Outdoor Writer

Welcome to AZ hunting. Good tale, but don't be surprised if someone asks, "What did he score?" 🤣

Will anxiously await the phots and tale of the hunt. Good luck.

One of these days, I'll tell you a funny story about my first AZ hunting buddy -- my grandfather.

Hirsch, Whitaker and Gallizioli were long-time friends of mine. I knew both Vallentine and Avery on a first name basis but didn't mix with them often. I borrowed Hirsch's trailer for an elk hunt in unit 7 during the 1990s. The bathroom and kitchen areas were in pretty bad shape. So when I got home I asked him if he would be using it anytime soon, which he wasn't. So I kept it at my place and completely renovated the damaged stuff, including rebuilding the entire cabinet area that housed the stove and sink and replacing the wood flooring and vinyl in the bathroom. Gallizioli, Jim Tallon and I hunted dove and quail together many times over the years. Steve was still working for the department back then. I lost touch with him about 10 years ago and saw where he died a while back. Tallon, who was my mentor in the writing business, and Whitaker are also dead.

The story I did on it is in the book itself, and I also had it published in Rocky Mt. Game & Fish magazine. I can't recall without looking at my files, but it might also have been in AZ Hunter & Angler.

I'm plenty old enough to remember when hunting and fishing had its own full "outdoors" page in the Phoenix Gazette (now defunct) and AZ Republic. Slowly over the years it shrunk and eventually was shut down. I believe the last outdoor editor at the Republic was DeWayne Smith. Edited: After some thought, I seem to recall Barry Burkhart, not DeWayne was actually the last outdoor editor.

Nice buck, but he won't be breaking any records with it. Both typical and nontypical P&Y Coues deer scored over 130. Sergio Orozco's typical scored 130 1/8 and graces the cover of HOW TO HUNT COUES DEER.

top

top

top

I've done both with my ammo and never had a problem. Just be sure it's in original boxes or the plastic ones. Easier if you put it in the gun case, however, to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. That way you don't also have to open your bag for inspection if the agent is picky. As for the case, I have a Kalispel two-gun aluminum that I'll be listing for sale. It's built like a tank of heavy-duty .80 ga. aluminum with all welded corners and a locking rod. If you're interested, send me PM. It's like the one on the right in the link below: https://www.kalispeltribe.com/programs-and-services/kalispel-career-training-center/kalispel-case-line-1

There are different rules in place for sporting equipment such as gun cases, and most airlines are the same. For example, this is Delta's: https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/baggage/before-your-trip/special-items.html

Sounds like your expertise with a shotgun is akin to mine. Although I could hit clays 22-23 times out of 25, I stunk up the place when shooting at feathered critters. There were many times when I was out quail hunting where it looked like my shorthair turned to me after a miss, and I could swear if she could talk, she would have sarcastically said "Hey deadeye. How's about letting me shoot and you find the dang birds?"

In the early 1970s I managed sporting good departments -- first for the JC Penny's at Tower Plaza and later for the new Woolco at Cave Creek and T-Bird. In both places, we sold the dove and quail loads for $1.99.

Assumption maybe? He might not even be hunting in AZ. for Coues. 😉

Rise and shine: Dove season opens Sunday morning GAME AND FISH NEWS Aug. 30, 2019 Rise and shine: Dove season opens Sunday morning PHOENIX — It’s not easy to roll out of bed at 0-dark-thirty, unless it’s for something really important — like the opening of the dove season. So before backing out of the driveway Sunday morning and heading to that secret spot that attracts birds like a magnet, hunters might want to rub the sand out of their eyes and go over that pre-hunt checklist one last time: Eye and ear protection. Don’t leave home without it. Period. Plenty of drinking water (especially if hunting with dogs), hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and food-storage bags and ice chest to store harvested birds. While it’s not legally required, wearing a little orange makes it easier to be seen by other hunters in the predawn hours. A valid Arizona hunting license and migratory bird stamp. All hunters 18 and older must be in possession of both while in the field. There’s still time to go online and purchase a combo hunt and fish license that will be valid for the next 365 days — and for only $20 more (for state residents) than the price of an individual hunting or fishing license. Visit https://www.azgfd.gov/license/. Youth hunters (10 to 17) only need a youth combo hunt and fish license for $5. Those under 10 don’t need a hunting license when accompanied by a licensed adult (two children per adult). The daily bag limit is 15 total doves (mourning and white-winged), of which no more than 10 can be white-winged. The possession limit is 45 total doves after opening day, of which no more than 30 can be white-winged. There are no daily bag or possession limits on invasive Eurasian collared-doves. Note: A fully feathered wing must be left attached to each dove for identification purposes until a hunter reaches his or her permanent residence or where the game meat will be consumed. The Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds dove hunters to review the "2019-2020 Arizona Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon Regulations," which are posted online at www.azgfd.gov/dove. Also, watch a video that demonstrates two techniques for field-dressing doves at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DDRZGPzJDI. The department also has rolled out a new webpage for those who might be new to dove hunting. Visit www.azgfd.com/hunting/species/smallgame/dovebeginners/. Dove hunters play an important role in conservation. Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) funds are comprised of excise taxes collected on the sale of hunting and fishing equipment (including 11 percent on ammunition), the benefit of which comes right back to Arizona for habitat improvements, construction and maintenance of shooting ranges, boating access facilities and more.

And another.. just out of the nest...

Here's some help for those who get excited over the feathered rats....😉

I've never been a "how much does it score" type. Thus, I would shoot it without hesitation just for its uniqueness. I killed the 3x3 buck below in Colorado because of its symmetry and the unusual little devil points in front of the main beams.

Geez, I need to touch bases with Robbie. He built my 300 WM for me and also spiffed up my M70 .264 a few years back. I really regret that I'll likely sell both of them not to far in the future.

This is direct from Title 17: (d) Accepts compensation in any form commensurate with the market value in this state for guiding services in exchange for aiding, assisting, directing, leading or instructing a person in the field to locate and take wildlife.

Two things... Many years ago, there was a rule where we could apply for certain tags only every three years. That meant hundreds of hunters had to sit out. By using computer models, they determined doing that had a miniscule effect on the odds of being drawn. Now I'm only guessing on this part, but I'd bet fewer than 50-75 people for ALL species will take part in letting someone piggyback on their points to get drawn. As to "no points are used," that's not quite true. Although the one with the most points will turn his permit in, the one with the lower point total has burned his, thus taking him down to zero (or one with loyalty) for future draws. So in effect, that helps the odds for anyone who has more than two points in the next draw he enters. And of course, the person with the bunch of points has used up his first opportunity to turn in a permit without losing points. And if he gets drawn again, it's more than likely he will use the permit rather than turn it in AND lose his points.

Well...I was thinking of putting them out there for bids, but I don't want to upset Casey. 😉

Yup, correcto. So if the guy with 10 applies with me and my 19 elk points, he winds with 15 and the average of the two for that application --total 16 numbers spit out by the computer.

Although I now have a senior lifetime license, I did that for many years and now because of medical issues, I'm done hunting. So I'm sitting on 18 points for antelope, 19 for elk, 24 for bison, 6 for deer ad 4 for sheep.