Outdoor Writer

From our "How to Hunt Coues Deer" book: FIELD JUDGING The limited time each of us spends in the woods every year makes it difficult to practice antler judging, especially if we see only a few deer on those outings. The most useful knowledge is an awareness of the average body and antler measurements for the species. Then if you know what it takes for a trophy-class buck, there's some basis for comparison. The typical Coues rack generally has five points or fewer per side. A front view provides the best for judging antler spread. Mature bucks have a tip-to-tip ear spread of 12 to 14 inches. If the inside spread of the main beams reaches the end of each ear, that's about 13 inches. The world record was only 15 3/8 inches. For every inch one antler goes past an ear, double it and add it to the 13 inches. In other words, if the main beam is an inch wider on one side, add two inches for an inside spread of 15 inches. The ear averages six inches from the tip to where it joins the head. It makes a good gauge for the tine lengths. If the longest tine looks to be as long as an ear, it will measure about six inches. The most difficult guesstimate is the length of the main beams because some grow at weird angles. The way to come close is using multiples of the ear length or the eye-to-nose distance, which is about seven or eight inches. Or simply compare the main beam to the length of longest point. The other important considerations are mass and symmetry. Neither are easy to judge at a distance in the field and usually comes to a "you'll know it when you see it" situation. Years of scrutinizing hundreds of bucks through his binoculars have convinced Duwane of one thing. "Reading a magazine article or looking at a score sheet won't teach anyone how to field judge a buck. There's only one way to learn how to judge antlers successfully, and that's through experience. You have to do it often and know what to look for. A guy can start with mounted heads and play a game of 'guess how big,' but the final exam has to take place in the wild. Scoring a buck at 500 yards through binoculars or a spotting scope will be vastly different than doing it up close and personal," he said. "The first thing to look at is the mass and height. Then check out the third point. A long one usually translates to a deer you would want to shoot. If a buck has a fourth point, three other factors come into play. First, the length of the point counts. Also, the measurement for the last quarter will fall between the third and fourth point instead of between the second and third. Lastly, bucks with the additional point generally have a long main beam," Duwane said. I once read somewhere that hunters kill about a million deer for each one that makes the Boone & Crockett record book. The minimum score for a B&C typical for other whitetail subspecies is 170 points. In contrast, the little Coues qualifies with 110 points. If that sounds like a snap, it isn't. The current world-record B&C typical, killed in Pima County by Ed Stockwell in 1953, scored a whopping 144 1/8 points. But that's almost 30 points less than the smallest of the entries for the other whitetail subspecies. So the odds of tagging a B&C Coues deer aren't great. On the other hand, the chances to shoot a nice mature buck are normally above average. Duwane's Tip For his clients, Duwane ordinarily tries to find a shooter buck that will gross at least 100 points. "A buck in the 100-inch class isn't one to sneer at. Most of my hunters would be tickled with it, and it's a bonus if it's actually bigger," Duwane said. A 100-inch 3x3 buck is not that difficult to judge if you look for the key dimensions. Here's what it takes. The main beams should be at least 17 inches long. Brow tines (eye guards) will be three inches or more. The second point (G2) should measure six inches. The third point (G3) should be five inches. There should be at least 13 inches of mass per side. The inside spread should be 13 inches or better. The total point lengths and mass for the above will come to 44 inches per side or 88 inches for both sides. That, along with the 13-inch spread, equals 101 inches. Naturally, most B&C bucks will have some deductions, but under SCI's system, everything counts.

With some of the recent threads, I thought I'd add this short article I wrote several years ago. ************** STUFF IT RIGHT Copyright by Tony Mandile A few years ago, I pulled into my driveway after a successful hunt in British Columbia. Because the 60-inch antlers from my moose wouldn't fit in my shell camper with all the rest of my gear, I had tied them atop my canoe. One of my neighbors, an 11-yr. old boy, was cutting his lawn. James quickly shut off the mower, walked across the street and stood next to the truck almost before I turned off the engine. "Man, that's a monster elk. Did you get him here?” he asked. I quickly realized the youngster obviously knew little about game and even less about Arizona's resident game species. "No, it's actually a moose , and we don't have them in Arizona. I killed it in Canada." "Oh, guess I need to learn more about animals. You going to get him stuffed?” Rather than correct the boy's terminology outright this time, I merely smiled and replied, "Yup, he's a trophy, so I'll definitely have him mounted." I thought that would be the end of it, but the youngster’s insatiable curiosity led to more questions. "Is that the same as stuffing it?" I nodded affirmatively. "How do you keep the thing from stinking and getting rotten?" I smiled again and invited the James into my house so he could see the rest of my "stuffed" animals. I also used the opportunity to explain the art of today's taxidermists to him. Taxidermy has progressed a long way from the days animals were literally stuffed with material like excelsior and cotton batting. Instead, taxidermists now stretch tanned hides over a urethane foam form, modeled as close as possible to the actual shape of the animal. Then they go about putting the finishing touches on the mount so it looks like a live animal or fish. Although it sounds simple, the entire process from tanning the hide to the last step of painting the features takes months to complete. Good taxidermists are actually skilled artists. Yet, as it is with most businesses, not all taxidermists are at the same skill levels. Some merely view their trade as a way to survive by doing another day's work, and their only concern involves the quick and easiest way to turn out their products and collect the money. In contrast, the artists care about their craft; they go about it as if they were doing the work for themselves. They use quality supplies, and with meticulous pride, they patiently produce life-like detail in their work. Sadly the biggest problem for sportsmen is finding the real artists, not those who merely think they are. For the first-timer the search is even more difficult. Hunters often ask me for recommendations, but at times some of the caveats are a bit disingenuous to the question. Asking about a good taxidermist who is inexpensive is akin to wanting a big V-8 truck that gets 40 miles per gallon; they don't exist. In regards to taxidermy work, the adage, "You get what you pay for," rings true because time is money, and quality mounts require time. The first big-game animal I had mounted more than 40 years ago was a pronghorn -- my first antelope. I quickly learned a lesson. Being new to the state, I used the phone book to locate several taxidermists. At the time, I had a wife and two babies to feed on a whooping $100 a week salary. So I went with the least expensive. The job, quoted at $65, stretched over 18 months. When I picked it up, I knew it didn't look too good, but I was anxious to get it home and show it off. The more I looked at it, however, the more steamed I got. It was ugly and appeared to be smiling. Six months later, the hair starting falling out in chunks and continued to do so until the head was nearly bald. When it first began, I called the taxidermist; the number was no longer in service. I drove to the shop the next morning; it was empty. At that point, I realized I had been victimized. A few years later a new hunting partner of mine recommended another taxidermist, and he did my work for nearly 18 years. When he passed away, though, I was back to the same dilemma -- finding a new taxidermist. I thought it would be easier now because I had many more hunter friends. Not! I still waded through a couple more taxidermists who did so-so work. One in particular turned into a real disaster, with some of his business practices bordering on fraud. He spent more time worrying about his own hunting trips than taking care of his customers. Too often, I knew he was lying when he talked to other customers either in person or on the phone while I was standing there. His dishonesty eventually drove me away, luckily well before he went belly-up and burned a lot of folks who had work in progress. When I pulled everything he had of mine, I did wind up getting someone else's lion skull that was smaller than the one I had left, however. Unfortunately, I had no way to prove it. I also went round and round with another taxidermist over a salmon mount. Although I was supposed to get a skin mount, I received a molded fiberglass one. Due to a comedy of errors, it was nearly two years later. So yes, there can be unpleasant results if you choose the wrong taxidermist. Burned once too often, I vowed to do my homework better. A hunting buddy and satisfied customer told me about Wildlife Creations. After talking to owner Marc Plunkett, I examined his work at his shop in Glendale. Plunkett, now in his early 40s, has been involved in taxidermy for nearly 30 years. In fact, becoming a taxidermist was his childhood dream. Self-taught, he started mounting game when he was 10 years old. He later worked with two of the well-respected artists in the business, Bob Hancock and Jeff Sievers. "I went to work for Jeff as an assistant, and he told me it was no problem if I still did some mounts at home for my customers. Jeff quickly had me doing most of the deer and a few elk. I worked for him until a car wreck killed him," Plunkett said. Plunkett then worked for a taxidermist in Alaska before returning to Arizona and opening his own shop. So far, he has done more thana dozen mounts for me, and all of them reflect the pride he feels for his work. Just recently I asked him what hunters should look for when choosing a taxidermist. "Too many guys think a six-week class or a home-study course make them experts. These are the ones that can burn you. In fact, most have only scratched the surface. The only thing that teaches the artistic side of taxidermy is practical experience in a good shop. So unless you know for fact that a particular shop is reputable, shop around carefully," he told me. "If possible, freeze the hide first. Then seek out the shops that appear to offer decent work for a competitive price. Don't pick one from the phone book and leave your trophy there without knowing anything about the place. Visit several and ask to see their work, both finished and those of customers' mounts in progress. Too often the stuff in the showroom represents their best work. Nobody displays garbage. Also, talk to other hunters who have had work done by a particular taxidermist." Plunkett happily guides customers through his work area. "I want prospective customers to see the mounts I'm doing for other customers. They can examine mounts in various stages, from the very beginning processes to the final painting and cleaning. The nearly finished ones will show what my customers get for their money. I can't afford a lot of advertising, so I let my work and satisfied customers advertise for me," he said. Plunkett also provided some advice for those who already have made their choice. "Whenever you leave something to be mounted, get a receipt that shows what you left, when you left it, what's to be done to it, the total price, your deposit and a probable completion date. It's basically for both the taxidermist's and your protection," he said. My past experiences have caused me to add some other protections. I ask the owner of the shop to SIGN the receipt, too, basically turning it into a contract. After losing the trophy lion skull I also inconspicuously now mark what I leave for mounting, so I know I get back my animal. Prices for trophy mounts have increased a bit from the $65 I paid for my first antelope, but getting something mounted might be the only memory that will remain of your hunt. So be sure it gets "stuffed" right. ----- 30 -----

For Immediate Release, August 3, 2010 Contact: Robert Johns, American Bird Conservancy, (202) 234-7181 x 210 Jeff Miller, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 499-9185 National Ban on Lead-based Ammunition, Fishing Tackle Sought to End Wildlife Poisoning Lead Still a Potent Killer of Millions of Wild Birds, Health Risk for Humans Media Advisory: What: Audio Press Conference When: August 3, 1:00 EST Who: American Bird Conservancy and Center for Biological Diversity How: Call 866-551-3680 followed by PIN 7675702# WASHINGTON, D.C.— A coalition of conservation, hunting and veterinary groups today filed a formal petition with the Environmental Protection Agency requesting a ban on the use of toxic lead in hunting ammunition and fishing tackle. Major efforts to reduce lead exposure to people have greatly reduced the amount of lead in the environment, but toxic lead is still a widespread killer in the wild, harming bald eagles, trumpeter swans, endangered California condors and other wildlife. “It’s long past time do something about this deadly – and preventable – epidemic of lead poisoning in the wild,” said Jeff Miller of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Over the past several decades we’ve wisely taken steps to get lead out of our gasoline, paint, water pipes and other sources that are dangerous to people. Now it’s time to get the lead out of hunting and fishing sports to save wildlife from needless poisoning.” An estimated 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the United States. This occurs when animals scavenge on carcasses shot and contaminated with lead bullet fragments, or pick up and eat spent lead-shot pellets or lost fishing weights, mistaking them for food or grit. Some animals die a painful death from lead poisoning while others suffer for years from its debilitating effects. “The science on this issue is massive in breadth and unimpeachable in its integrity,” said George Fenwick, president of American Bird Conservancy. “Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies show continued lead poisoning of large numbers of birds and other animals, and this petition is a prudent step to safeguard wildlife and reduce unacceptable human health risks.” American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, Association of Avian Veterinarians, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and the hunters’ group Project Gutpile are asking for the ban under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which regulates dangerous chemicals in the United States. "As a hunter in California, compliance with the recent state nonlead ammunition regulation has been simple," said Anthony Prieto, a hunter and co-founder of Project Gutpile, a hunter's group that provides educational resources for lead-free hunters and anglers. "I still get to hunt, there is no toxic impact on wildlife or my health, and copper bullets shoot better." The petition references almost 500 scientific studies, most of which have been peer-reviewed, that starkly illustrate the widespread dangers from lead ammunition and fishing tackle. Lead is an extremely toxic substance that is dangerous to people and wildlife even at low levels. Exposure can cause a range of health effects, from acute poisoning and death to long-term problems such as reduced reproduction, inhibition of growth and damage to neurological development. In the United States, 3,000 tons of lead are shot into the environment by hunting every year, another 80,000 tons are released at shooting ranges, and 4,000 tons are lost in ponds and streams as fishing lures and sinkers. At least 75 wild bird species are poisoned by spent lead ammunition, including bald eagles, golden eagles, ravens and endangered California condors. Despite being banned in 1992 for hunting waterfowl, spent lead shotgun pellets continue to be frequently ingested by swans, cranes, ducks, geese, loons and other waterfowl. These birds also consume lead-based fishing tackle lost in lakes and rivers, often with deadly consequences. Lead ammunition also poses health risks to people. Lead bullets explode and fragment into minute particles in shot game and can spread throughout meat that humans eat. Studies using radiographs show that numerous, imperceptible, dust-sized particles of lead can infect meat up to a foot and a half away from the bullet wound, causing a greater health risk to humans who consume lead-shot game than previously thought. A recent study found that up to 87 percent of cooked game killed by lead ammunition can contain unsafe levels of lead. State health agencies have had to recall venison donated to feed the hungry because of lead contamination from lead bullet fragments. Nearly 10 million hunters, their families and low-income beneficiaries of venison donations may be at risk. For more information, read about the Center’s Get the Lead Out campaign and the ABC web page on lead threats to birds. Read the petition to EPA Photos of lead-poisoned wildlife for media use Frequently Asked Questions Timeline of lead hazard reduction for wildlife and people Summary of recent scientific studies Background Lead has been known to be highly toxic for more than 2,000 years. Its use in water pipes, cosmetics, pottery and food is suspected as a major contributing factor in the collapse of the Roman Empire. Lead causes numerous pathological effects on living organisms, from acute, paralytic poisoning and seizures to subtle, long-term mental impairment, miscarriage, neurological damage, and impotence. Even low levels of lead can impair biological functions. There may be no safe level of lead in the body tissues of fetuses and young. Despite knowledge of how dangerous lead is, it continues to be used in hunting and fishing products that expose wildlife and humans to lead. In recent decades the federal government has implemented regulations to reduce human lead exposure in drinking water, batteries, paint, gasoline, toys, toxic dumps, wheel balancing weights, and shooting ranges. The California condor, so near extinction in the mid-1980s that the last nine wild birds were captured for an expensive captive-breeding program, had a healthy enough captive population to begin reintroduction into the wild in the mid-1990s. Yet reintroduced condors are far from safe since they feed on carcasses often containing lead bullet fragments. At least 30 condors in California and Arizona have died from lead poisoning since reintroductions began, and chronic, sub-lethal lead poisoning is rampant throughout the four reintroduced condor flocks in the United States. In 2008 California passed the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act requiring use of non-lead bullets for hunting in the condor range. This law has reduced lead exposure, but lead bullets are still available in California and condors, eagles, and other wildlife continue to be poisoned. Because there are now numerous, commercially available, non-toxic alternatives, the petitioning groups are urging the EPA to develop regulations to require non-lead rifle bullets, shotgun pellets, and fishing weights and lures throughout the nation. Non-toxic steel, copper, and alloy bullets and non-lead fishing tackle are readily available in all 50 states. Hunters and anglers in states and areas that have restrictions or have already banned lead have made successful transitions to hunting with non-toxic bullets and fishing with non-toxic tackle. Over a dozen manufacturers of bullets have designed and now market many varieties of non-lead, nontoxic bullets and shot with satisfactory to superior ballistic characteristics – fully replacing the old lead projectiles. The Toxic Substances Control Act gives the EPA broad authority to regulate chemical substances that present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, such as lead. The EPA can prohibit the manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce of lead for shot, bullets, and fishing sinkers. American Bird Conservancy (www.abcbirds.org) conserves native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats while building capacity of the bird conservation movement. The Center for Biological Diversity (www.biologicaldiversity.org) is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 255,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility is a national nonprofit alliance of local, state and federal scientists, law enforcement officers, land managers and other professionals dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. The Association of Avian Veterinarians is an international professional organization of practitioners advancing and promoting avian medicine, stewardship, and conservation through education of its members, the veterinary community and those they serve. Project Gutpile is a grassroots hunters’ organization dedicated to educating hunters and anglers and to saving wildlife from lead poisoning through encouraging the use of nontoxic ammunition.

I don't recall ever hearing that when I was fishing there in my early years. I do remember that we also caught flounders, sand sharks and blowfish.

Got my Kaibab deer tag 6 days ago. No sheep refund yet.

How ironic. My first fish was also a porgy, caught on a sandworm in the Sound out of East Northport, LI. I was 10 years old.

Because he is in Tucson, I haven't had Weller do any work for me. That said, I have seen some of the mounts he has done and have a few photos of Coues he mounted in the "How To Hunt Coues Deer Book." They look like good taxidermy work. I don't know much about the other two sponsors on CWT, but I did see a couple mounts Dale did at the recent taxidermy show. They looked quite good. Over the last 20 years or so, Marc Plunket has mounted about 20 animals for me. They included a lifesize bear & wallaby, shoulder mounts of Coues & eastern whitetail bucks, red stag, chamois, tahr and 10 African critters. He has also done a mule deer pedestal. We refer to my family room addition as the "Plunket Museum." Everything he has done has turned out great, but when he moved from Phx to Camp Verde, it became somewhat inconvenient to use him. So after seeing the work of Chris Kreuger at Kreuger Creations (See Tam's thread for sample of his lion work), I decided to use him. He also consistently wins awards for his work. In the past 8 months, I have brought several items to him. He's working on my scimitar oryx as we speak, and he has two good TX whitetail bucks I shot last winter, which will become a double pedestal mount. He's also doing a diorama with a bobcat and d'back rattler for me. He won a Best of Show in the Masters division at the last AZ Taxidermy Assoc. show with a similar one that had a javelina and snake. The moral: Pick a taxidermist with a good reputation and history of turning out good mounts for CUSTOMERS. Do NOT base your selection ONLY on what's hanging in their shops. The photos ain't too hot, but these are from the recent ATAA show. Chris Krueger Javelina 1st Place-Masters Best Of Category-Lifesize-Masters Breakthrough Judges Choice-BEST OF SHOW WASCO Award McKenzie Best Lifesize-Mammal Taxidermist Challenge Best All-Around Competitors Award Western Diamondback Rattlesnake 2nd Place-Masters Chris Krueger 1st Place-Masters Chris Krueger Cinnamon Teal 2nd Place-Masters McKenzie Best Bird

Here ya go. http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/documents/I...cies_100329.pdf

Great bull, guys. Congrats.

Here ya go. Just an e-mail away. http://www.bbhc.org/firearms/collections/ Warren Newman Curator, Cody Firearms Museum Phone: 307.578.4092 Fax: 307.527.4076 warrenn@bbhc.org

Well, that doesn't mean you can't buy a book from Amanda to help support CWT. Then you can just come over whenever you're on this side of town.

Maybe you just haven't figured it out yet. Did you ever consider the ladies you're trying to impress are anti-gun???

Nope, I'm in Glendale near 67th Ave. & Camelback.

Soooo....all you folks who want a copy should buy one from Amanda here to help support CWT! If you do, you can contact me by PM to set up a time to come by my place and get it signed -- if you want, of course.

Good to see a conscientious recycler.

Mailed applications for leftover permits for deer, turkey, and javelina accepted starting Aug. 2 July 29, 2010 PHOENIX – The more than 5,500 hunting permits left over from the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s fall drawing/lottery process will be available on a first-come, first-served basis by mailed application only beginning Monday, Aug. 2. For those individuals who missed the draw deadline for fall hunts or were unsuccessful in getting a permit-tag, there is a second chance at more than 4,300 deer tags, 900 fall turkey tags, and 300 juniors-only fall javelina tags through the leftover process. Visit www.azgfd.gov/draw for a detailed list of the leftover permits remaining and an application form. Applicants should refer to the 2010-11 Arizona Hunting and Trapping Regulations to determine the hunt dates, legal wildlife, method of take, and for application instructions. Leftover permit-tags remaining from the draw are issued in two stages and by two methods. In the first stage, applications will be accepted by mail only beginning at 8 a.m. (MST) on Monday, Aug. 2. Applications received prior to this time will be returned. After Aug. 9 at 8 a.m. (MST), hunters can obtain a leftover tag in person at any of the seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices (in addition to the mailed application option). Walk-in customers will still need to fill out an application to obtain a leftover tag. A list of Game and Fish regional office locations is available at www.azgfd.gov/offices. For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Fort Huachuca. Call (520) 533-2549 for additional information.

Help!!! My AC went belly up, and the repaiman said I need a new unit. Any member here do AC unit installs? If so, send me a PM and let's talk. I'm in Glendale, BTW.

Good pix, Doug. Where did you go??

Yup!!! The crew arrived just before 8 a.m. Two hours and $5000 later I had cold air flowing. In all, Mike was a super and did everything he said he would do to the letter. If anyone else ever needs AC work done, call A-1 Service at 623-388-4436.

Dave, Mike was here at 8 a.m. today to take measurements for the stand and duct work. The new unit will be in place tomorrow morning. Not only did Mike respond to my plea for help quickly, but he's a straight shooter, and I would highly recommend his services. Thanks again for the referral.

Whoops, you're correct. I missed the "no" the first time around. Anyway, for me I still wouldn't be shooting.

That's not quite the same. Better analogy to the spotted kittens would be a spotted fawn rather than the forkie. I'd bet the farm most hunters would pass, regardless of what they have killed or not killed.

Well, I can hardly even see the lions in the photo, but if they are spotted kittens, I wouldn't be shooting. Now...if I could make them out better in person and saw they are bobcats rather than lions, I might pop one or both of them. Regardless, shooting one would be an intentional act and not an accidental act.

Yuppers. Duwane called this morning to invite us. It'll be fun. Look forward to getting back to some of my old haunts up there.

>>Also would this be a accidental kill or not<< Only if you're shooting at a tree, miss and kill the lion.