Edge

Here's what I think happened, it's pretty boring compared to some of the theories . Fire on board, communications capabilities lost. Pilot turns back and takes the plane up to 45,000 to extinguish the fire. Navigation systems fried, pilot is using celestial navigating and looking for a suitable landing spot. None found, eventual splash.

The transponders are onboard and squawking for the safety of the aircraft. But that transponder signal had to relate to a specific aircraft (tail numbers), on a preapproved and filed corresponding flight plan. Here's how it worked at NORAD decades ago when I was a young buck. Airman stood at a mostly coastal map of the US that was the size of a theater screen. The 26th Air Defense entailed the airspace from El Paso TX to Vancouver, BC. Every blip that occurred on that radar map that was heading in to US airspace, had a cursor placed on it. Instantly a window would appear giving the aircrafts speed, heading and elev. All aircraft coming into our airspace must have a flight plan on file and the planes ID will show up in that window when interrogated. No flight plan, no tail numbers appearing in the box, the nearest fighter interceptors are launched to make a visual, friend or foe. Not sure what the protocol was as far as the decision deciding on forcing the offending aircraft down or splashing it.

Thanks for the kind words. But when I compare my stint in the service to others, I'm truly humbled. My kids too have served, son is a marine combat vet and daughter retrieved wounded marines off the field in Iraq. They are my heroes.

Looks like the topic been pretty well covered here. My 2nd deer kill was well over 400 yards when I was just a kid, and I'd take that shot again today. I was so accurate with that Win. Model 88 that it felt like an extension of my arm. But what differentiates me from a lot of hunters is, I will track an animal for as long as it takes (so far have only had to track others wounded animals). If you decide you are capable of that long, long shot, it takes a commitment. Once an animal is hit, you'd better consider it yours. Don't relent in it's pursuit, and the thought of taking a more convenient animal that may present itself along the way, should never enter into the equation. My uncle was a punk and highly unethical. Once when I was a kid hunting in the White Mountains, the mule deer were migrating. The uncle already had a small buck but got so excited as I was preparing a shot, that he took my rifle and shot at a big buck, hitting him low in the gut. My dad kicked his brothers butt and sent him home crying. Me, dad and another backwoodsman tracked that buck for two days. But on the third day, the coyotes had been tracking him also and tore him apart. As for my uncle? Recently learned the old fart just had a mastectomy. Yes, I spelled that right. Karma?

My dad would be proud, Sir. He grew up in the depression in W. PA and he has shared his love of squirrel pot pie with me on many occasion. Back when we were deer hunting together, he'd want to tag the first deer so he could spend the rest of the hunt shooting squirrel.

Headlines: Rare Squirrel Made Rarer Rare Squirrel Found by Nut Endangered Squirrel No More Nut and Squirrel Clash Protected Squirrel Needed Protection

HAha, ol Mike is a good guy but why the trepidation? He's got good insurance and I'll keep him covered with my 12ga. Oh and there's always a roll of vet wrap and bag balm in my saddle bags. No guts no glory. Or is it, Lots of Guts, Lots of Gory?

never heard of El Corral. Growing up in Tucson, always went to OK Corral or Pinnacle Petes when we wanted to embarrass someone.

Now we just need you to put your big boy pants on and use the caller at night. So you might get mauled a little, but the pay offs could be big, too.

most likely the horse, mules atract wild game wild and gamey for sure

Should be titled 'First Time E Calling' We did some calling a while ago with a hand held blower and though I poured my heart and soul into the caller and had to wipe away tears to look thru my rifle scope, nothing came in but a couple scared hikers. Got to wonder if having horse and mule tied up below our stand made a difference.

problem is, if they're headed to Mexico, they don't need to use the port of entry. Traffickers own land on both sides of the border. Had a friend from Mexico want to buy some horses from me and told him the vet fees and paperwork would be a nightmare. Not so, he said. Got a brother with a ranch on both sides of the border and they would just walk them across. They didn't need no stinking papers.

I know who has the best steaks in town, me. Below is Moorak Obrahma, and I can't wait to smell his ribeyes grilling over a mesquite fire. He and his buddies will be served up next winter as we host outback trail rides and cook gourmet meals. It's like having steaks in the sticks. https://www.facebook.com/DinnerandaRide Far as brick and mortar goes, Monti's steaks are corn and grass fed beef flown in from Nebraska. Just don't get caught taking any silverware. Michael Monti is a third degree blackbelt in the American Kenpo Karate Assoc. Last time he and I squared off on the mat, his warrior face alone was rather unsettling

It was a big, big bobcat and he's still out there. When I first saw him coming in, I thought I was looking at a young lion. His stubby tail must have been 8-10" long. That partial daytime pic and the night time pics of the cat at the water tank were taken in the same spot, but they are 2 different kitties.

Anyone been out to the Agua Fria since the rain let up? I'm looking to get some horses across it if there aint too much flow or mud.

In case anyone cares, me and Mike the MulePackHuntere guy are good buds, but I wish he'd stop smiling whenever my horse goes to buckin' Was reminded of a cool resource in the event your plans include any river crossings... http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis

I earned my stripes as a USAF Meteorologist but in my private time, I did climatology studies for private companies including what is now Morton's Salt, searching for practical brine evaporation locales in the southwest like we have here in Glendale. We have such little empirical data to go by, the suggestion of Man Made Global Warming evidence makes me throw up in my mouth. We have been keeping weather data for only a couple hundred years. We can look at tree rings and take polar ice core samples, but it will only produce a smidgen of data from this planets long, long history and it only serves to prove the earth's climate cycles with or without us. This being said, we need to conserve what water we have here in the DESERT, and keep finding new ways to reserve water for the future. Look at your water bill sometime and ask yourself why you need tens of thousands of gallons per month?

They were about to try this protected area thing in western WA with the lynx. Then the wildlife biologist was caught planting lynx hair where there were no lynx.

After seeing all that, did ya wake up with your pants down around your boots and have an overwhelming sense of certain foreboding? Besides I want to get horses across the river safely, wouldn't even attempt it on a muuuule.

Well done.

So how did the trigger job turn out, shoot the AR yet?

Well done.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you CAN lion hunt in the area, just can't pursue with hounds.

Ha, they were so common in UT where I lived, I saw 5 in one day, two of which were kittens in my yard.. Had tons of red fox, too. On a blacktail hunt in north central WA in 1997, watched a lynx go after shrews in the snow. Don't recall if they were protected at the time. Passed on them all.

I'm not a prolific reader at all, so was very surprised to find I had read over half the books on the list, and most of the books chimed in by our members. Although many of the contemporary classics I was forced to digest at the point of a public school principal's paddle. I ask you Lennie, George, Curley, what list of great 'man book's doesn't include Steinbeck's, 'Of Mice and Men'? It even has MEN in the title! And if you thought you had problems packing for your next hunt, read about Napoleon's logistical nightmares invading Russia in William Seymour's, ' Decisive Factors In Twenty Great Battles of the World' Feeding Napoleon's war machine ponies alone meant hauling and feeding 3,000,000 pounds of fodder per day along the route. Hey, now that's a lot of hay! Now try to feed 3/4 of a million men.....? One of the best books I have ever read was 'Marine Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills' by Charles Henderson. It's the story of the legendary SSgt Carlos Hathcock's exploits in Viet Nam. Every person I've ever loaned the book to (including my dear ol' mum), has read it non-stop, unable to put it down.