billrquimby

Only if you can draw a tag, and only if you can get that day off work. Taken to the extreme, there will be seven seasons a week in each square mile "to spread people out."

Let’s see if I got this right: 1. You guys don’t want to lose your “right” to buy deer tags over the counter. 2. You feel there are only a few places (such as the Kaibab) that are crowded. 3. You know that to avoid crowds all you need do is skip opening weekend or get farther away from the roads. 4. You also know that hunter participation drops off to almost zilch later if a season is long. 5. You can't believe the AGFD would voluntarily reduce the revenue it gets from your deer tag dollars. Hmmmmm. Sounds like 1969, when at a rich Southern Arizona rancher’s request an influential politician threatened to deny a raise for the game department’s director if he didn’t announce a five-year moratorium on deer hunting. A compromise was struck in the Arizona Senate’s Natural Resources Committee meeting and the director promised “to do something for the deer.” The director got his raise, but the next thing we knew he ordered his regional supervisors and game branch guys to devise a plan to cut hunter numbers by 30%, starting with the 1970 season. We’ve had permit-only deer hunting, with hunters confined to smaller and smaller units, ever since. We also got “stratified” seasons with three and four opening days in certain units, and seasons were cut from three weeks (or more in some places) to ten or fewer days. Isn't it funny how the more things change the more they stay the same.

The way to tell if a large spotted cat is a jaguar or a leopard is to look at its spots. Leopards have true spots. Jaguars have "rosettes" with spots inside them. Incidentally, leopards also are found in Asia. Bill Quimby

Before legal jaguar hunting was closed in Arizona in the late 1960s (I think), a distant relative of my wife from the Magee Ranch southwest of Tucson killed one near Patagonia. He and the cat were both stalking a herd of javelina when he saw and shot it. It was the last legal jaguar taken in the United States. A short time after jaguar hunting closed, two young men shot a jaguar while hunting ducks near Nogales and were cited. They claimed they had shot it in self defense. I remember they somehow were related to the judge, but I have forgotten how or what happened at their trial. Then, in the late 1980s or early 1990s, a young houndman treed and shot a jaguar in the Doz Cabeza Mountains. A few years later he was cited when he tried to sell the mount of that jaguar to two undercover game and fish agents who had lured them into crossing into New Mexico with it. The judge threw out the case because in the course of the investigation the undercover guys shots bear, javelina and bighorn sheep to "get close" to the perp. The judge said they had gone too far when they shot the sheep. Also in the mix, jaguars in the U.S. had not yet been listed as an endangered species because everyone thought they were extinct up here. Jaguars historically were found from Arizona to Argentina. There is no place where they can be hunted legally today. That does not mean they are not being hunted. Some Mexican and Cental and South American ranchers still kill them on sight. Bill Quimby

Here is what Zumbo has to say: The last few days have been an educational experience, to say the least. My ill-conceived inflammatory blog, as all of you now know, set off a firestorm that, I’m told, has never before been equaled. I’m not proud of that. Let me say this at the outset. My words here are from the heart, and all mine. No one can censor me, and I answer to no one but myself. And I have no one to blame but myself. Outdoor Life, a magazine that I worked for full-time as Hunting Editor for almost 30 years, fired me yesterday. My TV show was cancelled yesterday. Many of my sponsors have issued statements on their website to sever all relationships. This may cause many of you to do backflips and dance in the streets, but, of course, I’m not laughing, nor am I looking for sympathy. I don’t want a pity party. They say hindsight is golden. Looking back, I can’t believe I said the words “ban” and “terrorist” in the context that I did. I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote that. I can explain this as sheer ignorance and an irresponsible use of words. What I’ve learned over the last few days has enlightened and amazed me. As a guy who hunts 200 days a year, does seminars on hunting, wrote for six hunting magazines, had a hunting TV show, and wrote 20 books on hunting, how could I have been so ignorant and out of touch with reality in the world of hunting and shooting? But I was. I really can’t explain it, maybe because I just summarily dismissed the firearms in question in my mind when I saw them in magazines and catalogs. I saw one “black” firearm in a hunting camp in all my 50 years of hunting, and I shot one last year off a boat when fishing in Alaska. To tell the truth, it was fun and I enjoyed it immensely, but I never considered one for use in hunting. I have to tell you that I have had a revelation. I’m learning that many of my pals own AR-15’s and similar firearms and indeed use them for hunting. I was totally unaware that they were being used for legitimate hunting purposes. That is the absolute truth. My biggest regret is not the financial impact of all this. I’m almost 67 and retirement is an option. The dreadful impact here is that I inadvertently struck a spear into the hearts of the people I love most…America’s gun owners. And, even though this huge cadre of dedicated people have succeeded in stripping me of my career, I hold no grudges. I will continue to stand as firm on pro hunting as I’ve ever done. But what’s different now is that I’ll do all I can to educate others who are, or were, as ignorant as I was about “black” rifles and the controversy that surrounds them. My promise to you is that I’ll learn all I can about these firearms, and by the time this week is out, I’ll order one. The NUGE (Ted Nugent) has invited me to hunt with him using AR-15’s, and I’m eager to go, and learn. I’ll do all I can to spread the word. I understand that many of you will not accept this apology, believing that the damage has been done and there’s no way to repair it. You have that right. But let me say this. I mentioned this above, and I’ll repeat it. I’m willing to seize this opportunity to educate hunters and shooters who shared my ignorance. If you’re willing to allow me to do that, we can indeed, in my mind, form a stronger bond within our ranks. Maybe in a roundabout way we can bring something good out of this. Jim Zumbo

We'll be there. Stop by for lunch. I'll try to tie up a big gobbler before you arrive. Bill

Noel: Aging without bones would be beneficial, I suppose, but I've not had a problem with venison being tough. That could be because I make hamburger (30% pork added) out of the ribs and neck, and pot roasts out of most of what's left. I do butterfly the backstraps, and tenderize (pound) the round steaks before breading and frying. I'm getting hungry thinking about it. Bill Quimby

"Thanks Bill, You are still captain of lunches for turkey season if you are up there." Jean and I will open the cabin about May 1. Before that date there usually is a tall snowdrift that keeps us from opening the gate. When is your season? I need to know to so I can start planning the luncheon menus. Bill

Steve Comus's department sells them for $100 each. Call Lauri at SCI Publications and tell her I'm going to SCI headquarters Wednesday or Thursday, and will autograph a copy for you when I'm there. Congratulations again on your PH of the Year award, Kirk. Well deserved! Bill

A Canadian friend has invited me to hunt moose and woodland caribou with him in Newfoundland in September. I'm going, of course. He claims moose come two per square mile on that island! Has anyone on this forum hunted there? Bill

"I would be interested in Mr. Quimby's or T. Mandiles thoughts on the subject as they are writers. I dont think I would use one for hunting but killing coyotes or prairie dogs, give me the ammo box and get out of the way" I think there was a feeding frenzy and Zumbo got eaten by a bunch of fanatical sharks. It's a sad day when someone can't have an opinion that differs from others. Bill Quimby

With luck, the woodland race will be my third caribou subspecies. I took a barren ground caribou and a very good moose in the Yukon and two Central Canada barren ground caribou in the Northwest Territories many years ago. What I really want is an eastern moose. Nothing eats better than moose meat IMHO, and I plan to bring some home if I'm fortunate enough to shoot one. Bill

Good show, Bret! If body size has anything to do with skull size (it often doesn't), it should score well. I'm glad to see you haven't forsaken gunpowder after killing that bull elk with an arrow last year. Bill Quimby

A couple more thoughts. I will not "age" game meat. It may help improve the flavor and tenderness of beef, but not game meat. I think it has to do with the fact that deer fat becomes rank when aged, and even when frozen. Butchers like to hang meat a few days to get it firm so they can saw it with their band saws. I prefer to cut up my animals with knives and regular meat saws, and remove as many bones as I can along the way. I don't care if my cuts aren't as "pretty" as the store-bought stuff. They also do not wash beef, but that's because cattle are killed and processed without the leaves, dirt, urine, blood, bullet-damaged meat and deer poop that get inside our deer no matter how careful we try to be. You can do what you want, but please don't ask me to eat hunter-killed deer meat that has been "aged" and not cleaned with water. Bill

"Then a few years ago I bought a commercial grinder and we do that also.I always used to mix in 10% beef fat ,but now I grind the elk with no fat at all.You would be surprised that it is not dry as long as you cook it right" It's been a while since I've done it, but we used to grind pork into our venison burgers. A friend and I would bone and cut all the meat (except the backstraps) off our deer into chunks, then (after washing it!) take it to a butcher who would add the most inexpensive pork cuts we could buy. (The ratio was about 30% pork, 70% deer meat.) The pork kept the burgers together and its fat made them juicy. Between us, we probably processed 50-60 Texas Hill Country deer an maybe a dozen Arizona whitetails and mule deer that way. I even tried it with three or four Wyoming antelope and a New Mexico elk. We never had a gamey burger! Bill Quimby

"I find that story pretty hard to believe. " So do I.

Loss of habitat (housing development, urban expansion) is not as big a factor with Coues deer in Arizona because the majority of it is done on U.S. Forest Service or State land. Even if every acre of private land were to have a house built on it (which will never happen) the remaining lands (some 82% of Arizona) would remain in public or tribal ownership. A voting public opposed to hunting: this is coming, my friends, but deer hunting will be the last hunting we lose. First will come the loss of bighorn, lion, antelope and bear hunting, then all archery hunting -- in that order. Deer hunts are safe for at least 30-35 years IMHO. Game and Fish. We've already seen what this ultra-conservative agency has done to deer hunting in Arizona. All you need do is look at the ridicuously low number of tags that are authorized in a state this large, the so-called "stratified" seasons that give us five or six opening days in a single unit, the forcing of hunters to concentrate their efforts into small units, five-day seasons, etc. etc. Don't get me started.

I have been spraying deer, elk, antelope, bison, even turkey with water to clean it all my life, and I can guarantee you that it does not affect the taste of the meat, other than to remove the objectionable stuff that gets on it. I agree with those on this thread who say you should butcher your game yourself. The fat on deer does not freeze well, and the longer you keep it the more it will spoil. When I butcher a deer, I remove every bit of fat as well as much "membrane" as I can. Even so, some deer are "gamey," while others are not. After eating a whole lot of deer (all of them delicious) from the Texas Hill Country where they eat a lot of cattle feed, I believe the difference between the taste of deer has a lot to do with what they've been eating. In your case, though, I would bet that freezing and defrosting and freezing again -- as well as not removing the fat -- contributed to "gameyness."

Anyone know who the candidates are, and what their qualifications might be?

If anyone actually believes bonus points will get him a permit, I suggest he buy more Lotto tickets.

Safari Club International named Kirk Kelso, a CW.com member, its North American professional hunter of the year at a banquet in Reno last weekend. The award is truly deserved.

" I DO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHOUT ANY INPUT. If you think you will be hunting 15 to 20 years down the road, in Arizona, then you haven't been following what has happened in the last 15 years. " I have been closely following what has been happening to hunting and fishing in Arizona and across the United States for more than half a century and the present commission is not to blame for deer hunters losing nearly 70,000 tags over the past 37 years. As for what I'll be doing 15 to 20 years down the road, I'm 70 now and a have some health problems. I'll be happy if I'm still above room temperature. You are correct that non-hunters outnumber hunters and anti-hunters, but you are naive if you think hunters would win a popular vote, even in Arizona's rural counties, when PETA, HSUS and other anti-hunting groups move into Arizona and dump millions of dollars into professional advertising and PR campaigns. Like it or not, we hunters are outnumbered and inadequately financed, and our numbers shrink each year. Bill Quimby

"how much longer till Mexico is all shot out from all them big muleys and coues bucks they take out every year? What kind of plan does mexico have to control this? I'm sure none! " Mexico's wildlife management is done through a partnership between the government and landowners, using "UMAs" that regulate the amount of game animals taken annually. Previously, although there were game laws passed in Mexico City, these were mostly ignored and poaching was rampant. The fact that landowners now benefit financially from game animals on their lands should help reduce or eliminate poaching. Those "big muleys and coues bucks they take out every year" are coming from only a few areas leased by a few outfitters. Several may be overhunting their leases, but there is no shortage of deer and sheep in Sonora as evidenced by that beautiful whitetail buck that Ernesto took recently. I was down there in December with an American and a Mexican who have bought three entire mountain ranges that have good numbers of mule deer, whitetails and bighorns that have not been legally hunted in recent years because the former owners of the land never applied for UMAs, and hunting rights were never leased to anyone. I've forgotten how many square miles they now own, but it is huge -- something equivalent to owning the Tumacoris, Santa Ritas and Canelos, and all the land in between them, judging by what I saw. To obtain a UMA, government wildlife biologists first assess wildlife populations. From what I've seen, these biologists are extremely conservative. (One mountain range where surveyors using a helicopter and ground spotters was given an estimated population of 450 bighorns and only two UMAs for sheep.) As for hunting becoming more expensive, it's a matter of supply and demand, as is everything else in this world. And, as for electing game and fish commissioners with a popular vote, be careful of what you wish for because you might get it. You can count the non-hunters and anti-hunters in this state by the millions. Hunters can be counted in a couple of hundred thousands, and our numbers shrink every time hunting permits are cut. Bill Quimby

I did a lot of hunting in Texas and Arizona years ago with three caplock and flintlock "Kentucky" longrifles that I built with locks and barrels from Dixie Gun Works. I made my own stocks from slabs of maple and walnut. After shooting 20 to 25 Texas Hill Country whitetails (the limit was four per year), an Arizona mule deer and three or four javelina with them I can tell you round balls are not as efficient as mini balls. You will need to shoot both in your rifle to see what it shoots best. Very slow twists shoot balls best; bullets shoot best in barrels with faster twists. Don't expect much accuracy past 100 yards. Trajectory is a like a rainbow. For deer the size of our Arizona whitetails and mule deer a .45-caliber is the smallest you want. A .50-caliber is better. Muzzleloaders are extremely efficient hunting tools. I shot a bison in Colorado with an original .45-caliber Alex Henry rifle made in Scotland in the mid-1800s that was loaned to me by engraver Lynton McKenzie. It was designed to shoot 500-grain cast bullets with paper patches at about 1600 fps, which is close to a .45-70's numbers. My shot was about 40 yards and it dropped the bull in its tracks. In Africa, the early British hunters used caplock and flintlock muzzleloaders of extremely large caliber and killed everything -- including elephants -- with them. Bill Quimby

My age is showing. When I still was able to pull a bow I shot the best stuff available -- a Ben Pearson "Javelina" fiberglass-backed recurve with Port Orford cedar shafts that I fletched myself with premium turkey wing feathers -- from Herters, a mail-order company much like today's Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops. I think my arrows cost about 1.25 each, including the stamped metal broadheads that I had to sharpen with a file and whetstone. (I cannot imagine paying $60 to $104 per dozen just for shafts today!) I managed to kill four or five javelinas and a mule deer doe with that equipment, even though I was shooting "instinctively." I had a self-imposed maximum distance of 20 yards, although I did kill a javelina farther than that with a "Hail Mary shot" while hunting with taxidermist John Doyle. I missed a great many beautiful mule deer bucks in the Tucson Mountains and a couple of elk in 6A that anyone using sights on today's compound bows would have never have missed. Even with the equipment we had, bowhunting was a lot of fun. I wish I could do it all over again. Bill Quimby