Outdoor Writer

Keith, Finished Blue Heaven yesterday morning. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the Joe P. tales, it was a decent read. Box did a pretty good job of weaving a LOT of people into a complicated, yet believable plot. Best of all, he did well in describing his characters where I could almost visualize them. That was especially true of the old rancher. Another thing I enjoy about his writing is the almost flawless factual stuff, such as the description of firearms and the places. I've spent time in that part of Idaho, so I could relate to his descriptions of it. That was the same with his last Joe P. book that took place in YNP. So far, the only factual goof I'm found after reading ALL of his books was the one where he had some dude poaching a trophy elk in either April or May and then having the mount back by fall. That was likely two goof-ups in one; I bet there's not a taxidermist in the country who is that efficient. -TONY

Hey Keith, My wife picked up a copy of Box's latest book at the library last week. It had just arrived. It isn't a Joe Pickett saga, but a separate tale. Here's the blurb from his web site. -TONY Blue Heaven A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder -- four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and who know exactly where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her children's fate. Retired cops from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the inexperienced sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children. William and Annie's unexpected savior comes in the form of an old-school rancher teetering on the brink of foreclosure. But as one man against four who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses, Jess Rawlins needs allies, and he knows that one word to the wrong person could seal the fate of the children or their mother. In a town where most of the ranches like his have turned into acres of ranchettes populated by strangers, finding someone to trust won't be easy. With true-to-life, unforgettable characters and a ticking clock plot that spans just over 48 hours in real time, C.J. Box has created a thriller that delves into issues close to the heart: the ruthless power of greed over broken ideals, the healing power of community where unlikely heroes find themselves at the crossroads of duty and courage, and the truth about what constitutes a family. In a setting whose awesome beauty is threatened by those who want a piece of it, BLUE HEAVEN delivers twists and turns until its last breathtaking page.

Oh, the webs we weave and the slippery slopes we build. Geez, I think hunting behind high-fences is a real kick. Beats the heck out of stomping around on public land with only minimal chances of success. In every location cited above, high-fence hunting is legal and widely practiced. In fact , in most areas of South Africa it is illegal to have game animals available to hunters that aren't within high fences. So how can it be "unethical" if it's legal, as it is here, as well? From the AZ statutes: 13-2927. Unlawful feeding of wildlife; classification A. A person commits unlawful feeding of wildlife by intentionally, knowingly or recklessly feeding, attracting or otherwise enticing wildlife into an area, except for: 1. Persons lawfully taking or holding wildlife pursuant to title 17 or pursuant to rules or orders of the Arizona game and fish commission. 2. Public employees or authorized agents acting within the scope of their authority for public safety or for wildlife management purposes. 3. Normal agricultural or livestock operational practices. 4. Tree squirrels or birds. B. This section applies in a county with a population of more than two hundred eighty thousand persons. C. Unlawful feeding of wildlife is a petty offense. Addressing another concern in regards to the wording of a ban for using bait and such, it would no doubt be similar to the one now written for bear and/or migratory birds. Pretty simple in reality. Basically, it addresses the HUNTER who knowingly and intentionally attempts to alter a critter's natural habits. That's why sitting over a stock tank a rancher built is fine, while a HUNTER carting in a kid's swimming pool and filling it with water on a regular basis before & during a hunting season would be illegal. 1. No person shall knowingly use any substance as bait at any time to attract or take bear. i.e. -- No person shall knowingly use any substance as bait at any time to attract or take deer ( and maybe elk!). As for enforcement, laws are mostly designed as deterrents. So it will take the form exactly as it is for every other G&F statute or rule -- depending on the 99% of those hunters who obey the laws that are in place and leaving the discretion to cite or not up to a WM and the final decision of guilt or innocence to the courts. The other 1% -- the "outlaws," so to speak -- can merely do as any other poacher does - take the chance of not getting caught. They can figure like some do that the majority of WMs never leave their trucks and hope any that do pass them by. Sorta like Russian roulette. It's kinda like a perp entering a house with a sign in the window that says, "This property protected by a Smith & Wesson." So he asks himself, "Do I take the chance of getting shot?" The moral: Break laws at one's own risk and peril. -TONY

Might try one of these with a riding saddle. -TONY

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ "Test For Smart People" The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whether you are qualified to be a professional. Scroll down for each answer and the next question. The questions are NOT that difficult. But don't scroll down UNTIL you have answered the question! 1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator? The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door . This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way. 2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator? Did you say, open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator? Wrong Answer. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions. 3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend.... except one. Which animal does not attend? Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities. 4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it? Stumped again? Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the animal conference. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes. According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

Take the poll on RMNP elk culling. -TONY

Probably a couple years from now after all the lawsuits over the PROPOSED delisting get sorted out. Stay tuned. -TONY

Keith, I haven't finished it yet!! I'm about 1/2-way thru it but need to get it done by Fri. when it's due back at the library. Gonna go have some wine and read a bit more now before dinner. Of course, I'll have to quit to watch Shaq's debut. So far, it's a decent read, tho. -TONY

Kev, I bet a lot of folks don't realize that Trev Gowdy, one of the hosts of Quest For the ONE on cable is Curt's son. -TONY

It saddens me to report the death of a friend here. -TONY Outdoorsman Grits Gresham Dies at 85 2/18/2008 -- NATCHITOCHES, La. -- Grits Gresham, noted outdoorsman, writer, author, and television personality, died Monday (Feb. 18), in his hometown of Natchitoches, after a lengthy illness at the age of 85. Gresham served as field host and producer for "The American Sportsman" television series on the ABC network, host of "Shooting Sports America" on ESPN, was shooting editor of Sports Afield magazine for 26 years, and was published in such wide-ranging magazines as Sports Illustrated and Gentleman's Quarterly. He authored eight books, but may be best known for his role in the series of commercials for Miller Lite beer. Gresham was the fisherman among the athletes who made "Tastes Great, Less Filling" marketing buzzwords for more than a decade. His affable personality and love for the outdoors combined with his trademarks, a driftwood hat and white muttonchops, to make him a recognizable figure around the world. Entertainers such as Bing Crosby, Burt Reynolds, Jonathan Winters and Andy Griffith joined him on hunting and fishing trips, with a wide array of sports figures such as Olympic decathalon gold medalist Bruce Jenner, Pro Football Hall of Fame defender Buck Buchanan and 1976 NFL Most Valuable Player Bert Jones. Some celebrities maintained friendships with Grits, with quite a few traveling to visit him through the years at his home on the banks of Cane River Lake in Natchitoches. Arrangements are being made through the Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, at 318-357-8271. http://www.blanchardstdenisfuneralhome.com. The service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Visitation will be from 5-9 p.m. Thursday evening. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Gresham Collection at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, 321 Bienville Street, Natchitoches, LA 71457, or in the name of Grits Gresham to the Alzheimer's Association. Grits traveled the world for his work, and he particularly enjoyed his many trips to various African countries as well as fishing and hunting in South America. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. A tireless worker for conservation, he was one of the first public voices bringing attention to the loss of wetlands along the Louisiana coastline, an area where he did much of his graduate work while at LSU. Gresham's books include "The Complete Book of Bass Fishing," "Fishes and Fishing In Louisiana," "Fishing and Boating in Louisiana," "The Sportsman and his Family Outdoors," The Complete Wildfowler," "Grits on Guns," and "Weatherby: The Man, The Gun, The Legend." One of Gresham's proudest moments as an outdoor journalist came during an interview with President Ronald Reagan. The President shared with Grits a story no one in the national media had heard, that when he was a broadcaster in Des Moines, Iowa, Reagan had used a Colt pistol to save a nurse from a mugging on the street. After the story broke, the nurse came forward and confirmed the tale, although she did not know until then that the young man who had saved her with a gun so many years before had turned out to be the famous actor and United States President. Born Claude Hamilton Gresham, Jr. on June 21, 1922, in Spartanburg County, S.C., Grits was the fourth of five children of Claude H. Gresham and Belle Hill Gresham. He attended Blue Ridge School for Boys, the University of North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Yale and received his B.S. and M.S. from Louisiana State University. He is survived by his sons, Kent and Tom Gresham, and a daughter, Barbara Gresham Hammerman, along with three sisters and three grandchildren. Gresham's many awards include the Winchester Outdoorsman of the Year, Alumnus of the Year in the LSU School of Forestry and Wildlife Management; induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and LSU Hall of Distinction; awards for excellence in writing and contributions to conservation from the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Northwestern State University. In 2006 he received the only Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which then established, with the Professional Outdoor Media Association, an ongoing "Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator" award. Last summer, his family announced the donation to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation of a wide array of items from "The Gresham Collection," including memorabilia, writings, photography, outdoor art and audio and video recordings by Grits and his late wife Mary. The Hall of Fame Foundation is currently engaged with the state of Louisiana and the Louisiana State Museum System to develop an innovative Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame museum in Natchitoches. The items donated by the Gresham family will be featured in the mutli-faceted museum, which had ground-breaking ceremonies Jan. 10. Items to be included in the collection from the entire scope of the life and work of Grits and Mary Gresham include ABC-TV's "American Sportsman" series memorabilia, "Miller Lite All Stars" memorabilia, Crosby Golf Tournament memorabilia; firearms, fishing gear, camping, birding and boating items; an array of awards, books, writings, recordings, illustrations, art and photography; and Grits' trademark, "The Hat." Also to be included are National Duck Stamp process items, memorabilia from Gresham's international travel, as well as his history and formative years, which included a collegiate baseball career before World War II and a professional baseball contract signed in 1946 with the Chicago Cubs organization.

Yup, although I grew up reading Grits and watching him and Curt Gowdy on American Sportsman, he was more than just a casual acquaintence. I had the pleasure of first meeting Grits at an Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) conference in Bismark way back in 1981 and continued to visit with him for many years at subsequent conferences and other events. As Bill mentioned, Grits was a very friendly guy and never flaunted his celebrity status among friends. His son Tom -- the host of the radio show GUN TALK -- is also a long-time friend. In the 1980s, we served on the board of OWWA together and more recently in 2004 on the 10-member steering committee that gave birth to the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and the "Grits Gresham Shooting Sports Communicator" award mentioned in the obit. A little humorous aside to this sad happening: At the SHOT show in LV a few years ago, Tom and I were just chatting a bit over a cup of coffee in the press room. With a big smile, he said something along the lines of, "Dad fell in love again and just got married." Of course, I chuckled since Grits was already in his early 1980s. -TONY

Yup. Time to outlaw them all. -TONY

One other thing I forgot to add in regards to using salt/bait and cams. I think some folks make an erroneous assumption that only bowhunters are doing it when in fact gun hunters are also doing it. Somone might liken it to a growing cancer, but I won't. -TONY

We've discussed the reporting methods and whether it should be mandatory here several times. So rehashing it all isn't something I have time to do right now. In fact, I was even reluctant to get into this thread because of that. That' said, I AGREE everyone should have to report, but it probably won't be any more accurate than the old method because lots of people will fib. In fact, the only SURE way to get accurate harvest stats is the way it has been done in many states -- a mandatory PHYSICAL checkout of a kill that gets a seal similar to one used on bighorn sheep. But then the same chronic complainers would bitch about it because of more regulations and inconvenience. The unfortunate fact is regulations become necessary for two reasons: 1. To protect the resource 2. to eliminate practices that provide unfair or seemingly unethical advantages in regards to #1. Sometimes those practices start on a very small scale and then grow into much larger and more detrimental numbers. The regulation about flying just prior to or during a season came under #2 and mostly as a result of the growing use of chute planes. The dove regulation resulted because too many "hunters" took advantage and literally became poachers by repeatedly breaking the law about daily limits on doves. The use of bait -- whether salt or food stuffs -- along with trail cams is one of the growing ones. All one needs to do is consistently look at this site to see that. Me thinks part of the problem is an inability to police our own ranks when it comes to questionable issues, and the mentality that every hunter should march along in lockstep is the wrong road to take. I will NEVER support something that *I* believe is wrong regardless if it is legal or not. To do otherwise would be a compromise and betrayal of my own ethics. Do I favor every regulation or rule that is made? Nope, far from it. But I also don't see some grand conspiracy behind them being made. And it gets real tiresome reading all the "game department is out to get us" like comments. That's likely because I'm a bit jaded since I talk to the folks at AZ G&F several times a week, and some of the conversations are off-the-record, so to speak. The long and short of it is I put more stock in what the professionals think and do than I put on the opinions of the common folk, and the latter includes me, despite my education in things wildlife related. Why? Because I'm not on the ground so to speak in the everyday management of the state' wildlife. More folks need to realize that the department's focus is two-fold -- managing wildlife (that's ALL OF THE WILDLIFE, not only those animals with targets on them ) and managing people. Both are intertwined, and when it comes to managing people...well you probably know the adage about opinions. -TONY

Then do what I do; apply for those hunts that appeal to you and don't apply for the ones that don't. Leave those other hunts where they hide all the mature critters for those who care only about getting a permit and being able to hunt at all. -TONY

Okay, I tried to answer the question since it sounded as if you didn't "understand the numbers." That said, perhaps you can clarify the relationship between that question and the "...a few people sitting over a block of salt in which a buck might wander by every other day" because I can't see a relationship between the two dissimilar topics. The point?? I agree that the harvest stats MIGHT not be totally accurate, but that goes across the board -- not for just one type of hunt and not another. In fact, I've have many discussions with G&F folks about it over the years and even denigrated how it's done in the Coues deer book. But I'm guessing those stats are a bit more accurate than pure speculation by anyone. -TONY

That would be a good question to ask the folks who draw those permits. For a small charge, G&F will supply the list. As for the 2nd question, an ethical hunter obeys the law and only does what's legal, no?? Afterall, I keep reading all this "if it's legal it's ethical." So the converse must be true as well. Otherwise, he's a poacher. -TONY

Depends on who you ask. No doubt many guys would say there is no difference and both are wrong. -TONY

The kind of numbers in the field now are little different than they were two+ decades ago. In fact, there were three times the number of deer permits available. And that would have continued to be the case IF the state's deer herds had maintained the aberrant numbers that were due to several HIGHLY unusual years of rainfall. No one complained about the number of hunters in the field back then. In fact, most hunters were thankful to be able to hunt. AND..that is likely the case with MOST hunters in this state today, contrary to the minority who constantly complain. -TONY

I don't think there are any laws preventing individuals from planting food plots, but on the whole, they probably wouldn' fare any better than the deer's natural food sources. Both take moisture to maintain, and when that is present, there's no need for supplemental feeding; deer will get all the nutrition they need from the natural foods. As for G&F doing it, it won't ever happen and shouldn't unless there is some very unnatural occurence that might cause mass starvation. -TONY

It's not really rocket science. If you take away permits for a hunt that has 40% success on average such as Dec. WT one and move them to a hunt with only 15-17% success such as an early Oct. hunt, you can increase permits even more for the Oct hunt and still keep the total harvest for the two hunts together about the same because those permits that were moved will have less than half the success rate during the early season. So...more opportuntities for more INDIVIDUAL hunters with no detrimental effect on the deer population. For discussion sake, some hypothetical figures. Before the change: Dec. hunt -- 500 permits, 40% success -- 200 dead deer Oct. hunt -- 500 permits, 15% success -- 75 dead deer Total harvest: 275 deer After removing 450 permits from one to the other: Dec. hunt -- 50 permits , 40% success -- 20 dead deer Oct. hunt -- 950 permits, 15% -- 142 dead deer Total harvest -- 162 Adding more opportunity for the early hunt to keep total harvest the same: Dec. hunt -- 50 permits, 40% success -- 20 deer Oct. hunt -- 1700 permits, 15% success -- 255 deer Total harvest -- 275 deer Any questions??? -TONY

On the grand scheme of things, do you seriously think a few piles of corn has any nutritional effect on a wild, free-roaming deer herd? In fact, while deer actively eat such, whole corn kernels have very little nutritional value due to the low level of protein and lack of fiber for a deer's rumen to work on. If someone really wanted to provide supplemental feeding, they would use such things as oats, alfalfa, soy beans, etc. -- items much higher in protein. But hey, if spreading a lot of corn with thoughts of somehow helping deer SURVIVE, go for it. Of course, then sitting over those piles so you can then KILL them would be kinda counter-productive, no? -TONY

Right. Salt definitely provides some much needed nourishment. -TONY

Don't be too concerned folks. I have it from a good source that someone is now working on a camo pattern that resembles a corn feeder, and it actually makes that magical "whirring" sound the deer associate with a free meal. So once a guy gets settled in his stand or blind, all he needs to do is flip the little switch and the deer come a runnin' to get killed. -TONY

Well if I draw it as my 2nd choice, I'll be looking for you to provide a honeyhole. -TONY