IA Born

I was raised by a 2-tour Vietnam combat vet. Multiple bronze stars (one with "V") and severe PTSD and survivor's guilt. Pretty much every day in our house was Memorial Day, but we definitely honored them extra special on Memorial Day. His dad lied about his age to get into WWII and also received multiple (4, I think) bronze stars and 3 or 4 purple hearts. May God ensure that all who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who have since gone to join their buddies since have peace, comfort, and love for eternity. They've earned it! If Chadwick Kenyon was relation to you, I am truly sorry for your loss.

I agree that the .30-06 with a brake is a great option. Even without the brake, the low-recoil stuff is amazing. It will be a long-lasting rifle, too. I'll second the 7mm-08 option. My 10 year-old daughter has been shooting one for a year now. Hers has a brake on it and she absolutely loves it. It is the Savage Axis youth model and was under $400 with a scope. They are barely over $300 with the scope. My only complaint about that rifle is the factory trigger (very rough), but we recently had a Timney put in and she LOVES it! Of course, like sjvcon says, can't beat the .308, either!

I didn't get it yet, but am making do with leaving for the hunt tomorrow. If you have a jacket and an old pack that you'd be willing to sell me, let me know how much. He's going to need it for his elk hunt in the fall up in the Peaks Unit. PM coming your way. Thanks!

I will be taking a friend of the family on his first turkey hunt this April. His family does not hunt so I have a hard time telling them all of the clothing he needs or should have to stay warm. As we all know those things add up in the bank account fast. He's growing fast and we're not sure he will stick with hunting, so its hard for me to encourage them to go spend $60 on a youth jacket. He's 12 and a little taller than my daughter so most of the stuff she has won't fit him and he'll swim in my stuff. Does anyone have any youth large camo shirts or jackets they no longer need and are willing to part with? We just found out that he's got an elk tag with my daughter, too, so he'll get good use out of it. Thanks!

High Sierra Cirque 30 backpack. Torso size 13"-17". Brand new with tags still on it. I ordered the wrong size (too small) from one of my various pro deals and can't return it. Capitalize on my mistake. $85 shipped TYD.

Make sure and look me up. I'll be in a maroon Dodge with all kinds of stickers in the back window.

Some of the reports I've read on the Hevi- Shot magnum blend in 20 ga have comparable results to a standard (non-Hevi-Shot) 12 ga out to 50 yards. My daughter is going to use that load this year. Her shotgun is patterned and sighted in at 25 yards, but if a bird hangs up at 40, I wouldn't hesitate to have her drop the hammer!

If you've ever eaten bison from Arizona, you've eaten beefalo. There are only 5 or 6 genetically pureherds of bison left and most aren't huntable. Most commercial bison meat is actually beefalo as are most huntable populations.

Sorry and respectfully, but chuckwallas aren't even close in appearance. And the habitat isn't right.

Yep, the males do that during breeding season and that's definitely a male! Based on what you just described, I'd definitely say its a desert spiny. I miss those guys!

Clark's and desert spiny lizards are similar in appearance. You usually tell them apart by habitat and behavior. Based on habitat in background, I'd say its a desert spiny lizard (Sceloperous magister).

My beautiful soon-to-be 10 year old daughter got me good with an April Fool prank yesterday. When I picked her up from school, she had a dejected look on her face, said she got in trouble at school, and handed me a note that she said her teacher made her write, herself. If you knew my daughter and her teacher, both are very plausible. As I started reading the note, my blood began to boil...and I mean BOIL! After reading half of what was in the note (signed by her teacher), I was getting ready to turn around and lay into her something fierce, telling her that she would be missing a turkey hunt, a soccer tournament, and a few other activities when she decided she'd better come clean and smile and yell "April Fools"! I stopped for a minute and could do nothing but laugh and give her mad props for pulling a good one on me!

Is the leafy suit available? If so, I will talk to my wife, but I'm here in Flag and can take it from you (assuming the CFO/CEO says yes).

I'm going to throw another bump for this camp. Even though I'm working hard to help find mentors for the Happy Jack Camp, please consider this camp if its in your area. We always talk about how our youth are the future of hunting, so do everything in your power to retain them. Volunteering at the Happy Jack Camp has been life changing for me, personally, and I know I've made a difference in at least one kids life. Be that mentor this turkey season!

The .243 is an accurate and deadly round. I agree with Ron on the .243 for your purposes. It will also work on elk if she gets an elk tag. On a note related to others, my 9-year old daughter shoots a Savage youth 7mm-08 with a brake on it and absolutely loves it. It will definitely do everything your wife wants to do, plus elk just as well.

Couestracker reminded me that we still need mentors and help with our Happy Jack Camp this year. Whether you're closer to the Colcord Ridge Camp or the Happy Jack Camp, please consider volunteering your time to help the kids. It really means a great deal to them and encourages retention of their generation!

All- I just got the flier for the 2014 5th Annual Juniors Turkey Camp near Happy Jack, AZ. This camp caters to OTC tags in 5A and 5B as well as draw tags for 6A. The camp will be 18-20 April and is free. The downside of the youth turkey season this year is that it is over Easter Weekend. We are hoping to still see plenty of kids out there and we really need mentors who are willing to give everything they've got to get kids on birds and teach them basic outdoor skills, hunting ethics, and turkey hunting. Camp will be at the V Bar V ranch and you can contact Tim Denny of the Mingus Mountain Longbeards (Cottonwood) to register (928.301.0853; longbeardsaz@gmail.com). Flyer is attached (hopefully). I can tell you that volunteering to mentor at this camp has truly changed my life for the better. Please consider mentoring! 2014 Jr Camp Flyer.pdf

Current Flagstaff weather (from NWS) is predicting chances of rain/snow from Tuesday night through the weekend.Current Flagstaff weather (from NWS) is predicting chances of rain/snow from Tuesday night through the weekend.

I work for DOI, too. Deals are GREAT!

A few weeks ago, I sat through my annual fire refresher class to prepare for the upcoming widlfire season. We always start these classes with the past year's precip, current conditions, and predicted weather forecast and resulting fire season predictions. As of right now, the prediction is that this high pressure ridge that's been over most of Arizona all winter will be shifting out of here soon. We are looking at having a late spring, with moisture coming in April/May similar to 2009. All current fuel loading out there is based on last summer's monsoon season, so there isn't as much fuel loading as people think. Yes, its dry, but the recent rains have helped a little, although there have been a few recent starts. The other prediction to follow the late spring moisture is another heavy monsoon season this summer. Of course all of this is based on computer modeling and predictions of expected trends and it could all go gunny sack in a heartbeat. The best thing to do right now, IMO, is to sit and wait to see if the spring moisture prediction comes to fruition.

Contact the HE department at AGFD and get on their waiting list for classes in your area. Classes are posted on the HE portion of their website, too. You will get the waiver (for the Field Day) in class and that is what needs to be signed by the parent/legal guardian. When I took the class with my daughter, I took two youth friends of the family with me as well. Just needed their parents to sign the waiver for the Field Day.

Yep. I just taught a class up here this weekend and went through with my daughter a year ago. 9 to take it, 10 to hunt, and you don't have to be the parent to take the class with the child. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, friend of the family are all ok...as long as the legal guardian has signed the waiver.

My daughter and a friend of the family got drawn together for their first elk tag. First time applying, too. Not a junior's hunt, though. Like others, I knew the odds of the youth tags were stacked against them so I put them in for general cow tags. Needless to say, I've got two VERY excited kids on my hands! We haven't even gotten the tag in the mail, but I'm already feeling the pressure to get them on elk and tagged out!

AWESOME!! PM Sent! THANK YOU!!

Check out the Happy Jack Youth Turkey Camp. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/46837-2014-juniors-turkey-hunting-camp-happy-jack/ There will be mentors and others there that know the area. I will be there as a mentor, but I will have another kid with an OTC tag or I'd volunteer to take you and your kid out to 6A.