Outdoor Writer

Amanda asked me to stop by and make a few suggestions. I assume you're basically interested in nonfiction rather than fictional novels, so... I see Bill already recommended Capstick & Ruark, which would have been on my list, especially if you enjoy reading about Africa. You might want to read a few of Jack O'Connor's books on hunting. Below is a complete list of ALL his books in chronologial order. Some are hard to find, but Amazon and other web sites often have readable used copies. You can probably also find a few in your local library. Also, you can read what he had to say about Coues deer in The Deer Hunter's Book, which was put together by Lamar Underwood. Look for Portrait of a Coues Deer on page 15. ************************************ Conquest: A Novel of the Old West (1930) Boom Town: A Novel of the Southwestern Silver Boom (1938) Game in the Desert (1939) First published by Derrydale Press in a limited edition of 950 numbered copies, this was reprinted in a 1945 trade edition, with a new preface, under the title Hunting in the South West. In 1977, Amwell Press reissued the book in a limited edition of 950 copies. This version reverted to the original title and included a substantial introduction by O'Connor. Hunting in the Rockies (1947) Sporting Guns (1947) The Rifle Book (1949) Hunting With a Binocular (1949) Sportsman's Arms and Ammunition Manual (1952) The Big-Game Rifle (1952) Jack O'Connor's Gun Book (1953) The Outdoor Life Shooting Book (1957) The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns (1961) An updated excerpt from this book was later published as 7-Lesson Rifle Shooting Course. The Big Game Animals of North America (1961) Jack O'Connor's Big Game Hunts (1963) Consists of 26 stories reprinted from Outdoor Life. The Shotgun Book (1965) The Art of Hunting Big Game in North America (1967) Horse and Buggy West: A Boyhood on the Last Frontier (1969) Autobiographical. The Complete Book of Shooting (1969) The Hunting Rifle (1970) Rifle and Shotgun Shooting Basics (1970) Sheep and Sheep Hunting (1974) Game in the Desert Revisited (limited edition of 1,000 copies in 1977, trade edition in 1984) The Best of Jack O'Connor (1977) The Hunter's Shooting Guide (1978) Hunting Big Game (1979) The Last Book: Confessions of an Outdoor Gun Editor (1984) Published posthumously, this autobiography is at times scathing in its frankness and fascinating for the insight it offers into the world of outdoor writing. Hunting on Three Continents With Jack O'Connor (1987)

Thought I'd stop by to provide an update on my 36B hunt this coming weekend. My son and I will be staying at the Universal RV park near Arivaca. We'll be in a Fleetwood Sequoia pop-up trailer that's sbout 26' when set up. I'm driving a red/burgundy 1998 4x4 Dodge Ram quadcab with the license plate TONY10. We'lll be leaving Phoenix TG day at about 7 and should arrive at the RV park before noon to set up and maybe do a bit of scouting. We'll likely be roaming the Warsaw Canyon area. So if anyone wants to visit, come on by, or if you see us on the road, beep and wave. This is what the trailer looks like:

Brent, See the PM I just sent you. -TONY

Good deal. If we're not around the RV park, go find my son a buck somewhere and tie it to a tree. But we'll try to be there when you get there. All you need is your personal gear and a sleeping bag/pillow. We'll have coffee, some wine, water and Pepsi or Mountain Dew. If you want something else bring it along. Mike, Thanks.

Just passing thru on my way to 36B. This packing stinks, though. I forgot how much it takes to go hunting since it's been so long since I've drawn a permit. Brent, OK, I have 3 T-bones ready to BBQ the day you're there. Any idea which day? Vegas, Why didn't you tell me earlier that you have a house there? I would have stayed there with you. Prolly see you somewhere.

Bill, Maybe will see you wandering around if you get over to the west side of the unit. I came down with pleurisy a few days ago. Doc attributed to a "weather change." So I'll probably be hanging out and glassing close to the truck wherever we go. And to the rest of you guys (and gals) hunting somewhere for something this weekend, good luck!

TERRY DWELLE, Bismarck, N.D., The Jamestown Sun May 14, 2008 Beginning May 16, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Dakota Department of Health will conduct a study measuring the risk, if any, of consuming wild game harvested with lead bullets. I appreciate this opportunity to explain the reasons for the study and what we hope to learn as a result. Earlier this year, a local doctor contacted the Department of Health about the discovery of metal fragments in ground venison donated for food pantries across the state. Laboratory testing identified the metal as lead. Because of the seriousness of lead poisoning, especially for children and pregnant women, the departments of Health, Agriculture, and Game and Fish advised food pantries across the state not to distribute or use the donated ground venison. The agencies also suggested that anyone who had concerns about how their venison was cleaned and processed should not serve it to children and may decide whether to eat it themselves. A few weeks later, Minnesota issued a similar advisory based on testing conducted in that state. Basically, the steps that were taken are similar to precautions taken when any food product is found to be contaminated. According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, if these lead fragments had been found in beef, the meat would have been recalled. The particles of lead discovered in the ground venison were not distributed evenly throughout the meat. In addition, many of the lead particles were so small that a person biting into the meat wouldn’t notice the metal. However, even microscopic amounts of lead can cause health problems. That’s why our most prudent option was to advise disposal of the meat. Although there is no safe level of lead in blood, the risks are greater for young children and pregnant women. In young children, lead in the blood can cause lower IQs, learning disabilities, stunted growth, kidney damage and even death. In pregnant women, high lead exposure can cause low birth-weight babies, miscarriage and stillbirth. In adults, lead exposure can cause high blood pressure, hearing loss and infertility. In general, children are at higher risk because they absorb more lead than adults do and their developing brain is easily damaged by the lead. Most of the time, however, the effects are subtle and can’t be easily recognized, and most people with elevated levels of lead in their blood probably don’t realize it. Lower IQ, high blood pressure and hearing loss may be blamed on other factors without consideration of lead exposure as a contributing factor. Scientific studies can tell us how much lead is absorbed from sources such as paint or lead dust. What is still unclear is how much of the type of lead discovered in the venison is absorbed by the human body. As I mentioned earlier, the CDC and the Department of Health will conduct a study at several sites across North Dakota beginning May 16 that will attempt to determine whether eating wild game harvested with lead bullets results in increased blood lead levels. The study will test the blood lead levels of 680 people of all ages and will compare blood lead levels of people who eat venison with the lead levels of those who don’t. Analysis of the blood samples and the data collected will take several months; however, we anticipate that preliminary results will be available before the fall hunting season. Because this study will be an important opportunity to help us understand any potential health effects of swallowing lead bullet fragments, I encourage both hunters and non-hunters alike to participate. Testing sites and schedules are available on the Department of Health Web site at www.ndhealth.gov or by calling 701-328-2372. Lead exposure is a serious issue. We are hopeful that this study will help us learn if there are any risks for people who eat wild game killed with lead bullets. We are committed to keeping you, the public, informed about whatever we discover. ***** By JOHN MILLER Associated Press Writer BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho raptor group working to eliminate lead from ammunition released findings Tuesday it said shows that ground venison from 80 percent of deer killed with high-velocity lead bullets contains metal fragments. The Peregrine Fund, based in Boise, and researchers from Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., say it is further evidence people who eat meat from game animals shot with lead bullets risk exposure to the toxic metal. Separately, the North Dakota Health Department and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are planning a study on nearly 700 people who eat meat from wild game harvested with lead bullets, to determine health risks, if any. The suggestion that lead bullets could make venison unsafe for humans has prompted outrage from pro-hunting groups such as Safari Club International, of Somerset, N.J., and the Connecticut-based National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms industry group, after North Dakota and Minnesota in March and April instructed food banks there to pull hunter-donated venison from their shelves. "This is one more piece of evidence that points to lead bullets as a source of contamination in our environment," Rick Watson, vice president of The Peregrine Fund, said in a statement ahead of a presentation of the study, which focused on 30 white-tailed deer killed by standard, lead-core, copper-jacketed bullets fired from a high-powered rifle. The Peregrine Fund organized the four-day conference at Boise State University to bolster its stand against lead ammunition, with more than 50 scientific presentations on lead poisoning in wildlife and humans, including research on Inuits in Alaska and Russia who practice subsistence hunting. The study released Tuesday comes after a Peregrine Fund board member, Dr. William Cornatzer, previously did CT scans of about 100 packets of venison that had been donated to food banks by hunters. He found 60 percent had multiple lead fragments. Lawrence Keane, a National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesman, said he hasn't seen the latest study. But he said initial evidence supplied by Cornatzer, a dermatologist and professor at the University of North Dakota medical school, didn't justify a policy change or destruction of venison. Groups, including Safari Club, gave nearly 1 million pounds of venison in 2007 to food banks as part of their humanitarian efforts. "The Peregrine Fund is an advocacy group and has an agenda," said Keane. "We have serious questions with the so-called science by the dermatologist. It's my understanding there's not a single reported case that the CDC is aware of, of anyone having elevated blood lead levels from eating game harvested with lead ammunition." Lead poisoning has been linked to learning disabilities, behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and death. There is no safe level of lead in blood. North Dakota Department of Health epidemiologists said the agency's planned study with the CDC will investigate whether there are any health risks for people, by attempting to determine whether eating wild game harvested with lead bullets results in increased blood lead levels. "This study is an important opportunity to help us understand whether swallowing lead bullet fragments causes increased levels of lead in the blood," said state Health Officer Terry Dwelle. "We're hopeful that the study will give us information on which we can base any future recommendations." In the study findings released Tuesday, authors, including Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine professor Russell Tucker, found widespread dispersal of metal fragments after taking X-rays of 30 deer shot in Wyoming and processed at 30 different butchers in that state. Ground venison from 80 percent of the deer had metal fragments, and 92 percent of those were lead. In addition, metal fragments were found in some steaks, even though processors normally discard meat near the wound and along the bullet's path. The Peregrine Fund got its start in 1970 with peregrine falcon recovery efforts and now works to restore California condors to northern Arizona's Grand Canyon region. Watson said the group began suspecting a connection between lead poisoning, bullets, venison and humans after researchers and the Arizona Game and Fish Department discovered about 90 percent of 60 condors that now soar over the Grand Canyon and southern Utah were ailing from lead poisoning after eating hunter-killed deer and leftover gut piles. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year signed a law banning lead bullets from condor habitat in his state, and Arizona wildlife managers have a voluntary program encouraging hunters to replace lead bullets with nontoxic copper ammunition. Condor deaths in Arizona dropped from five after the 2006 hunting season to none in 2007. "We believe that copper bullets will become the ammunition of choice for hunters to benefit themselves, their families, and wildlife," Watson said. ***** By JOHN MILLER ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER BOISE, Idaho -- The potential risk of lead poisoning from high-velocity bullets, whether to carrion-eating condors in the Grand Canyon or to food bank patrons in the Midwest, is the subject of a scientific conference next week. The issue has been heightened since North Dakota and Minnesota officials instructed food bank operators to clear their shelves of venison donated by hunters this year. The move raised complaints from Safari Club International of Somerset, N.J., whose members gave about 316,000 pounds of venison to the needy last year under the group's Sportsmen Against Hunger program, and Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry of Williamsport, Md., which donates more than 282,000 pounds of venison in 27 states annually. The four-day gathering that begins Monday at Boise State University includes more than 50 presentations on issues ranging from lead poisoning among subsistence hunting Inuits in Alaska and Russia, lead levels in ravens in southern Yellowstone National Park, lead found in swans in Western Washington state and the politics of nontoxic ammunition. "You're collecting a huge weight of evidence to infer or perhaps even prove there's a serious health risk, certainly to wildlife, but perhaps even to humans," said Rick Watson, vice president of The Peregrine Fund in Boise, a raptor recovery center that is sponsoring the conference. "That should promote if not actual remediation of the problem, then further research on where there are gaps in that knowledge," Watson said Friday. Lead poisoning has been linked to learning disabilities, behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and death. Watson said his group realized there might be a connection between lead poisoning, bullets, venison and humans after 1996, the year it began reintroducing rare California condors in northern Arizona. As many as 60 now soar over the Grand Canyon and southern Utah, but researchers and the Arizona Game and Fish Department found the scavengers were ailing from lead poisoning after eating hunter-killed deer and leftover gut piles. In 2006, five condors died of lead poisoning and 90 percent of the rest had signs of exposure. To learn more, Peregrine Fund researchers killed two deer with high-velocity lead ammunition and found that the bullets fragmented on impact, leaving the animals' flesh riddled with hundreds of microscopic lead particles. "In the process of doing that study, we didn't want to waste the deer meat we had shot, so we had it processed," Watson said. "We thought, 'For interest's sake, let's take a look at some of these package to see if there was any lead' - and there was." Skeptical, Dr. William Cornatzer of Bismarck, N.D., a physician, hunter and Peregrine Fund board member, used a CT scan to examine about 100 packets of venison from local food giveaway programs and found 60 percent had multiple lead fragments. "There isn't much to argue," Cornatzer said. "It shows there is this toxic metal in our ground venison that we hunters have been eating for the last 50 years." While no cases of lead poisoning from venison had been reported, his research helped lead to the warning to food banks in North Dakota in March. Days later, Minnesota followed suit after separate tests in that state. Safari Club officials have contend there is no scientific basis for abandoning thousands of pounds of meat that otherwise would go to poor families at a time of rapidly escalating food costs. Gene Rurka, chairman of the group's humanitarian efforts, said dumping venison on the basis of a few anecdotal studies was premature. "I just can't imagine there's that kind of lead intrusion in the meat," Rurka said. "If it's a health issue, certainly, it's a concern, but to go out and say there's one guy who took a sampling of meat, and to use that across the entire program, it is totally unfair." Watson said such skepticism is a key reason for the conference. Among other reports, his group plans to release preliminary findings of a continuing study of packaged venison from 30 deer killed by researchers with high-velocity ammo and processed by 30 butchers in Wyoming. Watson, one of the authors, said the findings so far mirror the conclusions in North Dakota and Minnesota. "We've effectively demonstrated that lead does get into venison, both hamburger and steaks," he said. "It's at levels sufficently high enough to be a concern to people who get those packets. We don't know what risk, but we know they are at some risk."

I have ONE extra $42 ticket for the D'backs/Braves game on Aug. 8, this Fri. It's a great seat -- lower level, a few rows back behind 1st base. My wife and I will be using the other two tickets I have. All three are together. The extra one is available FREE to anyone who wants it. -TONY

Daryl, It was fun and good to meet you. Your should have stayed for the fireworks; they were MUCHO better than Davis' pitching. The 6th inning last night wasn't too much better. CC, Chipper's homer not only left the ballpark fast, but it went VERY far, as well. There was no doubt where it was heading when the bat made contact. -TONY

Daryl, You have been drawn for a D'backs permit in Unit 114, Row 37, Seat 13. The season opens at 6:40 p.m., Fri. Aug. 8th. See the PM I'm sending. And yeah, while we were watching the game last night, I kinda recalculated the pitching rotation. Davis it is. Hope he does better than he did Sunday against LA. -TONY

So?? Are you the designated blocking dummy or what? I'm guessing it's more like the designated driver. Can't you get someone to fill in just that one night? If my calculation is right, Haren should be the pitcher that night. -TONY

I also should have mentioned that someone who lives close to Glendale is welcome to come to my place and car pool because I also have a free parking pass. Sitting next to me might be the reason no one has jumped on this offer yet. But they can sit next to my lovely bride if that's a problem. -TONY

The draw results for the 2007 fall hunts are now posted on the AZ G&FD website. I didn't get drawn for sheep again. -TONY

Just consider it a free contribution to your ongoing education. -TONY

You're correct on the first part, but wrong on the second. I often complain about something G&F does that I don't agree with it. In fact. I probably wrote at least two dozen Last Shot columns to that effect when I was writing regularly for AZ Hunter & Angler. Now, as I said to Terry, you can have the last word if you so choose. I'm heading out to start counting deer so I can be 99% confident within +/- 1% that the population count is accurate to Nth degree. -TONY

Go back and reread what I wrote about the reason for the mandatory archery reports. The archers in the new PERMITTED units WILL get to fill out the regular survey cards because G&F will know who they are as soon as they draw a permit. The OTC ones will still need to report their success, however. -TONY

>> Tony, i think you are trying a little too hard to get a sheep tag in this thread. << Yeah, that's obviously my aim. >>The game and fish do a damned fine job in the field, they work very hard to get the data to the commission and then the data is thrown to the side and the commission does what the commission wants to do--usually just the opposite of what the hunters (and some WM's) want. One last thing--the Arizona Deer Association has spent tens of thousands of dollars doing a three year study on the Kaibab--the data will not be complete for another year yet the game and fish (commission) decided to increase the doe tags to 500 this year--they have no idea how many deer are on the plateau but they felt that 500 does will not be a huge impact to the Kaibab--once again, they did not want to wait for one more year for the data that will be gathered by the biologists (both game and fish and independent) to make their recommendations--no data once again Tony yet they will slaughter the future of the Kaibab<< Terry, the above doesn't seem to square with what I've seen. The game department's WMs/biologists presented the recommendation TO THE COMMISSION for 600 antlerless permits in 12A, which was a 200 increase over the previous year. And that's exactly what the commission approved -- 600 junior permits, not 500 as stated in your message. So it appears you're pointing a finger in the wrong direction; you should be bitching about those who made the recommendation. All the commission did was approve what was put before them. As for the department not having any idea how many deer are on the Kaibab, that again is simply not true. In 2004/2005, they estimated there were 10,000 or so deer on the plateau, with about 6,800 of them on the west side where the junior antlerless hunt will take place. Somewhere near 4,000 of the west-side population are does. Since 2005, the recruitment has been excellent. In fact, the fawn/doe ratio was more than 100/100 one year, and last year it was 97/100. That makes for incredible herd growth, considering anything over 50/100 normally indicates a growing herd. With those numbers, the 600 antlerless permits (that means even some buck fawns could be killed) is a drop in the proverbial bucket, considering G&F estimates the junior harvest will be 300 from those 600 permits. So your dire "yet they will slaughter the future of the Kaibab" is a bit farfetched. >>Tony, you really need to make it to a few meetings, i know i will be there just to see how the commission treats the people who raise more money than anyone to help with habitat improvements and other wildlife friendly projects.<< Actually, I just watched the taped testimony that took place at the April meeting, including Dick's. Your characterization of what transpired seems a bit exaggerated compared to what I watched. He certainly was allowed to provide his complete and somewhat long presentation and to answer questions from several commissioners. In fact, in response to the somewhat meaningless statistics cited, Ms. Martin made the point I did here earlier in regards to opportunities, i.e. not one hunter spending 100 days hunting over several seasons, but more hunters each spending 6-7 days hunting. RE: money Now we get to the crux of the matter and why I have mixed emotions about the various alphabet "advocacy" associations. Granted, raising funds is a huge benefit to wildlife. But to use that as some sort of hammer to sway the department's management of game into the mold of what the ADA members -- a VERY tiny segment of the deer hunters in this state -- want for their own self-serving satisfaction is not something I support. It reminds me too much of what's goes on between the Congress critters in D.C. and the various folks who heavily contribute to their war chests; in return, they expect preferential treatment and favors. It's an unhealthy relationship. It would be much better, IMO, if the game department conducts its own raffle and auctions through an independent entity. Maybe they could even hold the auction for all the tags at the annual Expo. But it will probably never happen. Anyway, I'll let you have the last word. I've already wasted too much time on this topic, and the time spent is not likely to change anyone's views on the topic. -TONY

As in: "Commissioner Martin asked if Mr. Anderson was also involved in the illegal take of an elk and if that was a separate incident."

Terry, >>I think the archers fill that they have been given the hook because of the way game and fish came up with the 20% number in certain units. The thing about survey cards is that you need them from both groups to find the 20% number it should have taken to send a unit to draw. << They were already getting the survey cards from the rifle hunters and in a prior message I explained why they made the reports mandatory for the bowhunters. So the only complaint might be that the survey cards didn't produce "hard data," i.e. the EXACT numbers a mandatory report would supposedly provide. I'm only guessing here, but I'd bet some money that the mandatory archery reports didn't produce exact numbers either, due to non-compliance with the rule -- something nearly impossible to enforce. >>they failed to use any kind of gathered data at all to make this decision.<< That's simply not true. They had survey cards from the permit hunts and the mandatory archery reports. Maybe you meant to say that they didn't use the data some bowhunters wanted them to use?? >>If you would have been at the commission meeting you would have heard Hernbrode attack Dick King and you would have heard Hernbrode state that the archers are (i am paraphrasing here) a bunch of spoiled hunters.<< I don't know Dick personally, nor did I see what happened at the meeting. So I can't comment on it. As for the "spoiled hunters" comment, maybe it has a ring of truth to it. -TONY

I already explained the reason for the mandatory archery reports. Did you read it? RE: bear Obvious to anyone who reads the regulations; there are harvest limits for sows in most units. When that limit is hit, the season is shut down. That's why the mandatory part, unlike the deer survey cards, is for only those who actually kill a bear. RE: lion If I recall, there are also limits on the lion harvest in some units. In addition, both bear and lion are checked for ongoing research purposes. That's why the hunter must bring in the skull & hide and not merely report a kill. Sheep is a no-brainer: G&F affixes a seal in the horn during the check-in process to assure that it is a legal head. Of course, with sheep, even the unsuccessful hunters must report because in this case -- and somewhat with lion and bear, too -- it comes down to more finite managment, given the smaller populations. Now contrast the small group of hunters involved with lion, bear and sheep to the nearly 50,000 permitted deer hunters. Big diff in the number. -TONY

I don't believe there was a finger pointed at anyone in particular. That said, it certainly begs the obvious question: If you have nothing at stake, then why are the prehistoric methods of G&F seemingly a major concern? In regards to the following in your other message: >>on another note, if EVERYONE stopped buying gas than as a result of demand going away the price would come down. same situation here. if EVERYONE tore up their survey cards then the G&F would be forced to implement mandatory reporting.<< Ah, but there's the rub. EVERYBODY won't tear up the survey cards because the MAJORITY of the hunters in this state see no need for mandatory reporting. It's a small, but very vocal minority, that have the "sky is falling" attitude in regards to what G&F is doing. Most of the other hunters just want to be able to get a permit so they can hunt. And G&F is doing its best to accomplish that. When they cite creating more "opportunity," they don't mean so ONE hunter can hunt several seasons and many days for a particular species. They mean getting more DIFFERENT hunters into the field, spreading the wealth so to speak. >>I think almost everyone on this site would agree that lobbying the G&F is a futile effort. history has repeatedly shown that they do what they want regardless of public input.<< Nah, it isn't totally futile. See "vocal minority above." >>Tony, since you are in the know with the G&F, can you provide some input on what kind of lame excuses they are using for 1) not having applications online and 2) not having mandatory reporting? if you do not know, would you be willing to find out for us?<< Far as I know, they are working on getting the online process back as we speak. BUT...this time they're being a bit more careful. The last effort was aborted when the company they enlisted wouldn't get a performance bond, which would have protected the revenue. The reason to resist putting the manadatory reporting into effect? First, see my previous comments where it is bascially unnecessary for managing game on a biological basis. Plus, for those holding permits, it just makes for another hoop to jump through; the voluntary survey cards accomplish the needed job. >>IMO - these are two things that can be done and would be improvements over how they are currently being done. their refusal to listen to their customers, change and make improvements where possible is ridiculous. like I said before, if this organization was operating in the private sector, they would have been out of business years ago.<< Right. So here's what I think everyone should do: quit applying for all the big-game hunts. That'll dry up all the funding and drive G&F out of business. -TONY

Yup, they're still guesing. So what? On a biological basis, it makes little difference whether the harvest figure is plus or minus 10 or 20 deer, as long as the estimates are consistent throughout. This is especially true given the fact that G&F generally sets permit numbers conservatively in regards to the estimated population in a given unit. In reality, mandatory reporting wouldn't change the numbers much if at all. The only thing it might do is soothe the minority of bruised selfish egos out there. I kinda laugh when someone cites the mandatory reporting in NM and Utah as if it is producing any better hunting than AZ. Over on MM, the Utah residents are constantly bitching about how the UDWR is so screwed up with their seasons and permit allotments. They also bitch about the condition of the elk and deer herds. Sounds like deju vu all over again. BTW, it seems everyone thinks G&F was picking on the bowhunters when it initiated the mandatory reporting. Of course, as it is with most of the supposed conspiracy theories, it was done for a very specific reason: to get timely information. Here's why: Unlike permitted hunts, G&F has no idea who bought the OTC archery tags until well after the seasons, i.e. year end and later when all the license dealers across the state turn in their sales receipts. Anyone here involved with selling the licenses knows how the routine works. Although there is a monthly report, many dealers never even sell all the OTC tags in one book. So they do not return it until the final report of the year. If G&F waited until then and used the voluntary survey cards, they would have to take all of the OTC archery tag sales as they straggle in from the dealers, input them into a database and go about mailing out the survey cards. This process couldn't occur until well into the following year. In contrast, the rifle guys with a lottery permit are in the database as soon as permits are issued. So long before the archery OTC info is returned to G&F, the majority of those with permits have already received and returned their survey cards. Or at least the majority other than those who are punishing G&F have done so. This is exactly why those archery permit holders in the new draw units will no longer have the mandatory reporting requirement; G&F will know who they are, and they will now get the survey cards mailed to them just as it is with the rifle permits. OTOH, OTC bowhunters will still have to report within the alloted window of time. -TONY

Geez, what a unique concept you pose, Doug. Nah, it'll never work. Better to piss and moan and have that "I'll show the SOBs" attitude. I'm doing that right now with the oil companies; I quit buying gas to protest the high prices. I see it's working already since the price of oil dropped a bit. -TONY

Hmmm. Unless I read it wrong, the fine for the violation was as stated below: Anderson was found guilty by the Cochise County Justice Court #5 for: Count A: Knowingly take wildlife during closed season (Gould’s turkey); and sentenced Count A: Fined $942.00, $314.00 of which was suspended per county attorney plea agreement and Judge’s Order. BUT...the reimbursement of the turkey's value to G&F was just a bit more than a turkey hunt in Mexico would cost, as in: THAT THE DEPARTMENT BE DIRECTED TO COLLECT CIVIL DAMAGES OR TO BRING CIVIL ACTION AGAINST RALPH E. ANDERSON TO COLLECT THE AMOUNT OF $5000.00 FOR THE LOSS OF ONE (1) GOULD’S TURKEY Since he claimed to have eaten it, that was one expensive Thanksgiving dinner at $5,628. It would have probably been cheaper to kill a spotted owl. -TONY

G&F uses 90% as its confidence level, and there's no need to guess at the numbers. Here are the exact ones for the 2007 Unit 32 WT hunts. Hunt---Permits----Bucks----Success-----90% CI---Returned Cards 1097---650---------186-------- 31----------3.8--------- 276 1098---650---------156-------- 26----------3.6--------- 283 1099---175---------90----------56----------5.8---------105 If one would go back 20 or 30 years, the rate of return has remained pretty much the same. And yes, counting every head of game is unrealistic, which is my point. The concept of using estimated population and estimated harvest figures has been used across the country for years to manage game for biological purposes. And as long as the population is nothing more than a high confidence estimate, the harvest need not be any more than a high confidence estimate. BTW, if I recall, G&F actually has the fudge factor worked in for the dingalings who think they are accomplishing some good by lying on the survey cards. And those who tear them up, should remember the adage about cutting off your nose to spite your face. If enough folks in a unit act like juveniles, it can easily skew the figures where it works against them. For example, let's say a bunch of guys who didn't kill a deer don't send in the cards from the new archery draw units, but those who do are mostly successful. That will raise the success rate and perhaps lead to even fewer archery permits down the road if the archery harvest remains above that magical 20% of the total harvest in that unit. -TONY