dogman68

Here is a nice heavy shed my wife found yesterday. She has several sheds from the same area, same genetics. All heavy fat 2 points, trying to be a 3 point.

First trail of the season. The first day we hit the track late and it was real hot, so waited until daylight the next morning to try and catch them. Fortunately they were only a couple of miles away, laid up.

A few years ago a bear kept coming at my son and I during an archery elk hunt. I finally hit it with the water bottle I pulled out of my pack and it took off.

once he comes out, chain him up.

They went back to year around season. Guess something changed and they "uncaved" to the Defenders. I'm a lousy lion hunter for sure. Never saw but two lion tracks on the strip. Getting old is really a bum deal.

one was a tom, the other a female.

With an archery deer hunt and an archery pig hunt going on in the same unit I would have found it difficult to gather all that information out of a truck track in a road. If a truck was on the track or dog tracks on the track I think Andy would have kept going. Well I know he would have. Also, the track hunter thought the track was going one way and Andy thought it was going the other, so the agreement was made that he would go the way he thought it went and if he was wrong, he would load up the dogs and go home and these dogs that were "on the way" could have a go at it. Sounds fair to me?????? There were 5 people who were there and listened to the agreement. This is what I was told by all involved although I was not anywhere around. Stuff like that happens on occasion I guess but the name calling is unnecessary. Maybe the best thing is to take your dogs when you go lion hunting. Just some food for thought.

Way to go Clayton! Doesn't get any better than that!

He was actually headed for the park and we caught him just a hair before he made it. Same story on both of them, so it does seem like they like the parkies. I said the same year, but come to think of it, I think it was earlier in the winter.

I don't know what he weighed. I'm guessing 125 lbs. A man from Tucson harvested this lion with a bow. If I remember right, he was like 7 or 8 years old. Wildlife callers is right, your stars gotta be just right as generally they are on the park or close to it. Why I do not know. During the dry season they hit all the watercatchments since there is little or no water on the park or reservations, either side of 9 but generally during the later fall and winter they move back off the public land. Maybe due to pressure and human activity during hunting seasons, I really don't know. Here is another "park" lion, only this one was actually bigger. Same year. I can't remember, but one of them had a number 5 tag in one ear and the other one, well I just can't remember now.

Here is what he looked like in the spring of 2009. He had just "dropped" his collar, which the biologist called it after he intentionally retrieved the collar to retrieve the data since part of the collar was malfunctioning. It is a park service study that has been ongoing for several years now. And yes he did spend most of his time inside the park as the study is showing, most of them do for one reason or another.

with a trail cam(or 5) on every spring, tank and salt lick in arizona, its pretty difficult to "claim" an area of public land just because you put salt there three years ago. If you had a cam on it and someone put theirs on it too, I would say they are wrong and unethical in their attitude towards you as a hunter, but in this case, where do you draw the line? Its basic "tree stand mentality" where someone puts up a tree stand and then expects a deed to the land to come in the mail by virtue of that stand. Its a tough deal, but like someone already said, welcome to public land. Good luck.

That is an awesome lion pic. Really healthy looking tom. Invite me down to chase him.

Here is a nice tom we caught after 9 days of some pretty hard hunting. We let him go to run free another day.

Sure wish I had me an elk tag for one of the 17 elk hunts that will happen this year in 6a. As anybody who hunts that unit knows, the elk quantity and quality continues to decline. The departments answer to that is to help it along even more so. Is it possible the new thinking that, "we have too many bulls and bucks" was originated by the same people who thought up photo radar? Just curious what some of you guys think that hunt the unit.

The lion had a collar. There are quite a few collared lions left over from the urban lion study. While they are legal to take I felt it is good to show some co-operation with the folks that do that sort of thing. And also the fact there was no reason to kill him. If you spend some time hunting them you quickly learn that most of the "lions kill a deer a week etc etc etc" is just old wives tales. I doubt there are enough deer in arizona for a lion to even kill a deer a week. If you think about it, they estimate 2500 lions in arizona------a deer a week would be upwards of 130,000 deer a year that lions take in arizona---------its probably mathematically impossible. My experience has been they supplement their diet with mostly small animals--------skunks, coyotes, etc etc. Most studies have shown that a lion kills on average, 12-14 big game animals a year. I know there are exceptions of course. Here is a large male lion that has a badger killed. It is under the pile of dirt.

Why not let him go. No reason to kill him. Also if I use my tag I am done until the new year.

Thought this might give a better impression as to the size of this lion. I see lion pics every week that are "165 lbs" but personally I have never caught one that big that I was able to weigh. I am guessing this one at 140 lbs but regardless of weight, he is pretty stout. Hap has already recovered other than he cannot yet bark. The vet says it will come back eventually.

trailed into this dead elk but couldn't really tell if the lion had killed it or just walked by it. Put a trail camera on it and checked it a day later. Caught him the next day. He had another kill and was using it instead of this newer one. Took a day to figure it out as he kept coming back on his back track and then veering off. old hap took a beating. broken windpipe and ribs

I think its possible for predators to impact game populations that are already low, but I would rather look at why they are low in the first place. Seldom is there a balance of nature. It is always swinging one way or the other. Like someone likes to often post, "The biggest threat to wildlife is the Arizona game and fish". Its hard to blame predators for everything. Wait till you see the new permit proposals for this coming year. Strictly revenue; has nothing to do with wildlife "management". JMO

Sounds like you guys had a great hunt and experience. Not sure here what an "adult" kitten is. That would be like saying an adult pre schooler. I for one appreciate guys like Tim. Nice buck Gail!!!!

pretty good lion caught yesterday

amanda, what became of Outdoor writer? I can't find him.

Thanks Tyler. Hope you guys are doing good. I hear you are!!! Desert Hunter------clean out your mail box Amanda----what ever became of Outdoor writer? I haven't been able to get in touch with him.

I really don't know the answer to that. Sounds like a female with young even if they all appeared to be similar in size. It's possible you could have stalked closer; I can't even see that far. Here is a "5 toed" lion picture we took today.