Coach

It's looking like the Feds are wanting to take more control over public lands. Personally, I don't see how or where we gave the government the ability to charge us to access public places. When I lived in the valley and had to pay to park my car at Canyon Lake or Bartlett, I thought it was a little over-the-top. Now, when camping at Roosevelt, you need a Tonto Pass - even if you are dry camping, Lone Rock on Lake Powell, you have to buy a $25 access pass because it is a National Park and $12 nightly camping fee - they provide NOTHING except the guy who charges you. It's a lot like the OHV program we have here. You have to pay $50 a year to legally drive your off-highway vehicle. The justification for the charge is to pay for officers to enforce the new law. Am I missing something here? We have to pay to have someone to make sure we are paying? From what I'm hearing, the Forest Service now wants to set up pay booths in the White Mountains, while shutting down back country roads. So now I get to pay more to access the land I've always been on with less access to that land. What part of this is supposed to benefit me? I'm not really just venting here. I'm asking how we fight this. To me, public land should be open to the public, not a chance for some gov't employee whose salary I pay, to charge me to access what I should already have access to. What are your thoughts?

2 good take-aways from this. #1 Congress will squash it (I hope) #2 It shows president obama's true alliance. (Lower case intentional)

I hope whoever did this gets a good case of gonorrhea. Karma's a bitch.

When I look at that rack, the only thing I can think of besides how amazing he is, is how he would have looked this year hard horned. That bull has it all - the long curling fronts, the whale tail, just about anything a great bull can be. Huge congrats to the hunter, and those who made it all come together. Awesome job.

Let me first start out by saying I know absolutely nothing about hunting big bears in AZ. I had one close encounter several years back where I talked to a rancher that had a really huge bear killing not only his calves but some of his cows, and when I finally got to see the bear that was doing the damage I passed over it thinking it was a big black cow bedded on the hillside. When I came back to it in the glass I was totally blown away. I dismissed it because I really didn't think we had bears big enough to be what I had just panned over. As I scrambled to the truck to get my gun and rangefinder, the bear ambled into an oak thicket and I never got a shot. We found that sow's paw prints on all the water in the area but never saw her again. Well, this last weekend I was out looking for some places to set up trail cameras down in the desert with my family and we found a pond with deer and bear tracks all around it. There was a set of bear tracks that literally dwarfed anything I've seen in AZ, and I have seen some really big ones on the San Carlos, and those of that bear that was so big I thought it had to be a cow laying on the hillside. Without pictures, it's hard to describe, but I wear a size 12 Danner and the back foot of this bear was a couple inches shorter and 2-3 inches wider than my foot. The front paws were easily 5.5 to 6 inches wide. There was a huge storm coming in as we found this pond, so we kind of hurried out, but I really want to put a camera up. Unfortunately, the tanks is #1 right off a pretty well used road and #2, no good trees at all to put a camera on. So, for you guys out there that know how to hunt big bears, what would you do? I'm thinking just get on higher ground and sit or do some calling. Not much water in this area, big, huge, extremely thick country so glassing isn't an option. We either have to call him or sit his water hole. How would you hunt him?

Gino nailed it, IMO.

Got an archery tag there, and plan to sit water. If spot-and-stalk or decoys are working I'll be doing that too. Any advice out there is much appreciated - it's a long way from home.

Flatlander, Kanarraville is one of our favorite hikes, but Orderville blows it out of the water. The scenery is amazing. Being semi-technical adds more excitement. One hike we're looking into next is the Birch Hollow into Orderville. http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/zion/technical/birch-hollow/ Doing it in one day will be challenging as the Birch Hollow route requires 3-6 hours of rappels (10 ranging from 15 to 100 feet) and going down river is another 3-6 hours (closer to 6 based on experience) and the last shuttle out of Zion is 9:30 PM. So an early start is mandatory for single day trip. The Subway from the bottom is a beautiful hike, but it's just that. I really wish we had opted to go in from the top. Some of the guide books suggest you can get to the upper pools from the bottom with a little swimming and scrambling, but you can't anymore without some serious gear. If you go in from the bottom, the waterfall room is as far as you go.

That's freakin' awesome. Those reds make the best smoked salmon ever. Been years since I was up there but definitely going back. Thanks for the pix!

Happy Birthday, TJ! I'm having a cold one in your honor, then another for Peg. Seriously, I hope you had a great day.

I have 2 Asus RT N65R - one for my office and one for the house. I've been happy with them.

Thanks all! Hey TJ - it was a squirrel, lol. We actually bumped into another rattler a couple hours later - also well fed. We've done a LOT of hikes in Utah - Some around Moab, Goblin Valley, Kanarraville, Escalante Staircase, and unanimously agreed, Orderville in Zion is the best so far. But it's a long, relatively tough "hike". It's about 14 miles from where you get dropped off to the last shuttle stop in Zion at the temple of sinawava, and requires 2 short rappels and some hand-lining, giving it a designation as a "technical" canyon.

Thanks, 308Nut. I think I'll move forward with the 6.5-284, just because my shooting bud has one and we can work up loads together. I know it's a barrel burner but I'm not looking at shooting thousands of rounds. Certainly appreciate your input.

I'd like to hear 308Nut's preference on a 6.5 before I start this project.

LOL - they are calling it a "portal" which means they are at least a decade behind.

LOL, he's sitting somewhere in a castle living it up, laughing out loud, saying "find me now you jerk-offs"

Doug would go nuts in these 2 canyons - the first is Subway from the bottom up (if you get the chance, do it from the top), the second is Orderville - only one way on that one, about 14 miles 1 way. My camera didn't begin to capture how amazing both hikes are. (Edit - Subway from the top and Orderville both require rappelling gear.)

Looks good - what I'm hoping for is the ability to link up to my 3 sons' hunting info so I can apply for everyone at once. Anyone know if that is supported?

Amazing buck - I can't stop looking at that rack. Thanks for posting - now I'll never get any work done - ha ha. Looking forward to the story when you get time.

47M - I can sit on top of the Dial Tower and see everything.

Great info here guys - I really appreciate it. I'm starting with 'carte blanche' here building off a Savage long action (.270) with accutrigger. I'm definitely sticking with the 6.5 but not sure whether to go with the .284, AI, SLR, Creedmore, Swede - I would really like to know what you guys think is the "best" 6.5. I'll be hand loading as I do with all my guns, probably a Boyt thumbhole laminate stock with a medium contour - not too light, not bench rest heavy. Also there's a lot of barrels out there for a Savage - Shilen, Criterion, Lilga and more - I'm thinking 26" target crown. So let's try this - I'll build the CWT 6.5. You guys help pick the chambering, barrel and stock (within reason) and I'll build it and work up loads based on your recommendations. Sound fun?

BP tactical guys got him. If those guys tell you to put your hands up, probably a good idea to comply, lol.

Wow - beautiful mounts and some fantastic bucks. They are both amazing but that one on the left is one of the prettiest coues I've seen.

I've backpacked in several times on the NM side - unit 27 along smugglers route. I haven't had any issues there at all. The only time I had real issues with illegals was just South of Tucson in the Whetstones. They started a fire on someone's ranch that year that had been trying to shut them down. Surprisingly, way down in the corner where there was heavy BP presence and some high-tech stations along the roads, when I got way back in, I didn't see much evidence of illegals and few BP agents.