Rembrant

Never seen a bobcat with rosetts. Never heard of Bob's hybridizing with anything else. cat of a lifetime for sure. Mike

Thanks Y'all, I appreciate it. Mike, I'll take you up on that offer. Spending hours in creation with a like-minded buddy can only be good. Finding an Arizona Black Rattlesnake den would be a plus. I'm thinking April might be a good time to catch 'em at or near the front door. If that don't work, maybe we can do a September trip. The whitetail tracks up there were a bit intriguing, and I haven't done anything about that. Mike

Fellow hunters, Please write a note to KofaLionComments@fws.gov, and give our Game Dept your support. To us it's a no-brainer to take out a lion that kills as many sheep in a year that the sheep herd can produce, but to the greenies it's murder. We the sportsmen contribute money and sweat equity in conservation efforts to make our wildlife populations and hunting opportunities what they are today. And then the green people throw a wrench in it by aposing good management practices and forcing us to spend our wildlife mgt money on lawsuits to defend what we do. This comment period on the Kofa management system is crucial. We the sportsmen are incredibly benevolent when it comes to stepping up in conservation efforts, but rediculously apathetic and lazy when it comes to voicing our opinion to the right people at the right time. Yes this is a challenge. DO YOU THINK THE GREEN PEOPLE WILL MISS THIS CHANCE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION ABOUT KILLING COUGERS TO MANAGE SHEEP? The Game Dept must always be able to use lethal means to manage lions. The alternative to this is the inability of the Game Dept to use lethal means to manage lions. Where would this start, and where would this end? Do you think the greenies would stop with problem lions or do you think they would cease the killing of all lions in this state if they could? THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IN CALIFORNIA. Do you think it can't happen here? Remember trapping? This is a big deal guys and girls. e-mails are easy to write; you do it every day. DO IT NOW! Mike

If you guys that voted for this communist refuse to punch yourself daily, it can be arranged to have this done for you. Mike

It's people that need to bed down in the middle of the day. Mike

That was great! When Ed caught a fish in the middle of the lake and the masses of boats crowded him reminds me of the crappie foatilla that congregates on the Tonto end of Roosevelt. Mike

Heard about a new book; ordered it and about halfway through it. It is entitled: "Worship Not the Creature: Animal Rights and the Bible". Written by J.Y. Jones, an author, physician, outdoorsman, missionary, and hunter. He has written a series of hunting books called, "Ask The Guides". "Ask The Mule Deer Guides", Ask/Whitetail, Elk, Bears, Etc., as well as other hunting books. He also writes theological/Bible based books. He has brought both of these areas together in "Worship Not the Creature". This is the only book to date that explores the growing trend of animals rights activists AND the global warming folks with how this errant liberal thinking stacks up to what the Bible says. I'm loving it. He lays a good foundation about creation vs. Darwinism; explores the differences between the perfection of creation in the Garden to the current state of the earth after cataclismic changes. And, goes into depth with Biblical references about the relationship of humans and animals, animal husbantry, and hunting. You can find it, read about it, and check out a blog at worshipnotthecreature.com If all this sounds too Biblical for you... Ahh, nevermind. Mike

Go to U-Tube and watch the 4 minute video of Lord Mockston Check out the trailer of "Not Evil Just Wrong" at: noteviljustwrong.com Mike

Great deer Jay, I think Clay is the best as well - and a fine human being. Thanks for the well wishes for the up-coming rifle hunts. I hope all our guys can have the best experiences, and kill some fine deer. Good hunting all. Mike

Happy B-day Amanda, thanks for all you do. Mike

You're only 73?! Heck I thought you were old! Happy birthday Bill. Mike

Take a morning and liesurely stroll to the bottom of Sycamore Canyon and hunt your way back up. Mike

Steep downhill? Gotta shoot low. Mike

Beck was origionally on one of the liberal tv news stations as a 'token' conservative. That was good for them until he got better at his job and a lot more informed. In fact he got so good at the conservative angle that he got fired and then FOX picked him up. He rubs alot of us older guys the wrong way with the attitude, but he is reaching a lot of the younger folks. It's all about strategy. If you can get passed the personality, his message is right on the mark. In fact, the last month or so, he has been exposing Obama's appointees or 'Czars', to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up missing one day. And for that, I believe he is a great American. Mike

That teacher forgot the part about the sex education, distribution of condoms, and handing out the phone number for Planned Parenthood - with a reminder that the parents need not know. Mike

Our Game Dept. involes input from other agencies, and does their best to study things through before taking action, especially when it invovles the lethal means of removing problem animals. They do this nowdays because of the backlash they would get from the greenies if they simply went out and dispatched a lion, bear or other problem causer. This costs us all a heck of a lot more money for what ends up being the same result anyway: the problem animal gets killed - but at least various agencies and scientists agreed, which leaves the greenies no leg to stand on. Our Game Dept does these things because even though it costs a lot of money, we (we meaning The Dept. and we the sportsmen who foot the bill) are actually saving money by not going to court because of a stupid lawsuit. This really stinks don't it? Yep, but this is the world we live in now. We are sending in our comments to an open forum discussion held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (KofaLionComments@fws.gov). This is one of the joint agency efforts - which our Game Dept has agreed to - to gather a whole bunch of public input to the reality of killing mountain lions as a big game management tool. Anybody and everybody who is interested may voice their opinion here. We may not like what the Dept. is doing here, but I'll bet you they don't like it either. In an effort to cover their butts - with all this joint effort stuff, instead of just whacking the problem animal John Wayne style - they are now taking the chance that sportsmen won't step up to the plate and voice our powerful opinion. You can bet the liberal bleeding heart animal lovers will write in. Just google up "kofa sheep/mountain lion" and see what you get. I'm serious, you need to see this! Hey look, Our Game Dept ain't perfect - we could go on for days - and we do on this forum. But this public input forum is not the time or place for this. Some of us may dislike the Dept and certain policies, but the alternative is NO HUNTING. Believe me, the anti hunters are not concerned with one dead lion on a national refuge, and they are writing in their comments. These nuts don't even want Barak Obama, whom they are having a slobbering love affair with, to swat a fly! They are trying to gain momentum to push lion hunting to a public vote. It is crucial for our hunting future, wildlife management, and the well-being of the game animals in this state that we the sportsmen step it up! Jake, thanks for not coming back at me with venom. Of course you are intitled to youir opinion, and I am mine. This is what we love about this country. We all need to be on the same page now, wether we agree with the details in the policies or not. United we stand, devided we fall - and we ain't falling. Mike

And by the way, Joe wilson is a man among boys. Mike

Thanks Mark, This makes my day! Mike

[ The sad part is that it is to late for the Kofas and even sadder is that as a state and a country we increasingly value predators more than big game animals. The main problem is not with the leftist, anti hunting, environmentalist groups it is within the agencies that we trust to manage our resources. The Arizona game and fish and the Us fish and wildlife could put all their people in a room and could not get a consensus on weather lions eat sheep! Without a doubt and with one hundred percent certainty the Kofa sheep heard would be healthy with an absence of lions. That has never been in question. The question is whose agenda within the governing agencies will win out. Jake, Please focus. The case in point at this time is that the greenies are forcing into dialog and vehememtly opposing the killing of one lion by the agency that manages our wildlife. They don't want lions being managed at all, let alone listing them as big game or predators. If the Dept. is no longer allowed, by legislation, to manage lions by legal means, then it is only a matter of time before we all lose our rights to hunt lions by public referendum. Do you think a lion hunt will stand up to a public vote? About as good as trapping did! You are quick to share with us your knowledge of the area and your negative attitude towards the Game Dept., but all your letter will do is fuel the anti-hunters with "evidence" that even the states sportsmen have no confidence in an "incompetant" Game Dept. Thanks, Mike

And what Obama is doing is OK? Welcome to the United Socialist Republic of Americo - If he keeps getting his way. The healthcare fiasco - if it passes - won't implement for three years. That gives him time to give all the illegals citizenship - like he promised the Mexican president he would do. Presto! No more illegals! No one is refused medical treatment in this country anyway. And what's the hurry? WHATS THE HURRY? I'll tell ya. He's gotta get this socialist junk ram rodded through before the slobbering love affair ends. And yep, he's a big fat liar. He said No federal dollars would ever be spent on abortions. He also said there are absolutely no earmarks in the stimulous package. He says this with a straight face, or rather, a bold face. He says he's gonna "Call out' those that oppose his plan". Don't people have the right to oppose a plan they don't agree with - IN A FREE COUNTRY? Mike

Sorry for the multiple postings - my computer was wiggin' out. Please delete 2 of the three. Mike

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service News Release August 4, 2009 Public Invited to Comment on Species Management on Kofa Wildlife Refuge News Releases Home Page Search the News Releases U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Home Contacts Mitch Ellis, 928/783-7861 Jose Viramontes, 505/248-6404 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) formally opened a public comment period today as part of continuing efforts to develop a mountain lion management plan on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for limiting Mountain lion predation on Desert Bighorn Sheep has been prepared. Comments on the Draft EA are being solicited. This comment period gives all interested parties an opportunity to provide input by identifying concerns, potential impacts, and possible alternatives for mountain lion management. The comment period runs through Friday, October 2, 2009. As part of the comment period, a public meeting will be hosted in mid-September 2009. Further information including location, date, and time will be distributed prior to the meeting. Kofa National Wildlife Refuge was originally established in large part for the protection of the Desert Bighorn Sheep. Over the past several years the population of sheep has been in steep decline on the Refuge and on surrounding lands. The Service has determined that limiting mountain lion predation on desert bighorn sheep could benefit the sheep population. The Draft EA analyzed 6 alternatives to manage mountain lion predation of sheep on the refuge. The Refuge contains a major portion of the largest contiguous habitat for desert bighorn sheep in southwestern Arizona and historically has been home to a population averaging 760 bighorns. The Refuge has served as the primary source of bighorn sheep for translocations to reestablish and supplement extirpated or declining populations throughout southern Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. Once a very robust population, the size of the herd on the refuge has dropped significantly over the past few years. Wildlife experts attribute the decline to a variety of potential factors including drought, predation, water availability, disease and human disturbance. The management of mountain lions is proposed as part of a multi-faceted program to meet the objectives for desert bighorn sheep on the Refuge. The mountain lion management plan will include strategies for addressing impacts of mountain lions on the bighorn sheep population. Comments to be entered into the record must be submitted in writing to the email address at KofaLionComments@fws.gov or to the mailing address at 9300 E. 28th Street, Yuma, AZ 85365. A copy of the Draft Environmental Assessment is available by visiting: www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/kofa. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Is this freedom? Mike

If those comparison stats are even true, does anyone really believe that socializing medicine will improve the stats? Does the government effectivly and efficiently run anything? Let's see... Social Security - bankrupt; Medicare - bankrupt; Amtrack - bankrupt The national budget - bankrupt. Hey I have a good idea! Lets let the government take over our health care system! Give me a break. Utter confusion. Mike

I don't care if the guy showed up with a gun; I'll bet a lot of ignorant folks got educated about state laws and constitutional rights. And it's OK for them to find out - it ain't a secret. Hollywierd has been shoving the gay agenda down this country's throats until about half of us think being homosexual is normal. It's called desensitizing, and it's working. Where I work, we used to bring in weapons for show and tell. Over the years, leadership began to frown on totin' guns to work, so we stopped. About a year ago, a new guy from New York City was listening to a few of us discussing firearms, and he interupted, "You mean you guys actually own a gun?" We answered, "No, not a gun, GUNS, I have about 10 of them; and the guys began his reluctant and astonished education. He hasn't changed his views about guns, but at least he knows his views are contrary to the constitution and state law. I've been tellin you guys from the beginning that Obama is a communist, and now the country is (slowly) finding this out. He wants to change this country all right. You guys think these "Health Care Rallies" are health care rallies?! Try loosly disguized Communistic take-overs. Y'all keep being politically correct, we won't be allowed to have guns. I don't care if the guy showed up with a gun. Mike