Just another terrible day in the mountains

[bowhuntaz1]

Well, the past 2 times i have been up in the mountains, I have had my friends quad break on me(1 mile+ from the truck) so yesterday I decided to do it the way I normaly do it when not on foot. I take my mountain bike and pack frame to check my trail cameras. I'm getting ahead of myself. i was about 4 miles West of Superior passing an 18 wheeler when my back right tire blew and I was about a foot from side-swiping the big rig. I'm on the side of the road and have my spare down when I relalize my jack is in the garage... A few phone calls later (2 hours) I have a buddy there to help. Oh wait, I get passed by 1 Pinal Sheriff, 1 DPS car, 4 tow trucks, and a whole lot of other people. NO ONE STOPPED...

as I was waiting I see smoke over towards Globe. I call willhunt4coues and ask about the fire. He said it was south of the globe area.

Now I'm on my way. So I go to an old spot that holds alot of game in 23. about a mile from my turn off i smell smoke. As I get to my turn off, there are about 30-40 Hot-Shot Wildfire crews going at it. I talk to the main man. and he said it was a lightning strike 4 acer fire. I got to my 3 spots and they are all dry... 2 seaps and a spring...

So now I'm on my way to check my trail cam. I get my mountain bike out and get ready(the wife makes me wear the helmet). I'm about 300 yards till i get off and walk for about 200 more to my camera when a fireman on a quad pulls up. He said what ya doing. I said I am getting my trail camera and taking it out of here. He says, dont you know there is a fire. And I say, Yeah 3 miles up the road... He said We have heavy equipment down here, and we dont like it when the public is around. I told him I only have to go about 500 more yards and then I'm gone. He backs his quad up and blocks the road and again says We dont like it when the public is near our equipment. I told him that he does not have to be an (insert 3 letter wrod for donkey) I turn around and ride the mile back to my truck.(which went by real quick as I bad mouth the man on the quad)

So I travel south for a while and set up another trail camera where I know there are some 80-100+ coues. As I'm hiking back to the truck, I keep thinking about my camera 3 MILES from the fire. i pull out my TOPO and plan my route around the nice man on the quad. 2 1/2 hike bush-whacking it through some rough stuff in shorts and slip on shoes finds me at my trail camera. It took so long because of the narrow area that the fire cres was. I had to gow around the little vallye and down the side. About 5 minute later I'm on the trail back to my truck. I stop and talk to 3 fire crew that were very pleasent to talk to. I ended up comming across the !@# on the quad again on my way out. He said I told you, you were not allowed down there. I said No you made it very clear that you do not like the public around your heavy equipment, you never told me I could not go down there. As I walk by him he tells me to leave. I tell him Thank you for letting me enjoy OUR National Forrest... As I get back into cell phone range I get a voice mail. A few hours later while driving through Apache Junction I check It. The message kinda went like this. Mr. Thompson, this is the blah blah County Sheriff, We have a warrent for your arrest, and would like you to come in peacefully. You really need to call us(VERY long pause) Ha ha ha Hey its clay(willhunt4coues) Call me tomorrow... NOT funny. At least not last night, But I got the humor this morning.... Well enjoy the pics...

[bowhuntaz1]

Forgot to add some trail cam pics

[CouesWhitetail]

Wow, that's quite the story!! Tough day in the woods!

 

Good thing Clay didn't wait too long to tell you it was a prank call!

[bonecollector]

At least you were able to get your camera out before it possibly burned up.

I know how you feel with a flat tire and no jack, 2 yrs ago on my elk hunt I thought I had everything packed until I had a problem with something on my rear tire and needed to take it off. I had forgotten the wheel lock out in the middle of the woods and cant get my wheel off. Glad everything turned out ok for you.

[AntlerObsession]

Great pics! I like the "cows"! Where was the fire at? Have they gotten it under control?

[youngbuck]

I hope what goes around comes around and you are rewarded for your troubles with a stomper

[bowhuntaz1]

Great pics! I like the "cows"! Where was the fire at? Have they gotten it under control?

Its about 1/4 mile south of the 609 road just off the young road. It was only a 4 acre fire as of yesterday. dont know about today. They told me they were going to let it burn out...This pic is about 200 yards from the yound road on the 609. You can see where the fire crew is cutting the small stuff.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

My Son is at that little fire and I talked to him yesterday morning. They will grow this fire to 3000 acres in the next couple of days.... That is why they don't want anyone in there.... if it was to blow up the liablities would be, as you can imagine, high. The new Management concepts employed by the Circus dictate that they will build a containment "Box" then burn it... There is another burning up the face of the Rim near the Naggelin that was blazing yesterday... however the Monsoons may have put them both out... I have not heard.

 

James you must need to find a new place to put out cameras.... with all the "bad" luck you are having in that pathetic unit 23.... ... I'd surely try somewhere else.

[JLW]

still beats work

 

james

[Browning'sCustomMeat]

Man oh man you need to carry a rabbit's foot. Sorry about all the tough luck lately.

 

And...GOOD ONE Clay!!! Bwaaahahahahahaha!!! :lol:

 

-Jeremy-

[willhunt4coues]

I got you good buddy.

[bowhuntaz1]

James you must need to find a new place to put out cameras.... with all the "bad" luck you are having in that pathetic unit 23.... ... I'd surely try somewhere else.

 

I'm thinking about 27 for now on... better deer and more of them.

 

to clay. I know where you work...

[daryl_s]

That really sucks that no one stopped to help you. We had a transmission go out on us right in the middle of the scenic drive between Sedona and Flagstaff on a windy road. All the Mercedes and Cadillacs honked, flipped us off and told us to "get out of the road" and finally a guy in a beat up old Jeep pulled us up to an opening and called a tow truck when he got to Flagstaff. This was back before anybody had cell phones. It's too bad most people will just drive on by. Hopefully the next trips will be a lot less stressful.