CouesWhitetail

Ok, I have ordered some videos and they should be here by the end of the week. Looks like a really good video! I ordered the Vapor Trails and whitetails, the mulie one and the tricks of the trade one. They are running a special deal now where you can get all three for $40 (normally they are about $20 a peice!). Amanda

Are the targets good for broadheads or just field points? I have been debating whether I need to bring mine, but sounds like we can use yours. Amanda

Anyone know where I took this pic?

Nice pics! glad you had a good time! Amanda

Wow, can't believe someone hasn't gotten that truck fixed up and out of there. That's an unsual find! Amanda

Man, you are some kind of stud running up the mountain before work. Nice! Looks like it took a redbull to get you back down in time?? Yes, it is the same kind of owl. That's a mexican spotted owl. And by the looks of the shape of the tips of his tail feathers, I would say he is a first year bird, meaning he was born last summer. That's a cool find! If you want, PM me the details on the location. Most likely he doesn't have a breeding territory and is a floater, but he might have a territory right where you found him. Too bad you didn't pack any mice with you! Cool that those gould's were still gobblin' too. I have been seeing lots of jake merriam's and they have been pretty quiet. Thanks for the pics! Amanda

Anyone bringing their bows and targets to get a little shooting in? Amanda

WoW!! That's awesome Josh! Thanks for posting those pics. Who wouldn't love to have that buck??!!! Amanda

AZ Conservation groups are asking sportsmen to write letters to stop sweep of AGFD funds. Legislative Alert Ask the Legislature and Governor Not to Sweep Sportsmen’s Dollars Issue: The Legislature and Governor’s Office swept $7,560,695 dollars from Arizona Game & Fish to balance the 2008 budget deficit. Another $5.6 million was taken from State Lake Improvement and Off Highway Vehicle funds from State Parks. Negotiations between the Legislature and the Governor’s Office are occurring as we speak to address the projected $2.2 Billion budget shortfall for 2009. AGFD is again being considered for more funding sweeps. While $13 million was swept from the AGFD and State Parks 2008 Budgets, some agencies were not swept or only minimally affected and others appeared to have actually received net increases. The difference between the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AGFD ) and other state agencies is the manner in which it is funded. As noted in the most recent edition of The Sportsmen’s Connection, the AGFD does not receive one penny of general fund revenues. It is time for the sportsmen and women of this state to stand up and say “no more AGFD fund sweeps”. Call and email your legislator and the Governor today. Do not wait. Make contact today. Time is of the Essence. Remember to be Respectful and Courteous. Talking Points: • I am a member of your Legislative District , one of approximately half a million active Sportsmen in Arizona • Please do not sweep AZ. Game & Fish Department Funds – they are not general fund monies • General Fund Agencies should be held accountable and not rewarded by stealing wildlife dollars • Sportsmen and women have asked the Legislature to impose fee increases numerous times in order to provide the AGFD with the money necessary to conserve Arizona’s wildlife and its habitat. Wildlife dollars should be used for the purpose for which they are earmarked. How to Contact Your Legislators ( 2 House Members & 1 Senate Member) and the Governors Office: Click here www.arizonasportsmenforwildlife.org/AZSFW-calltoaction.html

Very cool!! Thanks for sharing that story and pics. You look a lot like your grandfather! Amanda

Those are great! Wow, neat pics. Amanda

Nice group of deer! Amanda

Nice pics. It's been awhile since I have been in the Chiricahuas. Amanda

I have been working on the Coues Deer Celebration 5 video which is a compilation of the many cool pics from the website during the 07-08 season. I had it almost done and then somehow when I upgraded the software it deleted the file! That was painful! So I have slowly been rebuilding it. It's maybe 70% done now. Amanda

Thought some of you might enjoy seeing the latest owl video. It's a mix of some older and new footage with some new music. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/video_clips/...wls_dream_3.wmv Enjoy! Amanda

Ok, I will check with Northstar and see if they will send me some. FYI - I just got a new video from Duwane Adams in. It gives info on how to hunt them with a bow. It's pretty good. I will probably have them for sale on Monday or Tues of next week. Amanda

I haven't seen it. Looks like something I might want to start carrying in the store. Amanda

The footage came from the Catalina mountains near Tucson. Amanda

Ok, thanks Brent. I plan on being there and my husband will probably also be able to make it. Amanda

Are we still on track for the Tucson gathering to be July 12? Just want to make sure it's happening before I change schedules around to make it. Snapshot, are there places nearby people can camp out if they want to stay overnight? Amanda

I don't know the man, but that's a cool memorial. I like the deer and cartridges placed into the concrete. I am guessing his hunting buddies put the memorial in one of his favorite hunting spots? Amanda

That dove is lucky it didn't end up being bass food! That's a unique photo for sure of you, the bass and dove. Wonder how long that dove floundered in the water before you picked it up. Amanda

Hi All, Yesterday I spent the day helping on a research project that is partially funded by the AZ Deer Association. Many of you are familiar with the three-bar enclosure. Deer within the enclosure have been the subject of much study. Well, those mule deer reached a density of 87 deer in that square mile and the AGFD finally decided they wanted to let them out so the fence was put down. Some of you may remember that last year I helped out with deer drive to push the deer out of the enclosure. Well, anyway, there are still many radio collared deer out there and there is still research going on even though the deer are outside the enclosure now. Jim deVos (who recently retired from AGFD as the head of the research branch), the AGFD, Texas Tech University (Dr. Warren Ballard and Dr. Mark Wallace and grad students) and the AZ Deer Association have partnered up to do a study of fawn survival on those deer. Starting last spring, several does were captured and a radio transmitter was put in their reproductive tract such that when they gave birth to their fawns, the transmitter comes out and let's researchers know that fawns are on the ground to be found. Then the fawns are collared and studied to determine survival (or lack their of and causes of death). Last year only 2 of 20 fawns survived. This year they are capturing about 25 does and doing it all over again. Yesterday was the day for capture, checking for pregnancy and inserting the transmitter. We captured and processed about 18 does yesterday. I think all were pregnant and most had twins. Deer are captured by a net shot over them from a helicopter. Then the deer have their legs tied together and they are transported to the workup area where we had two vets, grad students, professors and such there to work them up. It was definitely a traumatic day for these deer. But I guess they are tough enough to go through all this and still maintain their pregnancy. I don't know the time between capture and getting them to us, but we averaged about 9-10 mins of working on them once they were dropped off. Primarily I helped out by spraying the deer down with cold water to keep them cool. This was a challenge as there is a narrow range of temperature where the deer are safe. If they get over 105, everyone gets worried. Most of the deer came in at 103-104 and their temps were climbing. By the time we cooled them down and released them they were at 101-103. One deer required cool intervenous fluids and packing with ice to bring her temp down fast and keep her safe. Any wounds from capture were treated as needed. Mostly they were abrasions, but some cut their lips or nose or foot bad enough to need stitches. here are pics: here is the new game warden for 24A (Danny Rodriguez) helping to pack up a net that had been used on the deer. The nets are fairly small, maybe 6 feet by 6 feet and they have weights in each corner which spread the net out when it's fired at the deer. deer dangling from helicopter and on way to area where we work them up: helicopter dropping off deer: deer were then picked up and placed on a stretcher. They are not drugged, but blindfolded and all four legs tied together with leather straps. All deer were weighed: researcher inserting transmitter into deer and vet is doing ultrasound to determine how many fawns and he also used ultrasound to determine the amount of rump fat the deer had as an indicator of condition. ultrasound monitor You can imagine this was a very stressful day for these deer and by the time we released them, they hardly looked like graceful deer anymore. It took them a little time to get their coordination after being bound up and in order to avoid having them get captured twice, we put orange flagging on their radio collars and a line of orange spray paint on their backs. This is all part of some important research into predator effects on mule deer. In the three-bar enclosure, which had no predators, the deer herd grew to 87 animals per square mile. The habitat didn't appear overgrazed as one might have expected. The deer were in good condition and seemed to be doing well. Comparison of deer condition inside and outside the enclosure found no differences. Comparison of vegetation within and outside the enclosure found no significant differences. So now this part of the study is looking at fawn survival outside the enclosure and trying to document predation and other causes of mortality. I plan to go back in August to help locate fawns so we can watch how they do. If anyone wants to get involved with this, I am sure you would be welcome to come help search for fawns. Amanda

I recommend you buy National Geographic's TOPO software program. They have them for most states and they cost about $100 but you get 5 levels of maps for the entire state. You can download your GPS waypoints into and out of the mapping software. I use it all the time for AZ. You can get the hunt unit boundaries and other info for free on the G&F websites. You can draw the boundaries into the software also. You can print out any portion of the map so that you don't have to take a large map in the field with you if you just want the portion you are hunting and you can customize it with all your gps info from scouting trips. http://www.natgeomaps.com/topo_newmexico Amanda

Congratulations Stan!! Amanda