Red Rabbit

Tonto National Forest begins fire restrictions May 14 PHOENIX (May 12, 2009) – Drought conditions, hot temperatures and increased fire danger have resulted in fire restrictions for the Tonto National Forest beginning Thursday, May 14 at 8 a.m. The forest will prohibit most types of fire or fire-causing activities across the entire Tonto National Forest. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or charcoal-burning device is prohibited. Restrictions also apply to smoking outside of a cleared area, operating internal combustion power tools, using welding equipment or torches with open flames, operating combustion engines without spark- arresting devices in effective working order, or discharging firearms except in taking game in accordance with Arizona hunting laws. Use of petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns, and heating devices are allowed, and some developed campgrounds are also exempted from these restrictions. (Please see attached list). “Because of ongoing drought and dry forest conditions, fire restrictions are needed to protect forest users, structures and natural resources from the increased potential for dangerous wildland fires,” said Tonto National Forest Supervisor, Gene Blankenbaker. “These precautionary measures are intended to enhance our visitors’ quality recreation experiences. Most areas of the Tonto National Forest remain available for recreation activity, including all the Salt River system lakes.” For further information regarding recreation sites and fire restrictions, please contact the Tonto National Forest at (602) 225-5200, or check online at www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto. Campfires will be allowed in fire grates in the following developed recreation sites: Cave Creek Ranger District Bartlett Lake Recreation Area Bartlett Lake Marina Jojoba Rattlesnake Cove Rattlesnake Group S B Cove Bartlett Flat (below high waterline) Yellow Cliffs Lower Verde Recreation Area Riverside Campground Needle Rock Recreation Area Needle Rock Campground Box Bar Seven Springs Recreation Area CCC Campground Seven Springs Picnic Area Cave Creek Group Site Horseshoe Lake Recreation Area Horseshoe Lake CG Catfish Point Ocotillo Mesquite Campground Globe Ranger District Pioneer Pass, in the Pinal Mtns Sulphide Del Ray, in the Pinal Mtns Kellner, in the Pinal Mtns Ice House CCC, in the Pinal Mtns Pinal, in the Pinal Mtns Upper Pinal, in the Pinal Mtns Warnica Group Site in the Pinal Mtns Jones Water, off AZ Hwy 77 N of Globe Oak Flat, off AZ Hwy 60 E of Superior Timber Camp Mesa Ranger District Saguaro Lake Recreation Area Saguaro Lake Marina Saguaro Del Norte Butcher Jones Canyon Lake Recreation Area Canyon Lake Marina Acacia Boulder Laguna Palo Verde Lower Salt Recreation Area Developed recreation sites only Payson Ranger District Houston Mesa Campground Houston Mesa Horse Camp Ponderosa Campground Sharp Creek Campground Upper Tonto Creek Campground Christopher Creek Campground Pleasant Valley Ranger District Falls Campground Reynolds Creek Group Site Rose Creek Campground Alderwood Campground Sawmill Flats Campground Haigler Canyon Campground Colcord Ridge Campground Airplane Flats Campground Upper Canyon Campground Valentine Ridge Campground Tonto Basin Ranger District Apache Lake Recreation Areas. Apache Lake Marina Upper Burnt Corral Lower Burnt Corral Crabtree Three-mile Wash Davis Wash Roosevelt Recreation Area Vineyard Frazier Windy Hill Cholla Bachelor Cove Grapevine Cottonwood

Saw this in the paper this morning. Nothing posted on the Tonto NFS web yet. The Tonto National Forest will implement campfire, smoking and firearm restrictions on Thursday. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/home.shtml

South of Williams off the Perkinsville Road would be nice. Trout fishing at Dogtown, JD, or Whitehorse. Plenty of NF to camp in the pines away from a campground. Sedona and Cottonwood will be warm/hot during the day.

This was my first thought, but Dallas has ya covered.

So his intestine had a pimple, huh. Guess the Doc could just put some zit creme on it.

In addition to the Accubond, you might try other bonded bullets like the Swift Scirocco II and the Hornady Interbond. These two will open a little wider than the Accubond and give more "shock" on deer. Here is that article on the VLDs http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/hl248partial.pdf Doug~RR

I like the additional body feathers over having just the tail. You might add a pine disc over the center where the feathers all come together to hide the bases of those feathers.

I can just see Amanda's next photo hunting story showing eggs benedict and deer hunting from the back deck of your house

Midway has some Norma brass in 204 Ruger, in stock http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=843420

The almost-full moon was rising as the sun was setting over Cathedral Rock this evening. For a midweek, Oak Creek had many swimmers, and other photographers waiting on the moonrise. The best reflection pool probably had 7 people from a photography group gathered around its edges waiting for those few minutes as the moon crested over the sandstone horizon. Doug~RR

http://www.muledeercountry.com/?p=905

There was a certain line we would take to the bottom of the island at the picnic area, and then walk to the head to get to the bar above the island. A guy from PA with nicely woven nymps in his flybox took 2 swims in one day trying to get to the island. Saw another get carried down below the island before shallower water allowed him to regain his footing. Gary Borger was filming a segment of his nymph fishing video there one day back in 1985 or so. Was interesting to watch. Doug~RR

That photo reminds me of Buffalo Ford on the Yellowstone in the Park. Yikes.

Nice buck in the pines. He should be dropping here shortly, if not already. I'll help you find his sheds RR

Sounds like he was using a casting bubble. A fly like a wooly bugger, wooly worm, or peacock nymph would work well on a light 2# leader. I like the bubble with the rubber tubing that you twist to secure the line running through it from slipping- no stop swivel needed then. http://www.fish.state.pa.us/anglerboater/2...ug/flyrodno.pdf http://globalflyfisher.com/fishbetter/bubble.htm http://www.activeangler.com/flyfishing-art...ly_bubble.shtml

I have not seen the draw results distinguished between R & NR. You should likely call the draw department statistician to ask. Don Martin from Kingman may know where to get the info.

I called about that very question a month ago since I am applying with a NR. Yes, the 10% NR cap was reached in the 20% pass for the Dec WT in 33.

Added a link on predator...com to help set the record straight. RR

Notice that this year, 12B, 12BW and 12A have been combined into one hunt, but still with the same number of total tags, 1090.

40 million X $1million = 40 Trillion dollars . Yep, that'll fix the problem. Scott, you have some more of the funny money from Africa?

I am not aware of any tanneries in AZ.

There is a lengthy thread on MM about the % pass. http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID33/553.html Here was my thought: Several years ago, Dwight Shuh wrote an editorial about "Killing the Dream." It was directed toward the increasingly high cost of nonresident tags. Eventually, the cost may rise to the point where the average Joe could not afford to hunt his dream hunt, whether it be a Dall Sheep hunt in Alaska or an archery bull elk hunt in Arizona. Most hunters dream of being able to go on a special hunt. The same scenario of KILLING THE DREAM may apply to the quality hunts here in AZ, and raising the % bonus pass may contribute to killing the hope and dream by reducing the chance of being lucky in the draw. As the % is raised, it becomes more like a total preference system as KRP pointed out. After one draws a permit it will take on average 26 years to draw a unit 9 tag where there were 2652 first choice applicants for 100 permits. 24 years in unit 1 as Kent noted. And it does not matter if the pass is 100%, 50%, or 0%, the average to draw will be 26 years between tags is one only applies for unit 9. (I am using first choice numbers as this is where an applicant will place their dream hunt.) Let me throw in a negative about raising the percentage pass. This concerns the youth hunters or first time hunters starting out with no BP. A kid needs to be drawn and to have success to hook him or her into hunting. Putting a kid in for the LO hunts may get him drawn and hunting (as would an OTC tag), but the success/kill part will be lacking. Is Dad and kid going to put in the extra scouting necessary to be successful in these low success hunts? Raising the bonus pass will require that young hunter to wait more years on average to be drawn as it requires more people to have the greatest number of bonus points to draw. He or she in not going to wait 26 years to draw a unit 9 archery bull tag. By raising the %, one has reduced the lucky chance that a youth hunter can beat the odds and draw sooner than what some deem fair. By raising the %, we may be throwing the baby out with the bath water. I agree with Kent that raising the % will only be a temporary fix appeasing those that have been unlucky in the draw and have many BP. After the few with the most have drawn, then the top BP group will have many members. But raising the % pass will moderate the system by awarding tags to the unlucky with the most BP, and reducing the number of tags give to the "lucky" who draw with few BP. This will reduce the detrimental whining against G&F by making the systen more even-handed/fair in some's eyes. As it is now, there are about 80,000 applicants for 20,000 elk tags. So even with the LO hunts included, there is an average 4 years between tags. Doug~RR

Pig-tailing on my post about the % pass is the concern about draw and success for youth hunters. I one looks at the draw odds for youth antlerless elk, the draw odds range from 16%-36%. In other words, a kid is going to wait 3-6 years before he or she can draw a permit. As you also knoe, if a kid is not hooked on hunting by age 14-16, you have likely lost him to other activities. So goes out future hunters. Currently G&F sets aside up to 3% of the permits for youth permits (used to be 2%) How about we shift the general elk and deer permits to the youth hunts and raise this percent to 10 % and throw in some bull tags. Lots of kids are attracted to horns also. And if the kid goes hunting, so does Dad to help on the scouting and actual hunt. And I would wager a Mom & Dad would have more thrill through their child's success than their own tag being filled. Currently AZGFD is accepting input regarding the Hunt Guidelines. http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/NewsMedia/...uidelines.shtml Doug~RR

DCM, That is the correct address on the web page. http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/documents/2...WebsiteList.pdf I would guess the PO messed up. Note that the Deer and Sheep apps will be sent to the new PO Box which DubTee gave. I suspect there will be new envelopes.

For light and packable and reasonably inexpensive, look at the Marmot Precip jacket. http://marmot.com/spring_2008/mens/outerwe...et/info/details More $ would be the Integral Designs eVENT Rain Jacket. http://integraldesigns.com/product.cfm?id=...producttypeid=1 I would consider having pit zips in the jacket to help shed some heat and body moisture, although they say with e-vent none are needed.