Outdoor Writer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MARCH 26 2014: APPLICANTS FOR BIGHORN SHEEP, ORYX AND IBEX HUNTING LICENSES ELIGIBLE FOR FULL REFUNDS SANTA FE – Hunters who applied for bighorn sheep, oryx or ibex licenses for the 2014-15 seasons and are unsuccessful in the drawings will be eligible for full refunds of application fees and license fees, the Department of Game and Fish announced Wednesday. Application fees normally are nonrefundable whether a license applicant is successful or not. This year’s departure from that practice is in response to Monday’s ruling in U.S. District Court that vacated a 1977 injunction that prohibited the Department from applying preferential quotas that benefitted state residents in drawings for bighorn sheep, oryx and ibex licenses. The injunction allowed nonresidents to enjoy the same odds as residents when applying for those species. Because of Monday’s ruling, the Department will begin applying the same quotas this year to bighorn sheep, oryx and ibex applications as it applies to deer, elk, pronghorn antelope and Barbary sheep. According to those quotas, 84 percent of licenses are allocated to New Mexico residents, 6 percent are allocated to nonresidents, and 10 percent are allocated to applicants – residents and nonresidents – who use New Mexico outfitters. Applicants for bighorn sheep, oryx and ibex who choose not to participate in the new quota system must delete their applications by April 18. Applications can be deleted through online accounts or by telephone toll-free, (888) 248-6866. “The Department determined that it will be most equitable to refund the normally nonrefundable application fees to applicants who are unsuccessful or who choose to withdraw their application due to changes resulting from the recent court decision, and to comply immediately with state law,” Department General Counsel Allison Marks said. Because the option to apply with outfitters was not offered on this year’s application forms, hunters who would like to designate a valid outfitter will be able to do so and join the 10 percent license allocation pool. To add a New Mexico outfitter to an application, the applicant will be required to call the Department and provide the application number, customer identification number and the outfitter number no later than April 18. The court ruling prompted the Department to delay this year’s drawing by approximately one week. Drawing results will be available no later than April 30. For more information about the drawing, refunds and the application process, please call the Department toll-free, (888) 248-6866.

You know I bought some of them grillin' beans several months ago and was really disappointed. I tried and tried, but couldn't keep them from falling through the grate on my bbq. It made a real mess, too.

Yea, Dayton Flyers, my alma mater!

This is the last article I did on Lee's Ferry, circa 2008. Obviously, it's before the lodge burned down. Also, be aware of the special restrictions that are currently in place, which I pasted at the end of this message. Lee’s Ferry Redux Article & Photos Copyright by Tony Mandile Nearly two decades had passed since I last visited the wonderful stretch of the Colorado River below Lake Powell’s Glen Canyon Dam. As guide Rocky Lovett maneuvered the jet boat upstream around the myriad shoals and sandbars, each turn of the clear, fast-flowing river introduced another panorama of Glen Canyon’s majestic landscape. The near vertical, sandstone walls in their colorful crimson splendor towered hundreds of feet above us and revealed a tiny ribbon of a cloudless, deep blue sky. The changing views were enough to make one realize just how tiny we humans are compared to Nature’s grandeur. If such a thing as scenic overdose is possible, this is one place to get it. Yet that would be a mere bonus of my 5-hr. drive from Phoenix to northern Arizona. Doing battle with a wild rainbow trout on the end of a fly line at Lee’s Ferry was my real goal. I had contacted Dave Foster about a month earlier to set up my trip. Foster, who runs Marble Canyon Outfitters, grew up on the Colorado River, and his family still owns and operates the historic Marble Canyon Lodge. He worked as a commercial river guide and National Parks Service ranger in the Grand Canyon for 30 years. He began fishing the river shortly after the completion of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963 and since 1989 has spent over 150 days a year guiding trout anglers. Foster had several clients booked for the days I could fish, so he hooked me up with Lovett, who lives in Page, Ariz. Like Foster, he has fished the Colorado River since boyhood and knows all of the nooks and crannies that hold the colorful ‘bows. He also knew where and how we might catch a few. The first 15 miles of the Colorado River below the dam is commonly referred to Lee’s Ferry, so named because of the ferry crossing Mormon settler John Doyle Lee (September 12, 1812 - March 23, 1877) established in 1871 with financing by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The ferry crossed where the Paria River merges with the Colorado to a gradual, natural slope from the cliffs to the riverbank, allowing safer crossing of the Colorado in otherwise impassable terrain. It was the only crossing on the river by ferry from Moab, Utah to Needles, California. Folks venturing between Utah and Arizona used the ferry until 1928, the year the original Navajo Bridge (now highway US 89A) over Marble Canyon opened. The most pivotal event in Lee’s life occurred in September 1857 when Indians attacked a group traveling from Arkansas. The four-day siege known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre resulted in the deaths of approximately 120 people. In the late 1860s, various questions about the exact nature of the massacre came to light, causing difficulties for those involved, including Lee. The LDS Church excommunicated Lee in 1870 for his part in the killings. Although Lee maintained he had acted under orders from his military leaders, he was arrested and tried in 1874. That trial ended with a hung jury, but another in 1877 found him guilty of the massacre. On March 23, 1877, a firing squad executed Lee on the site of the 1857 massacre. Some of his last words referred to efforts to persuade him to finger Brigham Young as responsible for the massacre: "There's no man I hate worse than a traitor. Especially I could not betray an innocent man." In May 1961, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posthumously reinstated Lee's membership in the church. Because of his problems with the law, Lee fled his ferry operation shortly after establishing it, but the LDS church kept it running until about 1910, when Coconino County took over its management. Today, the area near the original Lee’s Ferry is the official beginning of Grand Canyon National Park. Nearby, several buildings built at the site since 1874 and a steamboat abandoned in 1913 by a mining company, still exist. The upstream area is the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The Lee’s Ferry fishery began its life with the completion of Glen Canyon Dam – a 638-ft high concrete plug that spans about 3,700 feet from one wall of Glen Canyon to the other. Before the dam’s construction, the mighty Colorado River ran warm, muddy and free, but when the Bureau of Reclamation closed the dam's floodgates, it unwittingly created a unique rainbow trout fishery. The clear water flowing from the base of the dam maintains a constant 47 degrees every day of the year, making Lee’s Ferry into a year-round tail-water fishery. The Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began stocking rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout in 1964. To supplement the trout's diet, the agencies also added freshwater shrimp. So the trout grew rapidly; from 1971 to 1976 the average size doubled to about 3 1/2 pounds. By the late '70s and early '80s, a 10-fish limit frequently weighed 50 pounds, with lunkers over 10 pounds appearing regularly. Subsequent regional and national publicity attracted fishermen from across the country. Abuses and inadequate enforcement of the regulations eventually took their toll. In 1978, the AGFD reduced the limit from 10 to four. The effect was minimal, though; too many fishermen culled their catches by saving smaller fish until they caught larger replacements. Many of the released trout died. To stem the decline further, they put an immediate kill or release rule into effect in 1980 and began to manage this section of river as a Blue Ribbon trout fishery in 1981. Bait became a no-no in 1986, and a slot limit of 16 to 22 inches went in effect in 1990. Then the daily creel limit went down again -- this time from four to two fish. The new rules resulted in less fishing pressure, lower mortality and a noticeable size increases. From 1985 to 1987, the average fish size jumped from 1 1/2 pounds to 2 1/2 pounds. In 1991, the Bureau of Reclamation implemented the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision flow regime, which consisted of higher minimum and more stable flows and allowed for increased trout reproduction and survival. Under these conditions, a huge population of trout developed causing individual fish growth rates to decline. Quite simply, too many fish had to compete for limited space and food items, resulting in a fishery where trout less than 14-inches were dominant. In 2000, the AGFD began a long-term monitoring program sponsored by Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (http://www.gcmrc.gov/) to determine the effects of Glen Canyon Dam operation on the trout fishery at Lee’s Ferry and to make recommendations for improving this fishery. The data have shown an increase in the general health of all trout age classes (especially since 2002). This increase in fish health is usually associated with an increase in growth rates implying improved fishing conditions in the near future. The department quit stocking the non-native trout in the early 1990s, so Lee’s Ferry is now basically a self-sustaining wild trout fishery with more than 95 percent of the rainbows hatched in the river. Most anglers will catch rainbows that average 14-16 inches, and the occasional fish will top 20 inches. Numbers, however, normally depend on the water flows. In past years, flows had varied dramatically, sometimes differing by as much as 10,000 cubic feet per second. Thus, fishing conditions changed just as dramatically from one hour to the next. The flows do not change as drastically anymore because of the environmental impact on native squawfish and humpback chub farther downstream. Still, they do vary daily according to the power needs from the cities that use the electricity generated by the dam’s massive turbines. The water flows generally pick up in the morning and scour the shorelines, bringing more nutrients into the river and triggering the trout’s feeding activity. Too much water flow fluctuation often produces poor fishing, however. The biggest flow changes occur during the summer months, no doubt the result of the added power demands to run air conditioners. During the winter, flows average about 15,000 cfs but range from lows of around 11,000 cfs and highs over 19,000 cfs. On most days flows fluctuate between about 14,000 and 17,000 cfs. However, on weekends fluctuations will be greater. Lovett believes the river holds more fish per mile now than it did back in its glory years. “I’ve spent many days of my life on the river and right now, the fishing is probably as good or better than it ever has been. The only difference is the size of the fish, and that’s mainly due to the lack of food. Not too many years ago, the freshwater shrimp and snails were everywhere. Now they are scarce. In fact, when I find one now, it almost means a celebration,” he said. Lee’s Ferry is primarily a nymphing river, but during certain times of the year when the river conditions are right, those who enjoy using dry flies will have good success, too. The main food sources for the Ferry’s rainbows consist of scuds (Gammarus Lacustris), annelids and at least three dozen midge varieties. Although the chironomid and emerger stage of these midges are prime ones to the rainbows, fish often feed on the adults in back eddy scum lines. The rainbow spawn at Lee’s Ferry starts in mid-November and goes through March. The spawning activity affects all the fish in the river, either as active participants or as opportunists eating the loose eggs as they float away from the redds. The fish migrate into the shallows during the spawn and become ideal targets for those fishermen who enjoy playing the spot-&-stalk game. Fish with chartreuse, pink or salmon colored glow bugs in sizes 16 to 18 over shallow gravel bars in moderate current but try not to wade on the redds. The nests, consisting of freshly disturbed, lighter colored rings of gravel, are fairly easy to see. Your success will depend more on casting accuracy and presentation rather than how far one can fling a fly. It’s also a time for nymphing, although large attractor dry flies can be effective. Midge hatches occur most every day especially in late morning and early afternoon and increase around mid-March. The fish move off the redds and start feeding more energetically in the vegetation filled runs and riffles. One rig that works extremely well at this time is a large attractor dry fly with a shallow running chironomid imitation below. This technique is very effective in the shallow riffles along the margins of gravel bars where midge activity is highest. Target rising fish with small, size 18 to 22 adult midge imitations such Adams, Griffith's Gnat, Syl's Midge. Fishing a midge pupae dropper off the adult can be very effective, too. Other aquatic imitations to fish with include scuds (pink, brown, salmon, white), San Juan worms (orange, red or brown), wooly buggers and leaches. Copper colored wooly buggers with lots of sparkle are very effective. Scuds and midges are the two main food sources for the trout and the best two baits for anyone fly fishing the water. Foster suggests using a 5 or 6 weight rod of nine or even nine and a half feet because the longer rod makes line control easier for nymphing in deep water. For dry fly fishing, a 4 weight is ideal. Reels should have a rim control spool and backing. Leader lengths average 9 feet, with longer leaders sometimes used when deep nymphing and shorter leaders used in shallower water. Tippet sizes normally used are 4x-6x and a good selection of split shot, sizes BB-#6 is suggested. And lastly, wear a good pair of polarized glasses. High canyon walls reflect light and produce a lot of glare. If you can handle the warm mid-day temps of Arizona’s high desert country during the summer, plan on a visit in June or July when the cicada hatches take place. Although I haven’t fished the Ferry then, I’ve had the pleasure to experience the fabulous fishing during the cicada hatch on Utah’s Green River. Too me, it was somewhat similar to topwater fishing for bass with a fly-rod, but a foam-bodied cicada imitation with dangling legs takes the place of a cork popper. The majority of the best fishing at Lee’s Ferry takes place upriver from the launch ramp and requires a boat with enough power to go against the fast-moving current. Piloting the boat also takes some skill because the landscape of the river provides enough hazards to be downright dangerous, especially for an inexperienced boater who can’t “read” a river well. Getting stuck on a sandbar or rock shoal might amount to a mere inconvenience, but hitting an underwater rock at 35 mph could be disastrous. The guides spend most of their waking hours on the Colorado and know where the hazards lurk. So take advantage of their expertise. The other option is wading the section of the river downstream from the launch ramp. While it might not be as productive as the upstream locations, you should hook enough fish to keep up your interest. SIDEBAR: To reach Lee's Ferry from the south, take U.S. 89 north from Flagstaff to Bitter Springs. Proceed north on 89A. From the north, Take 89A from Kanab, Utah over the North Kaibab Plateau or come through Page on U.S. 89 to Bitter Springs. The turn-off to the campground and paved launch ramp just west of the Navajo Bridge or about 100 yards east of the historic Marble Canyon Lodge. Built in the mid-1920s of native stone from the nearby Vermillion Cliffs on 160 acres of homesteaded land, the lodge was operated by Buck Lowery until 1937 when Lorenzo Hubbell of the well-known Hubbell Trading Company bought it. After one other change of owners, Dave’s mother, Jane Foster, purchased it in 1959 and has operated it with her three sons since. It offers clean rooms, good food in its restaurant and also sells licenses, some groceries and fishing tackle. Contact: Marble Canyon Lodge, Marble Canyon, AZ 86036, telephone 520-355-2225; toll-free at 800-726-1789, For guide service, contact David Foster by email at leesferry@aol.com or call 928-355-2245; toll-free at 800-533-7339. Foster also wrote Fly Fishing Lee's Ferry Arizona - The Complete Guide to Fishing and Boating The Colorado River Below The Glen Canyon Dam (ISBN 1-892469-07-3). The colorful and information packed 100-pg. guide provides a clear understanding of the complex river that can provide fly anglers with 40-fish days. It contains 49 photos and 21 detailed maps. In addition to pinpointing the best fishing places, the maps show points of history, boating and geologic landmarks and access to the natural history of the area and beauty. For license or fishing information, contact: The Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, telephone (602) 942-3000. From 2014 Fishing Regulations booklet: Colorado river • From Glen Canyon Dam to the beginning of the Paria riffle (Lees Ferry). Rainbow trout over 14 inches may not be possessed. The limit is 4 rainbow trout per day; artificial fly and lure only; barbless hooks only. Rainbow trout taken from this portion of the Colorado River shall be killed and retained as part of the bag limit or immediately released; there is no limit on other sport fish species which includes all species of bass (including sunfish and stripers), all species of catfish, all species of trout other than rainbow trout, and walleye. • From the beginning of the Paria riffle to Navajo Bridge, including all tributaries. The limit is 6 rainbow trout per day. Rainbow trout taken from this portion of the Colorado River shall be killed and retained as part of the bag limit or immediately released; there is no limit on other sport fish species which includes all species of bass (including sunfish and stripers), all species of catfish, all species of trout other than rainbow trout, and walleye. • From Navajo Bridge to Separation Canyon, including all tributaries within the Grand Canyon National Park. There is no limit on sport fish species which includes all species of bass (including sunfish and stripers), all species of catfish, all species of trout, and walleye.

There were no quagga or zebra mussels in AZ either until the first ones appeared in 2007 in Lake Mead. Now they are in several lakes including Pleasant. Perhaps if they had been PROACTIVE with the laws/rules now in place, the mussels would not have made it into AZ waters. IOW, the law to stop the spread now is REACTIVE, i.e. an attempt to keep it from getting worse. Kinda like closing the barn door after the horse gets out. Think of it this way: people get flu shots to prevent getting the flu, not to cure the flu after the fact. Lastly, just because no animal has been found in AZ that has CWD doesn't mean it's not here yet. .

Might want to check to be sure, but my interpretation is that putting out corn is illegal regardless of when it is done. There is nothing in the law that translates to "during a hunting season." Also, take note of the OR in "for the purpose of attracting or taking big game" under 4A. R12-4-303. Unlawful Devices, Methods, and Ammunition4. An individual shall not use edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game. The use of edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game is unlawful when:a. An individual places edible or ingestible substances for the purpose of attracting or taking big game, orb. An individual knowingly takes big game with the aid of edible or ingestible substances placed for the purpose of attracting wildlife to a specific location.5. Subsection (A)(4) does not limit Department employees or Department agents in the performance of their official duties.6. For the purposes of subsection (A)(4), edible or ingestible substances do not include any of the following:a. Water.b. Salt.c. Salt-based materials produced and manufactured for the livestock industry.d. Nutritional supplements produced and manufactured for the livestock industry and placed during the course of livestock or agricultural operations. Tony my statement is based on several conversations with G&F officers and supervisors, if they r wrong then I am also wrong. That intrepretation makes no sense. One of the reasons corn and other food stuffs were banned was the spread of CWD, etc. If such items would promote the spread of diseases while hunting over them, they would also do the same when those items are used for feral hogs and/or trail camera use because per the law, they would be attracting wildlife.

Might want to check to be sure, but my interpretation is that putting out corn is illegal regardless of when it is done. There is nothing in the law that translates to "during a hunting season." Also, take note of the OR in "for the purpose of attracting or taking big game" under 4A. R12-4-303. Unlawful Devices, Methods, and Ammunition 4. An individual shall not use edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game. The use of edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game is unlawful when: a. An individual places edible or ingestible substances for the purpose of attracting or taking big game, or b. An individual knowingly takes big game with the aid of edible or ingestible substances placed for the purpose of attracting wildlife to a specific location. 5. Subsection (A)(4) does not limit Department employees or Department agents in the performance of their official duties. 6. For the purposes of subsection (A)(4), edible or ingestible substances do not include any of the following: a. Water. b. Salt. c. Salt-based materials produced and manufactured for the livestock industry. d. Nutritional supplements produced and manufactured for the livestock industry and placed during the course of livestock or agricultural operations.

I have at least 30 once-fired Winchester and Federal cases that are free for the taking in Glendale. I think I might have another box of 20 somewhere but will need to dig around for it.

I'm guessing the Aubrey Valley Only prairie dog permit is available only for the time period the ranch is open to recreational users -- Aug. to Dec. -- as stated in the rules. It is currently Feb.

If I recall, the agreement includes access only during specific BIG-GAME seasons from Aug. into Dec. From the ranch rules: Access by Recreational Users to the Big Boquillas Ranch will close December 17, 2013. Access after that date is prohibited on the Big Boquillas Ranch, unless otherwise expressly authorized in writing by the Lessee.

The photo is from a series and likely not even in AZ, considering the stand of jack pines along the shore. Sheep Photos

Amanda , Since it's obvious that several members of CWT have a bug up their collective asses about anything the AZ G&FD does and continually muck up other threads and topics, perhaps we can isolate the threads into one section. That way other members will have the option to wade through the crap or ignore it. As it is now, any thread topic often winds up being degraded into bashing although someone opened it because of an innoculous thread topic. Heck, you might even call it "AZLANCE'S Let's Bash The AZG&FD" as an award for prior participation.

Sorry, couldn't find a whining 5-yr. old, so this will have to do.

You will get a loyalty point ONLY if you have applied five years IN A ROW. But I'm not sure if that point would count for this draw.

All of the above are illegal. 4. An individual shall not use edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game. The use of edible or ingestible substances to aid in taking big game is unlawful when: a. An individual places edible or ingestible substances for the purpose of attracting or taking big game, or

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but... This knarly monster was supposedly a pick-up from a lion kill on one of the AZ reservations.

Completely agree on Life of Pi. Amazing CGI effects.

The photo was taken about 50 yds from our driveway after a night-time snowfall. It's the Vallecito River, looking north into the Weminuche Wilderness area. It was a sight we had to put up with for three years when we owned a resort at Vallecito Lake, just northeast of Durango.

Very creative setup. Well done.

That deer was likely so totally exhausted that he wasn't very anxious to run off. That is why I suggested the guy should have just let it alone after getting it loose from the already dead buck.

Probably should have let it be after it was freed. http://www.youtube.com/embed/2oamgwgrQeA?feature=player_embedded

How ironic, That ram is a near twin to the one I killed last year, and my taxidermist Chris Krueger said the hide on it was the best it had ever seen.

That's what it's about right there. Congrats to the lad!

An animal's DNA - like a human's - is permanent and is determined from the genes of the parents. Physical condition or habitat has absolutely no effect on the DNA make-up of any indidviual critter.