Outdoor Writer

And me thinks you're funning us, Keith. #6 -- "There is a passion for hunting something deeply implanted in the human breast." CHARLES DICKENS, Oliver Twist And yes, the other two are both Amreicans. -TONY

Hmmm, well yeah, you got #3 correct. Did you just pull that name out of a hat? -TONY

Elkman, Yup, they not only take up room, but they also take up a lot of dollars out of one's bank account. I saved a couple hundred on mine by building my own base, and it still was $2,500. Marc's doing a life-size wallaby for me now that will over $1,000! -TONY

Be careful what you wish for, Gino. The harvest objective could be worse than basing units on the 20% success rate. Just because more hunters are in the field doesn't necessarily mean the success rate will rise. It just means they might kill more deer, thus reaching the harvest goal quicker than they would reach a 20% rate. Hypothetical example: The stats for last year show something like 100 bowhunters in a unit killed 10 deer for a 10% sucess rate. So now put 500 OTC bowhunters in that unit with a harvest objective set at 40 deer, which G&F determines is the amount archers should kill. If they still maintain a success rate of 10%, which is more likely than having it increase, they will kill 50 deer. BUT...they would have to quit hunting when the harvest objective of 40 deer was hit. Thus, the success rate has just dropped to about 8%. Whoops. -TONY

Me thinks reading the article itself will dispel that notion, as in: The whitetail’s habitat varies from low desert elevations of 3000 feet to high, pine-covered slopes of 11,000-ft. Mt. Graham in the Pinalenos Mountains and atop the Mogollon Rim in central Arizona. In many units, they share space with mule deer. Most of the whitetail harvest comes from oak and juniper covered hills and canyons at the 4,500- to 7,000-foot range, however. -TONY

Happy Birthday!!!!

Neat mount, Bob. -TONY

This is the original trophy room where that photo was taken. I had to add the other one when I ran out of space. -TONY

Jack London Ralph Waldo Emmerson #3 Samuel Clemons I can't think of who the first one might be, the gunsmith part is throwing me off, maybe John Browning Keith, Not sure which name you meant to link to which quote, but none of your guesses match any of the ones still unanswered. -TONY

I haven't applied for any spring tags in years. I've killed all the bears and javelina I would need for two lifetimes. But even though I've already shot a Gould's in Mexico, I just might apply for one of those tags to compete with you guys. -TONY

If you meant mine, it's a BC bear. The rug on the wall is an AZ bear, tho. I guess you'll have to provide a definition for "fruit" so I know what you mean? He refers to my new trophy room as the Plunkett Museum because he mounted every one of the critters in it. -TONY

That's a dandy. They don't give those away for peanuts. -TONY

Actually, it's a big NO on both counts. -TONY Tony, How do you know I didn't say # 1 Perhaps you did, but you're not "noted." Obviously, you're not dead either. -TONY

Yup, #4 was indeed Slammin' Sammy Snead. Guess you work for Ping, huh? And....so far the other correct asnwer, which Amanda posted first, is Edward Abbey for #2. The quote was from his A Voice Crying in the Wilderness. Four more to go folks!! A couple of clues: 1. Noted gunsmith/writer and world-wide big-game hunter now dead 3. Author and naturalist 5. Writer of noted classics. His life spanned the 19th & 20th century 6. Wrote several well-known fictional novels, including one popular with kids. His life also spanned the 19th & 20th century -TONY

Bingo! Exactly why I proposed such a reason. -TONY

Here's one Marc Plunkett at Wildlife Creations did for me. I built the roll-around wooden base, he did the rest. -TONY

But geez, you would think they would try to AVOID being caught and deported rather than blatantly hitch along the main road in the area where the BP presence is so evident. Obviously, it took a bit of effort to get where he was already, so why paint a "here I am" on his back if he would have to go through it all again? Makes no sense. -TONY

Here's a somewhat amusing story about 36B -- my fav unit for Coues, although I haven't hunted it for about 5 years. The last time my son and I drew permits for the Dec. hunt, we set up camp on the little road that heads north just after passing the Sycamore Canyon trail head area. Nearly every day, a couple of BP agents in an unmarked dunebuggy passed beside our camp, which was only yards from a gate. So they had to stop and open it each time. If I happened to be around, I would exchange pleasantries with them. Of course, during the days we traveled about the unit, we also saw numerous BP vehicles on the Ruby Road. So fast forward to our last day. We pack up camp and load it all into the truck and trailer I was hauling and begin the journey on the Ruby Road out to I-19. We went only a few miles when we came upon a guy hitch-hiking along this MAIN road. It was mid-morning! Yup, an illegal -- complete with the requisite liter pop bottles filled with water and a blankie dangling from heavy twine over his shoulders. My son and I cracked up because we both thought the same thing -- how the heck did this guy know we weren't BP agents. We figured it took either a lot of nerve or complete stupidity to actually stick out his thumb. -TONY

Actually, it's a big NO on both counts. -TONY

That same snippet appeared in Jim Sheperd's Outdoor Wire today. It has a VERY large e-mail distribution, especially among media members. -TONY

Okay, update.... So far, only ONE guess has been right. -TONY

I'm not going to confirm or deny any guesses before folks get their shots at them. -TONY

Here's another: "No, I'm not a good shot, but I shoot often." And NO cheating!

Arizona Game and Fish Department offers new "introductory" hunter education course Can be taken in classroom or online with field day Prospective hunters now have another option for taking hunter education training in Arizona. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has rolled out its new “introductory” hunter education course. The new program can be taken either in a classroom setting or by independent study online over the Internet. Both the classroom and online formats require students to demonstrate proficiency and pass an exam during a field day with certified instructors to complete the course. "The new course was developed as a convenient alternative for beginning hunters who either don’t have the time to take the traditional 20-hour basic class, or who can’t find a class or an opening in their area,” says Michael Golightly, chairman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. “The curriculum includes the most important elements of the basic class that beginning hunters need to know. Content was developed over the past year through collaboration between Game and Fish education staff, wildlife managers and biologists, and volunteer hunter education instructors throughout the state. The course meets International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) national standards but is also tailored to Arizona’s specific needs. This new offering now gives people three primary alternatives for hunter education training in Arizona: The new “introductory” course, which can be taken through 7-10 hours of classroom study or through self-paced, independent study online. Both options also require a 4- to 5-hour field day. The traditional “basic” course, which encompasses about 20 hours, including a 4-hour field day. The expanded “basic plus bowhunting” course, a 28-hour course that includes the basic class and the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF)/International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) bowhunter education class, and a 5- to 6-hour field day. Non-residents who have completed hunter education training in another state have an additional option: a "supplemental" course that educates them on Arizona hunting issues. One of the cornerstones of all the courses is the development of a new, state-of-the-art hunter education manual. It covers firearms safety, ethics, hunting skills, hunting laws, survival skills and wildlife conservation, among other topics. “The manual includes updated information on new technology and biology, as well as educational information on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” says Ed Huntsman, acting education branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Arizona’s current hunter education program graduates about 4,000 students annually. Courses are taught by about 460 volunteer instructors who are certified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It is anticipated that more students, particularly young people, will take hunter education now that the new course is offered. Huntsman says the new course isn’t meant to replace the existing basic course. “It’s offered as a convenient alternative for people who might otherwise be deterred from taking a hunter education class due to time constraints,” he says. “But we encourage people to get as much education as they can, and the classroom format offers a chance to ask questions of the instructor and interact with peers." Huntsman encourages people to take advantage of other educational opportunities offered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and sportsmen’s groups. “Programs such as small game camps, clinics and watchable wildlife programs are available to give people the chance to learn more about hunting and wildlife and get reconnected with the outdoors. Keep checking the department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov for information on these activities,” he says. The cost to take the new introductory hunter education course is nominal, typically under $10 for the classroom option or $15 for the online course. To learn more about the course and to see when classes are offered, visit www.azgfd.gov/education and click on the “hunter education” link.

Welcome Seth! -TONY