More “zero tolerance” actually means “zero requirement to weigh the facts and mitigating circumstances, make a decision and stand by that decision”. Bust her on the smokes maybe, but geez louise, this is dumb….

From this story on AZ Central.com

17-year-old disciplined for shotgun shells at school

District overreacted in punishing athlete for ammo in SUV, family says

Erin Zlomek
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 29, 2007 12:00 AM

Surprise high-school senior Kim Peters carries an Olympic identification badge and an Arizona skeet-shooting members’ card, but neither got her out of a four-day suspension for bringing shotgun shells onto school grounds.

The 17-year-old started competitive clay shooting her freshman year at the urging of her mom and stepfather.

She has since won several trophies in the male-dominated sport and in August was one of 18 athletes across the nation to attend this year’s Junior Olympic shooting camp in Colorado Springs, Colo.

But the hobby got Peters into trouble last week. Willow Canyon High School administrators disciplined Peters after a security guard noticed two unopened boxes of the shells sitting in the back seat of the student’s white sport utility vehicle. There was no gun.

Peters said her 12-hours-a-week practice schedule got so hectic that she forgot to unload the ammunition from her vehicle as she was running late for school Tuesday morning.

To beat the bell, she said she took a shortcut and parked in a visitors-only lot closest to the school. The guard spotted the shells while ticketing her for parking in the non-student area.

Now, Peters fears the resulting punishment will cloud her permanent record as she applies to colleges. Her family is fighting the Dysart Unified School District to get the offense, possession of a “dangerous instrument,” expunged.

Administrators stand by their decision and rejected the family’s first appeal last week.

“We can never comment on a specific situation with a student (due to privacy laws), but what I can say is that whenever we are dealing with any infraction . . . our duties involve keeping students in a safe and secure environment,” Dysart Superintendent Gail Pletnick said.

Peters called her own actions “careless” but said she doesn’t feel the punishment fits the crime.

“They searched me and they searched my car,” she said.

Searchers discovered that Peters had cigarettes in the car, an offense also punishable by suspension. Though Peters technically violated three school rules, she was punished only for the shells, according to a Dysart disciplinary-incident form sent home with Peters.

Arguing that Peters proved she regularly uses the shells for sport, her father, Tony, asked administrators to swap the ammunition offense for the cigarette offense. Tony said he felt anyone requesting his daughter’s behavior records might be more sympathetic to a “tobacco” violation vs. a “dangerous instrument” violation. He said he feels the latter unfairly implies that his daughter brought a gun or bomb into the school building. When officials refused to make the swap, Tony accused the district of overreacting and trying to make an inappropriate example out of his daughter.

The Peterses also cite a 2007 federal education statute that explicitly excludes shotguns and shotgun shells from being categorized as a destructive device because they are primarily used for sport. Despite the statute, districts are free to take disciplinary actions where they see fit, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Pletnick said that school shootings at Columbine High School and Virginia Tech have forced school districts everywhere to re-evaluate and tighten their safety standards.

Peters said she is still trying to drum up support for her position and has started by contacting some of her target-shooting mentors.

Zach Snow, a promotions coordinator with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said other athletes have reported similar complaints in the past, prompting professional shooters and the National Rifle Association to come to their defense.

He said the most notable case was when a group of students was sent home for wearing foundation T-shirts, which pictured a silhouette of a shooter holding a rifle. But Snow said to his knowledge, Peters’ situation is the first of its kind.

She is scheduled to return to school Tuesday.

This comes from my friend Pat McHugh. He’s another one of those “friends I haven’t met yet”, thanks to the internet. A couple of years ago, Pat rocked my world and he probably doesn’t even know it. Some openings had come up at a big corporate/promo bass fishing event that was looking for writers to attend. My only expense would have been getting there (Mexico, if I remember correctly). Pat thought of me and asked me to call him about it. As it turns out, I couldn’t make it. I was very flattered though, that he thought of me (such a little fish, so to speak!). It has stayed with me all this time.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Pat sells the original “space blanket” and is an expert on outdoor survival. Not just equipment, but how to think; how to act. The recent events in California prompted Pat to send out this great piece on survival kits. Please stop over and look around MPI Outdoors

Here you go, from Pat:

BEING PREPARED is BEING SMART.

You never know when you may need to be prepared to survive on your own for three days or more. It could be a simple as having all the electricity blown out and assuring you have some basics stocked in for the wait for the power company, or it could mean you have to leave your home and evacuate. In either case this may require having your own water, food and emergency supplies accessible. Assembling the supplies you might need before a disaster strikes is the most important part of creating your own personal disaster response plan. If you are forced to evacuate, I suggest the following personal “go kit” you should have available. It is easy to assemble in a few hours and for a few dollars… but it cold a disaster strike you and your family.

Suggested Home Disaster Evacuation Kit.

Purchase one of those 5-gallon buckets with a lid from Home Depot or Lowe’s or a small plastic trash can with a good lid and handles and pack it with the following suggested items. Store your “GO KIT” in the front hall closet or in the garage so you can easily grab it and go if and when the time comes to evacuate your home. Replace noted items every 3 to 6 months; tape a piece of paper on the top listing the contents so you know when you last updated your supplies.

Suggested Contents:

- Flashlights at least 2 of them without batteries inserted.

- Batteries for flashlights, at least 3 sets for each light… note expiration dates on packages.

- Small roll of duct tape, and a pair of work gloves, and some basic tools (screwdriver, claw hammer, pliers)… you may need them for clean up.

- Chemical light sticks (8-12 hour variety) at least 4 (longer lasting light especially for kids)

- Portable radio with 2 sets of batteries stored outside radio

- A Small Basic First Aid Kit - remember this is basic only, if you need or anticipate other needs, pack them in.

- Roll of toilet paper - Toothbrushes – toothpaste – (denture adhesive) small bar of soap – washcloths - Wet Wipes – these personal care items will not be available if you have to go to a shelter.

- Water: bottled water (rotate every 6 months) 12 bottles. Stack around perimeter of bucket, one up one down- fill middle area of bucket with other gear to hold water bottles against the sides. Water is heavy, but necessary and could be a scarce commodity in a shelter.

- A 32 oz. wide mouth polycarbonate water bottle (available at hiking shops) in case you have to secure water in a shelter. Put as many of your personal toiletries inside the bottle as you can to save space this way.

- Save a small eyedropper type bottle (or buy one from a druggist) and fill it with household bleach, dump out old and fill with new bleach every 6 months. Should it be necessary you can use the bleach to disinfect your drinking water. 1 quart = 2 drops if water is clear, 4 drops if water is cloudy.

- A few High-energy food/snack bars and some pieces of hard candy (physiological and psychological)

- Pre-sweetened ice tea packets or drink mixes, maybe even some dry soup mix or packets of instant coffee.

- Consider including a small pocket stove and solid fuel tablets, to heat water for a cup of tea or soup mix, a little added extra comfort item. Put in a metal campers cup to use over the flame.

- Small hard plastic cups, in case they are dispensing water from a public source.

- Next time you are in a fast food place, take a few sugar and salt/pepper packages to include to spice up shelter food service.

- Your out of state family-friends phone contact numbers taped inside the lid, also include your home/car insurance policy# and agent contact #…

- SPACE Brand ALL WEATHER BLANKETS for warmth and protection, they will not get damp or mildew laden. A few SPACE Brand EMERGENCY BLANKETS for on the go use protection or for signaling or to help out a neighbor who is wet and cold. They help deter the effects of post trauma shock by maintaining a persons body heat so they do not easily go into shock… and being wrapped up and protected is a great psychological advantage in all the panic.

- Draw top kitchen trash bags – use bucket as emergency toilet, bags as disposable liners.

- Smokers put in a pack of cigarettes and a lighter; you don’t need stress in a time like this.

- Pen and a small notebook, you will need it.

- If you have children, small puzzle books, deck of playing cards, reading material, a ball and small game items to occupy their time if you are stuck in a shelter.

- Some amount of cash, as credit cards and your ATM will be useless if the power is out or if there is a run on the ATM’s.

Home: Know how to turn off the gas and electric before you leave your home. Check and lock all doors and windows, and remove any outside objects that may become airborne in high winds.

Personal Papers: Since you live in a disaster prone area get all personal papers such as deeds, bank books, check books, insurance papers, agents phone numbers, car titles, etc. assembled in one place so you can take them with you if you have to evacuate. Have them stored in a snap over closure plastic folder that you can buy at Staples or Office Max… so it’s a grab and go situation.

Personal Medication: Keep an empty zip lock poly bag stored inside your medicine cabinet. Make a list on the bag with a Sharpie pen beforehand of all your needed meds, place all your personal need medications in it and take with you when it is time to evacuate. Don’t forget your extra pair of glasses.

Your Cell phone: Most of us have cell phones today, make sure you have a car recharging unit to take with you so you will be able to recharge the phone battery from any car lighter or 12V socket. Electricity outlets may not be readily available for your home plug in re-charger.

Inside your car: Put a few SPACE Brand ALL WEATHER Blankets inside your trunk, bungee cord them up on the slots in the trunk lid, for use as emergency blankets, privacy tarps, provides warmth and protection from wind and/or rain, and can be used as a cot cover.

In warmer climes, put one or two one-gallon bottles of spring water in the trunk in a small cardboard box to stop them from banging around. Replace them every 3 months. If you have the room in your trunk put in an extra set of work type clothes like jeans and t-shirts and clean socks. One way to do this is invest in one of those clear vinyl bags that you suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner… thus reducing bulk and keeping your change of clothes clean and dry.

I hope you will consider doing something along these lines, winter is coming and anything can happen…do this so that you are not dependent on waiting for help. I also suggest you cut and paste and print this out… it is just my idea and I am sure as you assemble your “Justin Case Go Kit” you will think of some other things to add that you just may someday need… like a pistol and some ammo depending on where you reside or where you have to evacuate to?

Wild Elephants Electrocuted in India After Drinking Rice Beer

From a story over at FOX News

GAUHATI, India — Six Asiatic wild elephants were electrocuted as they went berserk after drinking rice beer in India’s remote northeast, a wildlife official said Tuesday.

Nearly 40 elephants came to a village on Friday looking for food. Some found beer, which farmers ferment and keep in plastic and tin drums in their huts, said Sunil Kumar, a state wildlife official.

They got drunk, uprooted a utility pole carrying power lines and were electrocuted in Chandan Nukat, a village nearly 150 miles west of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state, Kumar said.

“There would have been more casualties had the villagers not chased them away,” said Dipu Mark, a local conservationist.

The elephants are known to have a taste for rice beer brewed by tribal communities in India’s northeast. Four wild elephants died in similar circumstances in the region three years ago.

India’s northeast accounts for the world’s largest concentration of wild Asiatic elephants with the states of Assam and Meghalaya alone estimated to have 7,000 of them.

“It’s great to have such a huge number of elephants, but the increasing man-elephant conflict following the shrinkage in their habitat due to the growing human population is giving us nightmares,” said Pradyut Bordoloi, former Assam Forest and Environment Minister.

Just think how much beer you’d have to drink to make the wrinkles disappear on another elephant…..

From AZGFD:

Urban Fishing Bulletin
For the weeks of
Oct. 15-28, 2008

Manager: Eric Swanson (602) 789-3263
Specialist: Joann Hill (602) 789-3268

Call 1-800-352-0700 to report fishing violations

2007 URBAN FISHING LICENSE 50% OFF SALE
If you are new to Arizona, or have only recently discovered the great fishing opportunities available at designated Urban Fishing Program waters, then we have a deal for you! For the first time ever, the price of the Urban Fishing License will be reduced 50% for the final two months of 2007. When you purchase a 2007 Class U Urban Fishing License from November 1 through December 31, 2007, you pay only $9.25, instead of $18.50. Licenses may be purchased from any of over 340 license dealers statewide including many local sporting goods stores, bait and tackle shops, major retailers and convenience stores. Make sure to specify to the store clerk that you want the 2007 half price license. The regular Class U Urban Fishing License is good for the calendar year, from January 1 through December 31. This half price sale allows anglers to participate in Urban fishing at the end of the year without having to pay for a full year. November and December represent some of the best fishing offered at Urban Fishing waters with catfish stockings in early November, every other week trout stockings starting the week of November 12-17, and a sunfish stocking in mid November. Heavy stockings, great fishing and beautiful weather make for some of the best fishing experiences of the year at Urban waters—all at a price that’s hard to beat.

NOTE: The 2008 Urban Fishing Licenses are already available for sale at all license dealers if you wish to purchase them in advance or buy them as a special gift or Christmas present. There is no change in license prices for 2008.

GREEN VALLEY LAKES GET FIRST TROUT STOCKING OCT. 17
Payson residents and visitors can welcome back the trout to beautiful Green Valley Park on Wednesday, October 17. A stocking truck from Colorado, loaded with 450 pounds of 11 to 18 inch rainbow trout, will be arriving in the afternoon to stock fish in the main lake. This special, season opening, stocking will feature over 800 trout that includes an extra 25% more fish. Trout can be caught on small spinners and spoons, by fly fishermen using nymphs or wet flies, and by baits such as scented dough baits, worms or salmon eggs. Remember to use lighter line in the 2-6 pound range, smaller hooks and a minimal amount of weight.

The Green Valley Lakes are stocked differently than the 19 other Urban Program waters in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Green Valley Lakes are stocked with rainbow trout for 8 months of the year from mid October through early May at two week intervals. No catfish or sunfish are stocked at Green Valley, however good populations of bass, crappie and sunfish can be found in this highly productive lake.

URBAN FISHING REPORT
With catfish stockings now taking place every two weeks, fishing has been good to excellent. All 19 Urban Program lakes in both the Tucson and Phoenix areas are being stocked at rates of 35-70 catfish per acre every two weeks through early November. Best baits for catfish have been doughbaits and shrimp. Fishing for bluegill and other sunfish is good, with plenty of action along the shorelines for anglers fishing worms under bobbers. Rainbow trout will be stocked for the first time this fall at Green Valley lakes in Payson on October 17. Over 800 trout from 11-18 inches will be delivered from suppliers in Colorado. The trout stocking season at Green Valley lasts from October through early May with fish delivered every two weeks.

Stocking Update

Phoenix Area Lakes - stocked catfish Oct. 4. Next stocking - Catfish, week of Oct. 15-20.
Tucson Area Lakes - stocked catfish Oct. 4. Next stocking - Catfish, week of Oct.15-20.
Green Valley Lakes (Payson) - stocked trout May 11. Next stocking - Trout, Wed., Oct. 17.
Remember to visit our Web site www.azgfd.gov for updated stocking schedules, fishing clinics, public events, and other great fishing information! Also check out the web for new information on the Urban Fishing Program, Weekly Fishing Reports, to get your own copy of this Urban Fishing Bulletin, or submit your email address to get your name on our bi-weekly email distribution list.

First off, please excuse how vague this post is going to be. It concerns a good friend of mine. He didn’t want me to write about this, and I want to respect that. If I put too much information in, people that know me (and/or my friend) will be able to connect the dots. Trust me in that the gist of the story is accurate, and my friend is as honest as they come, and he doesn’t embellish things. All that being said, I am furious about this, and disheartened, about “the system” and our society.

A few years ago, my friend had another party provide a service, under contract, and it was a pretty big purchase. The other party did not complete the work as expected, and my friend was very unhappy with the end result and the workmanship involved. He tried solving the problem through “regular means” - that is, working it out with the vendor. The vendor refused. My friend ultimately went after the person/company civilly. It went to a jury trial.

My friend’s work is connected with the hunting/fishing industry. He is an avid hunter as well. Based on the fact that the errors in the work were obvious, they thought they had a good case. Their evidence was extensive. Then the defense lawyers got to him. They brought up what he did for a living, in very disparaging terms. They made a big “to-do” about how many guns he owned. To make a long story short, the jury found for the other side. In a discussion with jury members after the trial, my friend’s attorney was told “We really felt sorry for Mr. XXXX - we just don’t like what he does for a living”. No bull. An appeal was filed for a new trial, and that was denied. Not only did he not have the original situation rectified, he was ordered to pay an unbelievable amount in the other sides’ legal expenses. Think $100K or better.

I stopped in to see my buddy the other day, and asked him how his appeals and stuff were going. He said “It’s all over. They emptied my accounts a few weeks ago. Checking, savings, investments. All I have left is my house, my truck, and my family. They still want me to pay several hundred dollars per month, for the next 15 years, and another $50K at the end. I’m still trying to negotiate that with them.”

Surprisingly, my friend was in pretty good spirits. I am sad for him, beyond words. I am angry at a system that allowed this to happen. I am in disbelief that people would put their personal beliefs (hunting and guns) over what is “right”, when it comes to a trial. I am glad that this man is my friend, though - that someone can stand tall after all this, is an inspiration.

Ahhhh… lawyers, insurance companies, and poachers…. the perfect storm!

From the Univ of Alberta - Faculty of Law is this interesting case….

Oh - In Canada, they often refer to hunting with a light (spot-lighting) as “jacking”. I haven’t heard it called that, here.

The basic holding in Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co. v. Herbison makes sense: if a guy goes hunting, gets out of the truck and shoots his buddy, his negligence isn’t covered under his auto insurance policy. Indeed, this result seems so obvious that you have to wonder how in the world anyone could argue with a straight face that the hunting accident was “from the use of” an automobile? Just because he drove there? No, Herbison had a different argument. The hunting accident arose from the use of an automobile because he was using the lights of the truck to illuminate where he was shooting, and but for the truck and its lights, he wouldn’t have been able to hunt.

In other words… he was deer jacking!

Check out the facts, para 4. I had to go back to the back to the trial decision, but the accident happened at around 6:00am on 22 Nov. At that time of year sunrise is about 8:00am. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 41, s.20 prohibits hunting prior to a half hour before sunrise and for good measure it also specifically prohibits hunting with lights.

Click on the link to read the legal discussions that followed..

I always love seeing HOAL stories. Some of you may know that I am the PR representative for the Arizona Chapter.

This story is from The Payson Roundup

Hunt of a lifetime

Widow donates tag to ill teen hunter

By Max Foster, Roundup staff reporter

Friday, October 19, 2007

Val Nitzsche, reeling from the death of his friend Bill Wilcox, scrambled for months trying to find a way to honor his former hunting companion and fellow conservationist.

Wilcox, a longtime employee of the town water department and a friend to about every hunter and angler in the Rim Country, died last April after a five-month long battle with liver cancer.

Nitzsche admits he wasn’t sure of the best way to memorialize his sidekick until he received a phone call from Wilcox’s widow, Katie.

“She called me last summer a few minutes after picking up her mail to let me known that he (Wilcox) had drawn an (elk hunt) tag,” he said.

“Saddened by the loss of her husband she was also concerned that his tag was not going to be used and wondered if I had any ideas.”

Wilcox applied for the archery elk tag in September 2006, about four months before he was diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Nitzsche, who had been on many hunts with Wilcox during their 12 years of friendship, had read about a nonprofit organization, Hunt of a Lifetime, that grants hunting and fishing adventures and fulfills dreams to those 21-years-and-under who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

He researched the foundation and found it was begun by Tina Pattison after her 19-year-old son, Matthew, realized his dream of going on moose hunt in Canada, before he died of Hodgkins disease in 1998.

Pattison said the foundation is dedicated “to my son Matt and the life he lived loving the outdoors to the fullest, and passing on to others what hunting and fishing meant to him.”

Upon learning of the mission of Hunt of a Lifetime, Nitzsche immediately realized that if Wilcox had known he was going to receive the elk-hunt tag, he’d have wanted it to be used by a someone who shared his love for the great outdoors.

“I thought this would be a great way to honor him,” Nitzsche said.

Almost immediately, Nitzsche enlisted the help of longtime Rim Country outdoorsman and Mogollon Sporting Association co-founder, Gary Barcom.

Wilcox had been a longtime supporter of the MSA and also a friend to Wilcox.

Originally Barcom and Nitzsche thought an elk tag transfer could be accomplished through the MSA but soon realized state statutes would not allow such a transaction.

“So, I contacted the Arizona Game and Fish Department and found out HOAL was the only organization authorized to transfer tags,” Barcom said.

Hunt of a Lifetime obtained the legal rights to transfer tags after Terry Petko, an environmental safety manager and outdoorsman from Mesa, lobbied the legislature in 2004 to pass such a bill.

Petko convinced Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, to author the legislation that would allow tag holders to transfer hunt privileges to charitable organizations such as Hunt of a Lifetime.

“The governor signed it on April 1, 2004,” Petko said. “It took us two years to get it (into law).”

After Barcom and Nitzsche informed Petko of the tag’s availability, the two were told it is sometimes difficult to find a young hunter with archery skills.

“He (Petko) said, however, he did have a candidate in mind,” Nitzsche said.

Within a couple of weeks Nitzsche and Barcom were given the name of Ryan Urie, a 17-year-old senior at Muller High School in Denver.

Ryan is in Stage 4 of a liver disease that has attacked his liver and colon, but doctors are hopeful his current medications will keep him healthy.

“I’ve been fighting this about four years now,” he said. “The doctors said I am in clinical remission, but I’m still on meds,” Ryan said.

The work begins

With the name of a deserving teen now available to Nitzsche and Barcom, the two set about planning a hunting experience Ryan would remember for a lifetime.

“We got many of Bill’s old friends together to help out,” Nitzsche said. “Through Gary’s efforts and the monetary support of the MSA, a true hunt of a lifetime experience was put in place.”

First on the agenda was to establish a first-class hunt camp, complete with all the amenities, north of Forest Lakes near Wildcat Canyon in Unit 4B.

“It was a city, everyone pitched in to help out,” Barcom said.

As preparations continued for Ryan and his father’s arrival on Sept. 1, even more volunteers jumped in to help. Norvin and Craig DeSpain of Mogollon Outdoor Adventures in Heber offered their guiding skills, as did Gilbert resident John Koleszar and Larry Holland of Taylor.

Evan Lautzenheiser, an Arizona Game and Fish Region 1 Department Wildlife Manager, also made his services available.

Ignacio Beltram and Leia Florez of Phoenix stepped up to work as camp cooks.

Overgaard resident Wally Smith supplied camp firewood and the Red Onion Restaurant in Overgaard hosted the hunting party for an evening meal.

The turnout of support to build the camp into a top-notch outfitter’s facility was the fitting tribute Wilcox’s friends were hoping for.

“Bill’s friends know that hunting was a passion for him and while it was nice to harvest, it was more important to enjoy the experience of the hunt and the hunting camp,” Nitzsche said.

To read how his hunt went, go to the link above….

Looks like there’s at least one bear causing problems down there…

From the KOLD News 13 website. Full article can be read here.

Bear Sightings near Oracle Homes

Oct 17, 2007 10:43 PM
Bear Sightings near Oracle Homes
Bear Sightings near Oracle Homes
Check All | Clear All

By Teresa Jun, KOLD News 13

In the last week, residents in the town of Oracle have reported at least 40 sightings of at least one black bear near homes.

“Callers are reporting seeing a large black bear, and some of them are reporting a cub,” said Battalion Chief Larry Southard of the Oracle Fire Department.

The bear, or bears, targeted the Rancho Robles property in the center of town several times — tearing through a wooden fence near a home, leaving claw marks on tree trunks, ravaging prickly pear plants for food, and knocking over giant garbage bins, creating a mess.

“We think this is a pretty big bear,” said Marcia Black, owner of the Rancho Robles property. Black called officials with the Arizona Game & Fish Department. Officials say it’s not uncommon to see bears in the area, north of Tucson. But it is uncommon to see the bears coming so close to people’s homes. Workers set up a trap on her property, in an effort to bait the bears before someone gets hurt.

Read the rest of this entry »

From AZGFD:

Lend a hand to America’s lands: Table Mesa Road cleanup this Saturday

Oct. 18, 2007

Volunteers are invited to participate in a cleanup of the Table Mesa Road area this Saturday, Oct. 20 from 8 a.m. to noon. The cleanup area is located about 35 miles north of Phoenix.

Registration for volunteers runs from 7-8 a.m. To get to the registration area, take I-17 to the Table Mesa Road exit (Exit 236) and head west on Table Mesa Road until you see the signs.

Trash bags and some other supplies will be provided. Bring your own work gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a shovel, if you have one. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.

If you would like to bring an ATV or another OHV, please remember, Table Mesa Road is a publicly maintained road, and the vehicle needs to be properly registered and insured. Other traffic laws must be obeyed, including having proper safety equipment and your driver’s license.

These cleanups are held throughout the year in an effort to mitigate for the damage caused by unlawful target shooting, unlawful OHV activity, and illegal dumping. The continued efforts of recreational enthusiasts to exercise responsible use and report violations are important in order to preserve the natural area and keep it open for future use.

Supporting organizations include the Good Gun Foundation, Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Virtual Jeep Club, Desert Wolf Tours, City of Phoenix, Bradshaw Foothills Coalition, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, among others. For more information, visit http://www.goodgun.org/id22.html.

Some folks over at the Outdoor Writers’ Forum know this gent and recommended his blog. I gotta say that it is a very entertaining blog indeed! Be sure to swing by and check out Catfish Gumbo! He has some neat stuff going on over there…

Been on a couple of hunts but never got one. I loved seeing these beasts in the northeastern woods though.

A friend of a friend of my parents’ forwarded to them an e-mail with these pictures that were supposedly taken near Presque Isle, Maine. That’s about an hour away from my folks’. It’s always cool to see one moose, and I’ve seen lots of pairs. Seen adults with calves. I’ve never seen anything like this though!

Hopefully I’ll get back home someday and have another chance to chase these bad-boys around the forests of New Brunswick!

From AZGFD

Southeastern Arizona is the bright spot for quail
This might be the year for a triple: Gambel’s, scaled and Mearns’

The quail outlook for much of Arizona may be less than optimal this year, but there is a bright spot – southeastern Arizona.

“In fact, the populations for all three quail species in southeastern Arizona are looking decent, so this might be the year to try for a triple: Gambel’s, scaled and Mearns’,” said Mike Rabe, a biologist with Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The general quail season opens Oct. 12 for Gambel’s, scaled and California quail. The Mearns’ quail season opens Nov. 23, which is the day after Thanksgiving. All quail seasons end on Feb. 11, 2008.

Mearns’ quail reproduction depends on summer rains. This is the second summer in a row with good rainfall in southeastern Arizona. Therefore, southeastern Arizona is experiencing back-to-back good years for Mearns’ quail reproduction.

For more information, including a region-by-region outlook and videos, visit the small game section of the department’s Web site.