Outdoor Writer

Lest anyone forget, BTT!

🤣 Nice write up, Andrew. Stars were definitely aligned for you.

Certainly. But when they have to pay the $8,000, it means that head/antlers are usually confiscated. IOW, no reward but bragging rights, just like the current example of leaving it in the field.

Forgot this in my other reply: AGFD has no control over the actual fines, i.e. CRIMINAL punishment meted out by a judge in a courtroom. Those are defined by the state statutes for the various degrees of felonies or misdemeanors. All AGFD can control are the civil penalties (restitution) and license issues in a commission meeting..

A bargain for what? To brag about something you don't have?

Wish I had enough income to say $8,000 plus a fine and other court costs are "puny." 😉 And of course, there's the license suspension. Even though it's meaningless to a poacher, it revokes his right to hunt in a LOT of states, as well..

In reading the history article (linked above), I saw no mention of Kentucky or Arizona. It appears all the relocated critters came from YNP over several decades. There was one mention of 22 bought from a PA preserve many years ago.

An excellent read about the herd over the past 100+ years. The History of Pennsylvania's Elk

No, don't believe there are any fences. See below. Pennsylvania Elk Herd – Habitat & History Elk once freely roamed all over Pennsylvania but the rapid settlement and exploitation by early immigrants threatened the herds. By 1867 there were no more elk in Pennsylvania. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss were the biggest factors of their demise. In 1913 the Pennsylvania Game Commission began reintroducing elk in Pennsylvania. The elk herd we know today originated from 177 elk that were trapped and transferred to northern areas of Pennsylvania. The reintroduction of elk took place from 1913 through 1926. The releases in north-central Pennsylvania were successful and the herd now numbers more than 800. Visitors can easily see the majestic elk in areas of Elk and Cameron counties. Considered to be the heart of Pennsylvania elk country, the town of Benezette is located along State Route 555 in Elk County. To reach the public viewing area, start at the Benezette Hotel and travel north along Winslow Hill road 3.5 miles. Follow the signs to the viewing area. Elk can also be seen along the roadways in the free-roaming herd range located in Elk and Cameron counties. The Moore Hill area in Cameron County is a favored viewing spot of local elk enthusiasts.

Maybe this will help those who need it. Here are several LEGAL definitions from various law sites. ********** What is OCCUPY? To hold In possession; to hold or keep for use. ********** What is the legal definition of an occupied structure seen through the eyes of a law enforcement officer? 2. "Occupied structure" means any structure as defined in paragraph 4 in which one or more human beings either is or is likely to be present or so near as to be in equivalent danger at the time the fire or explosion occurs. The term includes any dwelling house, whether occupied, unoccupied or vacant. 4. "Structure" means any building, object, vehicle, watercraft, aircraft or place with sides and a floor, used for lodging, business, transportation, recreation or storage. ********** Legal Definition of occupy. 1 : the fact or condition of holding, possessing, or residing in or on something (occupied premises). 2 : the act or fact of taking or having possession (as of abandoned property) to acquire ownership.

Any electricians near Glendale?

Think I have the problem solved.

Well done, Andrew! That's a good Shiras. And now the work begins. 😲

Beautiful bear for a beautiful young lady. Well done. 👍

Nice. Good job. 👍

"Occupied" doesn't mean a HUMAN -- or anything else such as a horse or a cow in a barn -- has to be in it at the time. Instead, it means the "whatever" is being used. Example: Only 10 stores in the mall are occupied right now. The others do not have tenants yet. Those ten stores are still occupied even when they're closed at night.

Here are the exact rules that apply to archery and firearms: 17-304 h. Discharge any of the following devices while taking wildlife within one-fourth mile (440 yards) of an occupied farmhouse or other residence, cabin, lodge or building without permission of the owner or resident: i. Arrow or bolt, ii. Hybrid device, or iii. Pneumatic weapon .35 caliber or larger. 17-309 4. Discharge a firearm while taking wildlife within one-fourth mile of an occupied farmhouse or other residence, cabin, lodge or building without permission of the owner or resident.

The following is from Arizona Title 17: This from the "definitions" section: 4. "Trophy" means: (a) A mule deer buck with at least four points on one antler, not including the eye-guard point. (b) A whitetail deer buck with at least three points on one antler, not including the eye-guard point. (c) A bull elk with at least six points on one antler, including the eye-guard point and the brow tine point. (d) A pronghorn (antelope) buck with at least one horn exceeding or equal to fourteen inches in total length. (e) Any bighorn sheep. (f) Any bison (buffalo). This from the Civil Liability section: A. The commission or any officer charged with enforcement of the laws relating to game and fish, if so directed by the commission, may bring a civil action in the name of the state against any person unlawfully taking, wounding or killing, or unlawfully in possession of, any of the following wildlife, or part thereof, and seek to recover the following minimum sums as damage: 1. For each turkey or javelina $500.00 2. For each bear, mountain lion, antelope or deer, other than trophy $1,500.00 3. For each elk or eagle, other than trophy or endangered species $2,500.00 4. For each predatory, fur-bearing or nongame animal $ 250.00 5. For each small game or aquatic wildlife animal $ 50.00 6. For each trophy or endangered species animal $8,000.00

From the regs.…. Shoot Too Close To An Occupied Building or Residence (A.R.S. 17-309 A 4) Without the resident’s permission, you may not discharge a firearm within 1/4 mile of any occupied residence while taking wildlife. All structures including barns, sheds and cabins should be assumed occupied. This is one of the most common violations during dove and quail seasons.

It's usually the more egregious incidents that get jail time involved. It's especially so if the USFWS gets involved.

The text below is an excerpt from the Foreword of our book. It happened sometime in the early 1990s on the road to the observatory in 34A. We had vehicles passing alongside of us while we were glassing. "... I don’t recall the exact year, but my oldest son and I drew Coues deer permits in a unit we had never hunted, and we hated going to a new area cold, so to speak. I called Duwane for some suggestions with the idea to head down to the area and scout on my own. Instead, he offered to meet me the weekend before the season opened. My momma didn't raise a dummy. Knowing Duwane’s reputation for finding big deer, I quickly accepted. Long before I talked to him, however, I had heard about his skill with a pair of binoculars. I wasn't too surprised when he asked me during our conversation if I had a pair of decent ones. He laughed when I told him I had 7x50 Nikons. "No, no. I mean REAL binoculars. Something with lots of magnification." I had recently acquired some inexpensive 8x to 24x zooms and mentioned them. Duwane said they would be perfect for our scouting trip and also recommended a tripod. I met him at a rest area, and we drove to a spot he had picked out. We parked the truck on a dirt road before daylight, and waited for sunrise. We hadn’t left the road but instead set our tripod-mounted binoculars high enough to peek over the metal guard rail bordering the edge of a steep canyon. During the first hour we spotted seven deer, and one was a real bruiser buck. By the time we had left, we saw 17 other deer in that canyon. I was shaking my head. Just that single experience convinced me that Duwane Adams knew his stuff."

Over the years, I have reported on quite a few in various states. They have not only been arrested but actually served jail time or had suspended jail sentences with certain conditions.

FISHING REPORT Oct. 4, 2019 Arizona Game and Fish Department TIP OF THE WEEK A few top picks for the weekend: Kaibab Lake near Williams received a bonus stocking of 14-inch rainbow trout; Kinnikinick Lake, southeast of Flagstaff, has been stocked with brown trout and some anglers are catching them on lures; and Community Fishing Program waters have been loaded with catfish. Don't forget Woods Canyon and Willow Springs lakes for some potential tiger trout action. The tiger below was caught recently at Willow Springs. Finally, Tonto Creek on the Mogollon Rim, flowing at a cool 52-57 degrees, has just been stocked with "supercatchable" rainbow trout. This should be the final Rim stream trout stocking of the fall/winter season. Although some steady weather gracing the desert regions could make for some break-out bass fishing this weekend, it's also a great time to bring friends, family and fishing rods to the high country. Our Fall Fishing Forecast is still the most comprehensive source of fishing report information for major water bodies statewide. In the desert regions, fish are again feeding heavily in preparation to the colder months ahead. Both bass and crappie fishing may be the best that it has been all year. As is the case in October, cooler surface temperatures have been bringing bass in shallow. At Lake Pleasant, Scooter Griffith from The Arizona Fishing Guides reported that striper fishing has been getting better with cooler nighttime temperatures and longer nights. He said anglers can catch striper chasing bait in the morning, so make sure you have a top-water lure tied on at all times. Look for largemouth bass just underneath the stripers or on the bank chasing crawdads. We even received a recent report from tournament anglers that fishing at Apache Lake has improved. Fall "flats" frenzy A monster flathead catfish was already caught from Bartlett Lake in August Flathead catfish also feed heavily during October and November. Lake Pleasant, Bartlett Lake, Roosevelt Lake and the Imperial Division of the Colorado River are excellent choices. During our recent survey at Lake Pleasant, our biologists caught flatheads up to around 45 pounds hanging in somewhat shallow water. Many seemed to be milling around near mouths of coves by points. Be sure to check pgs. 10-11 of the Fishing Regulations for legal species, areas and regulations of live baitfish. Catch of the Week Send your fishing reports and photos to BFishing@azgfd.gov -- one will be selected for Catch of the Week Little Colorado River-Greer Mark R.: Beautiful brown, 22.5 inches, 4 pounds, caught Oct. 1 at the Little Colorado River a few miles upstream of Greer. What's been stocked this week ("Catchable" sizes only; water temp in parenthesis if available) Rainbow trout: Silver Creek (60), Elk Tank (63), Middle Tank (65), Frances Short Pond (63), Tonto Creek (52-57). Channel catfish: "Core" Community waters. See the stocking schedules Thank you, anglers! Arizona fishing opportunities wouldn’t be possible without the Sport Fish Restoration Program. It was created through the Dingell-Johnson Act of 1950 (Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act) and the Wallop-Breaux amendments of 1984. Through a federal excise tax paid by manufacturers on fishing gear and motorboat fuels, it provides grant funds for fishery conservation, boating access, and aquatic education. Save time, buy online Grab a license online (that helps conserve all species of wildlife, not to mention provides funding that goes back into fishing opportunities) and go "Fish AZ". SEE MORE REPORTS

Kudos to Lance. Two fine bulls. 👍