires I've had to deal with because a politician somewhere created a major stink...all because he/she didn't know what they were talking about (imagine that)!

I agree with the consensus that the '06 will get the job done. I have a strong bias towards that round, but I've also done quite a bit of research on it and its original development. It was developed for longer-range use in combat (keeping up with the German 8mm Mausers), specifically in the Springfield 1903s. The development of the round eventually lead to the 176 gr match load sitting on top of 4064 (max or close to max charge). Battle sights on a Springfield 1903 (open sights) are set at 540 yards and soldiers in WWI were picking off Germans across the battlefield at 500-800 yards. Their ladder sights actually allow for much longer shots, but form and accuracy goes out the window quickly with the angle you need to hold the rifle to make a 2000 yard shot! Along with that, the .30-06 was the original open-sight 1000 yard round being fired from both 1903s and M1 Garands with open sights. I've got one of each and I'm fascinated by their capability. I consider myself a good shooter, but those rifles can definitely shoot better than I can shoot them (for now). A good friend of mine (like a 2nd father) was on the Army's National Match team when he got out of Vietnam and used to clean house at competition with a Garand at 1000 yards. There are many more rounds out there today that shoot faster and flatter than the .30-06, but that doesn't mean the .30-06 isn't capable. Admittedly, a human is not an elk, but my point is that, with the right load and practice, the 30-06 is more than capable of killing an elk or deer at 500+ yards.

Yep, its the Oak Fire in.near the Galliuros. I'm good friends with the FS biologist and she's been sending good updates. No structures are threatened at this time and the FS is allowing it to burn for resource benefit. From all of the reports I've seen, its a good cleansing burn that should result in some good deer hunting after the rains hit that area! And if any critical habitat (from an ESA standpoint) is in the path of the fire, the FS can easily let the fire burn through it and help improve it. Presence of CH is not a reason to stop a fire's progression. I've worked many fires in CH and I've worked with NPS, FS, and BLM on fires burning in critical habitat. Really no big deal.

Heel pad and symmetry of toe pads (can draw a perfect "X" or "W" b/w toes) tells me its a K9. Either a big coyote, someone's dog, or a feral dog. Tracks always look bigger when they are splayed in the mud, no matter what animal. And there are no wolves in 6a.

If you need the load data for Barnes for that bullet and that powder, let me know. I loaned my manual to a friend, but I can get you the min and max charge for 4350. As I said earlier, Barnes recommends starting 0.050" off the lands and adjusting seating depth from there. My personal load data won't help you, but I can tell you that with RL-15 at 97% max, 0.050" off the lands was right on. Good luck!

I'm loading 140 gr TTSX with RL-15 for my daughter's Savage Axis youth in 7mm-08 for her cow hunt. I can probably get you the recommended OAL for standard 7mm-08 per Barnes Manual #4, but if you are looking to customize the load to your son's rifle, you'll need to measure the seating depth of the bullet to get a good starting point 0.050" off the lands (per Barnes' recommendation). I use the Hornady OAL guage ( the modified case and the Hornady Comparator to measure off the ogive. There is an old school way to do it with a sharpie or lighter and just putting a bullet in an unprimed, but prepped case. I've done it both ways and definitely prefer the Hornday guage. If you were in Flagstaff, I'd say come on over and we'd get it figured out in about 5 minutes!

X2 on the Thermacell. I got one halfway through my early elk hunt 2 years ago and it is awesome! You can even get the fresh earth cover scent wafers for it.

I'll throw my hat in for a 7mm-08. My 10 year old daughter has been shooting one since she turned 9 and loves it. Savage Axis youth with a Vais muzzle brake. That thing shoots lights out!

Are you interested in selling? I'd be interested in buying your RL22.

I forgot to mention that Barnes Manual #4 lists H-380 as the powder giving the best results for 140 gr tsx and ttsx bullets. I wasn't going to try and scramble to find it, so I went with the RL-15 I had in stock, which Barnes also lists as a good performer for those bullets. Of course you know every rifle is different with what bullet/powder combo they like.

I can get you the specifics if you are interested, but my daughter's 7mm-08 loves RL-15 with 140 gr Barnes TTSX. Just printed a 0.58" group with 97% max load last weekend. Savage Axis youth with Timney trigger at 3 lbs.

Its an awesome rifle. When my dad passed away 10 years ago and I had to get all of the firearms out of the house, that was the only one missing. I vaguely remembered him telling me something about who he loaned it to, but I still don't remember and it still bugs me. I'd give anything to have that particular rifle back in the family! I learned off that one. I've since bought a new (used) one and its just as great. You won't regret it!

I don't load Bergers, but I use a Hornady gauge with the comparators for my Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets. I won't reload without it. Like others have said, it measures off the ogive of the bullet and gives you much more consistent measurements. Its not the true OAL since its from the ogive, but its far more consistent than the tips of bullets, which, as others have said, can be smashed if you use too much pressure on soft-nosed bullets. IMO and from my research and experience, seating depth plays just as much of a factor in customizing loads to get the most accuracy. I've tightened up various loads just by adjusting the seating depth of the bullet.

You are very welcome, Chef! Same goes to all of you showing support above! It was my love of hunting and fishing with my dad growing up in Iowa during the 1985 Farm Bill that helped push me down the road of a career in conservation. At that time, I wanted to be an Iowa DNR Conservation Officer, but I left Iowa for grad school and it led me where I am today. I strive to use my love of hunting and fishing to do just what I did above and help educate and break down myths and misinformation. My supervisors love that I can reach out to the hunting community and help them understand what does/doesn't happen with the ESA and break down some of those two-way barriers. I truly do take my job working for you all (The American People) very seriously. I don't base any of my management recommendations on emotions and I don't believe that every species or habitat should be federally protected because someone else says it should be. I look at what the science tells me and bury any personal feelings. I won't lie, I want to conserve everything, but that doesn't mean using Federal laws to do it. I have coworkers who have big misconceptions about the hunting community and I have several coworkers who are as passionate about hunting and fishing as I am. I've also hunted with folks who have misconceptions about our agency. I've been in areas where I truly felt like I'd be in serious trouble if I admitted who I worked for, even as a hunter, and that has made me nervous about speaking up in certain areas and at certain times on CW so I truly thank you for your support. I promise you, we're not a bad agency to deal with. We have our share of nut-jobs, just like the hunting community does, but we have far more great biologists, just like there are far more great hunting ambassadors out there!