Outdoor Writer

Need to be careful on this one. Taking possession of a dead elk AFTER the season closes TODAY could create a problem. Just ask Steve Chappell.

HB 2640 - 1 - 1 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: 2 Section 1. Section 17-231, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to 3 read: 4 17-231. General powers and duties of the commission 5 A. The commission shall: 6 1. Adopt rules and establish services it deems necessary to carry out 7 the provisions and purposes of this title. 8 2. Establish broad policies and long-range programs for the 9 management, preservation and harvest of wildlife. 10 3. Establish hunting, trapping and fishing rules and prescribe the 11 manner and methods which THAT may be used in taking wildlife, BUT THE 12 COMMISSION SHALL NOT LIMIT OR RESTRICT THE MAGAZINE CAPACITY OF ANY 13 AUTHORIZED FIREARM. 14 4. Be responsible for the enforcement of laws for the protection of 15 wildlife. 16 5. Prescribe grades, qualifications and salary schedules for 17 department employees. 18 6. Provide for the assembling and distribution of information to the 19 public relating to wildlife and activities of the department. 20 7. Prescribe rules for the expenditure, by or under the control of the 21 director, of all funds arising from appropriation, licenses, gifts or other 22 sources. 23 8. Exercise such powers and duties necessary to carry out fully the 24 provisions of this title and in general exercise powers and duties which THAT 25 relate to adopting and carrying out policies of the department and control of 26 its financial affairs. 27 9. Prescribe procedures for use of department personnel, facilities, 28 equipment, supplies and other resources in assisting search or rescue 29 operations on request of the director of the division of emergency 30 management. 31 10. Cooperate with the Arizona-Mexico commission in the governor's 32 office and with researchers at universities in this state to collect data and 33 conduct projects in the United States and Mexico on issues that are within 34 the scope of the department's duties and that relate to quality of life, 35 trade and economic development in this state in a manner that will help the 36 Arizona-Mexico commission to assess and enhance the economic competitiveness 37 of this state and of the Arizona-Mexico region. 38 B. The commission may: 39 1. Conduct investigations, inquiries or hearings in the performance of 40 its powers and duties. 41 2. Establish game management units or refuges for the preservation and 42 management of wildlife. 43 3. Construct and operate game farms, fish hatcheries, fishing lakes or 44 other facilities for or relating to the preservation or propagation of 45 wildlife.

Thanks. In fact, it was selected for Nikon's Outdoor Photo Showcase that travelled around the country for a year and was later published in one of its calendars.

Sandhills are neat birds and probably the noisest of any. When I hunted moose and mountain caribou in northern BC many years ago, it was migration time. Several times a day, we had flocks of hundreds of them fly overhead. You could hear them coming 10 minutes before you saw them. A couple of flocks landed on nearby hills to eat the caribou moss and spend the night, and it was impossible to count them all. Here's a photo.

I spent the last few days in Las Vegas where I watched my high school from northern NJ -- Bergen Catholic (BC) -- bend, staple, tear and mulilate powerhouse Bishop Gorman HS (BG), which was ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. The game was broadcast nationally by Fox on Fri. night. It was BG's first home loss since 2006 and the first of any loss since 2010. BC is also nationally ranked and will no doubt move up a few notches, especially after they annihalated another powerhouse -- St. Anthony's of Long Island -- last week. St. A's had a 29 game winning streak ended. So now for a bit of history... I was on the FIRST varsity football team in 1958 at BC and scored the first TD in school history. The photo below was in the Bergen Record newspaper the next day. THAT was a LONG time ago! The reporter for the Record newspaper who was in LV for the BC/BG game interviewed me by phone while we were there and did an article. Here'e the link: High school football: Bergen Catholic fan made history

I'm not sure if anyone else has done it with a bow. I know Corky's dad, George, has killed a slew of critters with a bow, but he might not have a sheep yet. And I think Corky's son, Russell, might also be close. He already has a buffalo and might also just need a sheep. As a rifle hunter, I've had 8 of the ten for years, some species in multiples. The hang up, as it has been with me, is usually drawing the permits for desert sheep and buffalo. I finally have a sheep permit in hand for Dec., so hopefully, that will be #9. And maybe I'll draw a buff tag before I'm sleeping with worms.

Yup, you're dead on. Cindi and Brian finished theirs with buffalo on the Kaibab a couple years ago. Corky needed a sheep and did that last year.

Allen, Coal burns really, really hot. When we lived in Colorado, we burned large chunks of in our fireplace at night. You shouldn't have any more of a CO problem with coal than you would have with wood, BUT...unless you have a stove made of really thick steel, the coal might cause some damage. The heavy steel log holder in a our fireplace, made with 3/4" thick steel bars, was completely reshaped by the burning coal. It often turned red in places while the coal was burning.

A big Plus 1 on Randy Epperson. http://www.rimrock-outfitters.com/

My oldest son and I were hunting in 36B off the Warsaw Canyon road about 6-7 years ago. We walked out of camp up a draw right at sun up and hadn't gone 1/4 mile before I spotted a coati in a tree about 30 yards in front of us. Right then my son says, "That isn't the only one. Look at those." About 40 yards farther away, at least 50 of them were walking single file along a trail in a ravine. I had always wanted to shoot one for a mount, but every time we see them, it's during prime time for deer hunting. So I passed again on this occasion, and it was a smart move; less than a 1/2-hr. later, I tagged a buck (the one in the two-buck mount I posted a while back). WhiIe I was caping it, my son continued to hunt and shot his buck about 20 mins. later.

Any idea who the artist is? Also, it's hard to tell from the photo -- is the frame angled or flat?

But if it's cold he might want to wear a long-sleeve shirt or jacket.

From the 2012 HUNT ARIZONA booklet: Gunnison’s Prairie Dog Prairie dogs are robust, diurnal ground squirrels that live in underground colonies called “dogtowns.” Their tails are relatively short, less than 25 percent of the body length. The animals get their name from their doglike barks, which warn the colony of intruders. Male Gunnison’s prairie dogs are just over a foot long, with 2-inch, grayish to white-tipped tails. Adult males weigh about 1.75 pounds and females less than 1.5 pounds. Male and female are similar in appearance, both a pale buff in color. The species is now largely restricted to Great Basin grasslands above the Mogollon Rim, although colonies formerly extended south and east of Prescott to the Dewey and Dugas areas, as well as to the San Carlos Indian Reservation. Natural History and Status Gunnison’s prairie dog colonies tend to be small, and usually contain fewer than 50 animals. Their burrow entrances are not typically built up into craters, unlike those of black-tailed prairie dogs. Gunnison’s prairie dogs enter torpor below ground during winter months, and breed in February-March. The three to four pups typically appear in June. Grasses, forbs, and sedges are the usual dietary items. Black-tailed Prairie Dog Slightly larger than the Gunnison’s prairie dog, this 15-inch-long rodent is yellowish tan in color with a usually dusky-tipped 3-inch tail. Male black-tailed prairie dogs average about 2 pounds; the females about 1.9 pounds. Unlike those of Gunnison’s, the entrances to the burrows of black-tailed prairie dogs often have cratered mounds that can reach up to 3 feet in height. The underground burrow network may be extensive, and black-tailed prairie dog colonies were often large, especially those in the San Pedro and Sulphur Springs valleys. Natural History and Status Black-tailed prairie dogs are active all year, and will come out on sunny days even in midwinter. The species breeds in late February; the young are born in March and appear in May. Dietary items include grass stems, grass roots, and shrubs. Black-tailed prairie dogs formerly occurred in the semidesert grasslands of southeastern Arizona south of the Gila River, westward to the vicinity of Fort Huachuca. They have been extirpated in Arizona since 1959, although a small colony on the Day Ranch 15 miles southeast of Duncan on the Arizona-New Mexico border persisted until 1974. An attempt to reintroduce this animal to the Appleton Research Ranch (near Sonoita) in the summer of 1974 failed. The species has recently been protected in Arizona, in the hope that individuals from three colonies in Sonora within five miles of the United States-Mexico border might recolonize our state.

Here's a photo of one at Lake Pleasant. It was actually taken a few years before what the copyright shows.

If you received a duplicate fall hunt tag, don’t use it Aug. 14, 2012 The Arizona Game and Fish Department advises that some hunters who were drawn for deer in Game Management Units 12 or 13 for this fall, or who purchased a leftover tag for deer, turkey or javelina by application over-the-counter at a department office, may have been mistakenly mailed a duplicate tag due to a clerical error. If you received a duplicate tag, the department advises you to destroy the duplicate. The legal bag limit for these species is one animal per calendar year. If you exceed that harvest (except as prescribed by R12-4-120), you could face consequences that include possible fines or loss of hunting privileges. The department is attempting to notify by letter or telephone those individuals who may have been mailed a duplicate tag.

Nice ram and super looking mount.

The process is pretty simple: Once Hulsted admitted he violated the law, G&F investigated and rightly cited him. G&F is now OUT OF THE LOOP! Hulsted then had two options: admit guilt by paying the set fine or plead not guilty, thus bring his case before a judge where he can state HIS facts of what occurred. Of course, the judge can consider any mitigating circumstances that Hulsted might have brought to light, thus his reason to plead NOT GUILTY. At that point, it will be up to a judge to decide his guilt or innocence. If the judge finds him guilty, he also has the task of assessing any penalty/fine. The next step, which is highly unlikely to happen, is consideration of further penalty by the game commission, BUT...this can ONLY happen if there is an adjudication of GUILTY in the courtroom. If the judge finds Hulsted innocent, it's done! That said, I doubt the commission will take it any further, even if Hulsted is found guilty. Speedygoss, Here's the season on the dogs. Click for larger view and note the section that is a bit yellowish:

This is the reply to my comment ""Good to see the RICO lawsuit against HSUS is moving forward" on HSUS' Facebook page: The Humane Society of the United States wrote: "The circus’ retaliatory countersuit, which dates back to 2007, is a civil action, and there are no “charges” and no law enforcement involvement at all. It’s simply one disgruntled corporation suing to silence its critics -- which is hardly a new or unexpected tactic. Feld Entertainment filed a grudge suit, and some very sloppy or ideologically slanted reporters have misstated the facts. We at The HSUS are proud of our work to end the abuse of animals wherever it occurs – whether on a puppy mill, a slaughter plant, a dogfighting operation, or anywhere else. Guidestar’s Philanthropedia experts have ranked The HSUS as the highest impact animal protection organization and we receive high ratings for charitable accountability from Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau."

Here's little bit brighter version. Click image for larger view.

Let me know if you decide on Alaska. I have a super outfitter up there on the Mulchatna River. Basically, it's a DIY hunt, though. He supplies everything, including raft transportation along the river, and you hunt on your own. They then will pack out the 'bou for you. Or you can choose a fully-guided hunt. Here's the one I killed.

From my reading of what is currently happening, the commission is not even involved as yet. Hulsted was cited and now has the option to pay the fine or plead not guilty to the charge, which is the only way he can present his side to a judge. Once either of the these choices occurs, the commission then has the option to take further action. In this case, I doubt they would even consider -- and rightfully so -- any further punitive action because of the circumstances. All that said, citing him was the right thing to do, IMO. And if he hadn't been cited I can just see it here and elsewhere about G&F being a corrupt bunch of good ol' boys who protect their own.

Go here and post a comment. I already left: "Good to see the RICO lawsuit against HSUS is moving forward." http://www.facebook.com/humanesociety

Big Tub, Here ya go from the AZ G&F website: First Pass (20% Bonus Point) Twenty percent of authorized hunt permit-tags in each hunt number for deer, antelope, elk, turkey, javelina, and spring bear may be issued in this pass. Twenty percent of the total authorized hunt permit-tags (all hunt numbers combined) for both bighorn sheep and buffalo may be issued. Although 20 percent are available, the 10% nonresident caps are still in effect. Each valid application is assigned the lowest random number from those generated for that application. The application file for each species is sorted by group bonus points in descending sequence and then by random number within the bonus point groupings. In the Bonus Pass, the first and second hunt choices for all applications with maximum bonus points are looked at first. If permits are still available from the 20% allocation, then the next lower bonus point category is looked at; and so on, until all of the 20% allocation is issued or until all applications with 1 or more bonus points are read. Applications with zero bonus points will not be included in the 20% Bonus Pass of the Draw. As each application is read, the first and then second hunt choices are checked to see if there are any permits available as part of the 20% bonus point allocation. If there are enough permits available for each applicant on the application without exceeding the 20% allocation or the nonresident cap, the permits are issued to that application. If not, the next application is read and the first and second hunt choices are checked until the entire application file is read. Any un­issued permits from the "bonus point pass" will be returned to the available permits for each hunt. The Drawing will then continue to the next two passes.

Big Tub, I just reread what you wrote. When I replied the first time, I misread it as the 1-2 pass and not the BP phase. I still think it's only 1-2 choices, but you might be correct; I'll check this week.

Nope. No different than any other draw; first pass is 1-2 choices only. With so few permits for sheep, there's likely no second draw that considers the last three choices. For that reason, I never have filled out those choices. matthewp45, I had the same problem with the hunter ed point. Not only did I go through the class in the 1970s, but I was an INSTRUCTOR, both here and later in Colorado when I lived there for three years.