billrquimby

In the late 1940s, the Arizona Game and Fish Department still managed wildlife on all the reservations in Arizona. The San Carlos Apache cattle growers wanted all of the elk removed from that side of the Gila River, so the state held an "extermination" hunt with a long season and several hundred hunters. My father drew a tag and shot a 5x5 bull. The access to the tribe's portion of the mountain began at the Cutter sawmill. I was only about 10 or 11 years old at the time, and don't know much of the details, but I remember his saying the elk weren't hard to find. Bill Quimby

They're in there in the daytime, too. We just haven't seen them. They obviously hear us leaving the main road to open the developer's fancy gate and see us driving in. Bill Quimby

We own just under 70 acres that stretch across Yerba Buena Canyon inside the Las Colinas de Estancia Yerba Buena above Kino Springs golf course in 35B. We've never found any pot or seen an illegal alien there, but we've never visited our land without finding signs of very recent activity -- including a campfire still burning with cheap backpacks and water bottles around it. It obviously doesn't take much to hide people if they don't want to be seen. Bill Quimby

It seems like every time I turn on this machine I'm congratulating you, T.J. Success couldn't come to a nicer guy. Bill Quimby

Lark: Not only is 82 percent of Arizona in some form of public ownership, but we also have an attorney general's ruling that emphasizes our right to hunt and fish on State Land Department lands. New Mexico has a similar amount of public land, including a bunch of state lands, but it manages its state land differently, and hunters and fishermen have restrictions on using it. Interesting to me, at least, it was Bruce Babbitt who ruled for sportsmen when he was Arizona's attorney general before becoming governor. When he became U.S. Secretary of the Interior after that, some of his actions were not so favorable to us. Bill Quimby

"Indirectly" in the Jobs Multiplying Effect Rule of Economics 101 means that one new worker spending his wages -- money that was not in the economy previously -- can generate two or more jobs in seemingly unrelated industries. Bill Quimby

I found this on the internet. Previously, I'd mistakenly thought the signs had to be every 300 feet around the perimeter of the property. Instead, it is 440 yards. Never heard of the orange paint thing. Bill Quimby ARIZONA: Hunters are permitted to enter onto land unless lawfully posted. Signs must be at least eight inches by eleven inches with plainly legible wording in capital and bold-faced lettering at least one inch high. The sign must have the words "no hunting", "no trapping" or "no fishing" either as a single phrase or in any combination. The signs must be conspicuously placed on a structure or post at least four feet above ground level at all points of vehicular access, at all property or fence corners and at intervals of not more than one-quarter mile along the property boundary. A sign with one hundred square inches or more of orange paint may serve as the interval notices between property or fence corners and points of vehicular access. The orange paint shall be clearly visible and shall cover the entire above ground surface of the post facing outward and on both lateral sides from the closed area.

"Indirectly is a pretty big word." Not really. It only means not following the shortest route. I wish I still had my old Economics 101 textbook, but this defines the Jobs Multiplier Effect: http://www.economicmodeling.com/2009/04/02/io-guidebook-sec-iii-understanding-multipliers/ Bill Quimby

I'll try it. Anything is better than standing there and softening three dozen tortillas one-by-one. Thanks, James. Bill Quimby

Wow. That view makes me think of all the elk a hunter could see from that side of the mountain this year. Wish I were thirty years younger, still able to walk anywhere, and lucky enough to draw a bull tag. Please do call this summer. Just give us a day or two notice, though. We sometimes go to yard sales in Round Valley or up to Zuni and Gallup. My wife supports six or seven silversmiths up there. Bill Quimby

I mentioned the multiplying effect on another thread about the proposed mine in the Santa Ritas, but I wonder if all those who checked "not at all" actually realize how much another industry (including mining) contributes to theirs. Are you a carpenter? A car salesman? A real estate agent? A plumber? Your income is indirectly based on mining if you live in Arizona. Bill Quimby

Better than chicken by a whole bunch. Bill Quimby

I don't know what the multiplying factor is, but each new job helps create more jobs in every type of business imaginable -- from home builders to auto dealers to dry cleaners to mattress and tortilla factories to restaurants and bars to sporting goods and grocery stores, banks, insurance companies and so on. That could be where the 2,000 figure came from, but I doubt it. The 40 figure could mean that will be the number of people employed by Rosemont in offices in Tucson/Pima County. The others probably will live in Santa Cruz County. Bill Quimby

All three types of quail in Arizona taste wonderful. I bread and flour the breasts, then simply fry them with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. The meat is white and delicious. Wish I could say the same about doves and waterfowl. Ugh! Bill Quimby

To answer your question, they obviously were ignorant of the fact that you were duck hunting. Bill Quimby

Don't know how the fire affected the grouse on Escudilla Peak's Terry Flat, but that's where I could count on always finding them. There still are few around Green's Peak and above Phelp's Botanical Area just past Sheep's Crossing. I've never hunted them, and don't know anyone who has hunted them recently. Next time you're in Greer between May and November, give me a call. I'm in the book there. Bill Quimby

I want to write another book this year, finish building the laundry room and deck around our cabin that I started last year, and draw another early antlerless elk tag. Would be nice to visit friends in Africa one last time, but it's not going to happen. Bill Quimby

Cartridge...................6.5x284................6.5 mm Remington Magnum Originated in..............Sweden..............................USA Designer.....................Norma.........................Remington Designed....................1963...............................1966 Bullet diameter............264 in...........................264 in Case length................2.17 in.........................2.17 in. Overal length.............3.228 in........................2.8 in. Case capacity............68.33 gr. H2O............68 gr. H2O Could it be that my little Remington 700 BDL in 6.5mm RM is only a 6.5x284 SHORT mag? Data from Wikipedia. Bill Quimby

It's a shame you cubed that venison. I like to cook a deer shoulder or a neck or several hocks in a Crock Pot until the meat can be shredded with two forks. While the meat cools, I saute a yellow corn tortilla until it is totally flexible, then drain and roll it around a small portion of meat and secure the tortilla with a toothpick. When you have three dozen, fry them in a deep fat fryer or a pot with about three inches of vegetable oil until crisp. Drain on paper towels and serve with pico de gallo, beans, lettuce and sliced avocados on the side. Yummm. We also use shredded venison to make folded tacos much like Amanda's, except we also serve it with thinly shredded lettuce and use a can of stewed tomatoes (to which we add a good-sized pinch of crushed oregano) instead of fresh tomatoes. In addition to onions, we sometimes serve sliced radishes, too. I like a dab of refried beans in mine. My wife adds peas to hers. At any rate we serve them as Amanda does, with all the fixin's in separate bowls and let our guests choose what they want. We stuff the leftovers the next day with what we want and zap them in the microwave for 45 seconds or so. Shredded venison also makes excellent machaca. Add the meat to green onions and their stalks cut into 1/4-inch pieces, a can of drained stewed tomatoes, a can of drained chopped green chiles, some cilantro, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of olive oil and fry in a non-stick frying pan until most of the moisture is gone. It is best when the meat is very finely shredded and the shreds are about 2 inches long. Bill Quimby

Hi Jeff. I AM an elderly hunter. However, I never had the good fortune to meet Jack O'Connor -- he already had moved to Idaho when I left Yuma to attend the UA in 1954 -- but I did know a lot of people who knew him well. He was my mother's English teacher her first year at the UA, for example. I also got to know to know his good buddy Carrol Lemon, and several members of the old Tucson Rod and Gun Club who shot with him. I spent most of a day a few years back with Bradford O'Connor and his wife, showing them the SCI museum here in Tucson. He said he had visited Slade Cabin again earlier that year. Thanks for the kind words about my book. Bill Quimby

Nifty photo that brings back memories, but I thought this was supposed to be vintage! Heck, I was 30 years old when that photo was taken. As for the tent, it was a new style then. The vintage ones had gable roofs with poles at all four corners, as well as front and back and across the top. Guy ropes ran to stakes all around. Don't think Concho existed in 1966. Bill Quimby

The Baboquivaris have always had lions, especially in the Brown, Thomas and Sabino canyons area up near the peak. It's tough hunting them with dogs unless the guys with hounds know the horse trails. It's a tough place for man, horse and hound. Bill Quimby

Congratulations, Casey! Bill Quimby

Buy a rifle especially for your fiance, and keep the .308 for yourself. It is impossible to have too many rifles. Bill Quimby

Don't know about the SST, but I do know about the Nosler Ballistic Tips. I shot my desert sheep with them, and the meat loss was horrific. Partitions do what they are supposed to do, which is penetrate and expand, but the 175-grain bullets I shoot in my 7 mag usually only shoot through an animal without excessive meat damage. Lark is correct, they're expensive. However, I usually only shoot three or four to check zero before a hunt, then only one or two during the hunt. A box of 50 bullets will last several seasons. There are more inherently accurate bullets than the Nosler Partitions out there, but as I've said before, minute-of-deer is all that counts. Bill Quimby