muskrat

That's next :-) Jeff - You were even mentioned in there

www.vortexoptics.com Look at the warranty Binos were just awarded "Best of the Best" in Field and Stream

Now that all of the big game tags are hitting (or have hit) the mailboxes, we thought it would be a good time to get our info out there to the public. Please pass along as you see fit.

So, I'm in Sportsman's Warehouse today. looking for an archery target. Wife was with me, marveling at all the stuff. I wander back to the archery counter, look at Cody the skater-dude, and say "Guy named Christian work here?". Kid replies "Wow.. dude... he used to, but yesterday was his last day". Last time I go lookin to meet a real internet person...

Yes, I read it this morning...

Thanks Keith. My hunch is that, for organizations that already have functioning websites and someone to update them, this won't be much benefit. On the other hand, if an organization has no website, or no one to keep theirs updated, this will work well. You don't need to be a web-guru to post stuff. Log in, go to "Write a Post", type it in, and hit "publish".

Wasn't sure where to put this so I stuck it here. As many of you know, I have an online blog. That blog is part of a national network of blogs, e-magazines, message boards, etc. I was asked yesterday by the National Marketing Director if I thought any of the Arizona Conservation groups (AES, ADBSS, ADA etc.) would be interested in having their own blog site, within our network. We would build their site and provide at no cost. They could then post news, announcements, photos, etc., as they wished. They also get the benefit of belonging to a pretty big network which is growing steadily. We had about 2.5-3 million hits last month, network-wide. If any of you belong to any of these groups, or know someone that does - and they might be interested, have them contact me via PM on the board, or via e-mail muskrat89 AT gmail.com Marshall

Thanks Tony!!

Sorry for the "necro-post" but I wanted to mention that based on Doug's recommendation here last year, I bought those IPI Managers and LOVE the system...

That won't rid the onus of the special tags that have seemingly become perverted by egos and greed. What we wind up with is possibly another incident like the one that just happened. Plus, I'm not keen on any sort of voluntary contribution because that gets away from the "everybody pays" concept and will make the total revenue for each species an unknown commodity from year to year. In contrast, the number of applicants usually stay within a predictable range. -TONY Agreed...

Hmmm - how about tag applicants have the option to pay a $5 surcharge for each species. After the draw, all of the 5$ "donators" that didn't draw a tag, go into a drawing for a "super raffle" type tag.... Anyway, as usual Tony offers food for thought. I think maybe the time has come to think out of the box when it comes to raising extra money...

Well, I have a new rifle - Remington semi-auto .30-06 that my wife bought me for my birthday last year. I topped that with a new 3.5-10x50 Vortex scope. I have a new (to me) .22-250 bought from a friend. I need a new pair of boots, and am leaning towards Danner Pronghorns. Will be picking those up this month.

This is one of my favorites too. I admit though, TLH has worked wonders at AZOD, and the 3 amigos do a great job with AZSJ. Don't forget though, there is a new "other" site... small, but cozy www.arizonahuntingtoday.com/forum When we created our forum, we took the best principles from the main AZ sites, and tried to emulate that, while still being a little different

No. One of the things they brought me on board for was to help generate timely press releases. We're still working out the kinks. On a separate, but related note, I did convince my Blog Network (Skinny Moose Media) to help HOAL on a national level. End result - a donation of about $14K in advertising... http://arizonahuntingtoday.com/desertrat/?p=276

Tony - Check your e-mail (I also posted a list on the OWF awhile back)

A great group, to be sure!

Doug - PM sent Drew a 34A tag last year. Didn't fill it, but we (my daughter and I) had some does walk past us...

Holy moley!

117 5/8 Thanks for the contest!

35A November Coues 33/37B archery pig woo hooooo

Well, any feedback, response or other developments on this??

Had a similar thing happen over at my message board.. odd

tjuhunt2 (and GameHauler) - Hope its ok - I re-posted this over on my blog. Very cool story.

Bingo. Great letter.

My letter - Sirs - First off, please let me say that generally, I support AZG&F - especially the folks in the Field that are doing all of the work on "the pointy end". That being said, I have grown concerned over the past 2-3 years with the direction that the Department is taking when it comes to managing our game. The thoughts I pass along are general in nature, rather than addressing specific, proposed rule changes. 1) The apparent shift of management goals. It appears that instead of managing for quality, we are heading towards managing for quantity. Arizona has long held a reputation for world-class game, whether it is elk, Coues, mulies, or antelope. Sure, hunters get disappointed when they don't draw a tag. My belief is that, long term - drawing nearly-worthless tags, or harvesting animals of limited quality will not benefit our sportsmen, nor our wildlife herds. Wildlife Managers should be deciding optimal carrying capacities and buck:doe ratios, and managing accordingly. These decisions should be made based on the best data available. Allocation of tags (juniors/archers/rifle) should be as equitable as possible, while recognizing the proportionality of each "group". 2) Sound management is based on sound data. To me, mandatory check-in of game is a no-brainer. The decision to not implement such practices should not be affected by "hunter convenience". In my mind, the definition of inconvenience is having poorly managed game herds - not checking in my game. This is done in other parts of the country, and I can't recall ever hearing someone complain about it. When it comes to hunter input - I understand that the Department has been criticized in the past, for "not listening to hunters". I feel that the pendulum has now swung in the other direction, and many of these newest plans are based on the latest hunter survey. It is my opinion that, deliberate or not, that survey was written in such a way that the results are skewed. 3) Most of us understand that the Department is trying to manage a finite resource, in the face of skyrocketing demand. Add to that secondary goals of hunter recruitment and retention, desires of the non-hunting public, and finally -some very real financial challenges; management becomes that much more difficult. Hunters may be recruited on easy-drawing tags, but I honestly don't feel that they will be retained after numerous seasons of sub-par hunts. I believe the Department is best served by getting back to basics - good, sound population and harvest data; the more accurate, the better. Tag allocation based on optimal herd numbers and ratios, not hunter wish-lists or revenue needs. Allocation of x tags based on accurate numbers (including predicted success rates) to archers, juniors, and rifle hunters. I believe in public input, but I believe also in educated input - not mob dynamics. I feel that, generally - the best input will come from the conservation groups such as the Arizona Deer Association, Arizona Elk Society, Arizona Bowhunters' Association, and the plethora of other hardworking organizations that really do have their "finger on the pulse" of what is happening in the field. I thank you in advance for taking the time to consider my points. Marshall MacFarlane 30576 N Appalachian Tr Queen Creek, AZ 85243