MT_Sourdough

B.S. The Feds aren't "taking over" although the Arizona Game and Fish would impose that rhetorical language. The Grand Canyon is plum full of uranium. A Canadian company has their heart set at getting at that uranium and has been fighting with the Feds to open mines. Right now, there are 39 locations that are targeted by so called "stakeholders" for prospective mines and there is a deep desire by mining interests to explore for more. The international market for uranium has gone up over 800% over the last decade and that has fueled the debate over mining in the areas on the north rim and south rim around the park. The AZGFD is not on the side of sportsman and fisherman with this issue. In fact, when they link this issue with the Utah effort to take over federal private lands for private interests. With the rise in value of natural resources, the pressure will continue to grow for federal land holdings to be transferred over to private interests to "access" those resources. As sportsman, the national monument wont stop hunting or hinder our access. This issue is directly related to the efforts to get at the value of the Natural resources. If access is lost, it will be at the hands of those interests, not as a result of National monument designation. For example, look at the Agua Fria National Monument. We can hunt and camp and do whatever in a national monument. The only limit in a national monument is upon it's destruction. The rise of Asian economies is going to continue and therefor the value of natural resources will rise with them, If the area is turned into National Monument, the result would prevent mining companies of defeating the Feds in the courts in the Feds efforts to prevent the Grand Canyon from becoming a mining operation all around it. The mines wouldn't hire a lot of people and will not have much of a benefit for Arizona's economy, but when big money talks. This is all part of a bigger story. This is a direct challenge to the Feds efforts to maintain public lands in the west. Our wide open public lands are under severe threat in the west. As long as market prices continue to rise for natural resources, and they will, then this is going to be a long fight to preserve the wide open spaces that defines the west. The very lands that we hunt on can be lost to "NO TRESPASSING" signs if we sportsman and westerners fail to recognize what is going on here. Our beloved Game and Fish aren't with us and are using lies and rhetorical language to distort the issue. Personally, I am deeply bothered by Arizona's Game and Fish depts position on this issue. They are NOT on the side of us sportsman. They are, in fact, trying to hide the truth that they are representing interests that are counter to their mission.

Based on what I discovered last year in those units, do not dismiss the timber areas. I saw huge herds in the timber. Them javelina look like little russian boars when they are running through the timber.

I just happened to see two cow elk in there this morning. I frequent the northern area of the unit. The north section has a lot of roads but not a lot of hunters , ATV or otherwise. The problem is, the animals are few and far between, plus the critters have large ranges in that area. I'd post a pic of some cow elk that I captured with a game cam a couple of days ago, but I left my SD card with all the pics in one of my cameras.

Your pics remind me of some pics from this weekend. Buck withright side gone chasing a doe.

twowindy, I have no doubt that you are capable of placing your shot in an area where a 25gr 17cal bullet will be effective. I wonder, if the G&F allows that round, would all of the hunters using that round be effective as you. Then again, I do not have a lot of faith in others using handguns without adequate handgun proficiency. I know when I was growing up on a ranch in Montana, I'd use a 22lr to drop a 2yr old steer when it came time to butcher a beef.

Thanks guys. I feel better knowing my tag didn't end up round filed.

I am just trying find out if it is possible that I accidently threw it out in the mountain of junkmail that I get this time of year. It makes sense that if they were mailed when I understood they would, that it should have been here already. I am in no rush for the actual tag, but I am concerned by the possibility of having accidentally tossed it. Thats all.

Has anybody received their tags in the mail yet?

site crashed. yikes. I think they are clinically insane, because it's the same thing every time. Well, site was back up after I posted. 19A general stink pig.

I want to mention that pretty much everything I posted is already part of Arizona's published data. Heck, you've ended up getting more good advice than just about anybody posting that question at this forum since I have been lurking around it. What everybody says is true about persistence is key. I hunted most my life in Montana, but I had a hard time seeing the deer in the desert when I moved to Arizona. I knew the deer were there and I knew I was just not seeing them. I've have worn out three pairs of hunting boots and few pairs of light hikers in the few years I have been hunting here. These rocks chew right through leather and rubber. The truth is, I'll never get as good at this game as many of the folk here at Coues Whitetail. Some serious hunting knowledge and talent here. My difficulty starts with the fact that it is hard for me to sit and glass for a long time. I have gotten better at seeing deer in the desert, but my biggest cause for increased deer sightings is due to the fact that I now live and hunt in the middle of the state where deer are easier to spot. Yea, I thought I knew how to hunt. Arizona humbled me. I feel lucky to have been able to experience hunting here. The sense of discovery can be so strong that you can forget that you are hunting.

I am no expert, but I decided that I'll share what little I know. Unit 21 is north of Phoenix. You can get the over the counter tag for that unit. The areas I know are North of Cave Creek-Seven Springs area. All them hills from the Bronco Trail Head up to Humboldt mtn are covered with Muleys and Coues. Look for the Muleys on the slopes from top to bottom and the Coues are usually on top. Glass both sides of the road. but I prefer the east side. The area has deer all up along the ridges up and beyond Seven Springs area. Another area in 21 is south of Bloody Basin road in the Perry Mesa area. There are deer in the hills coming off Brooklin Peak and Hutch Mesa all the way down to the bottom of the Agua Fria. During hunting season, you are not as likely to find the deer in the middle of the mesa, but rather in the foothills to the east or in the Agua Fria Canyon and off-shoot canyons. Where you choose to hunt may be decided by what kind of rig you have or if you have an ATV. If you do not have a good off road rig, then north of Cave Creek is a better option. If you have a decent 4x4 or an ATV, then it's all good all over. Basically. Bloody Basin Rd from Interstate 17 all the way down Cave Creek is all good. PM me and I will be glad to give more details that I have accrued through all my valuable time I spent enjoying this beautiful area over the last few years.. Heck. I'll even give you a heads up about the triple s. in case you aren't familiar.

It's getting hard to finish a thread in this forum. All I hear is wha, wha, wha. And bitter responses from people who feel privileged. You all need a hankey?

Lessons learned. No good deed shall go unpunished. & To heck with brotherhood or community, just get the govt. involved and stay on the safe side.. Thanks

Are they baiting? To me, they look like they are picking mushrooms, but I don't know.

Make the kid write 1,000 times " I will always know the legal hunting/shooting regulations before I ever squeeze the trigger." Tell him to pick up trash in the AZG&F parking lot and tell him to be safe out there, pat him on the back and send him on his way. I guess I am just an old softy. I sho hope I dident misspale anyting.

So I drew my first Arizona elk tag as I successfully drew a 3085 limited opportunity antlerless tag. I am new to this area and have made my first "look-see" jaunts into the units last week. I do not have a hunting partner around here and I would like to combine efforts with another hunter who has the same tag. I am going to be scouting all summer and fall. We could do some scouting trips together and share reports from other scouting trips. . Then when the time comes, we could combine our efforts in filling tags and packing out. Anyways, if any 3085 tag holders are interested in combining efforts, pm me and we can talk. Thanks Scott

I would like to see that commode with a set of axles and a quiet 4 stroke. It would need some serious scent control though. Some smells could make wind change direction.

I set up my first camera on Monday afternoon and checked it this morning. I got just one jvelina pic, but it is exciting to me.

Some healthy muley bucks in 19a this year for sure. Thought the dry winter would mess it up, but we got rain in the first week of July and life has been good in 19a since. It aint hard to find coues in the unit, but it's a better unit for muley headbone in my opinion.

I think the bull in the last pic is telling the paparazzi to kiss his _ _s.

checked my cam and thought I'd share a couple of highlights

Yeah, I am planning an overnight scouting trip, but I had to move my plans back a week because it looks like rain 6 days straight.

looks like he is already changing color phase. Where the aspens turning yet? Oh'yea, congratulations on a very nice muley.

impressive

Thanks for the replies. The Mountain is not Elder, but I am north and I am seeing more javelina than I thought I would see in this area. , Biggest javi herds I have yet to see. In the thick timber they look like little Russian Boars.