IA Born

Been thinking about this thread all day. Good luck!

In Hunter Ed, we teach the definition as "maintained right of way." In AZLance's example, as explained by the WMs who help teach the regs section, you must be outside of the ROW fencing.

I'm going to be in a meeting in Meadview Friday, which means leaving here early and getting back late. This hunt and thread will be on my mind all day and I look forward to seeing an update when I get back!

Exactly what I do and why, except I may go 2-3 paragraphs depending on what I'm reading. Although when those magical hours (dawn and dusk) come around, I'm extremely vigilant. Of course, when my kids are with me, there's always "I spy" and dirt drawings in the bottom of the blind!

This has been great to follow. I agree with Amanda, I love your thoughts about spending time with your boys! Filling your tag will be icing on the cake! Good luck!

I'm totally with you on both points. If I'm going to sit in a blind, I have to take a book to keep me occupied and from getting out and walking. I don't dove hunt, but the first couple of times I took my kids deer hunting and quail hunting, it was more walking and talking, but you are absolutely right: wouldn't have it any other way because they love to go with me regularly!

BBA in Flag is the only place I'll go. They have taken great care of me, my family, and a couple of friends ever since I first walked in there almost 7 years ago. I'm proud to call everyone of those guys a friend. My 10-year old daughter has told me that when she's old enough to get a job, she wants to work there!

Great advice right there! Back during my Mojave research days, I had to collect venom from individuals to go with their blood samples. One day I was working with the pure crystalized venom (all liquid removed) and accidentally inhaled a few crystals of the Mojave toxin venom (neurotoxin) from three different individuals before I realized what was happening. My nose went numb for three hours and I had sporadic reoccurences of losing feeling in my nose (it would get all tingly) for about 10 years after that, just like my immunology professor said I would. I was fortunate that it was localized in my nose and didn't spread and I learned to always work in a vent hood! I'm sure we all know someone who has been bitten by a rattlesnake and that should be deterrent enough, but I happen to know the actual protein make-up of many venoms, including Mojave rattlesnake venom (neurotoxin, hemorrhagic toxin, mix of both), and what those individual proteins do by themselves, let alone in conjunction with each other is nasty. That knowledge alone is enough to know I don't want that stuff in my body!

I can't really add more than what others have said. I will turn 41 in October and this year my daughter has 3 tags. My whole year is about her. Over the last couple of years, I've watched my motivation turn from getting out hunting no matter what to spending time with my kids no matter what. Fortunately, both of my kids (daughter: 10, son: 7 in Dec) love to shoot their bows with me. My daughter goes to the shooting range with me and my son will when he's 7. They both love to sit at the reloading bench with me. But when I find myself longing for that "me time" to do things for myself, I ultimately can't imagine doing it without them. Two years ago, I was on my way to go archery deer hunt one evening and ended up skipping it because I was engrossed in a backyard game of badminton with my wife and kids. Hearing my kids laugh and watching them play was worth every minute of that unfilled tag. Absolutely no regrets. Someone else said it best: Its parenting and its unselfishness at its best. As they get older, I find a little time to fish for myself, but most of it is still about them. Its how we get them interested and pass on our passions. Someone else said it, too: they are our PASSION! You are doing it right, Coach. It is an honor to share that "dwindling self-passion" with you in favor of developing our passion for our kids and developing their passion for what was ours!

Yep. Tail pattern and blotches on the back say Mojave. They were my research subject in grad school and I can assure you they're not all green. I hate that "Mojave green" common name. Also, that other diamondback looks more like a young C. cerberus before its color change to black. Where was that pic taken?

I looked and looked for the pink rattlesnake post and totally forgot you were the snake man.. from now on I will just txt ya pics. Thx for the help. mom and sis always have little 6 to 9 inch snakes that look about like worms, what are they? 3rd street and cloud, desert hills.. and they love expansion joints If they look like worms, but have kind of a metallic sheen to them, they are blind snakes. The one species was recently split into two and they are now officially called "thread snakes". If that's what your mom and sister are seeing, its a western threadsnake (Leptotyphlops humilis). Cool find! IN all of my searching, I've yet to find one. Many years ago, a friend of mine was up late watching some sci-fi movie and went to the garage to get a coke and one of those was in there. He freaked out at first!

Yep, desert night snake (Hypsiglena torquata). Cool find!

I need RL15 for my daughter's rifle. How much and what are the chances of getting a pound or two to Flagstaff?

Yep, and I just saw that P&Y or B&C finally realized that lighted nocks gain you no advantage and will let records be submitted where lighted nocks were used. There are other states (CO, for one) where they are illegal, though.

I put my wraps on under the fletching and quickly realized why I should have put them on in front. When you ding up your fletching (and you know you will), you will have to replace the entire wrap to have your arrows re-fletched. I have three arrows that need re-fletched, but I'm waiting until its worth the money to have them all redone with the wraps in front. I also agree with (and use) the lighted nocks, but from my experience, Nockturnals have dropped in quality since I got my first set 4 years ago. The Nockturnals I've tried in the last couple of years have quit working within a handful of shots and I'm talking 2 out of 3 in the pack with multiple packs. I started researching it and I have several buddies back in Iowa who have had the same experience ever since Rage bought them out. One of those buddies put me into Two Guys and a Bow (TGB Archery) out of Wisconsin. They produce their own lighted nocks that are exactly like Nockturnals, but are cheaper (6-pack for price of Nockturnal 3-pack) and work 100% of the time. Worth a look: http://www.tgbarchery.com/home.html

There is a storage place, some covered, some open, just off I-40 in Bellmont. If I had the room in Flag, I'd let you. Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of storage places. We've looked for covered storage for our pop-up for winter, but Bellmont is the only place I've found. I've never called for prices because I don't really want to go to Bellmont to get our camper. http://www.r66storage.com/

I'll be honest...I love that he's excited about homework! That show's his true character to me!

Good luck on your hunt! I put my daughter in for the 18B youth deer hunt as her first choice at her request. Unfortunately, she got her second choice and was bummed! I had to remind her that she's still deer hunting, which is more than I'm doing this year. I spend quite a bit of time over there in December/January doing the archery deer/javelina hunt and she usually goes with me. We've seen some big bucks in there, which is why she wanted that deer tag badly! She did get the youth javelina tag, though. The areas mentioned above should be good! Only advice is be careful if you get near the boundary to the Baca. They get really protective of their area and I've heard stories of less than pleasant encounters with hunters who were legally hunting on public land outside their area.

When we lived in Tucson and first got our safe, we put it in the house. It wasn't bolted down, but the guy tried to convince me to bolt it through our tile and into the wall. My wife laid the smackdown on that and I didn't argue. I pointed to our two German shepherds and said if anyone survives getting into the house unwelcome, they've earned the right to try to get that safe out. We through a big desiccant block/brick to help with seasonal humidity. Never had a problem.

Pack is SPF...

After Heat's generous offer and talking to my wife last night, I'm going to go ahead and try to sell my daughter's Eberlestock H3-Sawed Off pack. Its been worn 5-6 times at most and is in perfect condition. She's just not comfortable with it and I can't ask her to wear something she that isn't comfortable on her back all day. It does not have the optional scabbard with it, but the option to add one exists. It is the western slope camo pattern and the 3L hydration bladder will be included (fully cleaned, no cooties). With taxes, we paid about $140. Asking $100. If you want pics of the actual pack, let me know. Otherwise, here is a pic from the website and link to it. http://www.eberlestock.com/H3-SawedOff.htm

PM answered!

Piece of advice if you are hunting from a tree stand in Illinois: bend at the waist when you got to shoot. Its common to just drop your arms down, but that affects your aiming point. In 2011, I hunted a family farm back in Iowa and I missed one doe and almost missed the buck in my avatar because I got caught up in the moment and just dropped my bow arm to aim and forgot to bend at the waist. Draw normal and then bend at the waist! Its a whole different style of hunting, but I fell in love with sitting 20' up while the woods came alive! Can't wait to go back in 2015! Good luck!

Randy Lawson (Harry's son; runs the shop now) is one of the best, most humble gunsmiths I've ever met. I'm not the least bit surprised to hear you say this. He did all of my custom work when I lived in Tucson and I've had stuff sent to him from up here in Flagstaff.

PM sent. Thanks!