Outdoor Writer

GO HERE TO APPLY Online application service for Arizona’s spring hunt draw will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Oct. 4 Posted Oct. 3, 2011 - The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced that online application service for Arizona’s 2012 spring hunts will be available beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. Hunters who haven’t yet submitted an application for the spring 2012 hunts for turkey, javelina, buffalo and bear will be able to apply online by either clicking on the “Apply for a Draw” button or the “Online Application Service” links on this page. The application deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 by 7 p.m. (MST). Department officials advise online applicants to apply early and not wait until the last minute, in case any technical issues arise on deadline day. Department officials said the new online system has been undergoing extensive testing and it wasn’t logistically possible to make the system available any sooner. They added that having the spring draw application process online, even at this late stage of the application cycle, allows the department to continue to fine tune the system for the elk and antelope draw application cycle that typically begins in mid to late December. At the time of application you will have to pay a non-refundable application fee of $7.50 per applicant, along with the fee for any necessary licenses (a 2012 license is required to enter the spring draw; if you haven’t already purchased one, you can do it through the draw process). You will be able to print any purchased hunting licenses immediately from your computer once your purchase is complete. The system allows payment with a credit card (VISA and Mastercard only). The cost of the hunt permit-tag won’t be charged unless and until you are drawn. The online application service works with the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari (If you use Safari, it is recommended that you upgrade to the latest version of the OS and Safari browser; a few problems have been reported with older Safari versions). This application service currently does not work with mobile devices such as iPad, iPhone or other Smartphones. Remember, if you go through the process of applying online and actually submit your credit card number to complete that transaction, you will have submitted (and paid for) a valid application for the draw. For those not using the online process, paper applications can still be mailed to the Arizona Game and Fish Department or hand-delivered to any of the seven Game and Fish offices located in Pinetop, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix. Mailed applications should be addressed to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Drawing Section, PO Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052. Mailed applications must be received by the department by the deadline; postmarks don’t count. The 2012 Spring Turkey, Javelina, Buffalo and Bear Hunt Draw Information booklet and applications are available at www.azgfd.gov/draw, at Game and Fish offices, and at hunting license dealers throughout the state.

There is also an article -- and photos -- by King about his hunt in the TALES section of the book.

Some of you might enjoy watching this hour-long film. Cry Wolf

I posted the same thing a few years back in regards to a few drug runners that held a guy and his kid at gun point on this site. I was almost banned for it and got a nasty email,lol No big deal. Even though both are illegal, urging others to poach is not as serious as urging others to murder people. Sorry but I disagree . I was not urging others to murder, Just stick up for themselves and don't' be pushed by illegals like this country has become so accustomed to over the years. IF There were a few illegal drug runners that had me and one of my kids held at gun point you can bet your but that the first chance I get both of them will pay. I have lost family members already due to Mexican cartels/mafia and don't want to lose any more. I don't know how you view things but when some one threatens me or my family I don't let that slide. If I remember correctly the guy and his young son were glassing on a hill top down south when 2-3 guys walked up with guns and stuck them in their faces. The guy and his son were just deer hunting while the drug runners who were in this country illegally running illegal drugs threatened them. Seems like to many people try to be " politically correct" these days . Me I just say it the way it is. I could care less what others think. No disrespect to you Tony , I think your a good writer. I have read your articles for years and enjoyed every single one of them , but I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you on this. I don't have a problem with SELF-DEFENSE. That is not the same as urging someone to use the three S's, however -- regardless if the target is an animal or a human.

I posted the same thing a few years back in regards to a few drug runners that held a guy and his kid at gun point on this site. I was almost banned for it and got a nasty email,lol No big deal. Even though both are illegal, urging others to poach is not as serious as urging others to murder people.

Aaahaa. Right. I forgot I let Amanda post it here, as well. The book also contains many other hunting tales from contributors.

Yup. I originally wrote an article for Rocky Mt. Game & Fish magazine about Sergio's hunt. There's a reprint of that article in the Hunting Tales chapter. Amanda sells the book here.

Habitat, habitat, habitat. I'm thinking of suggesting to the commission that it seek out a few trail cam and quad makers to sponsor a habitat project called 'Help AZ Deer: Plant A Salt Lick.' This is an article I wrote in 2000 for Rocky Mt. Game & Fish magazine. It seems as appropo now as it did then. Arizona Deer – Oh, How they thirst For more than a decade now, Arizona’s deer population has been on the proverbial roller-coaster ride. Sadly, in recent years the downs have been a lot lower than the ups have been high. As a result, the state’s overall mule deer population is currently approaching the lowest it has ever been. Although the Coues deer have done somewhat better, their numbers have also dropped. This fact became quite evident last spring when the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) made its recommendations for the fall 2000 hunts. The total allocation for both species approved by the five-member game commission was 45,850 – the lowest total since the AGFD began compiling data in 1946. It was 970 fewer than the 1999 total. And if the rest of this year plays out as it has so far, the permit allocation could fall even more when the commission considers next year’s hunt proposals in April, 2001. Who can we blame for all this and especially for the loss of deer hunting opportunities? No one that could make a difference; the game department, you or me can’t do a thing to change it. The culprit has been Mother Nature, or more specifically her unwillingness to bestow bountiful rains on the Grand Canyon State for more than one year in a row. AGFD big-game supervisor Ray Lee’s enthusiasm has followed the same trend as the state’s deer population. After many years of watching the herds steadily decline, Lee happily witnessed the effects of El Nino over the winter of 1997-1998. “We thought we might have turned the corner in 1999 when fawn recruitment statewide increased considerably. But it was a short-lived jump, and the reason why I had stated back then that hunters shouldn’t be too enthusiastic until we have a couple rainy years strung together.” Lee’s warning proved prophetic. As it turned out, 1999 was one of the driest years on record in Arizona. The Phoenix metro area went for more than 100 days between September and December without any measurable precipitation. When the rain finally arrived, it wasn’t enough to require the use of windshield wipers. Finally in March, 2000 a big storm hammered the state, dumping more than two inches on Phoenix and even more in other areas. But the two-day deluge overwhelmed the watersheds. The ground couldn’t absorb the water quickly enough, and most of it ran downstream into the lakes or Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Pointing to the Palmer Drought Severity Index compiled by The National Atmospheric Association, Lee doesn’t hold much hope for the very immediate future. “The Palmer Index examines past and current rainfalls, winds, temperatures and other factors. The most recent chart shows the southwestern United States and more specifically, Arizona, as being in the middle of extreme drought conditions. In other words, even if the entire state received two inches of rain tomorrow, it probably wouldn’t take us out of that extreme category because of the moisture we haven’t received in previous months.” The major concern of biologists when it comes to the relationship of rain and deer is timing. Rains that come at the wrong time of the year provide little benefit to big game. In the case of deer, the two key periods to benefit them are late winter and late summer. Lee points to the 1998 deer population jump as a perfect example of what can happen. "We had normal winter rains, good spring rains and adequate summer rains. Statewide, fawn recruitment went to nearly 40 fawns per 100 does in areas of the state where it had dropped to as low of 20 fawns per 100 does. On the Kaibab Plateau, somewhat different climatic conditions caused the corresponding recruitment to rise to nearly 90 fawns per 100 does. It was an exceptional year. Unfortunately, it was only one, and that won’t do it.” According to Lee, the lack of moisture to sustain ideal deer populations started in 1988 and pretty much reflects the trend that occurred about 40 years ago. “Our deer numbers reached the highest ever in the 1960s, but the population dropped very rapidly from those numbers to all-time lows by the late 1970s. That’s why we put deer on the permit system in 1972. And if we look back at the weather conditions from the late 1960s and early 1970s. we would quickly see they mirror the same patterns that are occurring right now. The deer population is also following the pattern.” “Then the deer numbers shot up again in the early and mid-1980s because we had an anomaly of sorts with rains that produced three 100-year floods over a five-year period. Even the normally dry Salt River was running at 200,000 feet per second and washing out bridges in downtown Phoenix. “The result on our deer herds was quite predictable. For a few years running, all of the does had twins, their twins had twins, and those twins…and so on. So we wound up with more deer than we knew what to do with. Over the next several hunting seasons, we had more permits available than we had hunters to apply for them. In 1986, we set the all-time record with 95,821 permits. That is more than double the permit allocation for 2000. “The one thing hunters shouldn’t do, however, is think we’ll ever get to that point again. The floods were very uncommon occurrences that created the best deer habitat we’ve ever had. So unless those conditions repeat themselves, which isn’t too likely, our traditional optimum deer numbers will be considerably less than what we had in 1986.” Fortunately, even though the permit numbers are at an all-time low right now, there are still more deer today in Arizona than there were in the 1970s when the population hit bottom. The reason is a different management concept put into place by the AGFD. When the herds plummeted in the 70s, the hunter success did likewise, averaging 16 to 18 percent statewide -- a result of supply and demand with only so many deer to go around. This prompted many complaints from hunters. Rather than allow that trend to continue, the game department began adjusting the permit allocation whereby the hunter success remained fairly consistent at 21 to 24 percent in most units. So while fewer hunters go afield now, more of those that do get to a tag a buck. The relationships between moisture and deer populations can be somewhat difficult to understand, but what it mostly comes down to is habitat. The simple explanation: when plants gets rained on they grow and provide moisture, nutrition and cover for deer. And obviously, lots of rain also provides more standing water. The more complicated explanation involves all the interrelationships within the simple one, including what appears to be increased predation. For the most part, the number of deer and predators are intertwined with each other, with the latter’s population increasing or declining in proportion to that of deer. But the adjustment takes time, according to Lee. “When the deer herds are large and healthy, the predators are also healthy and numerous. When deer numbers begin dropping, though, the predator numbers stay high for considerably longer. They continue to kill the same number of deer as before. So over time, the percentage of a deer herd killed by predators in any particular area goes up, and that trend continues until the predator numbers drop in relationship to the deer decline.” “To illustrate, consider a healthy deer population of 100,000 and a predator base of 1,000 that kills 10,000 deer annually. The resulting loss to predation is 10 percent of the deer population, thus cutting the deer herd size to 90,000. If that herd contains 60,000 does that kick out 40 to 50,000 fawns, the loss to predators is considered minimal. Now consider the same predation on the deer if their number falls to 20,000 animals; the loss of 10,000 animals now amounts to 50 percent of the herd and leaves maybe 6,000 does left to drop 3,000 or so fawns. All of a sudden the predation rate is three times the fawn production. This would rapidly cause the demise of that deer herd if the predator population didn’t eventually adjust to the deer numbers. Fortunately, it always happens. It just takes time and consequently causes the deer population to recover more slowly.” “In years of good moisture, deer can normally get all the moisture they need by eating. As the rains decrease, they have to find other sources, which are mostly tanks or other standing water. That walking and use of standing water sources increases the chance for predation and burns up additional energy.” “Without water and nutrients, a doe doesn’t put on weight, and the chances for her to drop twins go down considerably. She also has a lower milk production when she does drop a fawn, and the lack of good cover makes the survival of that fawn more iffy because of predation. And we’re not talking a lot of weight to make a difference. If a doe can increase her weight by 5 percent, it’s likely her fawn will weigh a pound more when born. That is significant for the survival of a fawn that weighs five or six pounds at birth.” Another consequence of the recent droughts years have been forest fires. Earlier this year, at least three major ones devastated large portions of Arizona’s landscape. The highly extreme conditions for more fires prompted the U.S. Forest Service to shut down any access to large portions of several national forests in the state. Lee feels the forest fires come under that ol’ good news/bad news syndrome, though. “Even though a lot of Arizona burned up this year, by and large forest fires are good for the habitat. It’s a case of looking at fires over both the short term and the long term. At first, the effect is not too good because those areas basically are sterile. All the growth that deer might utilize this fall is gone. But Mother Nature does wonderful things to compensate.” “Once we start getting some moisture in those areas, the nutrients begin going back into the soil, and all sorts of fresh browse sprouts. Deer don’t eat pine trees, but they relish these tender forbs. So in the long run, the fires can be a blessing for our deer herds. Again, though, the key factor in the equation is rainfall. If we don’t get rainfall on those burned out areas this winter, the likelihood of them greening up next spring is fairly remote.” “The burned out areas are certainly a concern, but right now even the habitat where fires haven’t taken a toll are being stressed. Perennial plants such as cliffrose, which is a key food source for deer, can exist a long time with low moisture from year to year, but eventually that lack of moisture will kill off individual plants. You can only stress plants so many times until they become decadent. Although this hasn’t happened to any great level across the state yet, some of our range people do view it as a potential problem. For the most part, habitat is fairly resilient and will eventually recover as it always seems to do. Moisture and time are the only requirements.” The condition of the habitat isn’t the only thing that bothers Lee, however. “What concerns me more is a lack of habitat for the future. We’re losing it fast as more and more people move into Arizona and especially into the places that have been traditionally good deer areas. Just look all around Phoenix, where even the desert areas within a 50-mile radius once harbored decent deer numbers. Now many of them are covered with houses and shopping malls. The same thing is occurring around Prescott, Payson, Tucson, Flagstaff or even in the White Mountains, where more and developments of ranchettes and such are springing up. Mule deer simply won’t strive in subdivisions even if the residents plant acres and acres of succulent landscaping. So even if we get several years in a row of good rainfall at the right times, we might never reach the high deer populations of the past because there will be fewer places for deer to live.” While the future appears filled with doom and gloom for Arizona’s deer, in reality it could turn around quickly. In fact, even now there are places in the state where the herds are thriving and even growing somewhat, despite the so-so habitat conditions. One such place is the North Kaibab Plateau. Several years ago, a huge fire wiped out a large portion of the winter habitat on the west side. What remained has been in good shape for the most part, so the deer have done well. Still, the game department has continually managed the deer there to keep them in check. Lee feels the deer on the Kaibab are healthy. “The forage is in good shape but limited right now in that it will support only so many deer. We’ve attempted to keep the numbers down in such a way where the herd will rebound as the burned-out area comes back. That’s why we’re still issuing doe permits there. If we can hold the population down to the point where it won’t destroy the good habitat that now exists, we’ll never have to have a drastic cut on the deer numbers there.” Another area where the deer have done fairly well is the far western edge of the state from Kingman on down to Yuma where rainfall has been significantly better over the last two years. The result was a slight increase in deer permits for the 2000 hunts. Coues deer have also fared a bit better, according to Lee. “We had been cutting back on mule deer permits for the past 10 years or so but didn’t start making noticeable cuts in whitetail permits until the last couple of years. This is mainly due to the way Coues deer live in comparison to mule deer.” “The mule deer tend to be in larger groups. So they need more water and forage. Whitetails move in smaller groups and stay at the higher elevations where the moisture has been more prevalent. Plus, whitetails are what I like to term as a “bushier” animal; they wander over smaller areas and use dense cover a lot more than mule deer do. The result is a lesser need for water. They get much of it from the vegetation they eat as long as the moisture content is sufficient.” At one time, Arizona’s mule deer numbered somewhere between 250,000 to 300,000. Today, there are about 100,000, while the optimum goal for the available habitat is now about 200,000. Lee feels that goal is easily attainable. “It won’t take much. We’ll need some back to back years of good rainfall. Two would do it, but three would be even better. It can’t be an ‘every other one’ deal. If we have successive years with good moisture, most of the does will drop twins, and during the next year, the yearlings will go into estrous and get serviced by a buck because they will have gained a lot more weight than they would have during a low-moisture year. In all likelihood that yearling will have a single fawn, but one is better than none.” “I certainly can’t predict this will happen in the immediate future. Yet if and when it does, we could again be enjoying the glory years of plenty of deer to go around. All we need is for Mother nature to quench the thirst of our deer herds.”

This is the current archery record: ABOUT THE COVER At 130 1/8 points, Sergio Orozco’s terrific buck became the typical Coues deer world record after the Pope & Young Club made it official in May 2003. Sergio killed his fine trophy with his bow on Jan. 11, 2001 in Arizona’s Unit 34A. The buck should also place high in the top ten entries of the Boone & Crockett Club’s record book. P&Y also presented Sergio with the coveted Ishi Award. Since P&Y’s inception in 1961, the club has given out only 16 Ishi Awards, the highest honor the club bestows for a truly outstanding trophy. Cover Photo Courtesy of Sergio Orozco

Yup, several ways is correct. Here's one way: ___________________________Per_HV_% Early 24A 2010 WT 10/22-10/28 450 137 31 Middle 24A 2010 WT 11/26-12/02 475 126 29 Late 24A 2010 WT 12/10-12/31 40 21 53 Two early hunts: 925 total permits 263 bucks killed average success about 29%. Thus cutting about 75 permits from one or both hunts would keep about 22 bucks out of the freezers. Late hunt: Cutting just these 40 permits would accomplish the same thing while allowing 35 more hunters to hunt. But in the grand scheme, those 21 bucks that are not killed are pretty irrelevant to the actual health and welfare of the deer in 24A. And those 21 bucks will do little but cause a short-term slight uptick in the buck:doe ratio. So...unless the ADA proposes MAJOR cuts in permit numbers, the whole buck:doe ratio exercise is nothing more than lip service to the real problem: we need MORE DEER, period -- not bigger bucks to placate the "trophy" crowd. And for that to happen, we need more does having more fawns. But until the weather patterns change and/or predation on does and fawns is addressed, the deer herd numbers will remain stagnant or perhaps even continue to shrink. Now, before I get into real trouble, I'll crawl back into my hole.

This is a small step and will probably only result in a few changes, as many of the units already exceed 20:100. For those that don't, permits will be decreased in all the hunts in the unit proportionately. Those that already exceed 20:100 will be allowed to stay that way rather than triggering a reduction in bucks. But...but... it's not the number of permits that are the problem, per se .. it's the number of bucks that are being killed. So the logical option is to reduce the hunts/permits that have the highest success rates even further. BTW, I do agree with one sentence in the last paragraph of the letter, though.

So what's the first move the ADA suggests to build the buck:doe ratio for whitetail -- eliminate the late Dec. hunts?

I'm tempted, but it's a bit too much for me to shell out right now even though it's a good deal.

Unless there is access from the rear like many of the newer autos, bulb changes are done by removing the lenses. That said, it's likely not a bulb problem. It's pretty rare for none of the lights to work unless there is a ground or fuse problem somewhere. So are ANY of the lights working -- i.e. turn signals, brake or tail lights? If not and if possible, have you tried plugging the trailer into a different vehicle? If you can, try it; that will eliminate a possible problem in your truck, such as a blown fuses or bad ground to the trailer plug.

http://www.kvia.com/news/29053964/detail.html

I'll write this up and include it in my next bi-weekly submission to the events on the NSSF's Hunt and Shoot page for AZ.

So you already saw it? If not, I think Fry's carries the magazine if there's one in Flag.

Lance, Just got my subscription copy of the Sept. Rocky Mt. Game & Fish magazine issue, which contains the article I did on Carrie's and your Kaibab trophies.

Arizona Game and Fish Commission to meet Friday to discuss fall turkey season amendments due to Wallow Fire Phoenix - The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will hold a telephonic meeting at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 8, to consider amending Commission Order 5 to reduce permits for the 2011 fall turkey hunting season in Game Management Units 1 and 27. The meeting will be hosted at the Game and Fish Department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17). Members of the commission will attend either in person or by telephone conference call. The public is invited to attend. The meeting will be webcast at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. However, those wishing to submit “blue slips” to present oral comment during the meeting must do so in person at the Phoenix meeting (the public will not be able to submit blue slips and present comment from the regional Game and Fish offices). For a complete meeting agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.

It's all Bush's fault.

Someone emailed me these pix of Lark celebrating his last birthday.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/congress.asp

Another: Unit 10 hunting access on private ranch preserved during wind farm construction For worker safety, new access agreement limits all hunting on ranch to archery-only All hunters, including those firearm permit-tag holders that wish to hunt on the private lands on the Perrin Ranch within Game Management Unit 10 will be restricted to using archery-only equipment for all hunts for the 2011 season. This is for the safety of construction workers during the installation of a wind farm on the ranch, and in an effort to preserve the privilege to hunt these private lands. “We are very happy that we were able to work cooperatively with the owners of the Perrin Ranch, and the renewable energy company to preserve the privilege to hunt on the ranch during the construction and new use of their lands,” said Ron Sieg, Flagstaff regional supervisor with Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Because of the safety concern for workers, restricting hunters to archery-only is a winning compromise compared to completely losing the privilege to hunt on these private lands.” For those rifle tag holders and general hunters who do not want to hunt with a bow and arrow, the 64,000-acre ranch makes up a very small portion of the vast 770,000 acres in Game Management Unit 10. The rest of Unit 10 is open for the use of the appropriate legal weapon permitted for that hunt. The rifle, firearm, muzzleloader hunts in Unit 10 during the fall 2011 season include: Antelope, pronghorn – Sept. 2-11 Deer – Oct. 21-30 Elk, bull – Sept. 23-29 Elk, cow – Oct. 14-20 Elk, bull – Nov. 25-Dec. 1 Elk, cow – Dec 2-11 Coyote, prairie dog, small game, etc. – seasons vary General hunters and those with rifle permit-tags can still use a firearm in Unit 10, just not on the Perrin Ranch. To be permitted to hunt on the ranch's private lands, sportsmen will need to keep their firearm in their vehicles and hunt with a bow and arrow. “Given the many renewable energy projects coming to Arizona, we see this agreement as an accomplishment to maintain hunter access, albeit limited to archery, and a milestone for handing these multiple land use projects in the future,” added Sieg. Early discussions with the ranch owner and the wind farm operator indicate that hunter access with the use of firearms will be allowed next season; however, there will remain a quarter-mile restrictions relative to any new and existing occupied structures on the ranch. As more renewable energy projects come to Arizona's landscape, it is imperative that all parties: landowners, energy developers, and Game and Fish, come to the table early in the process to address everyone's interests and needs. In cases of development on private lands, hunting access is a privilege; however, loss of access, as was the case in another project, can be detrimental to wildlife management and to the public's enjoyment of their wildlife resources. The Department will work diligently to preserve access to wildlife recreation opportunities in the future. Perrin Ranch The Perrin Ranch is located north of Williams, Ariz., west of Highway 64, in the southeast corner of Game Management Unit 10. The southeast corner of the ranch starts near the intersection of Espee Road and Highway 64. The ranch consists of approximately 64,000 acres of the 770,000 acres of Unit 10. About the wind farm The wind farm will include 62 wind turbines, several buildings, and 35 miles of roads.The initial construction is underway. NextEra has a power agreement with APS to deliver power by the end of December 2011, therefore the construction is expected to be completed by the close of 2011. About Game Management Unit 10 Unit 10 is a mix of flat to rolling grassland prairie and rolling to mountainous pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine-Gambel oak habitat types. The Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon form a truly spectacular northern and northeastern boundaries. At the unit's north end, elevations range from less than 2,000 feet along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon National Park to more than 7,600' on the Three Sisters just northwest of Williams in the southeastern part of the unit. Elevations run from approximately 5,500' to 7,000' across most of the unit, which is well known for its trophy-class elk and pronghorn antelope.

I was 16 when I killed a whitetail buck in the Catskill Mts. of NY in 1957. It had spike antlers about 13" long and weighed just under 250 lbs. on a real butcher's scale. I used a Marlin 336T 30/30 -- the same rifle that killed my first AZ buck near Kirkland Junction in 1962.

Congrats on the win, Dale!