IA Born

That picture is a kingsnake subspecies only found in far southern/southeastern AZ. I'm assuming you are in the Phoenix area, but I could be wrong. Coachwhips are another species that is highly varied in its coloration (red, brown, black, red/brown) and are common in the Phoenix/Tucson areas. If Its a coachwhip, it is nonvenomous, but will bite the snot out of you (multiple times) if you try to catch it. Kingsnakes aren't as quick to bite. If it has yellow stripes mixed in and you are in the Valley or Tucson area, then its more likely a kingsnake. If you are in those areas and its black, its probably a coachwhip. They won't attack your kids and are also known to prey on rattlesnakes.

Thanks!!! not a problem been in that situation before by the way where are ya from in Iowa ? ive grew up in oskaloosa , i lived in Waverly and Dunkerton I grew up in Lambs Grove (right outside Newton) and know Osky well! I almost entered a pet painted turtle in the Waverly Turtle Races once!

Friday night, the kid hunting with me and my daughter took off with a friend to split up and maximize his chance of getting an elk. He took his backpack off to sit down and in his haste, took off without it, not realizing it until he returned to the truck. We ended up going back in the general area to look for it with flashlights, but finding a camo backpack in the forest at night really is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The unfortunate side of this is that his elk tag, license, hunter ed card, headlamp, knife, Camelbak bladder, etc. were in his backpack. If anyone is up in the Peaks Mgt Unit or 7E later in the year and finds a backpack with those items (last name is Soto), please let me know. They were south (downhill) of FR 522 (Friedlein Prairie Rd) about a quarter-mile east of Friedlein Tank. Thanks!

Thanks!!!

I've got 14 points and I'm thinking I may finally get a tag!

I'm going to wait until the last minute when it crashes so I can blame AGFD and make it harder for everyone else. Sorry. I'll go sit in the corner now.

Reading through all of the rest of the responses has been great. With regards to not wanting her to meet a boy like you were or worse: just show her the man you are now and she will follow your lead. I remember when my daughter was 4 and said she wanted to marry me and then got mad at her mom because we were all ready married. Like I said earlier (and others), raising a daughter has made me a better man. I try every single day to be the kind of man I won't have to threaten when she is ready to settle down. Just the other night she and I had it out pretty bad and when the dust finally settled, I sat down with her, heartbroken because I yelled so much, and told her your words: "There is no book on how to be a good parent and there is no book on how to be a good kid. We're both figuring this out as we go. We're both going to make mistakes, but we learn from our mistakes and try to be better people, better kids, and better parents every time." I love the "I'm never letting go!" hugs from my daughter, especially after those! I'm taking her on her first elk hunt next Friday and her first deer hunt two weeks after that. You want pics of girls doing what we do? My pleasure! Here are a few from over the years, including the first time she joined me on an archery deer "hunt" when she was 5. We spent most of that hike (about a mile in) holding hands and talking. No deer or elk seen, but it is still one of my favorite memories!

Just like Willie said. Showing that you are worrying about it now is a great sign. When I found out our first kid was a girl, I went into full panic mode because I'm "that dad". I was raised in a rough and tumble world by a combat vet and I had raising a boy down. I had to rethink everything and I can say that raising a girl first (one of each now) has been the BEST thing I've ever experienced. Its taught me more about being a man, a dad, and a person that I ever thought possible. We had her out camping at 2 months old and I carried her in a Kelty kid-backpack until she demanded that she walk on her own. I've taken her hunting and fishing with me every chance I get and she LOVES it. She has her first elk hunt next week and she is SO EXCITED! She plays competitive soccer up here and, like Willie said, she's fiercely competitive. One piece of advice that was given to me that I found worked was that, when the time comes to take them fishing and hunting, leave your stuff at home and make it 100% about them. I will also say that, in my experience from having one of each, girls are much easier to teach to fish and hunt. They listen better, hang on to every word you say, and have much more finesse and patience. Good luck and CONGRATS!!! And she has a very pretty name!

I was out helping a buddy Thursday night/Friday morning in 6B and lost my soft black Swarovski case. It had the eye piece covers (for 10x42 ELs) and a lens pen cleaner. We were near Sterling Tank and then down across from the Scenic Overlook (near the garbage can) Thursday night when I'm sure I lost them. Didn't find them at either place so I'm hoping someone here may have picked them up.

Hey buddy! Great to finally meet you and Heather in person. No need to thank me. It truly was my pleasure to help you get that cow out of there! Besides, its the least I can do for your service to provide me and my family with the liberties we enjoy! Next weekend is going to be crazy with my daughter's soccer tournament, but I should be able to get away at some point WHEN Heather fills her tag!

Absolutely correct and no, you do not need your old one in possession. You only need your current valid hunting license in possession. As I understand it, it was done (in part), to help alleviate the need to go buy the next year's license to put in for the spring hunts. I can't remember if it went into effect with the January 1 license structure change or if it was before that. I'm pretty sure it went in to effect last January 1. I do remember AGFD telling me that my 2013 license was good for the 2014 spring draw, but I ended up buying my 2014 license early anyway since I had to get my daughter a license to put her in for the spring hunt (10th birthday a week too late for the OTC turkey hunt).

I have both an M1 Garand and a Springfield 1903 (from 1918) that I have every intention of hunting with when I get a chance. I know if I ever make it back to Texas for a pig/deer hunt, they will be the only rifles I take with me.

What an awesome story! Cpngrats on a great hunt and a great buck!

What happens when you are in open range and there is not a right of way fence? I can think of several highways with out right of way fences, hwy 191 thru most of unit 27, catalina hwy in unit 33, highway 289 in 36b, hwy 83 south of Sonoita, and I'm sure there are more across the state. That's an excellent question and next HE Instructor's meeting I'm at, I will ask for sure. For now, the best I can tell you is that the definition of a road is a maintained right of way. Really wish I could give you a better answer for everyone's sake!

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!