Outdoor Writer

Obviously one of the ones who has been eating lead-laced venison for too many years. -TONY

In 2007, there were 72,651 1st choice applicants for all units and hunts, which includes general firearms, muzzleloader and juniors. The total # of permits issued for all seasons, ALL choices and over-the-counter sales was 42,543. That translates to 30,108 folks -- as in "1,000s" -- who didn't get a deer permit in 2007. For the Junior's only general and muzzleloader seasons, there were 1,769 permits issued to 2,520 1st choice applicants, meaning 751 junior hunters didn't get a permit thru the normal draw. How can this be when several units have 100% draw odds for the early seasons? Simple. Because many hunters PREFER applying for the best hunts (read that as the Strip, Kaibab or Dec. WT seasons) for the 1st two choices and the 2nd best ones for the other three. It's the nature of the beast, so to speak. Of course, if they HAD to apply for those earlier, lower-success seasons, then they would no longer be 100% draws. BUT, when push comes to shove, many of them would settle for ANY permit, and that's why the 1st-come leftovers usually don't last more than a couple hours. I'm only speculating here, and maybe Jim knows the actual numbers, but I would guess many, many hunters who sent in for the 1st-come leftovers wound up getting a refund. Granted, some applicants list certain hunts only as 1st & 2nd choices and then leave the rest blank, preferring to not hunt unless they drew the hunt they wanted. But I'm guessing that was a minority of the 30K who didn't draw. I count myself among this group. But even if we say it's 15,000, that still leaves another 15,000 -- as in "1,000s" -- who wanted to hunt deer but couldn't. Basically, what it comes down to is the FINAL number of permits left after the draw and the 1st-come phase; I believe that is usually 0, which excludes 1000s from deer hunting unless they use a bow. -TONY

For all you folks who gun hunt in California, the game department there recently came out with the list of ammo that may be legally used in the lead-free condor zones. See Lead-free bullets. -TONY

Anyone here a member of Whitetails Unlimited?? -TONY

May 9, 2008 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."

Indeed. Probably accounts for the large number of hunters with learning disabilities, too. -TONY

GRRRR!!! Quit telling people about this. That has been MY secret spot for decades! And please don't tell anyone that the N. Kaibab and Strip have any big deer. That's a secret too. Next thing you know, getting a permit for either of them will be nearly impossible. -TONY

I have both the sitting and standing versions of the Snipepod and used them exclusively in Africa, New Zealand and couple NA hunts since I've owned them. Although they are not as sturdy as the much heavier Harris types, the ball joints make them a lot more versatile for getting setup in about any type of terrain at almost any angle. Plus, they are very lightweight to carry in their belt pouches. After a bit of practice, it takes less than 10-15 seconds to attach it to the gun. And if you do decide to go with a Harris, I have an almost-new used one available. -TONY

Come on, NRS, you ain't thinking rationally now. Everyone knows ethanol burns. Besides, why waste it for such mundane uses as a life-saving thingie for toothpicks. Nope, I'm going with the fire-proof paper clips. -TONY

God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day. Michael asked, 'Where have you been?' God smiled and proudly pointed down through the clouds, 'Look, Michael. Look what I've made.' Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, 'What is it?' 'It's a planet,' replied God, 'and I've put life on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a place to test Balance.' 'Balance?' inquired Michael, 'I'm still confused.' Pointing to different parts of earth, God explained. 'For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe is going to be poor. Over here I've placed a continent of white people, and over there is a continent of black people. Balance in all things.' God continued pointing to different countries. 'This one will be extremely hot, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice.' The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land area and said, 'What's that one?' 'That's Washington State , the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful mountains, rivers and streams, lakes, forests, hills, and plains. The people from Washington State are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent, and humorous, and they are going to travel the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, high achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats, carriers of peace, and producers of software.' Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then asked, 'But what about balance, God? You said there would be balance.' God smiled as he said, 'There is another Washington. Wait till you see the idiots I put there.'

Mike, My comment wasn't aimed at anyone in particular. In fact, it's sorta been festering for a few months as result of several discussions on various topics. Actually, I had written a very long reply, then decided to heed something my college speech professor once said: Tact is the art of making a point without making enemies. Then again, maybe I'll put it into a magazine column somewhere. -TONY

Now we're getting somewhere. I might even sharpen the ends of the wires a bit so as not to smush the beans too badly. The screen was a good thought, too, but the juice might make a real mess of the barbie burners. Hope you don't mind, but I'll pass on the ice tea for something a bit more worthy of such a time-consuming endeavor. -TONY

Aha, two rocket scientists, huh? Any dumbass could do that. That's about like grilling a steak in a frying pan. If I wanted plain ol' warmed over beans, why waste extra money on ones touted as "grillin' beans?" Geez, might as well just toss a can of Heinz in a pot and put it on a stove burner like I've always done. -TONY

Well Doug, I tried your idea last night. I skewered three hundred beans on 60 wooden toothpicks over the period of two hours. It sure helped me work up an appetite. Anyway, your idea worked great -- that is untill the toothpicks caught fire and pretty much turned all my hard work into little nuggets of charcoal. Although they were quite flavorful, they were just a bit chewy. Back to the drawing board; any other bright ideas?? -TONY

I always feel a tinge of sadness when I read comments such as a few in this thread. But it's not the comments themselves that give me that feeling; it's knowing that today's young hunters are learning the same attitudes. -TONY

Canon 30D with a 75-300 Canon IS lens. I don't get no steenkin' permits that allow me to use a gun. -TONY

Oh, I should have added that I did try lining up the beans in single file along each of the bars on the grill. That was fine until it was time to flip them, which is when the problem really begins. -TONY

Lark, Now that you guys have the problems of illegal immigration, global warming, hunting oppotunities and the outlandish prices of watermelons in the Middle East all worked out, I could use some help on a real problem I'm having. For weeks now, I have been seeing those commercials on TV about the new Bush's Grillin' Beans. So when my wife went to Fry's last Sat. I had her buy me a can to try. So last night, I went out on the patio and started the barbeque. I put my normal spices on a nice juicy rib steak and proceeded to place it on the grill after it was hot. Well, everything was going great until the time arrived to grill the beans. No matter what I did, they just kept falling through the grill, and nothing on the can label suggested a way to prevent it. Do you perhaps have a solution to this or maybe a link to some news article that explains the proper scientific technique? -TONY

There are less than eight months until the election, an election that will decide the next President of the United States . The person elected will be the president of all Americans, not just the Democrats or the Republicans. It's time that we all came together, Democrats and Republicans alike. To show our solidarity as Americans, let's all get together and show each other our support for the candidate of our choice. If you support the policies and character of John McCain, please drive with your headlights on during the day. If you support Obama or Hillary, please drive with your headlights off at night.

These are the two most recent reports I could find on the two fires in southern AZ. Note that both seem to be located in Hunt Unit 36B, and it sounds as if the Beehive is the one Gino's son has been involved. -TONY A man-made wildfire in the rough terrain of the Pajarita Wilderness, west of Interstate 19 near Peña Blanca Lake and south of Ruby Road, has grown to 4,000 acres, but it has not yet damaged or threatened any buildings. As of Sunday afternoon, a Coronado National Forest spokeswoman said there was good progress managing the Alamo Fire — which was burning on both sides of the border — but that it was only 10 percent contained and still had the potential to grow quickly because of extremely low humidity and high winds. The relative humidity was at 7 percent and winds were gusting to 23 miles per hour in Nogales, site of the nearest National Weather Service reporting station, at midafternoon Sunday. The wildfire, which was reported on Friday morning, grew significantly Saturday as winds grounded firefighting aircraft and drove flames feeding on bone-dry grass, brush and some oak fuel in the rugged mountainous area, said Coronado National Forest spokeswoman Heidi Schewel. The area ranges in elevation from 4,000 to more than 5,000 feet. The fire has had some desirable effects, burning up grass and excess underbrush, Schewel said. Schewel said the fire was listed as man-made because there were no lightning strikes in the area where the fire was first reported, near Peña Blanca Lake, Friday at about 8:30 a.m. Wildlands fire officials estimated the fire would be contained by Thursday, but Schewel said the low humidity and highly variable winds made it hard to predict containment with great certainty. She said the terrain is so rugged that even the size of the fire is only an estimate, because there is no single point where the entire wildfire can be seen. Firefighting crews working the western perimeter had to work considerably west of the fire line because the terrain in Alamo Canyon was too rugged to work, Schewel said. Nearly 200 wildlands firefighters were battling the Alamo Fire Sunday, including crews from the U.S. Forest Service and Arizona State Forestry, including state prisoners who volunteered to fight the fire. Tucsonans and other Southern Arizona residents should be on alert because of extreme potential for wildfires throughout the area, said Schewel, speaking from the command center for the Alamo Fire. In some ways, Schewel said, conditions around Tucson are even worse than at the Alamo Fire because it's warmer at lower elevations, such as Tucson, and just as dry. "People need to be aware in and around Tucson, because it's warmer than it is up here but has much the same vegetation. This is the kind of activity they could see if they aren't careful," Schewel said. A restriction on fires inside the Catalina District of the Coronado National Forest remains in effect. Schewel said people in the Catalinas must have a permit to have a fire outside a fire ring or a built-in grill. Schewel said no additional restrictions had been ordered in the Coronado National Forest. She urged people to use ashtrays and avoid unattended outdoor fires anywhere. **** The Beehive Fire was 14 miles northwest of Nogales, Arizona. Fire crews worked the edge of the fire to meet the objectives of containing the wildfire to less than 500 acres. The fire was in a very remote, steep and rugged part of the national forest. Firefighters were shuttled into the fire with helicopters. The Eastern Arizona Incident Management Team, who has been in the Rio Rico area for the past nine days managing wildfires, will hand full responsibility back to the Coronado National Forest, Nogales Ranger District at 8:00 p.m. tonight. The past five days the team has managed the Beehive Fire. The previous four days they dealt with an international fire incident (the Alamo Fire) with fellow firefighters from the Republic of Mexico. According to fire behavior analysts, the potential for extreme wildfire conditions is the worst they have been in southeastern Arizona for this time of year and higher than the average fire danger normally experienced in June. As of today the potential for extreme wildfire behavior is the highest it's been in April in the past 23 years of scientific records. Use caution while in the wildlands, since extreme fire potential exists. These conditions could easily last for a few more months. Hopefully by mid-July firefighters will finally get some relief from heavy rainfall during monsoon storms. The Nogales Ranger District will patrol the area for the next several days. If you have further questions regarding these incidents, you can call the district office at 520-281-2296.

Yeah, I know all that. Go back and read what I said about doing so at the top of a basically inaccessible mountain, which Gino has since cleared up. -TONY

Aaah, now we're getting somewhere. That does make perfect sense; baffle of 'em with brilliance. Instead of trying to smuggle drugs through the most monitored and patrolled area of the country, just create a farm on top of a mountain in the same area and double the chances of detection. After all since we can't find it on a map, it sure as heck won't be found by the border patrol or narcs. -TONY

Only if you do not want to be seen or caught on the easier flats with your load of drugs. That seems to make even less sense. Climbng mountains with heavy packs is even less fun. -TONY

One would have to wonder why an illegal would be near a place that is basically inaccessable without a helicopter, huh? Seems climbing mountains would be a waste of energy to attain the end result. -TONY