CouesWhitetail

It's too bad Jim is such a sissy. -TONY Well, what can we expect from someone who posts in the forum fairly often that he "screamed like a girl" Just wait til he gets on here and posts the Alligator pics from his new honey hole! Then we will all know that he really had a good reason not to dangle his toes in the water! Amanda

Yes, I know all that. But for someone like Jim, who said he was worried about what lurks in the depths, it might still be better than hauling his boat out there. And I bet you can rig an anchor of some kind so you just row out to a spot and fish it for awhile and then move. Amanda

Ok, I bought a table for CouesWhitetail.com folks at the ADA banquet to be held in Scottsdale May 10. Who is interested in going? If you want to go, send me some money and I will send you tickets! If we get enough people, I will buy a 2nd table like we did last year. Regular dinner tickets are $65, however when I buy a table it costs $100 for each ticket since it includes some raffle tix, one commemorative gift (usually a very nice knife, which I giveaway in the contests we have here) and the added benefit of being seated together and usually up front where the action is. In previous years I have always subsidized the cost of the table such that you don't have to pay more than the regular ticket price and yet you get the added benefit of all being at one great table. This year, CW.com member Chef has suggested that many of you might want to pay the full price of those tickets as a way to donate to CW.com and also the ADA. And Chef has already bought two tickets at the $100 price. You are welcome to pay the regular $65 for a ticket or if you want to add in a donation to help with the cost of the table, that is welcome also. No pressure, just figured I would toss out the option since some of you have suggested they would like to do it that way. So who wants to go? Amanda The ADA 12th Annual Fundraising Banquet and Auction will be held Saturday, May 10, 2008 Chaparral Suites Resort 5001 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, Arizona Doors open at 4:00 pm Prime Rib dinner at 5:30 pm In addition to the regular incredible hunts, artwork and firearms, the ADA will also auction one Commissioners' state of Arizona special mule deer tag, and one Commissioners' state of Arizona special whitetail tag.

Hey Guys, Anybody else interested in going to the banquet? I really would like to see CW.com fill another table. There are some outstanding items in the live auction and silent auction. Here are a few coues specific items: Duwane Adams donated a 1/2 day glassing lesson for two people, Mexafari outfitters donated a 5 day Coues hunt in mexico, Jason Lewis (aka Foundryman) donated a Coues bronze and a Mule deer bronze, and Jim White donated a slik sprint pro tripod with the Jim White tripod head on it as well as a Jim White glassing chair and seat pads. We will also have a 120+ Coues rack to auction off that was provided by AGFD. Also, Mike Fabritz (aka Rembrant on these forums) donated an original of his artwork (it's not a coues, but it's a very nice antelope). It's called Ancient Path and you can see it on his website, www.fabritzart.com. And there is just tons of stuff that is not coues related but that many of you might be interested in. Fishing trips in Costa Rica, Turkey hunts in Kansas, safaris in Africa, Wild Boar hunt in Texas, elk hunt in Montana, and on and on. Maybe you need some taxidermy work done? Craig Pearson (of Wildlife Images) donated two $500 gift certificates for taxidermy work. There is even some very nice stuff for the ladies including Swarovski jewelry and a diamond bracelet. You can check out the silent auction and live auction items that we will have on the ADA website. http://www.azdeer.org Come on guys....let's raise a bunch of money for wildlife projects!!! Only about two weeks left before the banquet. Amanda

Actually I was thinking of the one with the oars. I have heard lots of people say they LOVE them! Amanda

Congratulations! That's a nice bird. I have yet to get a tom with a bow. Amanda

I agree with Tony!! Float tubes are awesome. They even make the kind now that keep you up higher out of the water in case you don't want the classic type he has in his pic. Amanda

I think the next Extreme Coues is coming out perhaps later this summer (hopefully I am remembering what they told me right!). And, as far as I know there aren't any triplers available yet! I will email him to double check. Deadeye.....I am really sorry to hear you sold all your good cameras! We sure could use a guy like you out there making Coues videos! You did great work! Amanda

Yes, I see it! Still haven't seen one for myself yet this year, so I am jealous. Amanda

I was actually very happy about the extended squirrel season! I took that group of ladies squirrel hunting last year and some wanted to go back, but we couldn't find a time before the end of the season in Nov. I think that's some new opportunity. Amanda

I finally saw a sticker today! It was in globe on a tan truck. It's my first random sticker sighting (as in not at a friends house, or at a AGFD meeting or at the ISE show or wildlife work project). Yippee!! Who was it? You were out by Connies. Amanda

One of the other suggestions brought up at the commission meeting (I believe by McLean) was that since the dept is going to start requiring an email address from anyone who submits an application online, then the dept could email a survey to each hunter who was drawn. That email would make it easy to submit a response, but does nothing to increase honesty of reporting I suppose. Amanda

At the recent commission meeting, Commissioner Hernbrode brought up that he wants more precision in the harvest data (refering to how they figure out how many animals are harvested, ie survey cards). I think that's great, however he then said he did not believe mandatory reporting was necessary. I think all the sportsmen's groups already support mandatory reporting or would if given the opportunity. I know the AZ Deer Association supports it and Dick King of the AZ Bowhunters requested that at the meeting to no avail. And Dick has been arguing for mandatory reporting for years now. It appears that the commission and dept do not support mandatory reporting, but hunters do. Amanda

Whether the commission is receptive or dismissive seems to depend on whether you get up there to agree with them or to disagree with them. I was shocked to see how chairman mcclean treated ABA president Dick King at the meeting. It was very unprofessional in my opinion. However, when other groups like those from Audubon got up to thank the commission for something, they were very well received. I took video of the meeting, so you can can see for yourself. It will take me awhile to get it posted. Amanda

This part of the discussion came as the commissioners were giving guidance to the director as to what his goals should be for 2008. Mr. Hernbrode told the director he wants to see the dept increase deer and elk tags by 10% over the next two years. And Leonard Ordway got up to say he didn't see a problem with making that happen. Mr. Hernbrode also stated that the dept had achieved a 12% increase already in the last two years. And he also told the director that it was ok to fail on the new objective to increase tags by another 10%, but it was not ok to not try and find a way. Amanda

Sorry to be slow reporting back to you guys, but I stayed in PHX for another meeting on Sunday. Pete C. sent out a summary to some folks by email and I will just cut and paste it into here. Basically everything went through as proposed. From Pete: Yesterday at the Commission meeting the only significant change the Commission made to the department hunt recommendations was to reduce the number of permits in 13B. We had asked them to reduce the rifle permits to a total of 45 (-20) and establish the new archery hunt at no more than 30 (-15). Commissioner Martin made that recommendation and the vote was unanimous. The ABA did get the Commission to leave the hunt recommendations the same a last year in unit 3B and the 15 units. This involved some tinkering to make everything fit, minor stuff. Other that the deer recommendations went just as the department wanted. Most interesting was the effort by Commissioners Hernbrode and Martin to remove all of the multiple bag units for mountain lions. Another part of that same motion was for all units (statewide) to have the 9 month lion season instead of a year long season that the multiple bas units had. The motion failed 3 - 2 and the departments recommendation passed as presented. We are razor thin on this issue. It appears, if confirmed, Norman Freeman's position on lions will be a determining vote on future lion issues.

This past weekend I was up in Prescott teaching classes at the Becoming an Outdoorswoman workshop. We hold three of those workshops every year and the one in Prescott generally gets about 100 women per weekend. Classes include a huge variety of outdoor activities like flyfishing, hunting, birding, kayaking, rapelling, dutch oven cooking, and tons more. Anyway, one of the classes I taught was big game hunting and the ladies mentioned several things to me that I thought you guys should be aware of. Two of the ladies said they had the "hunting fever" for years and yet didn't have anyone to teach them about hunting. one said she got the "fever" from listening to guys at an archery shop talk about their hunting adventures. One lady grew up in a hunting family in Minnesota, but the guys in the family said hunting was NOT for women and they wouldn't take her out. Another lady said she once overheard some guys saying how they didn't want their wives to go along with them, so she was worried about asking other men about taking her hunting. I assured her that most male hunters are interested in helping others learn the sport and that includes women. So please, don't make me a liar and refuse to take a woman hunting. If you see a woman showing any interest, please, please do what you can to teach her about hunting. Can you imagine having the "fever" for years and not being able to go hunting because no one would help you? I know I wouldn't be the hunter I am today if a couple male friends of mine hadn't been nice enough to invite me along AND to make me feel welcome. For women who don't marry men who hunt, or don't grow up in a hunting family, there can be a huge barrier to get into the sport. I just saw an article in the paper (Republic?) saying that women hunters are growing fast in numbers. Please keep this going. Many of the women in my classes wanted to learn hunting so they could teach their children. Some of you might remember last fall when I took several women squirrel hunting. Some had never hunted at all and yet they were successful and LOVED it and want to go again this coming fall. So again...I plead with all you experienced hunters out there...if you know a woman who might be interested in hunting, invite her along! Amanda Photo of a nonhunter who became a hunter last fall and wants to teach her boys about hunting:

What are the dates of the trip? Perhaps you should combine it with the CW.com camping trip at Marshall Lake June 20-21? Amanda

From what I hear from guys that fish both lakes a lot, that is normal. San Carlos peaks before Roosevelt. I don't fish either enough to know for sure though. Amanda

Congrats Gino!! Glad you got to use your bow! That's awesome! Amanda

I will be there! Hope some others from here attend as well. It's worth it just to see how things operate and to view the attitude of the commission. Amanda

Congratulations Dewey!! Awesome job calling them in without a call!! Hey, I just realized I don't know your nickname....are you going to share that with us? Amanda

Loved that!! Thanks for posting that. Amanda