Outdoor Writer

These are snippets from two of my articles on bighorn sheep . Both were written in the late 1980s-early 90s ********************************* .................The biologists claim sheep first came here more than half a million years ago by crossing the Bering land-bridge from Asia. They eventually spread across the western half of the North America. The scientists haven't pinpointed just how far the expansion went before the last glacial age, but many of them believe the glaciers affected the animals' movement and evolution. As the ice retreated, the sheep followed and settled in different areas of the continent, where they adapted to the terrain and climate. The evolution resulted in several subspecies from the white sheep of the cold northern climates to the desert bighorn of the arid southwest regions. The Rocky Mountain variety filled the climate zone between the extremes. Prior to the influx of civilization to Arizona in the late 1800s, both the desert and the Rocky Mountain bighorns actually inhabited Arizona's mountain ranges. James Ohio Pattie wandered the wilds of Arizona and New Mexico in 1824. His diary, THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF JAMES OHIO PATTIE OF KENTUCKY, contained the following: "We called it the San Francisco River. After traveling up its banks about four miles, we encamped and set out all traps and killed a couple of fat turkeys. In the morning we examined our traps, and found in them 37 beavers! This success restored our spirits instantaneously. Exhilarating prospects now opened before us, and we pushed on with animation. The banks of this river for the most part incapable of cultivation being in most part formed of high and rugged mountains. Upon these we saw multitudes of mountain sheep. These animals are not found on level ground, being they slow of foot, but on these cliffs and rocks they are so nimble and expert in jumping from point to point, that no dog or wolf can overtake them. One of them that we killed had the largest horns that I ever saw on animals of any description. One of them would hold a gallon of water. Their meat tastes like our mutton. Their hair is short like deer's, though fine. The French call them "gros cornes," from the size of their horns which curl around their ears, like our domestic sheep. These animals are about the size of deer." Because the terrain around the San Francisco River is atypical for desert sheep, the experts concluded Pattie's "mountain sheep" were Rocky Mountain bighorns. Sadly, they didn't exist in Arizona too long after the settlement of the West began. Both the Rocky Mountain bighorn and the Merriam's elk disappeared from the state during the late 1800s. The desert bighorns, victims of indiscriminate hunting and diseases borne by domestic livestock, almost suffered the same fate. In 1897, the first Arizona game law -- Title 16, Relative to the Preservation of Game Birds and Animals -- outlawed the hunting of sheep from February to October. It still wasn't enough to stem the decline and possible extinction. The state game warden reported to the governor in 1914: "Our mountain sheep have already been exterminated or driven out of a vast area of our once-good game country, and at the present rate at which the work of destruction is going on, largely through the convenient and efficient medium of the automobile, our 20,000 or so licensed hunters, will finish the work of extermination before the general public awakens to a realization of the situation, and demands a sudden and abrupt halt, in order to give our few remnants of a game a chance to replenish." Although the warden's dire prediction led to closing the sheep hunting season, even more measures to prevent the desert bighorn's demise came to fruition in 1939 with the establishment of the Kofa Game Range and Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Arizona. They served as the last strongholds for the desert sheep and subsequently provided the nucleus for experimental sheep relocations that culminated in 1957 with the first transplant to Aravaipa Canyon. More importantly, though, the short-term protection of the bighorns at the two refuges led to the reopening of a hunting season in 1953. Unit 46A, where both of the Varners hunted, covers the eastern half of the Cabeza Prieta Refuge........................ ******************************** .............At one time the desert bighorn inhabited most of Arizona's mountain ranges. Human encroachment, the enigma of the elk, played a major role in their decline, too. Meat hunters, unparticular as to what type of game graced the table, haphazardly slaughtered hundreds of sheep. In addition, hordes of domestic livestock competed with the bighorns for the sometimes scarce, available food and water. Disease, introduced and transmitted by the livestock, decimated entire herds. Finally, interested citizens, who feared the demise of the bighorn, sought to protect it. To prevent the sheep's extinction, government agencies established the Kofa Game Range and Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge in 1939. Located in southeastern Arizona, they constituted the last remaining strongholds for the bighorn. In time, the two areas provided a nucleus herd, subsequently permitting game researchers to undertake transplants into other historical bighorn areas. The AGFD selected Aravaipa Canyon, near Klondyke, as the site for the initial restocking. They constructed a 112-acre enclosure in 1957 and released 8 sheep within the following two years. The herd failed to reproduce and dwindled to two rams by 1964. Determined personnel transferred eight more bighorns from the Kofa Game Range. The second effort produced the desired results when the herd grew to 22. Hopeful the sheep would adapt, game specialists released them from the control area. Sheep in Aravaipa steadily increased to the present estimated population of 100. In 1980, permits to hunt desert bighorn in the canyon became a reality. The unit has produced exceptional rams, including a record book head taken in 1982 by John Harris. In December, Jim Ferguson of Yuma, who won a raffled permit that the state had donated to the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, pursued a ram at Aravaipa in December. Elated with the apparent success of the first bighorn transplant, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, with the aid of advanced trapping techniques, has continued to reestablish the sheep. Since 1980 it has relocated animals into the Superstition, Virgin, Galiuro and Eagletail Mountains; the Paria Canyon Primitive Area, the Grand Wash Cliffs and Goat Mountain. Some of these ranges have had recent, supplemental stockings. In November, 1984 the Kofa Game Range supplied 30 sheep for release at Coffee Flat in the Superstitions. Redfield Canyon, in the Galiuros, recieved 10 bighorns taken from the Plamosa Mountains. Long-term plans include more than 20 sites already designated as ideal habitat for future releases. Because transplants are extremely expensive, funding sometimes creates an obstacle; it takes $850 to move one sheep. Multiplying this amount times the 54 sheep captured near Lake Mead last year comes to $45,900 --- give or take a few cents! The Arizona Game and Fish Department, a self-supporting entity, found it extremely difficult to budget all of the needed funds for transplant efforts. Even though beneficial, some were postponed, while more urgent matters emptied the department's coffers. A group of hunters and conservationists, aware of the need for better sheep management programs, banded together and organized the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society in 1967. Since then, the society has raised thousands of dollars, and members, none of whom receive money for their efforts, have spent hours improving and building waterholes; assisting at sheep captures and releases and donating time for adminstrative work. Last year the ADBSS persuaded the Game Commission to donate two permits for fund-raising efforts. Because no provision for this unprecedented request was ever enacted, the legislature passed an amended law in July 1983. The first permit, auctioned on February 24, 1984 in California at a benefit conducted by the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, raised $64,000 --- the amount bid by Don Pocapalia of Ranchos Palos Verdes, California.The second one, mentioned earlier, brought another $82,450. The total monies from both permits, along with other fund-raising activities, amounted to $149,000. Since all of this money will help safeguard the bighorn's welfare, the department can use other funds on additional projects. Now, by using this year's society funds only, game managers can relocate 175 1/2 sheep!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

U.S. being sued over policy on killing endangered wildlife Published: May 30, 2013 By JULIE CART — Los Angeles Times Environmental groups are taking the U.S. Justice Department to court over a policy that prohibits prosecuting individuals who kill endangered wildlife unless it can be proved that they knew they were targeting a protected animal. Critics charge that the 15-year-old "McKittrick Policy" provides a loophole that has prevented criminal prosecution of dozens of individuals who killed grizzly bears, highly endangered California condors and whooping cranes as well as 48 federally protected Mexican wolves. The policy stems from a Montana case in which a man named Chad McKittrick was convicted under the Endangered Species Act for killing a wolf near Yellowstone National Park in 1995. He argued that he was not guilty because he thought he was shooting a wild dog. McKittrick appealed the conviction and lost, but Justice nonetheless adopted a policy that became the threshold for taking on similar cases: prosecutors must prove that an individual knowingly killed a protected species. The lawsuit claims that the policy sets a higher burden of proof than previously required, arguing, "The DOJ's McKittrick Policy is a policy that is so extreme that it amounts to a conscious and express abdication of DOJ's statutory responsibility to prosecute criminal violations of the ESA as general intent crimes." WildEarth Guardians and the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance said they intend to file a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Arizona, one of the states where Mexican wolves were reintroduced. The Los Angeles Times received an advance copy of the lawsuit. Federal wildlife managers responsible for protecting endangered animals have long criticized the policy as providing a pretext for illegal trophy hunters and activists. A June 2000 memo from the law enforcement division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Wyoming warned, "As soon as word about this policy gets around the West, the ability for the average person to distinguish a grizzly bear from a black bear or a wolf from a coyote will decline sharply. Under this policy a hen mallard is afforded more protection than any of the animals listed as endangered." Earlier this year a man in Texas shot and killed a whooping crane, telling authorities that he thought it was a legally hunted Sandhill crane. He was not charged under the Endangered Species Act but was prosecuted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which carries lesser penalties. Wendy Keefover of WildEarth Guardians compared Justice's policy to "district attorneys rescinding speeding tickets issued by traffic cops when then speeder claims he or she believed the legal speed limit was greater than what was posted, and that he or she had no intention to break the law." The unspoken attitude toward endangered species among some Western ranchers is summed up by the expression: "Shoot. Shovel. And shut up," suggesting that the most efficient way to deal with the unwanted bureaucracy associated with protected species was to quietly remove them. Mexican wolves have been decimated by illegal shootings, causing the death of more than half of the animals released in the wild since the start of the reintroduction program in 1998. Forty-eight Mexican wolves have been illegally killed, according to the lawsuit. It notes that the U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service anticipated that illegal shooting and trapping was likely to be a major impediment to recovery of the species, but the agency thought that strong enforcement could discourage the illegal acts. Wolves are often killed by hunters who say they thought they were shooting at coyotes, which may be shot on sight in most states. Mistaken identity is also frequently given in black bear-grizzly mix-ups that lead to grizzly deaths. The Wyoming Fish and Wildlife memo included this example: In May of 1996, a man hunting for black bear in Wyoming shot and killed a collared grizzly bear, an endangered species. The hunter and three friends then moved the bear carcass, destroyed the collar, dug a hole, dumped in the bear, poured lye over it and covered the hole. When the animal's remains were recovered, the man claimed he thought he was shooting at a common black bear. The U.S. Attorney's office reviewed the case and declined to prosecute it, citing the McKittrick Policy.

photo of baby leech http://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy/2212070602/ photo of planaria

I did give what i thought, but what do you think the percentage is? The question is what percentage of bucks do you think will eventually go over 110. 7.87%

For Pegggy: You go girl!!! Congrats on harvesting Big Bird.

All those rotting fish has to put out one heck of stench.

Big Lake circa 1968 or so. Here's a more readable copy of the layout; click to enlarge

Agree. I doubt there's an official tally anywhere, and no one asked me what I used. That said, the AZ Bowhunting Record Book might list many if not all of them. I do know of at least three who killed sheep with bows: Brian Hamn and Cindi and Corky Richardson.

It's been many years since I actually drove to the lake itself. Other than a minimal puddle, it was basically dry then. When it held a decent water level years ago, the main species in it were yellow perch and northern pike. I'm not sure if the water level is any better now, but G&F has both it and Mormon as having "No Fish."

The only "natural" lakes in AZ are Mormon and Stoneman, but any fishing is dependent on good rain years and stocking. Every other lake in the state is the result of a man-made dam.

Nice job, Lance. That's an impressive bull.

I didn't bring your daddy into this; you did that early on. If you don't know anything about the sheep incident, why did you bring it up?? Perhaps you just like reading what you type? Once again -- when did the "sting operation" take place in Arizona?

Did your daddy tell you about this one too? And when pray tell did this "sting operation" take place in Arizona????

I'm already working on the alleged poaching incident. Because the case is decades old, enforcement branch said it might take a couple days to locate the investigative report -- if it exists.

"I better get outta here while the gettin's good."

We had a 3-yr. wait here in AZ for years for elk and antelope. Once computers became widely used, they showed how statistically insignificant it was in the grand scheme of the odds.

For the most part, the CC issuer does not provide a reason when they decline a charge. So G&F has no idea whether it was for an expired CC, over-limit charge or as you seem to indicate with your situation -- because of some sort of fraudulent use. As for the electronic payment option, many people who have checking accounts also have debit cards that double as CCs. In either case, the funds for a debit or charge come directly out of the checking account. So rather than use a CC only, get a debit/credit card and use it. And yes, the state law about accepting payment for goods or services before they are provided involves CCs only, not cash or checks. Also, as for a plain ol' electronic charge to one's checking account, every year the department gets checks where the account is over-drawn.

Aww Casey, please don't pout. It will bring me to tears. In the meantime, consider these adages before you unleash your almost intelligence on another CWT member in the future over a minor spelling error or word misuse: People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. A fool’s tongue is long enough to cut his own throat. The pot calling the kettle black. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Never venture out of your depth till you can swim. Better to do nothing than to do ill. Do unto others as you would others should do to you. Deep rivers move in silence, shallow brooks are noisy He that knows nothing, knows enough if he knows how to be silent. No man learneth but by pain or shame. It is bitter fare to eat one’s own words. A fool cannot be silent. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Affectation of wisdom often prevents us from becoming wise.

So far, nothing more than hearsay and absolutely nothing to support "for a fact." Want to try again? In the meantime, I will make a couple calls this week to my contacts at G&F for some off-the-record questions. And...you do realize that all this application, draw info and other tag allocations are a matter of public record that are available by request, right?

Sooo...you have provided a list of tags his FAMILY has "got," but nowhere is there anything that explains "for a fact" how those tags were a "reward for service" and who provided such a reward. In other words, how do YOU know those tags were not ligitimately obtained through the normal draw process? Also, it appears he might be a licensed guide? If so, he is likely the same Don McBride I already know from way back many years ago when I hunted elk with him in NM near Cimarron.

It's "whole" and not "hole", Casey. Just a pet peeve of mine, you know. The w on my keyboard is like a female... Only works when it wants to (I am on a different computer right now ) Good try, Casey. BUT...the following was posted only minutes before; appears there was no problem with the "w." Yesterday, 12:51 PM Mr. O'Connor had fine taste in rifles. When he started getting of social status, his rifles were very contemporary, and of high end design/manufacture. I do believe he would have something like a Kimber Montana, but more then likely he would have a NULA in 280AI, or something in 270wsm built on a CRD action. Oh, and it's "more THAN likely," not "more then likely." Just another pet peeve of mine, you know.

Let's have some names please, for the "for a fact."

It's "whole" and not "hole", Casey. Just a pet peeve of mine, you know.

Ken, That's a dandy buck!