azslim

I suggest you take a trip to the Outdoorsman and look through a couple different brands. They will let you take them outside, set up tripods and look up the mtn to the NW at the hikers. And don't discount Vortex, I have some 15x50's Vipers that are my backups/loaners that are good glass, they just didn't cost over 2k. As far as tripods, for years I used a lightweight aluminum set that is still kicking, they are what the Vipers go on. Glassing is a skill and you don't have to have the most expensive stuff on the market to be good at it, just time behind optics. One of the best guides I know uses average glass, he is just good at what he does. And I know people with top of the line gear that couldn't find game if it was painted bright orange and tied to a tree in the open. No matter what brand you choose I have one suggestion - get into the grades that have lifetime warranties, stuff happens in the field and someday you will appreciate the warranty.

water makes seeps...... Depends on the geology of the area, for most seeps they were probably running springs a thousand years ago and now where there is enough rain for the ground to hold water it will seep out of cracks, fissures or soft spots. I don't know that there is anyway to look at a map and figure them out, at least not the maps available to most of us. Generally they are going to be in draws, sometimes at the head and others down in the bottoms, the only way to find them that I know of is to cover country footback or horseback.

It is pretty tough. You can usually make out the difference from their tracks, but not always. A doe has slightly wider hips for birthing, so when their back foot steps on the track of the front foot it is slightly outside where a buck is centered or slightly inside because they tend to have a wider chest & narrower hips. On a really good buck you can sometimes see all 4 tracks as their body length is long enough they don't step on the front track with the back foot. But just looking at legs in a pic - go fish....

I prefer to shoot them from the truck, the mirror makes a nice rest for my rifle and they are usually close to the road........

The burned areas will be great hunting when they get some moisture. We had a spot in Wy we called the Burn, my Dad drove a water tender on the fire when he was 14. Over the years we could always count on finding elk there even 20 years after the fire. Also, some of the first plants to grow back in burns are berry bushes, when my girls were young I took them to a Dude Fire burn and we pigged out on raspberries till their fingers were purple. In the short term burns are heartbreaking, but the Earth has a long term view on things. I was on the Eagle Rock fire watching the mushroom cloud form, the Paramedic was on the hill that day (his turn to walk with the shots) and has some time lapse photo's that I will share if/when he sends them to me. He and the Safety Officer reported a 'small puff of smoke to the east' about noon, then said it was getting bigger, by 1400 it was blowing hard and the cavalry was being organized, they stripped our division of all but 2 engines, 2 Type 2 crews and 2 shot crews to send over. The next day we were down to 1 shot crew and one Type 2 and the 2 Engines. I have read negative comments about the response to the fire in other places, takes a while to organize personnel and create a strategy, first priority is to protect life, then structures then the woods. When I got home yesterday the TV was full of Micheal Jackson crap, didn't hear a thing the day before about the anniversary of 9 people that got burned to death on the Dude Fire many years back tho.

It's all personal preference. I like 8's around my neck and 15's on a tripod, I start close then work far when I glass - or at least I try to. The Leupold Switch Powers would be great if they had a 50mm objective, you would only have to carry one pair for neck & tripod and 50 is a good compromise between 42 & 56 without all the weight. And when it comes to glass nothing beats a great warranty. Don't discount the 15x50 Vortex Vipers, they are my backups/loaners and are good glass for the price.

S O M E T I MES Sometimes... when you cry.... no one sees your tears. Sometimes... when you are in pain. no one sees your hurt. Sometimes.. when you are worried.. no one sees your stress Sometimes.. when you are happy... no one sees your smile ...... But FART!! just ONE time... And everybody knows!! Gotcha!! You thought this was going to be one of those heart-touching stories!

I know you can't carry a firearm for personal protection but I doubt there is a restriction on a can of Bear Spray.

nope......I'm proud of mine and have been known to give them names......

I was close to your boat. I actually didn't forget but I didn't get the card for my wife that she got for me. It was our 25th and I took her to breakfast and said I was waiting for a deal before I got her something. Since the 25th is the Silver I was sure glad when Ben posted the silver & turquoise deal, the wife made out like a bandit with all her loot and I am in good graces for another year.

Just like Obama is blaming things on Bush, look at Calderon's latest....... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/201006...s/ynews_wl2456 Calderon condemns border killing, ties it to Ariz. immigration law Tue Jun 8, 2:16 pm ET Mexican President Felipe Calderon is condemning the killing of an illegal immigrant by U.S. Border Patrol agents as a "truly unacceptable violation" that involved "torture." He's also tying it to Arizona's immigration law, even though the incident took place on the border with California. "A death with that degree of violence is a truly unacceptable violation," Calderon said, according to the Associated Press. "We need to raise all our voices, not only for Mexico but for human rights, because the cause of migrants is a cause that affects us all." He added that the Arizona immigration law "opens a Pandora's box of the worst abuses in the history of humanity." A San Diego police captain told the Associated Press that Anastacio Hernandez — who was in the country illegally and was being deported to Mexico — wrestled two Border Patrol agents to the ground when his handcuffs were removed at the border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana. An agent shocked him with a stun gun and he died hours later. Calderon, who criticized U.S. immigration policy during his visit to the White House last month, says Mexico is engaging in an "energetic protest of the torture and death of Anastacio Hernandez, a Mexican who died at the hands of North American migration authorities." This rhetoric can't help his relationship with the U.S., which he depends on for cash and resources to fight the country's costly drug war. But Calderon is a deeply unpopular president, and turning the focus to foreign policy might be a way for him to distract from domestic failures. His war on the drug cartels, which the U.S. supports financially through the Merida Initiative, has unleashed a wave of violence in the country. A recent poll sponsored by the Mexican newspaper El Universal shows that Calderon's approval rating remains at 41 percent. That's unchanged since February, despite his newly aggressive stance toward the U.S. Those polled listed the country's main problems as national security and jobs.

Not everyone is afraid Ernesto, I'll pick up a leftover for the Oct 36B hunt if I don't get the one I want.

Don't worry guys, I'll let you know when the draw results are out.......you can trust me.....really you can......

Yep, in addition to inciweb there are swcc and nifc websites. NIFC is the parent of SWCC. These are govt run and don't seem to get updated as quickly. http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/

guys, there are usually a couple fires started in the state every day, but if you don't keep up with them you wouldn't know because they get resources on them real quick.

$100 and a pack of elk chorizo.........

How about when you have a horse fall and bust a 15 year old scope, you get a new one and a "sorry for your inconvenience letter" from them. I topped my rifles with Burris glass when they were still made in Colorado, when Berretta bought them out I switched to Leupold - was one of my better decisions.

They are good glass and you are offering a great deal, I wouldn't let them bend me over either.

I make my own holsters, not hard just a little time consuming since they are all done by hand, some are tooled, laced, etc. Used to do leatherwork for money but people didn't want to pay a fair price for the amount of time I had invested. A pattern pack, snap setter, awl, needles and thread is all you need, you can pick up scrap pieces of leather for $5 to $10 bucks. Check Tandy Leather or The Leather Factory, there are stores for both in Phx and they are online.

and the cats sat on the porch rail and thought they were both crazy.......

Check your pm's....

http://wildammo.com/2010/06/04/what-bp-doe...heir-oil-spill/

Was it me, I would just beat the crap out of him when no one was around - and let him know it will be worse the next time. Then have a couple buddies swear you were out fishing when it happened.

kid w/no shoes Bigfoot Oso Negro

pssst - CH - the game in your pics are moo cows.........