donniedent

I don't have any problems with an idea, or statement, that has merit. I do have a problem with people that seem to feel that sportsman who do not volunteer their time on wildlife projects are supposed to be the "Silent majority". If we don't volunteer, then we have no right to speak up, or "Beat the war drums". I have my own opinion on that issue. I may not be a "Super Hero" conservationist volunteer, but I have the right to speak out as loudly as I please, anytime I please. Regardless of what Wildlife Org. a person, does,or does not, belong to, all the volunteer projects in the world will not produce winter/spring rain, Eliminate predation, or mans encroachment. Volunteer work is a commendable endeavor. But it is not the cure all, end all, of the problems we face. Mother nature holds alot of the cards. A greedy and selfish society, as well as blind politics, play a crucial role in our wildlife future. i ....uhhh..... ok well , i don't think there is much else to say. my point is proven i guess. sure hope for our wildlifes sake more people don't think like this. I sincerely apologize for living in reality. You know what, that was a dig snapshot and I'm sorry. What everyone is doing with this bill is awesome. One of the things that keeps ringing in my ears is how this can bring us together. I believe that fact with my whole heart. What you are doing with letters and emails is just as important as anything anyone else is doing. The point I'm trying to make partner is what we have been doing isn't enough anymore. We NEED to get out and shoot coyotes, we NEED to volunteer our time wnether its in the field, at a youth camp, at game and fish filing some papers or picking up trash. We NEED to donate funds to this cause, pick an org and pay your dues. OTHERWISE we end up fighting a bill we ALL hate!

I don't have any problems with an idea, or statement, that has merit. I do have a problem with people that seem to feel that sportsman who do not volunteer their time on wildlife projects are supposed to be the "Silent majority". If we don't volunteer, then we have no right to speak up, or "Beat the war drums". I have my own opinion on that issue. I may not be a "Super Hero" conservationist volunteer, but I have the right to speak out as loudly as I please, anytime I please. Regardless of what Wildlife Org. a person, does,or does not, belong to, all the volunteer projects in the world will not produce winter/spring rain, Eliminate predation, or mans encroachment. Volunteer work is a commendable endeavor. But it is not the cure all, end all, of the problems we face. Mother nature holds alot of the cards. A greedy and selfish society, as well as blind politics, play a crucial role in our wildlife future. i ....uhhh..... ok well , i don't think there is much else to say. my point is proven i guess. sure hope for our wildlifes sake more people don't think like this.

I really don't know how this topic got so side tracked/hijacked. Listen, all I was trying to say is that our efforts need to not end with the defeat of this bill. All of us know someone who hunts but doesn't hit these boards. We need to get involved and get them involved. Shoot I've even considered visiting hunting camps and talking to folks even if I'm not hunting. We need to connect and get active. I'm not beating up on anyone that has a passion to see the bill die but I am saying that we're here because of our own lack of participation. If we showed a mere fraction of the passion we have shown about this bill in some conservation efforts by gosh I do think we could make it rain.

Amanda, You make a very valid point. The results of 3bar did show that if you remove all the predators, the herd grew. But that is no possible in the wild. We will never remove all the predators nor would we want to. As far as game and fish doing more about predator control, that ball is kind of in our court. They are now allowing night hunting of coyotes and lions in certain areas of the state. They also have opened special management areas for lions. I can't imagine that game and fish wants more predators out there than deer. Just not reality.it wouldn't make any fiscal sense for them to want that. Game and fish can only do so much, especially when they have to deal with all the crap we should have stopped with our own dollars and participation. Showing up and talking at meetings is great but we need boots on the ground at water projects. We need more hunters out there shooting coyotes. We need our good orgs to grow and have the fianances to fight the anit's and bad bills. We ALL know by now all the bad things about this bill, what are we going to do when its over?

Guys... That's great, fight the house bill, kill it get rid of it... Please. But for Gods sake realize what got us here. While you're putting all this energy into fighting this bill, take a little time and look at the orgs. Don't find the ones you hate and want to bash, find the ones you like and JOIN! I won't promote one org over the other. I mentioned the one I'm involved in to make a point. Whether this bill passes or fails, each of us needs to do a little self evaluation and ask "am I really doing all I can?" If we put as much focus into good orgs as we did this bill we wouldn't be dealing with this bill. Please don't let this amount to nothing more than off season boredom and drama.

Here is another thing to consider... How much money does Game and Fish spend dealing with things we should have stopped? Trapping ban! Wolf reintroduction, water projects... We all have, at some point, complained about the department but the reality is they get their money to run from us. Had we been half the force that the anti's are, we would have stopped a lot of bad programs or funded good ones that the dept now pays for if we want our tag money to go where its supposed to go, we need to stop the anti's agenda from taking the departments time. There are a slew of orgs out there, if you can't find one where you fit in, there's a problem. Or... You could start one. I'm now involved in an upstart org called Southwest Sportmen's Alliance. We are concentrating on conservation projects in the northern part of region 4. We saw a need and we are trying to fill it. The point is, our lack of action has created 90 percent of the problems we complain about. Do something to change that.

same here!just didnt find any of the good bucks we have seen in the past. Yeah, it was a little weird. I did see one 180 class buck but all the other bucks I saw were dinks. I think that cold weather we got in Dec. may have thrown things off a bit.... who knows.

Yeah, it was a strange Jan where I hunt. The rut was kinda lack luster. But... theres always August and Dec.

You know what, if your boy turns out to be the hunting machines you and your brother are, deer need to be fearful. You guys deffinately don't fall into the 80% I mentioned earlier. I agree wholeheartedly, start them young! Unfortunately I think you are the exception. I think if a dad will shoot 80 yds. with broadheads dulled down at 20 yds in the backyard at a moving muley, what will he teach his kid? Most parents will not be as dedicated as guys like you and me. And I don't trust such a valuable rescource to people that can't even teach their kids to tie their shoes.

Yotebuster, I have 4 youth hunters in my house so please don't lecture me about being against youth hunters. You need to remember that we are not the most important part of conservation, the wildlife is. It is our responsibility to be good stewards. I do understand what you are saying and that is the tough part. BUT... I think there are other ways to introduce kids to archery/hunting. My kids are equal to me in value but not in privledge or responsibility. Just cuz dad does it doesn't mean junior should. Risking our wildlife so bow companies can sell more bows and junior can be just like dad isn't what hunting is about. I'm positive your dad knew exactly what he was doing by letting you shoot that deer, sounds like you have a great dad but do you think in this day and age that all dads are as good as yours was? I doubt it very highly. Sorry, I don't trust 80% of the parents out there to spend the time and energy to ensure their kids know exactly what they are doing with archery gear. Have you been to a hunters ed class recently??? Half the parents can't even be bothered to sit through the classes with their kids. Yeah I trust people like that!

It would get awful confusing if they got real specific and I'd hate to see a bunch of kids getting tickets because their parents weren't paying attention. I think its a bad idea.

Sounds like a bad deal waiting to happen. The setup would have to be perfect... arrows, broadheads, everything and PERFECT shots! Kid pulls a shot into a shoulder or in the gut, its a done deal. And those aren't the "wait 8 hours for it to die" wounds. Those are the "coyotes are gonna get it" wounds... or worse yet infection. Again, G&F are on their hunter opportunity kick. They'll sell alot more tags for sure but is it worth it? Whats wrong with kids shooting rifles until they can pull 40? Why push the envelope? I don't know, I think its a bad idea. *EDIT* If it is about recruitment and retention, they'd be better off legalizing crossbows for kids from 10-14 years old and maybe for everyone on predators except for bears.

The units are so big, I don't mind sharing a unit number if someone asks unless.... I kill a monster in a monster deer area... then you only get a county name.

What a great story! Congrats on the stalk and sorry to hear about the cactus... that crap is no fun!

Hey just wanted to tell everyone about what a great bunch of guys they have over at Ross Outdoors. I took my 09 PSE XForce Dreamseason in to get it tuned. I'd never been in there before but on the advice of some friends I decided to go in. I decided to call the week before Christmas just to see if they were too busy to fit my bow in. Well they said bring it on down they could have it done in a few days..... WHAT? Never heard that before! Dropped it off and of course spent some time talkin hunting. 3 working days later they called and said it was ready! Hold on... someone actually doing what they said they were going to do? Sure enough, I went in shot my bow a few times to set the peep and I was outta there. Here's the cool part. I have been shooting Grim Reapers for a while now but didn't get over in time to get a new set so my bro gave me some Muzzys to shoot... now theres a real test, Muzzys on a 321 fps bow! They hit right with my field tip. I was absolutely amazed. I don't post about alot of buisnesses but the ones I do deserve it. I know there are other great shops in town but I have yet to be treated as good as the guys at Ross treated me. Thanks guys!

oops

Since Pete has returned to PSE they have been hands down the best bow company out there.

If you have a group of smaller bucks, especially 4 of them, the big bucks aren't quite there yet. A lot of times you'll see a big guy with a yearling buck in tow. He'll follow that big buck around till they find a hot doe then the big buck will run him off only to have the little guy join back up with him when he's done with the hot doe. If you see a small spike or forkie hanging with does, watch the group very close. Sometimes that big toad will be around somewhere chasing a hot doe around. You won't ususally see 2 mature bucks running together this time of year. Most really big or older bucks will be completely solitary all year. Those younger 4 bucks you're seeing will keep checking those doe's together till the doe's get hot, then the big boys will start showing up. You're doing it exactly right. One day soon you'll see one of those little guys lock onto a doe and start pushing her hard, don't leave, there will be a mature buck there real soon! Oh yeah, almost forgot. Don't forget to take a little composition book out with you. Take notes on where you see deer, where they are bedding, where they go when they are pressured, which bucks you see. Anything you can think of. If you have found a good area, you can watch the bucks progress and get bigger year after year. After a few years you'll know that area like the back of your hand.

During the rut bucks will move far and wide to find hot girls. I've heard stories of bucks moving 25 miles from thier home range during the rut. This time of year, you gotta find the doe's. I try and find 2 or 3 herds of doe's and keep tabs on them. A buck can move in to a group, sniff a little tail and be gone in 20 minutes. If theres a hot doe he'll stay close until she comes in and is ready. That can take up to 24 hours. Last year I busted a group of does early in the morning. I watched them run about a half mile and bed. I hiked around and 2 hours later went back to check on them. When I got there a 175" buck was just pushing a small 3x3 away from the same does. Missed a shot at him. Went back the following weekend and the same herd of does had grown by 3 does and they had a 200" buck with them. It changes so much from day to day, you never know what you'll find. Saty close and keep tabs on those does and I promise you another buck will come in to check on them and rememeber, it can happen at any time during the day.

Jan 1 for me too. I'll be in a secret location trying to nail a 200" buck we found last year.

I'm gonna order some too. You want to hear something funny? I found a bunch of rainbow stickers in a used car at work one time. Plastered them all over a bunch of my buddies bumpers. Another time I found a sticker that read "Isn't masterbating fun?". I put it on a buddy of mines back window of his truck and he didn't see it for days. He said he got alot of looks.

Yeah, we called them potato bugs too but its nice to know the real name. Ugly little boogers! They look too much like a scorpion to me. Nasty!

Thats a darn nice buck. Love his shape and character. Thats actually one of the nicest looking bucks I've seen in quite a long time. I'd love to have that buck hanging on my wall!

Nothing on this earth I hate more than a dirty, stinkin', low life theif! I hope they fall on a broadhead! Thank God your wife and pooch are ok. If your wife wasn't home I'm betting the dog was, alot of time they'll hurt the dog to shut it up. I'd start hitting the pawn shops pretty heavy. Craigslist, backpage.com... even ebay can turn some of your stuff back up. I don't think the cops can do much. God bless them they just have bigger fish to fry, I think they figure home owners insurance will cover the bulk of it. Don't get me wrong we should be thankful they are there but unless they get a solid lead, its pretty hard to catch these kind of human excrement!

Sorry, I don't bring my dogs on hunts. I would bring my lab because shes a great dog. My stepsons dog on the other hand is the biggest idiot dog I've ever dealt with. My fiance', the wonderful woman she is, doesn't think its fair to bring my lab and leave the idiot at home, as if dogs know whats fair and whats not fair, so my lab gets to stay home. If you have good dogs bring them, if the are going to be any distraction at all... leave them home. I know some people think of their dogs like they are their kids which is great... unless you're like me and have enough kids, then dogs get to be dogs!