ready2hunt

that is a very nice buck...looks like you found a decent spot

Sounds like a great man. My hat is tipped to him. We'll be praying for you guys.

Looks like you have some incentive for the jan. bow hunt

Way to get it done guys!!!!! Very happy for the both of you and those are some nice bears!

Click the car alarm twice so the alarm starts sounding off and scares all the deer away before we even get to our favoriate spot!!!!!!! Oh wait that was me last year....sorry dad! Thanks for having a sense of humor!

+1 I think this is a good post. I don't necessarily like all my neighbors in my neigborhood but we all look out for eachother to keep the place safe. I am sending an email to G&F today and appreciate the info shared in previous posts. Like it or not we all share the same forest.

I just posted this in another thread but I just got back and the rut should be in full swing with this cold snap. The bulls were not looking to fight very much but did come into cow calls. You should have a heck of a time up there. My 3 little cousins drew the same tag so we'll probably see you up there! Good Luck

Just got back from the unit I'll be in....didn't hear much rutting during the day I went over a hill (away from the roads and camping areas) and the bulls were bugling pretty good but not fighting. Had a 5x6 eating/bugling next to me at 20 yards (he came in stealthy like) and scared me half to death. I LOVE this time of year!!!!!!!!! BTW 5B hunters....I saw a beautiful bull pushing 350 and 18 cows.......good luck!

Thank you for posting this up. Very good responses. Having said that, is it just me or does it sound like the dept. is saying that (in addition to not being able to regluate the livestock feed) they feel that more salt in the feild would lessen animal congregation as there would be more to choose from? Did I read that right?

Love it!

Thats hilarious!

A couple people have asked why salt is fine. Salt kills most pathogens and bacteria/virus by drawing the water out and drying them...thus killing them. CWD is categorized as a piron (See CDC for write up) or infectious protein so its in a category of it's own...I honestly cannot find any literature on whether or not sodium choride kills proteins. This is why I don't get why G&F are trying to write this off as science and factual. Not trying to sound like "johnny know it all" but thought it would be useful. Str8shot...you keep mentioning all these study you have read through. Can you please share some of these with us? I am having trouble finding any. On another topic....just something to think about. I spoke with an a gentleman I know (name will be withheld) who works in our state legislature. I brought up this topic as he love the outdoors but I really don't think he hunts very much and his response to this baiting thing is very interesting... I will do my best to paraphrase. He said that I have to keep in mind that any state funded position involves politics. Whether it be the Govenor or even the captial Janitor. He said politicians must justify their importance to keep their job. Thus proposals, bill, laws ect are always being sent out and voted upon. G&F is political as well and are employed/paid full time so I need to keep that in mind. He then said that CA has some of the most ridiculous laws in the country and always have more & more on the ballot each year.....why?? because they are employeed full time. He asked, how else could they [CA] justify to the state/people paying for their salaries 365 days a year? He also asked if I find it interesting that our state legislators are paid part time to propose law but other law making agencies in AZ are paid full time? He said expect to see useless laws come through, not that G&F are trying to justify their pay but that is the nature of their job. His take on it is that G&F are not actually worried about CWD especially since their is not factual evidence of how it is spread but that this is more of an attempt to "cover your butt" per say. They are likely more worried about what would happen to their jobs if CWD makes it way into the state and they did not do anything to prevent it. His final comments were the best....he said politicians love people who are partially active...those who go with flow and vote without doing any research. It makes their jobs that much easier so get out and make your voice heard. No politician likes opposition as this is how they lose their jobs but that is how you weed out the effective rep vs uneffective ones. Like a true politican he would not give a "for or against" answer but I did think he had a unique perspective.

congrats on a great bear! thats crazy the gun you used is that old.

Great post. I love seeing pics like that. I feel like I was there or part of your trip even though I am stuck at work haha

I see where a lot of people come from when they say its crazy to think that this is going to lead to a ban on hunting but seriously...where do you draw the line? I never thought I would see the day wolves were brought back in force into AZ but that happened. You think CA hunters planned on on their restrictions? Do you really think those restrictions happened over night or did it take careful planning and legislation? Do you think that from one day to the next that Chicago passed handgun restrictions or what the political climate right? (and guns are apart of our constitution- but I know...different topic) Of course I do not believe that G&F have the ultimate goal of eliminating hunting however as mentioned by a fellow member they do have a job to do and this proposal I believe is a poor job. (A cook has a job....doesn't mean he/she is a great cook) A couple of our fellow CWT members say its no big deal to them yet I see everyone getting pretty defensive. Yes, I am defensive as well. I will defend my right to bait game (even though I don't actually hunt over bait) because it is my right as a hunter. I don't know where this attitude of superiority comes from when people say your not a real hunter if you use bait or it is not fair chase. Life is not fair, hence I have never won the lottery or the AZ super raffle. Some hunters liken baiting or food plots to laziness. If I hire a guide service does that make me less of a hunter because I am not doing the scouting and I am depending on someone to tell me where to go??? I think not. If my dad is old and tired and can't walk a canyon is he any less of a hunter when I walk it for him in hopes that he sees an animal I scare up to shoot? I am still forcing an animal into that area....I am doing it in hopes that it is taken and tagged...the animals would not have otherwise been in his path were it not for my influence. To the outfitter who started this topic- my hat is tipped to you brother! Not only are you supporting your family but you are livin' the dream. I hope to run an outfitting company one day and will use any legal manner to take game with my clients as this is what they are paying for and expect. Long live capitalism haha! If baiting is outlawed then I will continue to hunt, continue to love it and I will continue to share it with my family but that doesn't mean that I will not do my part to keep unnecessary laws from being passed. I am not worried about my tags going unfilled....I have a hard enough time as it is haha. I am more worried about my kids not being able to experience the joy of hunting as I have.

Great quote Tyler. I was wondering when you were going to jump in this haha, your comments crack me up.

Thats really fun to see. Great idea.

True dat! She woke up today asking when we will go again haha

I saw those results yesterday. I find it interesting that we know Chavez is a dangerous socialist. He even says this about himself HOWEVER he recently said that he would prefer if Obama served a 2nd term! Read that on Yahoo btw

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the words. Thanks Brian for the advice! PRDATR- you must have been in the line just ahead of me haha!!!

Can anyone give some reasons why they are so against baiting? There are a few people here that seem to be pretty adamant about their position. I would like to hear your reasoning.

What I can't understand is why we have so many fellow hunters are okay with their liberties being limited. It does not matter if you use attractants or not, you are still losing that choice. There are many tools and methods regarding hunting that I do not take advantage of but that does not mean that I am okay losing that opportunity. I personally do not use tree stands....does that mean that I stand by and let that method of hunting be outlawed? Absolutely not. I have NEVER taken an animal over or even around an attractant that I have placed however I love seeing what hits an area on my cameras. And I will go out of my way to place my cameras in areas that are attractive to animals such as oak groves, water holes or natural limestone deposits. Where did this lackadaisical attitude come from? There are members on this site who become argumentative and even angry when someone brings up baiting but as soon as it might be outlawed they pull out the recliner and just watch their freedom slowly get taken away. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for game management but this is unnecessary.

I'll take em' if you still have them. Pm Sent

I just got done speaking with a co-worker of mine who considers himself political. I asked him if he saw the debate and his response was: "Ya your boy Romney is in touble, I watched CNN this morning and they were talking about the debate. I saw 20 min. of it and Obama did what he needed too. He was cool and poised like he should be while Romney is attacking him." I'll spare you what my response was but I find it pathetic that individuals like this one have the right to vote. Just goes to show the power of media manipulation. In the end of our discussion he could only say that the best candidate will win. I pray that is the case.

Nice bull! congrats!