Outdoor Writer

Nah. No need. I already spoke to him this morning. He'll be up in Unit 1 guiding elk hunters during the rifle hunt and then he also has a couple bowhunters. -TONY

So far, YOU are the only RSVP. So we can enjoy some shrimp, wings and other goodies while downing a few brews together. -TONY

Aaa, OK. I thought that was the case, but your comment almost made it sound as if it still existed. So it got me to wondering. Thanks. -TONY

Is that lodge still operating?? -TONY

And don't let him mess with your putter either! -TONY

Doug, One thing I forgot to mention: I'll try to get Corky Richardson and Duwane to attend if they aren't guiding hunters on the early bull hunt that weekend. I had mentioned it to Corky a week or two go before we had finalized the date. Duwane has been guiding bowhunters all week, so I haven't talked to him yet. -TONY

Jim, Have a good hunt and be sure to get lots of good photos if you kill any decent bulls. I'll have several article openings for 2008 for Coues, mulies and elk. -TONY

Do you work at night?? If the positive replies don't pick up within the next few days, I might cancel it due to the lack of interest and reschedule it sometime next year. -TONY

Nice buck! -TONY

Yup, got it and just replied. You probably didn't check the box to save a copy. Anyway, thanks for the great offer. For everyone, Dave will be contributing a first-edition copy of the 1980 Bowhunting In Arizona book -- a worthwhile collector's item -- to the auction. He has already bid $100 for it, so any bids will have to top his generous one. Amanda, you might get enough for a trip to Cancun. -TONY

Marshall, I don't get over that way to often, but I'll be at Bass Pro in Mesa this Thurs. (13th) for a meeting. Will be in the Islamorada Seafood restaurant from about 11:30 to 2 or so. -TONY

I see nothing wrong with it. It's no different than hunting any other NATURAL habitats where deer frequent but often do so on a RANDOM basis, just as bears do when the prickly pear crop is ripe. The key is patterning and locating the game in that NATURAL habitat and not attracting the game to UNNATURAL tasty morsels. Comes down to skill, patience and perhaps some luck to be in the right place at the right time. Some folks call it hunting. Lastly, it sounds as if you're using your camera in a quite ethical manner. -TONY

Dandy buck. It might not be the biggest on the block but it's certainly unusual. -TONY

Super buck. Nice work. -TONY

Let me see if I can help clear it up -- at least as far as what **I** mean. First, there is nothing inherently wrong with using a camera to take photos. I do it all the time, in fact. And there is nothing inherently wrong with placing a salt lick, a corn feeder or whatever else might attract game to that camera for the purpose of taking photos. I doubt anyone using cams just randomly hangs them on tree in the woods. The problem comes when hunting enters the photo-taking picture. Sometimes my wife tells me I'm dumber than a posthole, but I'm not naive. Even I know that hunters who are baiting a particular spot and attracting game to that particular spot are somewhat likely to hunt that particular spot. And the chances they will remove all traces of the bait before they do that are about nil -- as in nada, zilch, zero. Why should they if it's legal, i.e. "ethical?" Now, if some hunters who use cams at bait sites do NOT follow the scenario above, kudos to them. I suspect there are at least one or two of them. -TONY

Lots of these examples around. Mention taking an 850-yd. shot with a 22-250 or 100-yd. shot with a bow, and many of the same folks who claim "if it's legal, it's ethical" will say those shots are unethical. -TONY

No, don't think so. That has already been addressed, thus someone had already decided that taking game from a vehicle is indeed unethical. Thus, it is already illegal. It doesn't matter whether it is a bow or a gun. It's apparent quite a few here are not up to snuff on the current regulations. See below. -TONY A.R.S. 17-301 Times when wildlife may be taken; exceptions; methods of taking A. A person may take wildlife, except aquatic wildlife, only during daylight hours unless otherwise prescribed by the commission. A person shall not take any species of wildlife by the aid or with the use of a jacklight, other artificial light, or illegal device, except as provided by the commission. B. A person shall not take wildlife, except aquatic wildlife, or discharge a firearm or shoot any other device from a motor vehicle, including an automobile, aircraft, train or powerboat, or from a sailboat, boat under sail, or a floating object towed by powerboat or sailboat except as expressly permitted by the commission. No person may knowingly discharge any firearm or shoot any other device upon, from, across or into a road or railway. What's this Tony??? I am very aware of what the rules and regulations are. Its very apparent that you didn't understand the sarcasim in that statement. I am getting tired of hearing the stories of irresponsible bow hunters and gun hunters. Lets just keep on digging are own graves and we won't have to worry about the anti's! Troy Yeah, I noted the sarcasm in YOUR message and only used it as springboard of sorts. But I wonder just how many guys that witness this stuff in the field are getting plate #s and reporting the yahoos. I bet most of those slinging arrows from the back of a truck don't have a clue that it's illegal to do so? Bet most of them think using a FIREARM in that way is the only thing illegal. -TONY

No, don't think so. That has already been addressed, thus someone had already decided that taking game from a vehicle is indeed unethical. Thus, it is already illegal. It doesn't matter whether it is a bow or a gun. It's apparent quite a few here are not up to snuff on the current regulations. See below. -TONY A.R.S. 17-301 Times when wildlife may be taken; exceptions; methods of taking A. A person may take wildlife, except aquatic wildlife, only during daylight hours unless otherwise prescribed by the commission. A person shall not take any species of wildlife by the aid or with the use of a jacklight, other artificial light, or illegal device, except as provided by the commission. B. A person shall not take wildlife, except aquatic wildlife, or discharge a firearm or shoot any other device from a motor vehicle, including an automobile, aircraft, train or powerboat, or from a sailboat, boat under sail, or a floating object towed by powerboat or sailboat except as expressly permitted by the commission. No person may knowingly discharge any firearm or shoot any other device upon, from, across or into a road or railway.

And no measuring tape necessary to confirm their existence! -TONY

It stops when the MAJORITY tips the balance beam and decides any particular practice or equipment has become a detriment. When that happens legal=ethical changes to unethical=illegal -- a process that has been ongoing ever since the first hunting regulations began taking shape early in the last century. Sometimes that process is self-regulatory -- i.e. those involved voluntarily decide to police themselves. At other times, the process takes place when the general populace decides to put a stop to a legal but questionable practice or equipment item. No doubt members here can readily make an extensive list of such changes that have occurred under both methods. And they can likely make a list of others where the balance beam has begun to lean from ethical to unethical. -TONY

That over-simplification of "genetic diversity" has NO basis in reality because it makes too many assumptions that do NOT occur in a WILD population of whitetail deer. What the deer farmers in Texas do is equivalent to producing test tube babies or sheep clones under controlled laboratory conditions. Re: hunt structure Nope, a guy gets a permit and one chance to fill his tag. No second chances. No do-overs. You make your choice and sleep with it -- successful or unsuccessful. Re: point restrictions See Largo's last reply in the Random Units Closing in AZ? thread on MM. He sure saved me a lot of typing. -TONY

Too much common sense applied. -TONY

Not quite. Ethics also exist as a code of conduct for specific professions, sports, etc. etc. For example, most hunters seem to agree that killing an animal as quickly and humanely as possible is the ethical thing to do, and they would severely chastise one of their peers who INTENTIONALLY goes against that ethical standard, even though it isn't illegal, per se. Also, there is quite a difference between doing or not doing something on an ethical basis compared to making a personal choice because of likes, limitations of ability, etc. For example, one guy doesn't have the ability to confidently shoot beyond 200 yards, so he limits himself to that ability. It has nothing to do with "personal" ethics. I don't "like" hunting from a treestand for hours on end. That choice has nothing to do with "personal" ethics. In contrast, MANY states have already determined an ethical conduct when it comes to baiting animals, just as the USFWS has done such in regards to migratory birds. Thus, baiting deer, bears, etc. is already illegal in those states, and the baiting of birds is already illegal in the entire country. And just like baiting bears is now illegal here in AZ, the ban on the baiting of deer will be coming to theater near you shortly. When that happens, from all appearances of many of the pix posted here, trail cams will be somewhat useless. -TONY

Jim, I think that's the first buck of any species I've seen where the eye guards are higher than any part of the antlers. -TONY

Biology 101: Genes are genes. They aren't like steak and get better with age. Put a few drops of sperm from a 1-yr. old buck in a test tube and a few from the buck when he's 4, freeze them and you won't see a difference in the offspring's genes if you impregnate the same doe over two years with sperm from each tube. My opinion on the archery deal and deer permits in general is quite simple: Each person should get ONE permit annually for ONE season with ONE weapon in ONE unit and be allowed ONE deer -- the same as it is for elk. See, told you it was simple. -TONY