DesertBull

I think that fees should be charged up front, but I do not think a person should be forced to buy a hunting license just so they can APPLY for a hunt. But, charging those fees upfront and issuing a refund check at the end cost the dept alot of time and money. I still think the best way improve draw odds is to limit the amount of hunts you can apply for. Pick one from each group. Sheep, Buff, or Antelope and make rifle Antelope a once is a lifetime hunt. Bull Elk, December Deer, North of the Colorado Deer (if you draw this, your app is removed and refunded from the last group) Cow elk, Oct/Nov deer So, that's 3 tags you apply for instead 4 every fall, big deal. One in a 10 thousand draws all 4 anyway.

At SW, I wish they would STOP asking me if I need help. It's annoying. If I need, help, I'll ask. I wasn't thrilled with their archery shop either. I went in to get new strings and cables and the guy helping me had no friggin clue what he was doing. They had my EXACT same bow hanging on the rack (Hoyt/Reflex) directly behind the guy, but he looked at my bow and said "I ain't never seen no cables like this b'fore."

Does it have GPS numbers of the water holes?

"WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER IS IF ALL OF THESE HILLBILLIES WOULD STOP PUTTING IN THIER ENTIRE FAMILIES IN THE DRAW!!!" I thought hunting was supposed to be a family activity? What's wrong with entire families applying for hunts? Are you saying my 3 kids and myself should not be applying for hunts just so you can have a better chance of drawing a tag? I don't understand the arguments of people that don't get drawn. There are more people wanting to hunt than animals available. End of story, and it will not change. Yet, if you try to weed out the weekend hunter or the guy that just wants to take his kids and buddies deer hunting once a year like his dad and buddies did, then you are going to lose the sport all together. Every 4 years, when elections role around, all the so-called SERIOUS hunters are begging for support on wildlife issues, gun control issues, etc from ALL SPORTSMEN/Women, but when it comes time to send in your tag applications, they want to limit the amount of people that can even apply for hunt. Vote to save hunting! But please don't apply for a tag so I can get drawn! PETA loves that!

looks like at least one the does dropped twins this past week. Hope they make it. Better buck. Dill hole messing my salt block. Lucky he didn't find my cam.

Didn't they transplant some Goulds into the Catalinas last year?

SRP

Walnut Canyon - northern border of the unit, so becareful you don't cross over the boundry. Grapevine Canyon Youngs Canyon

I would just tell tell them, give me a sheep tag and we'll call it good.

Yeah, UA only makes fat boy tree stand camo though. Realtree and Mossyoak, stick and leaves patterns. I want some ASAT or Predator! I have some Cabela's Microtex that is very good. I just wish they made t-shirts and henleys out of it though instead of the collared button up shirts. Why do I need a collar on a hunting shirt? And the button up sleeve cuffs are very annoying. I know, I am just being anal about it, but the stuff cost an arm and a leg, I want it the way I want it!

Grow some polyester for me!

What they need to do is make some of that Under Armour stuff in a western camo, like Outfitter, Praire Ghost, Predator, or ASAT.

Alot of the big ol bucks stay in the flats all year long. That's how they got big.

Ok, that's funny, sort of. Here is what I have suspected, at least half heartedly, for the past several years, but have never mentioned it to anyone for fear of being laughed out of the building, but here goes. You hear of alot of people that draw more than one very hard to get tags every year. What if, by mistake, the program used to assign all the random numbers in the drawing was giving some people the same random number for every species? You are supposed to get a new number for every species, in essence a seperate drawing for deer, sheep, elk, etc. So, say Joe Hunter gets a real low number in the elk draw, then when it's time for drawing the sheep tags, instead of being given him a new number, the computer lets him keep the original? As complicated as all the rules are now witht he bonus points, percentages, etc, it would not be that unfeasible to think the program had a bug or two. I've heard of too many people that have drawn antelope and late Kaibab or sheep and early elk, to think that it is pure luck. I myself once drew a rifle antelope tag (1 bonus point), a 7W rifle bull tag (2 bonus points) and a unit 33 Coues tag (1 bonus point) in the same year. Ok, Im going back in the basement now, putting my tin foil hat back on and waiting for the black helicopters to swarm my house.

The whole thing is way too complicated as is. Just throw everyones name in the hat and pull out the lucky winners.

Are there ever left over deer tags in NM? Are there landowner deer tags? I know they have LO tags for elk and antelope, but not sure about deer.

QUIT BAITING THE ELK! Nice pics! Do they keep you awake all night in September?

I would never sell a buck like that. I might let them display it in their store for a fee though.

I could never use 15x's without a tripod. Even 10x's are a little shakey unless you are sitting or leaning against something steady. Do you use a monopod or walking stick to prop them on?

The reason BP's don't mean much anymore is because they gave them away like candy to everyone. They should have never gave a BP away for hunter ed or a loyalty point. That's just two more points that EVERYONE has and that makes them worthless. If you like having no chance at drawing a tag AT ALL, unless you have a butt load of points or want to hunt crappy units, then go ahead and switch over the preference point system. They need to do away with the 5 choices on the application too. 2 is enough. Alot of people get their 4th or 5th choice October deer hunt, which they don't even really want,while others who might really like that hunt are shut out. Waiting periods are ok, but the effect on draw odds is very minimal. Example: Unit 9 bow elk hunt has 75 tags. That means you are only keeping 225 people out of the draw for that hunt after 3 years. There were probably 3,000 applicants for that hunt. 225 don't mean jack squat. Reserving 80% of the tags for the highest point holders sounds ok, until you get your tag and your hunt is over and you realize you almost no chance of hunting it again for 8-10 years. The thing that will help you draw a tag the fastest would be to limit the amount of species a hunter can apply for. Choose one between sheep and antelope, elk and deer. For some reason, people balk at that idea because they say they like to apply for all the hunts. Well, I don't like applying for hunts, I like drawing a tag. If I get one decent to good tag per year I am happy.

SCREW PREFERENCS POINTS!

They not accept pesos amigo.

Anyone going to brave the heat for a mid-August bear hunt? I found a place that is loaded up with fresh sign and tracks, but it is a long hike and it is in the desert. My first inclination is to wait till the end of Aug, but the season might be closed by then.

Congrats! I got a lope tag 2 of the first 3 times I applied!

List'em up! Let's see what ya got for sale.