AZDirtyTaco

Did you mean to state 100 instead of 1,000 deaths? If you did mean to state 1,000, would you mind sharing where you received that info? Not intending to challenge your statement, but I think it's important to point out those figures differ from what is widely being published, from the CDC in particular - COVID-19: U.S. at a Glance* Total cases: 7,038 Total deaths: 97 Jurisdictions reporting cases: 54 (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands) * Data include both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported to CDC or tested at CDC since January 21, 2020, with the exception of testing results for persons repatriated to the United States from Wuhan, China and Japan. State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases. In the event of a discrepancy between CDC cases and cases reported by state and local public health officials, data reported by states should be considered the most up to date.

Anywhere that has the SilencerShop Kiosk is likely to be a good option and the Single Shot Trust is the way to go at only $25. The whole process is very easy with the kiosks and takes about 30min total, which is a fraction of the time it took for me to make the move (years). Many shops will allow you to run your can/s after purchase in their facility or at a scheduled time, calling it a conjugal visit - kinda funny. ATF cashed my check back in July and it's just been hurry up and wait since. I was hoping to be good to go for javi season but should be able to safely say that I'll have them by the Fall for deer. I went with the OMEGA .300 and an Osprey .22 by SilencerCo and I'm not sure exactly which one I'm more excited for. Can't speak to either other than look and feel at this stage. Hunting suppressed with the kids was had me finally make the investment. Total game changer them not having to fuss with the earplugs and then also being able to quietly communicate with them while setting up and through execution of the shot. Get on it while your interest is peaked and then forget that you just unloaded a wad of cash for a likely 7-12mo wait!

Man... Some of you dudes are some class acts to say the least of you. OP asks for advice on specific topics and the Judgement Trolls come crawling out from under the rocks. Y'all aren't as big of D's to the guys asking "where should I go hunt in ___ unit". I bet at least a few of you have backcountry etiquette that would make others sick. Bunch of dang Nancy's. LonePine - lots of good advice in between the nonsense trolling here. Working with a partner is tough tough, but practice will make a world of difference as several have mentioned. Keep it up and consider it a small victory to just have an opportunity to put a stalk on!

Holy schmokes man! Awesome bull and way to pull it out in the clutch!

West side of 6A was lighting up on Sat evening about 8pm till 3am! It was awesome hearing the action, listening to locations of the bugles and comparing to the sound to all of my dropped pins for rubs! Hard work was paying off. Bulls were progessively getting more aggressive and the bugles were almost nonstop Sat night after a very slow start. FINALLY! The moment we all lose sleep over in anticipation - the rut was on!!! THEN at 3:00am all went quiet in the house when not a single bull could be heard snoring till, Mooooooo... Mooooooo... Mooooooo.... A heard of cattle got dropped and shut then place down like a light switch got flipped. Haven't heard a bugle at night since and the bulls I've been working have gone deeper in the canyons and quiet. There's a few head of cattle in every canyon, every meadow and hillside for 100 square miles. Love me some cows!!! Keep getting after it to those still working hard to make it happen. 4th quarter on deck!

Will you take $150?

Super sucky roads and that rim road is among the worst around and gets flat ugly with any weather. It'll break the spirit of even a new truck with a novice driver behind the wheel. I haven't been on a couple of the roads you mentioned, but that whole part of the unit is nothing but mean on a rig and not a place to venture without a reliable 4x4. As already mentioned, best off with an ATV/UTV to spare your vehicle. Helluva 1st time draw for the kid!!! A lot of the local herd has moved out of the area but there are still some fantastic bulls hanging around back in there. Which tag did he draw?

I appreciate your organization and all that contribute do to collaborate on all of the important projects. You've certainly pointed out a few and deserve full credit. It does not, however, change the reality of what is truly happening out there and the fact that there are more ranchers breaking those rules and agreements that were so hard to reach. If you've spent time in any of the wildernesses that have been mentioned here and have nothing but generic responses in defense... I'm sorry, but that is a tell to me that there's more to your partnerships than what meets the eye. These are the hard truths the outside world are seeing and maybe why it's so dang easy for the anti's to gain so much traction in the court of public opinion. Be offended all you want and aim your defenses at me, but I am just the dude that will say it. Edit: You can throw in the obligatory teardown by calling those that disagree with your POV "so called sportsman", and I'll again refrain from the tit for tat. I've never related to that title and you can have it to yourself. I consider myself more of an "outdoorsman" anwho...

I'll pass on the tit for tat petty name calling. Says a lot about who you are and it is very consistent with your point of view. Well played Sir. To be clear, and since you've either missed or not read my initial post on this thread: Bar X is NOT the ranch that I take issue with. Far from it based on what I've read here. Bar X is the exception and not the rule is my point. Now carry on with your denial about what is truly happening in our wildernesses and closed-minded statements.

I feel you couldn't be more wrong if you have directed that statement toward me. If I were to take pictures and share them the next time I'm out in any of the wilderness areas I frequent, you wouldn't be able to hold a candle to that statement. Believe me, you don't want that if you are an advocate for cattle on public land... My best guess is you either don't spend time in the backcountry (>1,000yds from the 4x4), are affiliated with the industry, or have your drinkin goggles on as it relates to this conversation. Fact of the matter is that your attitude is what will hands-down lose this fight to maintain our rights as hunters and unfortunately there are many with similar attitudes that don't know how to practice 'leave no trace' ethics and prefer to throw every can of Copenhagen, beer can and bottle in the fire pits that they leave behind. Far too many of these types in the old guard hunting culture. Say what you will about those infamous organizations everyone loves to hate, but they are FAR better at caring for the land than the average hunter. Feel free to take aim - READY GO!!! Lol There isn't anything hippie or Cali about protecting the environment and preserving what we still have for future generations. It's about living responsibly and sharing the resources we all enjoy.

I don't like to talk too much of that area on the interweb for selfish reasons. I'll only mention it for the purpose of speaking the truth about cattle and there impact. But if you've been out there, you know what's out there and it would make you sick to see what has happened to all of the springs and vegetation. It is/was truly a gem of a place and unique. The wildlife and fauna in there is nothing like it once was.

Double T Ranch owners should be ol' school tarred and feathered publicly for what they have done out there. I've spent a lot of days and nights in that wilderness over the past 5-6yrs. It's only occasionally that I will see another soul more than 1/2mi from the primary trailhead used. Trust me when I say - it ain't the hikers.

Pine Mt is the worst case I've seen - cattle stretch the wilderness end to end, Hellsgate in the past (haven't been out there in a few years), North end of the Superstitions near Rogers Trough area, is what comes to mind without digging too deep. I spend a bunch of time in 20B out the Bradshaws and though not wilderness, lot's of disheartening stuff going there as well. I have honestly yet to see grazing not overlap wilderness where ranchers have leases butting up. Fence lines are almost always not kept intact, particularly when in-line with access to water. Coincidence...???

CowPow Pest Infestation Removal Pro's.... Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

These are the questions everyone should be asking even if their eyes can't see what is really happening out there. I would love to see the evidence and facts to support what you've relayed. Logic tells me your intel is probably very close to the truth of the matter.

Isn't this all a bit on the selfish side when we as hunters look at very real issues like this through such a narrow hunting lense? Wouldn't we be much better off and more closely aligned with the rest of the 'greenies', conservatives, etc. if we didn't just see public land in such a hunting centric way? If the land doesn't support more game as a result of us as humans managing it in as close to a natural state as possible given current understanding, technology, and what have you... than that's just the way it outta be in my opinion. If the number of tags and hunter opportunity drops than so be it. It would certainly be a bummer no doubt, but that won't stop me, my family and friends from adventuring into the backcountry and spending time where we always have and long before my hunting journey ever began. I backpack a fair amount and many of my favorite natural riprarian areas that are sensitive to such large populations of cattle and non-native species are getting decimated. There are several wilderness areas I used to be able to take a nice soak and a drink right from the spring and now they are all too often infested with fecal matter and urine and barely filterable due to the cattle being moved in. Places many of you reading this don't see unless you're truly in the backcountry and miles away from your vehicles, ATV's and UTV's. I see it almost everywhere I go and that cattle are present. Some of those places will come back in time if given the chance and others, well... might not be so fortunate. I'm not an anti-cattle person though it may come across that way. I'm pro-wildlife and would love to see better utilization and management of public lands. There are plenty of other more suitable places in the country to raise cattle.

Respectfully, I don't believe that to be the case though. When I see the landscape underneath cattle and how devastated our very sensitive ecosystems become after falling victim... I just can't see the difference. The majority of AZ, in my opinion, is just not well suited to support cattle on the scale required for ranchers to make a profit. I would have no problem eliminating beef from my diet if it meant our public lands would be rid of them.

It's always a bit surprising to see how much support the cattle ranchers get on this site. Based on what has been said in this thread, Bar X Ranch appears to be doing it the right way and I would love to see more ranches follow the same model. It's my experience that Bar X is more of the exception than the rule when it comes to the stewardship described, however. I am of the opinion that our public lands would be far better off without cattle on them, in the same way that they would be better without the donkeys and feral horses. The irony I have observed is that a lot of folks that support cattle on our lands have a polar opposite view on the donkeys and feral horses, though their impact on the land and the wildlife is identical. I've seen some of the most beautiful wilderness and backcountry I know around the state get turned into a near post-apocalyptical landscape as a result of irresponsible grazing and ranchers that reflect an attitude of entitlement instead.

Only shame here is that they are only 4.3%... DOH!!!

They didn't steal your cams or damage them... Sounds like a win to me.

Has anyone been back to the crossing taking the Southern route and crossing over the Verde below Horseshoe within the past 30 days or so? Looking to head back there this weekend and know Horseshoe Lake is still being drained. Cave Creek Ranger station advised that the dam is releasing at 750cfs which is closer to the higher end of being able to pass the second river crossing in something other than Bigfoot if I recall correctly. Hoping for some early intel before making the trek.

I've been going out that way over 20 years now and I'm pretty sure we used to have a relatively easy go with anything other than stock rigs in the 600 range. I was back there a lot more frequently way back when though and am not as confident with the varied conditions as I used to be. Got an itch to get out there, but not bad enough to take Bloody Basin or 24...

I didn't want to read your piece before having a few minutes to really read it. Good stuff and beautiful family man! Sounds like a lot of us with a ton of great memories stacking up one after the next. Keep em' rolling and thanks for sharing!

I know it's all but the inevitable if the line is as close and I'm splitting hairs, but that appears to be right on the edge. Still a chance!

Nice update. A lot of good would come from that surrounding area getting a good burn that doesn't take out the old growth and sterilize the ground. A couple of the biggest junipers I've ever seen are back in there.