cmc

Threads like this seem to solidify my belief that there are more hunters than I'm aware of that are more greedy than the department is when it comes to tags. That and allocation of tags will always fall into the category of "you can't please everybody". Hows that line go... some folks would whine if they were hung with a new rope? The internet.... It's a wonder complaint department. cmc

No, I read the whole thing. "They see tags as revenue, we see tags as opportunity" ...that told me all I needed to know. cmc

Umm. There aren't any elk down south... so I fail see your point? cmc

After reading through the results sure looks to be a lot of 'opportunity' folks here.... I haven't voted as I don't see possible choices for my reasoning behind hunting with rifle or bow. cmc

Very nice bear.... congrats. cmc

SOLD. cmc

I'm rotating back pack stock and need to part with a badlands superday. $90. It's a year old and in like new condition. Added some pics.... cmc

no, i do believe the law states you must be 21 to purchase a handgun or ammo for it through a retailer although, if it is a private sale, face to face, it does not apply. also, arizona is a 'right to open carry' state, meaning anybody 18 and over can openly carry a sidearm in public, certain places have restrictions though, for obvious reasons. AZ State Statue says.... 13-3111. Minors prohibited from carrying or possessing firearms; exceptions; seizure and forfeiture; penalties; classification A. Except as provided in subsection B, an unemancipated person who is under eighteen years of age and who is unaccompanied by a parent, grandparent or guardian, or a certified hunter safety instructor or certified firearms safety instructor acting with the consent of the unemancipated person's parent or guardian, shall not knowingly carry or possess on his person, within his immediate control, or in or on a means of transportation a firearm in any place that is open to the public or on any street or highway or on any private property except private property owned or leased by the minor or the minor's parent, grandparent or guardian. B. This section does not apply to a person who is fourteen, fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years of age and who is any of the following: 1. Engaged in lawful hunting or shooting events or marksmanship practice at established ranges or other areas where the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited. 2. Engaged in lawful transportation of an unloaded firearm for the purpose of lawful hunting. 3. Engaged in lawful transportation of an unloaded firearm between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. for the purpose of shooting events or marksmanship practice at established ranges or other areas where the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited. 4. Engaged in activities requiring the use of a firearm that are related to the production of crops, livestock, poultry, livestock products, poultry products, or ratites or in the production or storage of agricultural commodities. C. If the minor is not exempt under subsection B and is in possession of a firearm, a peace officer shall seize the firearm at the time the violation occurs. D. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person who violates subsection A shall be subject to the following penalties: 1. If adjudicated a delinquent juvenile for an offense involving an unloaded firearm, a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars, and the court may order the suspension or revocation of the person's driver license until the person reaches eighteen years of age. If the person does not have a driver license at the time of the adjudication, the court may direct that the department of transportation not issue a driver license to the person until the person reaches eighteen years of age. 2. If adjudicated a delinquent juvenile for an offense involving a loaded firearm, a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, and the court may order the suspension or revocation of the person's driver license until the person reaches eighteen years of age. If the person does not have a driver license at the time of the adjudication, the court may direct that the department of transportation not issue a driver license to the person until the person reaches eighteen years of age. 3. If adjudicated a delinquent juvenile for an offense involving a loaded or unloaded firearm, if the person possessed the firearm while the person was the driver or an occupant of a motor vehicle, a fine of not more than five hundred dollars and the court shall order the suspension or revocation of the person's driver license until the person reaches eighteen years of age. If the person does not have a driver license at the time of adjudication, the court shall direct that the department of transportation not issue a driver license to the person until the person reaches eighteen years of age. If the court finds that no other means of transportation is available, the driving privileges of the child may be restricted to travel between the child's home, school and place of employment during specified periods of time according to the child's school and employment schedule. E. Firearms seized pursuant to subsection C shall be held by the law enforcement agency responsible for the seizure until the charges have been adjudicated or disposed of otherwise or the person is convicted. Upon adjudication or conviction of a person for a violation of this section, the court shall order the firearm forfeited. However, the law enforcement agency shall return the firearm to the lawful owner if the identity of that person is known. F. If the court finds that the parent or guardian of a minor found responsible for violating this section knew or reasonably should have known of the minor's unlawful conduct and made no effort to prohibit it, the parent or guardian is jointly and severally responsible for any fine imposed pursuant to this section or for any civil actual damages resulting from the unlawful use of the firearm by the minor. G. This section is supplemental to any other law imposing a criminal penalty for the use or exhibition of a deadly weapon. A minor who violates this section may be prosecuted and adjudicated delinquent for any other criminal conduct involving the use or exhibition of the deadly weapon. H. A person who violates subsection A is guilty of a class 6 felony.

SPECIAL EVENT: THE TUCSON CHAPTER OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION IS HOSTING AN ELK CALLING CONTEST AND SEMINAR AT THE SPORTSMAN WAREHOUSE LOCATED AT 3945 W. COSTCO DR IN TUCSON ON THIS SATURDAY 7/21/07 WE WILL HAVE FOOD, FUN, AND PRIZES! THERE WILL BE SEPARATE DIVISIONS FOR PEEWEE’S, JUNIORS, WOMEN AND MEN IN THE CALLING CONTEST AND RAFFLES DURING THE DAY LONG EVENT CALLED “”SCREAMIN IN THE DESERT”” FROM 9:00 AM TILL 6:00 PM PLEASE COME ON OUT AND HAVE SOME FUN AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION AND SPORTSMAN WAREHOUSE THIS SATURDAY 7/21/07 THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE, RICK SELTING ##444-0868 JASON BOWDEN##909-7275 CO-CHAIRMAN OF THIS EVENT

$2,000 reward offered in bighorn sheep poaching The Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking for the public's help in finding a poacher that killed a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram on June 22 or 23 in the Red Hills, a few miles west of the Blue River corridor of eastern Arizona. "The poacher killed a mature, trophy-quality ram and hid the carcass in the bushes, leaving it to waste," says Bruce Sitko, public information officer for the Arizona Game and Fish Pinetop office. "He may possibly have intended to return later to retrieve the head." Sitko says this crime is further compounded by the fact that this ram was part of the Foote Creek herd; a herd that has been in decline the last several years. "Removing it from the breeding population obviously affects the herd's potential to produce future offspring, as well as impairing the department's ability to offer hunt permits for bighorns in the area, which are highly sought after by sportsmen," notes Sitko. The department received more than 2,100 applications for the five permits that were authorized last fall. To report information on this incident, or any Game and Fish violation, call the department's Operation Game Thief hotline at (800) 352-0700. Caller identities may remain confidential upon request. Callers are eligible to receive a reward for information leading to the arrest of the violator in this bighorn poaching case of up to $1,000 from the department, with an additional $1,000 being provided by the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society if the information provided leads to a conviction. Information may also be reported directly to the Arizona Game and Fish Pinetop office or by calling (928) 367-4281.

Just wanted to pass on a chance to get your kids out to a free elk hunting seminar at PSE headquarters Pro Shop in Tucson. CMC

If you notice the damage was done a few weeks before the release of the info. So there was that chance but being that it was in a remote area for the unit it'd be a lot of time spent sitting on the carcass for possibly nothing. Game cams wouldn't fare very well either as the offender probably would have walked away with a trophy sheep and a few new game cams. In these cases it's probably best to get word out and hope that the dill hole blabs about it to someone and that some has the nads to turn the poacher in. In any event I hope the ram rakes in a ton of money in the assets auction to help offset the wickedness from the loss of a ram in that herd. Again I hope someone steps forward and turns the punk(s) in that did this. Unreal. cmc

torques my hide too when I read posts about who drew en elk tag and I didn't this year. I mean just cuz I drew 6 tags last year in the fall & spring hunts doesn't mean diddly come this years draw. That was then this is now and I'm not happy. Highway robbery I tell ya. It's all rigged. These folks must have made huge financial contributions to the G&F that we just don't know about. I demand a senate investigation.... Ok maybe not. Thems some funny posts folks... cmc

by a quad basser, you can go anywhere with those things. Remind me we're talking about carrying out one bull every 15 years of your life right? Having the FS LEO's take their marching orders from D.C. instead of local is what really bothers me. They are poised to deal with national issues not local ones. Having larger forest regions in the west but less people seems to be our big downfall. When the folks east of Mississippi provide input on land no where near them you're bound to get a slanted view, opinion, directive, and/or vote. cmc

I'd love to see how they adapt to a set of Leupold's if anyone cares to post a pic and review... cmc

I saw report it and do your best to describe the area over the phone as a minimum. The Wm might meat with you and go over TOPO's too. Just think this could be the one lead they need to close case or something odd that the department really needs to be on to of. There are rewards out there and just maybe some might end up in your wallet... You never know. At least the WM can document the bear and it's log as a morality when they do population stats. cmc

AZ wildlife managers are state commissioned peace officers. That's the same as a Phx police officer, a DPS officer and other police officers. same academy just a different uniform and department. about the only thing financially they have going for them is a rock solid retirement that isn't going anywhere. base requirements for WM's are a college degree in either wildlife or criminal justice. it's usually those that get the degree in criminal justice that jump ship to other agencies for better pay. cmc

They try, trust me, but lack of qualifying applicants from our home state is an issue. The bigger issue is pay. Compare a WM recruit to DPS recruit. The DPS officers pay right out of the academy is higher than a WM. in fact the department loses lots of qualified people after they join the academy when the recruits stat to talk bout what they get when they get out. I think the DPS even pays out extra if you live in rural area, WM's don't get that. Also remember that WM is not just a badge and gun. To me they have a much higher responsibility when you toss in caring for an entire GMU of wildlife, habitat, as well has to be a law enforcement. Part, cop, part biologist, and part habitat specialist. no offense to DPS folks but they don't have to plan time in their day to stop off and count leaves of grass to monitor forage as well worry if the next gut they pull over is going to try and kill them. Dive head first into a four day old sun rotten elk in July to try and recover a bullet. Granted one thing they have in common is that both of them will soon be hated by many residents of Az when they graduate and put on the uniform, which is a dam shame. No i ponder this often... I haven't seen websites bashing DPS officers as bad as folks bash WM's and their job... Yea sing me up for that job... I have the utmost respect for any LEO, be it DPS, WM, TPD, or whatever. you folks deserver so much more respect than you get. cmc

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-50658 "Gun bill gets shot down by panel HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee. By Greg Esposito 381-1675" cmc

From the AZGFD...

It's listed on almost every FS region web page. My guess is that the new plan that was submitted that the FS would follow has a serious legal issue that needs tending to. When it doubt leave it up to General Counsel. Not good. Have to look into this one a bit more, good catch. cmc

hawkeye, I'm aware of the poaching possibilities I failed to add that in as a viable 'Con' argument. I think for why the dates are as they are... Jim posted while we posted and explained some things there. I'll defer to his recent post. cmc

Archery bull elk hunters have always wanted to have the hunts fall at the peak of rutting every year, just ask one that drew a tag this year, they'll tell ya. In years past they've voiced it several times at meetings, not commission or hunt recommendations being the only place it happens. I guess in a perfect world the hunt dates wouldn't even be posted till just before the rut starts but it can't work like that so at some point in time a line has to be drawn in the sand to say when. Finding that happy medium between archery elk hunters and archery deer hunters is what becomes a battle. I hope you look at the flip side of things. Say the elk hunt starts the weekend after archery deer ends so they don't overlap. Now you're an archery deer hunter that has gone 13+ years without ever in his/her life taking a deer with a bow. You've put the hours of scouting and prepping then go afield stalking that buck of a lifetime when a bull tag holder comes out and starts to bugle to see if any bulls will answer and runs off the bucks you been chasing for years. Welcome to public property and unfortunately even though I myself get really frustrated at times with it I'm sure glad we have it that way vs. Texas or the like. One hunters idea of a quality hunt is not quite another hunters idea of a quality hunt. 'Quality' has seemed to take on the term 'record book only or you're a complete failure' in the mainstream hunting these days. It's a shame but seems to be a mindset that I don't see any near-term change for. Greed, popularity, and the spotlight have taken over the longtime morals of tradition, respect and conservation for mother nature we seen in good old yester-years. hawkeye, that must have been Brian Wakeling, AZGFD Big Game Program Supervisor.

Very well said HUNTMUP. cmc

I think this one is well worth stating again. Printing cost aren't free and I can only hear what the complaint would be if they offered to send it out to everyone but for a fee... Something about in it for the money. Business comes at a cost as well I think that laziness on ones part shouldn't be looked at as a fault point of another. Nothings being kept from anyone but unless you want to cover the cost of the resources to get it out, one is going to have to put forth the effort to find it. cmc