IA Born

Some of the reports I've read on the Hevi- Shot magnum blend in 20 ga have comparable results to a standard (non-Hevi-Shot) 12 ga out to 50 yards. My daughter is going to use that load this year. Her shotgun is patterned and sighted in at 25 yards, but if a bird hangs up at 40, I wouldn't hesitate to have her drop the hammer!

If you've ever eaten bison from Arizona, you've eaten beefalo. There are only 5 or 6 genetically pureherds of bison left and most aren't huntable. Most commercial bison meat is actually beefalo as are most huntable populations.

Sorry and respectfully, but chuckwallas aren't even close in appearance. And the habitat isn't right.

Yep, the males do that during breeding season and that's definitely a male! Based on what you just described, I'd definitely say its a desert spiny. I miss those guys!

Clark's and desert spiny lizards are similar in appearance. You usually tell them apart by habitat and behavior. Based on habitat in background, I'd say its a desert spiny lizard (Sceloperous magister).

My beautiful soon-to-be 10 year old daughter got me good with an April Fool prank yesterday. When I picked her up from school, she had a dejected look on her face, said she got in trouble at school, and handed me a note that she said her teacher made her write, herself. If you knew my daughter and her teacher, both are very plausible. As I started reading the note, my blood began to boil...and I mean BOIL! After reading half of what was in the note (signed by her teacher), I was getting ready to turn around and lay into her something fierce, telling her that she would be missing a turkey hunt, a soccer tournament, and a few other activities when she decided she'd better come clean and smile and yell "April Fools"! I stopped for a minute and could do nothing but laugh and give her mad props for pulling a good one on me!

Is the leafy suit available? If so, I will talk to my wife, but I'm here in Flag and can take it from you (assuming the CFO/CEO says yes).

I'm going to throw another bump for this camp. Even though I'm working hard to help find mentors for the Happy Jack Camp, please consider this camp if its in your area. We always talk about how our youth are the future of hunting, so do everything in your power to retain them. Volunteering at the Happy Jack Camp has been life changing for me, personally, and I know I've made a difference in at least one kids life. Be that mentor this turkey season!

The .243 is an accurate and deadly round. I agree with Ron on the .243 for your purposes. It will also work on elk if she gets an elk tag. On a note related to others, my 9-year old daughter shoots a Savage youth 7mm-08 with a brake on it and absolutely loves it. It will definitely do everything your wife wants to do, plus elk just as well.

Couestracker reminded me that we still need mentors and help with our Happy Jack Camp this year. Whether you're closer to the Colcord Ridge Camp or the Happy Jack Camp, please consider volunteering your time to help the kids. It really means a great deal to them and encourages retention of their generation!

All- I just got the flier for the 2014 5th Annual Juniors Turkey Camp near Happy Jack, AZ. This camp caters to OTC tags in 5A and 5B as well as draw tags for 6A. The camp will be 18-20 April and is free. The downside of the youth turkey season this year is that it is over Easter Weekend. We are hoping to still see plenty of kids out there and we really need mentors who are willing to give everything they've got to get kids on birds and teach them basic outdoor skills, hunting ethics, and turkey hunting. Camp will be at the V Bar V ranch and you can contact Tim Denny of the Mingus Mountain Longbeards (Cottonwood) to register (928.301.0853; longbeardsaz@gmail.com). Flyer is attached (hopefully). I can tell you that volunteering to mentor at this camp has truly changed my life for the better. Please consider mentoring! 2014 Jr Camp Flyer.pdf

Current Flagstaff weather (from NWS) is predicting chances of rain/snow from Tuesday night through the weekend.Current Flagstaff weather (from NWS) is predicting chances of rain/snow from Tuesday night through the weekend.

I work for DOI, too. Deals are GREAT!

A few weeks ago, I sat through my annual fire refresher class to prepare for the upcoming widlfire season. We always start these classes with the past year's precip, current conditions, and predicted weather forecast and resulting fire season predictions. As of right now, the prediction is that this high pressure ridge that's been over most of Arizona all winter will be shifting out of here soon. We are looking at having a late spring, with moisture coming in April/May similar to 2009. All current fuel loading out there is based on last summer's monsoon season, so there isn't as much fuel loading as people think. Yes, its dry, but the recent rains have helped a little, although there have been a few recent starts. The other prediction to follow the late spring moisture is another heavy monsoon season this summer. Of course all of this is based on computer modeling and predictions of expected trends and it could all go gunny sack in a heartbeat. The best thing to do right now, IMO, is to sit and wait to see if the spring moisture prediction comes to fruition.

Contact the HE department at AGFD and get on their waiting list for classes in your area. Classes are posted on the HE portion of their website, too. You will get the waiver (for the Field Day) in class and that is what needs to be signed by the parent/legal guardian. When I took the class with my daughter, I took two youth friends of the family with me as well. Just needed their parents to sign the waiver for the Field Day.

Yep. I just taught a class up here this weekend and went through with my daughter a year ago. 9 to take it, 10 to hunt, and you don't have to be the parent to take the class with the child. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, friend of the family are all ok...as long as the legal guardian has signed the waiver.

My daughter and a friend of the family got drawn together for their first elk tag. First time applying, too. Not a junior's hunt, though. Like others, I knew the odds of the youth tags were stacked against them so I put them in for general cow tags. Needless to say, I've got two VERY excited kids on my hands! We haven't even gotten the tag in the mail, but I'm already feeling the pressure to get them on elk and tagged out!

AWESOME!! PM Sent! THANK YOU!!

Check out the Happy Jack Youth Turkey Camp. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/46837-2014-juniors-turkey-hunting-camp-happy-jack/ There will be mentors and others there that know the area. I will be there as a mentor, but I will have another kid with an OTC tag or I'd volunteer to take you and your kid out to 6A.

Thanks, jaymzth007! Definitely keep me posted! I told his parents not to order anything yet, pending these awesome offers!

That would be awesome. Thanks!

Promotive ROCKS!

Keep in mind that if you draw a tag and she doesn't you can transfer it to her. I gave my deer tag to my daughter last year and took her on her first deer hunt. We didn't get one but we got pretty close to some does and she had a blast. The only problem with that is because of her crazy soccer schedule, if I'm going to elk hunt, I'm limited to early archery only. If I draw and she doesn't, she can't use my tag. She's good with her bow and has been pulling 34 pounds for quite a while, but I'm not ready to let her elk hunt with a bow yet. As for deer, I've been holding out for a Strip tag. I can't apply for that with her hunting desires because if we both get drawn, given the hunt she wants, one of us will get screwed out of a hunt. I may not be ready to let her hunt elk with a bow, but I have no problem getting her an archery deer tag (she's expressed the desire) and sitting on a tank with her in my blind. No matter what, she'll be deer hunting this fall and she knows it.

My daughter turns 10 next month and for the first time in my life, I'm not worried about whether or not I get drawn. Yes, deep down, I hope I do, but if only one of us is to get drawn, I truly hope she gets the elk tag and deer tag. Looking ahead at her deer hunting opportunities and what we've talked about and what she wants, I will probably buy a bonus point for myself and rely on my archery deer tag. I've talked to a friend about leftover Coues tags, which really interest me again, but that's only if it doesn't interfere with my daughter's hunts. I guess the short answer to the original question is my archery deer tag is my backup plan with the possibility of a leftover Coues tag. If she doesn't get a deer tag, we may skip on down to south Texas for her to shoot a deer and, hopefully, a hog with my brother-in-law or another friend or two down there!

Two days before my archery elk hunt in 2012, I did something stupid while loading gear and felt a huge POP in my left shoulder. I knew it wasn't good, but I was leaving for my hunt no matter what. I had waited too long for that tag. I spent all two weeks out hunting, thinking I would get tagged out earlier and into the doc. I called towards the end of my hunt to make an appointment and it was another two weeks before I could see him. Turns out, I tore some ligaments in my A-C joint. It was supposed to heal on its own if I put my bow down and let it rest for 6-8 weeks (4 weeks in by appointment). Of course, my wife talked me into installing laminate flooring ourselves and with 2 weeks left in my 8 week recovery, just as everything was finally feeling great, I set myself clear back. I ended up having multiple cortisone shots and the doc told me surgery was my only long term solution. With turkey season and fire season approaching in 2013, I told him there was no convenient time. In March, I tried to shoot my bow after the last cortisone shot had worn off and it put me in tears. I went on my turkey hunt and in early May went to see my doc/surgeon with my tail between my legs. Of course, he wanted to do surgery immediately, but I had a family trip to Florida that included fishing over July 4 holiday. I put fishing with my family ahead of my surgery. In hindsight (always 20/20), it was DUMB! I had surgery July 11. I was very fortunate in that there was no rotator cuff damage. It was irritated, but not seriously damaged. I spent 2.5 months doing physical therapy and was able to draw my bow again on Thanksgiving day without dropping the poundage and without pain. Had I done the surgery earlier, I would have been recovered faster and been able to pick up my kids and hug them sooner. 5 months without being able to pick up my kids was way too long. Good luck and listen closely this time! It may end up being a slower recovery than you'd like, but it will be worth it all!