Snapshot

I agree, but the current formula of any state or federal level government is to take something simple and complicate it as much as possible.

I am not a fan of the wolf program, but I won't get into that. I think with the way the economy is going, that we may see other wildlife and nature programs that suffer from lack of federal funding, I hope not . But with the way Arizona government is sweeping funds from other departments, who knows????

Where's my Scooby snack?

http://www.snakebite.net/Idahos.htm Check it out. They have 12" & 16" nightcrawler type worms.

Briefly, the dust trap consists of a coated angel-food cake pan painted black on the outside and mounted on a post about 2 m above the ground. Glass marbles rest on a circular piece of galvanized hardware cloth (now replaced by stainless-steel mesh), which is fitted into the pan so that it rests 3-4 cm below the rim. The 2-m height eliminates most saltating sand-sized particles. The marbles simulate the effect of a gravelly fan surface and prevent dust that has filtered or washed into the bottom of the pan from being blown back out. The dust traps are fitted with two metal straps looped in an inverted basket shape; the top surfaces of the straps are coated with a sticky material that effectively discourages birds from roosting. NPS Photo by Neal Herbert Using bundt cake pans filled with marbles, dust is collected at five different locations in Canyonlands. Dust storms have long been associated with erosion of topsoil, poor air quality and other harmful effects. In March of this year, a dust storm from the Gobi Desert in northwest China cast much of southeast Asia in a pallid gloom as airports canceled flights and health officials warned people to carry umbrellas and wash when they returned home. Residents of Utah faced similar storms in April. But dust isn’t all bad: scientists working in Canyonlands have discovered that airborne dust can be extremely beneficial to the area in which it falls. Any local gardener will agree that it’s a miracle anything grows in Canyonlands without the advantage of compost, manure and daily irrigation. Despite natural obstacles like extreme temperatures and lack of water, native plants endure, even surprising visitors with their abundance. Airborne dust may be one reason for this success. As much as 30% of the soil in Canyonlands may have arrived as airborne dust. Dust can be distinguished from other sediments because it differs in mineral and chemical composition from nearby bedrock, the only other source of soil-building material in many areas. According to lab results, dust both introduces new elements and enriches many others consumed by plants. For example, dust doubles the amount of phosphorous and manganese, triples the amount of sodium, and more than quadruples the amount of magnesium in the soil. Imagine food falling from the sky, filling your fridge and three others just like it. It’s a virtual feast for the plant community. Examining new elements helps identify potential dust sources, though naming exact origins remains impossible. Given the right conditions, dust can travel halfway around the world, and frequently does. A Gobi Desert storm last year crossed the Pacific and sprinkled tons of Asian dust from California to Florida. It was the largest storm ever recorded, and noticeably affected visibility in Canyonlands as it passed. Most dust destined for Canyonlands probably originates in the American Southwest. The Mojave, Great Basin and Sonoran deserts are all upwind of the park, and recent satellite images have recorded dust plumes traveling from the Mojave to the Canyonlands area. Soil profiles in Canyonlands indicate a change in sources during the past several decades, so it’s possible that human modifications like farming, grazing, military testing, urban development and water diversions have made the Mojave more prone to erosion. Not surprisingly, the Gobi has witnessed many of the same activities. Soil loss can be devastating to the ecosystem in which it occurs, and the newly airborne nutrients only benefit soils that can retain them. In Canyonlands, this job falls to biological soil crust, a living groundcover and efficient dust trap found throughout the park. The lumpy, irregular surface of healthy crusts combs dust particles from the air and shelters them. When it rains, bacteria living in the crust actually bind the dust particles to existing soils in a sticky, fibrous web. While it can withstand wind, the flattening impact of feet or wheels crushes crust back into dust, which may float away on the next breeze. More importantly, the formation of healthy soil crust requires up to half a century. Protecting park soils is a small but significant step every visitor can take. Stay on roads and trails, and hike on rock or in sandy washes during any off-trail explorations. And don’t forget, the soil under your shoes may have traveled all the way from China.

The sad thing is that it is very hard to prove a food poisoning case. You got teenage workers that don't care if they pick their nose or wash their hands and then make a pizza afterward When I went through my ordeal I was ready to sue everyone right down to that stinkin cows offspring

Marble cake?

Scottyboy, I feel your pain man, and that really stinks. Awhile back my wife brought some roast beef home from the deli and I was the only one who ate it, and it didn't taste or look right. 2 hours later I was in bad shape and thought I was going to have to go to ER, but I agonized instead and was ill for 3 days. You just never know with fast food. Hope your recovered!

I think the regular archery elk season usually starts the second Friday of September.

Looks to me like the driver of the car got out and took off. Any news on the people that got hit?

There is usually a flurry of E-scouters right after the draw and right before the hunts start so it could be any day now.

Ditto.

Thats awesome Terry. Good to see the youngsters having a good time and taking some fine animals. Big kudo's to you and the ADA for helping.

Thats great! It is good to see people coming together to help, even in these tough economic times. I hope things work out for him and his health.

We were buzzing around the area on the quads and forgot to shoot Casey with the camera. I will get a shot of him in the "Grong" next trip out.

I was wondering how you guys would do today. When I got up this morning it was very cool and clear out, seemed like a perfect scouting day.

Casey, I warned you that you would ruin a perfectly good photo by putting me in it.

I like it! Nice flock of turkey too!

Pretty cool. Finding good skulls and petroglyphs as well. gotta love it!

I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone asked me "did you catch anything"?, I'll just tell them "yeah I caught me a nice deer", goof thing I brought a rope instead of a rifle. That area you were in has a small herd of Antelope with a few nice bucks, I took some pictures of them last year when I was in there. Will you be able to post some pictures at some point?

Camping is wide open in unit 27. Even though there are only 4 main roads through the unit, Highway 191, Juan miller, and upper/lower eagle creek and the road into the blue river drainage, there are many places to camp. Strayhorse is at the base of the Mogollon rim and there are whitetail east and west of there along the face and down into strayhorse canyon, tighten those boot laces if you hunt from strayhorse or up from Blue River. A good place to camp off of Juan Miller is at Cow Canyon where it meets the road, you can head south from there into good country. The Gravel pits a little north of Mitchell /Grays' peak is a good place to camp, but you will have lots of company. If I say too much more the locals and Unit 27 guys/gals will tar and feather me, so I will leave the rest up to you. Good Luck!

Nice buck. It's good to see the younger generation out there hunting and taking some quality bucks.

Awesome buck, and still in velvet! Great trophy for the young man.

I have shot many mule deer in 27 over the years, and have just started whitetail hunting up there. Like Scott said, you have to find the pockets of them, because they are not as spread out as the mule deer. I have seen whitetail all the way up on top of the rim, but if you glass the canyons along Highway 191 from Morenci up to Blue Vista you should find one if you are patient. I have seen most whitetail in the heads of canyons and on the ridges leading down from them usually between 6000-8000'. I would love to give you specific spots, but the good areas I have found are few and far between and were found by alot of hard hiking. Here is what G&F has to say: White-tailed Deer Overview: Unit 27 is home to a diversity of landscapes. The elevation runs from 3,500 feet at Clifton to 9,300 feet at the Mogollon Rim. The unit then slopes to 8,000 feet at Alpine. Going north on Hwy 191, you pass through several vegetation zones. The area around Clifton is semi-desert, followed by chaparral, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, and spruce-fir at the Rim. Proceeding towards Alpine, you go through mixed conifers and ponderosa pine. All the area north of the Rim is high pine country. Unit 27 offers several opportunities to hunt white-tailed deer throughout the year. Archery hunters can pursue deer with a non-permit tag during the August-September hunt or again in January. Unit 27 also offers a juniors-only hunt during the Columbus Day weekend. Finally, general firearms hunters can hunt during the end of October or, for the lucky few, during the last half of December during the rut. Refer to the current regulations booklet for specific hunt dates. Vehicle access north of the Mogollon Rim is abundant. The area has numerous two-track roads, as well as some main roads that are periodically maintained. All are open for travel, except those that are posted as closed by the Forest Service. The area has several developed campgrounds, and camping in undeveloped sites is allowed everywhere, unless posted as "No Camping." Please obey all rules and regulations. Do not litter, and leave a clean camp. Vehicle access south of the Rim is limited. The only paved roads are Hwy 191, which runs in a south-north axis from Clifton to Alpine. Another is Hwy 78 in the southern part of the unit. This highway also forms part of the unit’s southern boundary. There are three other maintained dirt roads; Forest Road (FR) 475 (Juan Miller), FR 217 (Upper Eagle Creek), and FR 515. FR 475 runs east from Hwy 191 to the Blue River. FR 217 goes from Hwy 191 west then north to Honeymoon Campground. FR 515 is a new four-wheel drive road going from Hwy 191 to FR 217 in Eagle Creek. FR 515 is a 4X4-only hunter access road built by the Forest Service using an Arizona Game and Fish Heritage Grant. It is advisable to acquire an Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest map. All roads and trails can be easily located on the map. Due to elevation differences, weather can vary. Snow is not uncommon during the deer hunt. During the late elk and whitetail hunts, deep snow is common at the higher elevations. Rivers and washes can reach flood stage in a short period of time. Be prepared for any kind of weather. Areas: The largest whitetail deer population in Unit 27 is around the Mitchell Peak / Grey's Peak area, along the southern face of the Mogollon Rim. Hunters report good numbers of deer in this area. In particular, some quality deer are found in the areas around Strayhorse Canyon and Raspberry Canyon. All the areas east and west of the highway and down towards the larger canyons coming off the Mogollon Rim offer good whitetail hunting. This country is rough and steep, and vehicle access is very limited. Hwy 191 runs between Mitchell and Grey's Peak, and climbs the Mogollon Rim at Blue Vista. The Big Lue Mountains are located on the southern edge of Unit 27. There is fair to good whitetail hunting here. These mountains are in what is commonly known as the Mule Creek area. Again, vehicle access is limited. Access north of the Big Lues is by Hwy 78. FR 212 will get you north of the Big Lues. Vegetation is pinyon-juniper with some open grassland. Robinson Mesa and Hot Air Canyon have a whitetail deer herd that is increasing in numbers. It can be accessed via FR 217, then by trail #37. The shortest access from Hwy 191 is from Sheep Saddle using trail #16. Vegetation is pinyon-juniper, oak thickets, and chaparral. The area is very brushy, but there are plenty of trails.

I just spent an hour down at Antlerdog's (Jim) place, I live right down the street. Man, I have never seen such an awesome and astounding collection of Coues mounts and sheds in my entire life. It was truly incredible. Jim, you da man!