in this issue - arizona wildlife federation

SPRING 2006 VOLUME 48 * ISSUE 2 ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS 3

In This IssuePage 4 Sportsmans Mail Pouch

Page 5 From the President

Page 6 Historical Tracks

Page 7 Streams and Game Trails

Page 8 AWF Round Up

Page 9 AWF Annual Meeting

Page 10 BOW Happenings

Page 12 Foundation Work Projects

Page 13 Agency News

Page 14 Camp Cook Corner

Page 16 Wildlife Trophies

Page 17 Trophy Banquet

Page 18 Affilates Department

Page 19 Membership

ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS * VOLUME 48 * ISSUE NUMBER 2* SPRING 2006published by the ARIZONA WILDLIFE FEDERATION

An Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation644 N Country Club Dr, Ste E, Mesa, Arizona 85201-4943 * 480-644-0077

The official publication of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, Arizona Wildlife News (ISBN 0745-0834) is published quarterly as a service to affiliate members and Federation members. AWF is Arizona’s oldest conservation organization, foundedin 1923. The editorials and commentaries in this publication do not necessarily reflect the mission or position of the Arizona Wildlife Federation.

The Arizona Wildlife Federation welcomes stories, art and photographic contributions. AWF will consider, but assume no responsibility forunsolicited proposals, manuscripts, art, photographs and transparencies. Contact the AWF office at 480-644-0077 for details.

Advertising inquiries should be directed to the Arizona Wildlife Federation at the above address or phone number, or by email [email protected] does not assume any financial responsibility for errors in advertisements that appear in this publication. If notified promptly of an error, AWFwill reprint the corrected ad.

John UnderwoodRyna RockDuke MertzKim KreuzerLinda DightmonThe AlternativeUniversal Mailing

EXECUTIVE EDITORMANAGING EDITOR

EDITORADVERTISING

DESIGN & LAYOUTPRINTINGMAILING

ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS

DIRECTORASSISTANT

Duke MertzKim Kreuzer

STAFF

ARIZONA WILDLIFE FEDERATION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Regional Directors:

Directors at Large:

2005 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

DIRECTORS

Mary Jo Forman MillerMike PerkinsonRyna RockKim CrumboLee KohlhaseJerry ThorsonDon Farmer

Board PresidentPast PresidentVP Operations

VP ConservationSecretaryTreasurer

NWF Representative

Chris FonotiJim Unmacht

Randy Lamb

Directors Emeritus:

CONTRIBUTORS

Wade BrooksbyDick George

John KoleszarJack Simon

Sally StefferudRandy Virden

Jerome J. Pratt

David BrownDon FarmerDuke Mertz

Stan SchepersJohn Underwood

Rick ErmanTerry HerndonPaul MarshJim SolomonJohn Underwood

Steve Gallizioli

Linda DightmonKim KreuzerRyna RockJim Solomon

ON THE COVER: This issue of the Arizona Wildlife Newsfeatures a reproduction of the cover of the July 1952,Arizona Wildlife Sportsman magazine. This was theofficial publication of the Arizona Game Protective Associ-ation, which was founded in 1923, and became the ArizonaWildlife Federation in 1968. This “retro” cover is in keepingwith the theme of our first few issues, which are devotedto recapturing the flavor of AGPA/AWF in its earlier years.

If you have a photograph or painting that you wouldlike to submit for consideration on a future cover of ArizonaWildlife News, please contact AWF at the address below.

4 ARIZONA WILDLIFE NEWS VOLUME 48 * ISSUE 2 SPRING 2006

Sportmans Mail Pouchby John Underwood

Dear Editor:

I am very impressed and appreciativeof the work AWF has done to protectour wild lands. If the House BudgetReconciliation Bill had not been with-drawn we would surely have lost avaluable part of our wild areas todevelopers. Something that cannotbe undone.

Areas that I take young familymembers afield to learn the wondersof the wilderness, have mining claims,and would have been lost because oftheir proximity to the metro area, formoney.

A check for Life Membership is inthe mail. Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,Mark T. Vitt

Editor ’s note: Mr. Vitt, Thank youfor your Life Membership. Personssuch as you are the backbone of theAWF. The AWF belongs to its membersand supporters.

We urge our readers to commu-nicate to us cheers and even jeers(given in good taste, of course). Keepyour communications short and tothe point. All must be signed. If yousend us questions, we will seek an-swers and print them here. Theremay be times mail volume may pre-vent us from publishing every letterwe receive, but we will do our best toprint as many as possible.Send your “snail mail” to:

Sportsman’s Mail PouchArizona Wildlife Federation644 N Country Club Dr., Ste EMesa, AZ 85201

Send your email to:[email protected] is our goal to provide a well-

written informative magazine andyour feedback will help us do that.This is your magazine, let us hearfrom you.

Editor Scratchings

For all who are not aware of thecontinuing problem with wildlife andthe urban populace, there is a bill inthe Arizona Senate (SB1438) addressingthe unlawful feeding of wildlife. The

(Continued on Page 15)

A r i z o n a W i l d l i f e N e w s E x e c u t i v e E d i t o r, J o h n U n d e r w o o dw i t h h i s L a b r a d o r r e t r i e v e r, K a l e y

Dear Editor,

Thought we would report on ourMearn’s hunt January 30 to February3, south of Sonoita in an area justnorth of the Caneola Hills. The areawas an easy hunt with roll ing hil lsand a lot of flats. Somewhat overgrazedas is most of the country. As a result,poor hunting,

Warm days and nights 28 to 30degrees. With the outfitter’s tent andsheepherder’s stove very pleasantevenings.

Bud Thayer, Ken Duncan,Chuck Rice and Ridge Brown

* * *

Dear Editor,

I just received the Arizona Wildl i feN e w s a n d I a m w r i t i n g t o t e l l y o uhow much I en joyed i t . Rea l l y l i kedthe fo rma t and the range o f a r t i c l esi t contained. Has me looking forwardto the next issue. I especial ly enjoyedthe “Streams and Game Trai ls” art ic lea n d a l s o t h e “ C a m p C o o k ” r e c i p e s .

K e n D u n c a n

E d i t o r : T h a n k y o u f o r t h e k i n dwords, we try to live up to the standardso f t h e A r i z o n a W i l d l i f e F e d e r a t i o na n d i t s m e m b e r s .

Mr. Terry Johnson of Costa Mesa,California has also recently joinedthe AWF as a Life Member.

Editor: Thanks for your LifeMembership. As stated before, peoplesuch as you, our members are thebackbone of the AWF. Welcome Aboard!


From the Presidentby Mary Jo Forman Miller

1. What year were elk released in the HualapaiMountains south of Kingman?

2. “God’s Dog” is a name given to the coyote bywhich Arizona Native Tribe?

3. What percentage of Arizona Game and FishDepartment’s gross revenue in 1942 was derivedfrom fishing licenses?

4. Which horned big game animal drops it’s hornseach year?

5. Name the species of elk we have in Arizonatoday.

6. Name the location many of author Zane Grey’sbooks are set in, which is also the location ofthe historic Tewksbury-Graham feud.

Greetings AWF Members,

be ignored.” The report stresses the importance ofimproving the resiliency of wildlife to respond to climatechange by improving wildlife habitat and maintaininghealthy, connected, genetically diverse populations. Thenew funds from the McCain-Lieberman Climate StewardshipAct will help achieve that objective.

Call to Action! Call Senator Kyle and your Representativetoday and tell them to support the McCain-LiebermanClimate Stewardship Act. Call their local offices or callthe Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask forSenator Kyle or your Representative by name. If you arenot sure who your Representative is, find out fast bygoing to www.house.gov. Your calls are the only thingthat makes a difference!

Call Senator McCain at 602-952-2410 and thank himfor supporting our wildlife!

Mary Jo Forman MillerPresident, Arizona Wildlife Federation

"Whadda Ya" Know?(Reprinted from various issues of Arizona

Wildlife and Sportsman)

(Answers on Page 14)

As our dry winter and above average temperaturescontinue, there is some positive news on global warmingand wildlife. The McCain-Lieberman Climate StewardshipAct has been introduced in Congress, and it seeks toaddress the impact of global warming and its effects onwildlife. The Act comprises a flexible, market-based tradingsystem that encourages technology and innovation andwill reduce global warming pollution from large sourcesto the levels they emitted in the year 2000.

In addition, the legislation would also provide a new,guaranteed source of annual funding for state wildlifeagencies to promote wildlife conservation and help wildlifeprepare for the changes in climate that are already occurring.This funding produces a new stream of federal revenuescreated by license fees in the market-based tradingsystem, and would not increase the federal deficit ordecrease other wildlife funding.

The effects of global warming are already apparentand many plant and animal species are already trying tocope with significant changes to climate and habitat,according to a recent comprehensive report by The WildlifeSociety, the nation’s preeminent association of wildlifeprofessionals.

The report, Global Climate Change and Wildlife inNorth America, concludes that “the effects of globalclimate change and variability on wildlife simply cannot


Historical Talesby Ryna Rock

THEN

There are a lot of sentimentalists who think of thesportsman merely as a killer, and their erring imaginationspicture him as going forth to slaughter and returninghome lugging with him dead animals and birds and fish.They regard his activities with aversion, and they condemnhim, sometimes in speech and in writing, sometimesby scornful silence. I have sometimes found myself incompany where my interest in field sports has beenregarded as sin and shame and crime are ordinarilyregarded. We teach our children to read stories of DanielBoone and Dave Crockett, and we regard them as Americanpioneer heroes; but somehow, when we of this generationseek to imitate their feats, we are regarded in somequarters as barbarians.

We bring home our game—when we are fortunate;and if that were all we brought, I should still be proud ofa race that produces hunters and fishermen, and I couldnever experience any feeling of guilt in considering theirachievements. A sportsman brings home more thandinner for his family and trophies for his den; he bringshome a body toughened by hardy exercise and disciplinedby following the rules of an ancient and exacting game.He has recaptured in the wilds something of the spiritand the strength of his boyhood. And when you comeback from a hunt or from a fishing trip, you feel more of aman, not necessarily because of what you have killed orcaught, but because you have put yourself to the test

against those forces against which only real men willenter the lists. You bring home a mind froma mind fromwhich the cobwebs have been swept; a mind keen, alert,hale and wholesome; a mind that refuses to accept sofalounging and tap-dancing as forms of manly endeavor; amind ready to tackle the next problem with courage andconfidence.

The true sportsman also brings home what nevercan be taken from him: he brings home memories thatmake all life different, even to the very end. He thinks ofthe true comrades he has made, friends who could havecome to him nowhere but in the woods, on the plains,and by the steams. He brings back a knowledge of thecreatures of the wild—their resourcefulness, their courage,their sagacity and their obedience to the great laws ofnature. He brings home the beauty of the elder world.

These things enter his spirit and abide there. Because,far back at the eternal source of things, he has heard avoice saying that all is well, he gives less heed to calamitousvoices of civil ization. In the unsullied silence of thedeep woods he has heard the true and steady heartbeatof life, unwearied since creation. He has learned that heis no stranger on the earth, but a legitimate son who isprivileged to share a great inheritance.

Yes, a sportsman brings home infinitely more thanthe game he may have taken: he brings home a saner,finer, and stronger self.

WHAT SPORTSMEN BRING HOMEby Archiba ld Rut ledge

E x c e r p ts t a k e n f r o m A r i z o n a W i l d l i f e a n d Sp o r t s m a n , J a n u a r y 1 9 4 4


Streams and Game Trailsby John Underwood

NOW

The week-long canoe trip was starting out on thecoldest day in January. A slight wind was at my back asthe boat sliced through the calm water just after we putin. I was, like always, nervously anticipating the upcomingchallenges the next week of adventure would provide.This anticipation had lasted all through the various tripplanning stages and continued now, up to the very pointwhere the boat slid into the water. Soon the river waspicking up speed and as the boat approached the firstdrop, I could hear the water rumbling over rocks belowand see the thick ice that had formed overnight alongthe splash zone of the rapid. As quick as that first dropwas navigated, I lost all worries and settled into yetanother week in the Verde Wilderness. This particulartrip would be different for me in two ways. My trip partner,Lee Kohlhase, while being a tireless outdoor type, hadlimited experience paddling a canoe through moving waterand he and I are hunting cougar on this trip down thewilderness section of Arizona’s Verde River.

Back in August, Lee and I were helping the AWFsetup the Arizona Wildlife Trophies Awards Banquet,and as we worked and talked, the idea of hunting cougarby canoe was hatched. Lee had been itching for a canoeadventure for some time and his predator calling backgroundhad me thinking this was a good idea. We checked ourcalendars and decided both of us could dedicate thelast week in January towards a trip. All we had to do inthe months between was plan and re-plan until finally,the day to leave was here.

My truck is equipped to handle boats and gear so wewould use it for the trip. Lee’s boat and packed dry-bagswere on his driveway as I pulled up at 6:00 am. Wequickly had him loaded and were on our way to the put-in point. The newly decommissioned Childs Power Plantwas where we were starting and seven days later, thetruck would be delivered to Horseshoe Dam by a hireddriver for our take-out.

In the meantime, we had 42 miles of river wildernessall to ourselves. I hear other Arizona boaters constantlylamenting the fact that it is “too cold” for wintertimeboating. I cannot disagree with them more strongly. It ismy opinion the winter Verde River is the finest whitewaterboating in the United States. Where else in the U.S. isthere a river with the Verde’s characteristics that hasadequate baseflows and is not frozen this time of year. Irest my case.

Our plan was to spend most of the first three days inthe boats putting miles behind us as the most promisingterrain was in the final 15 river miles. We still calledevery morning and evening on those first days, but notas long as one usually does while hunting for lions. Itwas great practice as we learned each others callingstamina and signals. Life was good on the beach as weate and camped well at night with mesquite fires to cookand warm ourselves by.

Wildlife is varied and plentiful along the Verde andwe saw our share. Tracks along the river included javelina,beaver, otter, raccoon and other small critters. The Beavercould be heard all night plunking into the river after snackingon some willow tree. We had otters sharing the river withus as we paddled. These playful swim masters alwaysput on a show when one is lucky enough to come across

(Continued on Page 15)

Ta k e n w h i l e c a n o e i n g d o w n t h e Ve r d e R i v e r

Don Farmer submitted this great account of his tripwith Lee Kohlhase down the Verde River by canoe, huntinglions.

K n o w n w o r l d w i d e a s t h e o r i g i n a t o r s o f t h e h i g hm a g a z i n e c a pa c i t y . 4 5 A C P p i s t o l , P a r a - O r d n a n c eo f f e r s a w i d e r a n g e o f q u a l i t y - e n g i n e e r e d p r o d u c t sfor the law enforcement, mi l i tary, and c iv i l ian markets.

MAKING YOU THE BEST SHOT

* * *


AWF Round Upby Duke Mertz

John Koleszar has served as vicepresident of the Arizona Elk Societyfor the past three years, and has beena member of the Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation since 1989. He is alsoactive in five other conservation orga-nizations in the state. He has owneda Safeguard Business Systems Dis-tributorship since 1986, where heworks with his son, John III.

Jim Solomon is host of the ArizonaSports Reports radio program on theFox Sports Network, and received theMedia of the Year Award from the Ari-zona Game and Fish Department in2000 and again in 2004. He servedas an instructor for the Montana Fish,Wildlife and Parks Department, andis a member of six conservation orga-nizations in Arizona.

John Underwood is a lifelong Ari-zona resident, and has been a LifeMember of AWF since 1996. He isalso a member of the American Le-gion and six conservation organiza-tions. He recently retired from theairline industry after more than 30years as a pilot and Captain. John isalso the Executive Editor of ArizonaWildlife News.

Jim Unmacht is the immediate pastpresident of the Arizona AntelopeFoundation, and has served as a di-rector or officer for the Wildlife Con-servation Council, the Arizona BighornSheep Society, and several other con-servation organizations. He is a Char-tered Property and Claims Under-writer, and member of the City of Phoe-nix Village Planning Committees.

Gun Cleaning Ki tsBlack Powder K i tsHunt ing, Outdoor

a n dPersonal Safe ty

Accessor ies


AWF Annual Meetingby Duke Mertz

We invite you to join us at the Arizona Wildlife Federation's Eighty-Third Annual Meeting on April 29, 2006, at the Mesa Hilton,2100 S. Priest Drive, in Mesa, Arizona, 85282-1192. Once again this year, the meeting schedule has been shortened to allowAWF members throughout the state to attend.

! Check enclosed (payable to Arizona Wildlife Federation), or

! Please bill my! MasterCard! Visa! Discover

Expiration Date: /

Signature

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone Email Order your tickets by detachingthis page and sending it with yourpayment for the "Total Enclosed"to:

Arizona Wildlife Federation644 N. Country Club Dr., Suite EMesa, Arizona 85201

If you pay by credit card, youmay fax this form to AWF at480-644-0078This form is also available atwww.azwi ld l i fe .org

______ AWF Annual Meeting Luncheon Tickets @ $25.00 (please enter number ordered) $_________Total Enclosed

11:30 amLuncheon Buffet & Awards

Special Presentation Jack Childs Jaguars in Arizona

1:00 pmBoard Meeting

5:00 pmBoard Meeting Adjourned

8:30 amRegistration

9:00 amGeneral SessionCommencement CeremoniesPledge of AllegianceAWF PledgeWelcoming RemarksIntroductionsCommittee ReportsNominations of Board/Officers

PresidentVice President, OperationsVice President, ConservationNWF RepresentativeNWF Alternate RepresentativeFederal Agency Liaison

Appointed positions: Secretary Treasurer Directors at Large (2)

Elections of Board Members and Officers(Terms are July 2006 to June 2007 unless otherwise indicated)

State Agency LiaisonDirectors at Large 4 for 2 year terms; 2 for 1 year termRegional Directors 3 for 2 year terms; 2 for 1 year term

9:00 amGeneral Session (continued)Adoption of ResolutionsElections of Officers

(See below)President Elect AcceptanceBoard of Directors MeetingPresident Election RatifiedMeeting Ajourned

11:00 amCash Bar

FRIDAY, April 28, 2006 - 6:00 pm Consideration of Resolutions (AWF Mesa Office)

SATURDAY, April 29, 2006 (Mesa Hilton Fiesta Room)

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO FIND OUT WHAT AWF WILL BE ACCOMPLISHING DURING THE NEXT YEARAND YOUR CHANCE TO HELP TO MAKE THE DECISIONS


BOW Happeningsby Linda Dightmon

The Winter BOW participants have written my column forme. There is nothing that I can add except to mention theextraordinary press coverage that we received. FOX 10 wasthere bright and early Friday morning for a live shot. We will bea feature story on the channel 3 news set to air on Friday,February 24th at 6:00 in the evening. Two live radio showswere also broadcast from Saguaro Lake Ranch that weekend.So, I will go and get ready for April and let Trudy and Lisa giveyou the BOW deluxe report!

BOW Scholarships From the WCCThe Wi ld l i f e Conserva t ion Counc i lhas approved a $500 educational granttha t w i l l g i ve two deserv ing lad iesthe oppor tun i ty to par t ic ipa te in theSpr ing BOW camp. We t ry very hardto keep the p rog ram a f fo rdab le bu tfo r many the weekend i s j us t no t i nthe budget . Hats of f and a b ig thankyou to the WCC for s tepp ing up andhelp ing out .

Dear Linda,

Thank you so very much, it was fantastic! I sure hope theydo another BOW Deluxe. I will still attend the Prescott BOWbut this one was special. Your staff always does an outstandingjob putting this together.

Thanks again,Trudy McCleary

L i n d a D i g h t m o n , R y a n R o c k a n d M a r y J o F o r m a nM i l l e r a t t h e G a m e Ta s t e

P a t r i c i a S u s e e a n d b a s s p r o C h a d W i t t y

D a r l a B a r d e l l i t e a c h e s b a s s f i s h i n g

Dear Linda,

This fantastic BOW was made possible by all thehard work of the volunteers! I hope Kim, Mary Jo andRyna (and anyone else I’ve forgotten) get a special recognitionfrom AWF for your sacrifices of time and money to putthese events together.

Saguaro Lake Ranch was a great venue for this BOW.The people were wonderful hosts, the food was great,the setting beautiful, and the accommodations comfortable.I hope to go again next February!

Our instructors also deserve recognition. I learnedthings in the Macro Photography class, which will helpme, take better photos in the outdoors.

Randy’s (Babb) presentation on critters was great,even though I was exhausted and nodding off, I sti l l


I missed the Indian music as I was talking to the probass fishermen Don, Darla, and Chad. I learned a lotabout pro bass fishing (crazy!) but what fun these guysare to talk to! I wish I could have heard the radio show. Itwasn’t cheap for these guys to haul their boats here forus, gas being expensive and all, and I really appreciatetheir sacrifice. I wish I could have taken their class, ohwell, hopefully next year! Chad was a real sport to allowhimself to be auctioned off, that accounted for 1/3 of thescholarship funds raised! Thanks Chad!

The camaraderie of the women also added to thevalue of this event. We shared information on the classeswe attended at our meals. We learned a lot from eachother by sharing our field of experiences.

Anyway, I plan to attend BOW’s until I run out ofthings to learn, then maybe I can volunteer too!

Thanks again to you guys and all the volunteer instruc-tors for giving me a much needed weekend getaway. Ihope they enjoyed their time with us as much as weenjoyed our time with them.

Until April BOW,Lisa Bunch

heard everything. He is awesome, and I am taking a hikelater this month that he is leading in the McDowell Mountains.Hope to see his presentations at future BOW’s.

Amanda Moors, another knowledgeable instructor,worked hard on her Trick, Track, Trail class. She had tohaul a lot of boxes of skulls and furs, un-pack and re-pack them. Everyone thought the t-shirts were cool, andasked about the class. Hope to see her again also.

Mark Hullinger led the Survival class I attended. Heis one of the founding fathers of BOW! I was amazed tolearn that fire is the most important part of survival — Iwould have said water! I will be buying a pair of snakeboots, as he wears them all the time. Every rattler I havefound has rattled after I have seen it, and as he is a proat the outdoors I think I will get these boots as insurance.

The Paddling session was great as I was able to tryabout 4 different kayaks and learn which type I l ikebest. I will be very knowledgeable when I buy and useone. It would be neat to have an intermediate class where we actually paddle the shoreline looking for wild-life, which is my reason for wanting a kayak. Thanks tothese guys for hauling their canoes and kayaks to SaguaroLake, launching/retrieving us, teaching us and trustingus with their expensive equipment.

H u n t i n g i n t h e A r i z o n a D e s e r t C l a s s

A t r a i l r i d e i n a b e a u t i f u l s e t t i n g

J a n e C a r r o l l , f r o m S i l v e r Sp r i n g s , M a r y l a n d

D o n M c D o w e l l , D a r l a B a r d e l l i , L i n d a R u s s m a n a n dA r l e n e R u d l e y g e t r e a d y t o g o b a s s f i s h i n g


Work Projectsby Duke Mertz

Anderson Mesa, Coconino National ForestThe first two projects will be held on May 20 and June

17, 2006. The work days will begin with a Saturday check-in at 8:30 a.m. at Mud Lake.

We will cut small junipers, pinyon and ponderosa pineswith loppers and handsaws in order to restore grassland. Please note that AZGFD, the project sponsor, cannotallow the use of chain saws because of safety concerns. Directions: At the south end of Mormon Lake, on LakeMary Road (Forest Highway 3), turn east on Forest Road12. Go five miles to the junction with Forest Road 82. Turnright and go about three miles to the sign up station.

Buenos Aires National Wildlife RefugeThe next project is scheduled for April 8, 2006. The

work day will begin with a Saturday check-in at the RefugeHeadquarters at 8:00 a.m.

We will tear down barbed wire and remove fence poststhat impede wildlife migration. Bring heavy duty wire cuttersand loppers if you have them.Directions: The refuge is on the Arizona/Mexico border .Take Highway 86 West from Tucson and turn south atThree Points/Robles Junction on Highway 286. Continuesouth for 33 miles to the Refuge Headquarters road.

W i t h l i m i t e d h u n t i n g p r e s s u r e o n o u r P r i v a t e 4 5 , 0 0 0 A c r e r a n c h , a m i l dc l imate , e levat ion ranges of 4 ,500 ' to 8 ,500 ' in the s ta te o f Chihuahua, theHawkins Family Outfitters and Trail Rides will assure you of a great experience.Our fami ly is f luent in both Engl ish and Spanish. Phone 623-478-0489

Wild At Heart ProjectWild At Heart will be installing artificial burrows in

Peoria on March 25, 2006, and constructing releasetents for Burrowing Owls.

Walden/New Line Productions has decided to usethis event as the official kick-off for their national pre-release publicity for the movie Hoot, about BurrowingOwls, due for nationwide release in April (see the backcover of this issue for more information about the movie).The Arizona Wildlife Federation, Phoenix Zoo, AudubonArizona and the National Wildlife Federation are alsohelping to promote the movie.

The March 25 Burrowing Owl event will run from7:00 am to around 1:00 pm and includes burrow installation,tent construction and owl release. Most of the work willbe done by Girl Scouts and middle school students fromPeoria.

In order to make this a safe and smooth event for theyoung people, Wild At Heart needs experienced burrowingowl work event volunteers to help with setup, parkingdirections, crowd control, water distribution, snacks,and supervision of young people to make sure the burrowsat several sites are being assembled correctly.

Please contact Greg Clark, Burrowing Owl HabitatCoordinator for Wild At Heart, at 480-961-4048.


Agency Newsby Jim Solomon

Contact 520-466-4615 or 520-836-2762

HB 2129, as it is written will bring Arizona up to speed onits fines, revocations, and even forfeitures, if it is passed inits entirety. This bill not only raises the fines for the illegaltaking of wildlife, but it also defines what a trophy animalis, whether it is elk, deer, antelope, buffalo, etc. Fines areset in excess of $8,000 for the illegal taking of such animals,as well as endangered species. Fines in some states, suchas Montana, are as high as $10,000 to $30,000 for the illegaltaking of a Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep.In addition, this bill gives the commission the discretion toimplement lifetime revocation in certain cases. If a personis convicted of poaching while on lifetime revocation it isconsidered a class 6 felony, and the person in questionmay lose his firearms, vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, and anythingelse that is involved with the violation. This bill is a result of a lot of time and devotion and Iwould like to give a special thanks to the Arizona Game andFish Department Commissioners W. Hays Gilstrap, WilliamMcLean, and Michael Golightly for their endeavors, and especiallyto Representative Jerry Weiers for understanding the needfor updated legislation and for sponsoring this bill.

HB 2129 "The Bad Guys Bill”

“The Bad Guys Bill”, otherwise known as HB 2129, sponsoredby Representative Jerry Weiers, was a result of a number ofhours of research and documentation of all the Rocky Mountainstates. As it is now, the Arizona Game and Fish Commissionis limited to minimal assessments and out of date revocationsfor even the most habitual of offenders. The reason for this “Bad Guys Bill” came out of years ofworking with Rob Young, Manager of the “Operation GameThief Program.” About six years ago I went to Rob with theidea for a Poaching segment on my radio show. For thatshow we called it the “Bad Boys Poaching Report” whichincluded the Bad Boys (cops) music. Now on my most recentshow Xplor the Southwest, Rob and I are doing a similarsegment titled “The Poacher Chronicles.” After years ofthis type of programming, we began asking questions abouthow we could stiffen penalties for these habitual offenders.I was referred to Representative Weiers by the game andfish legislative liaison, Tony Giles. Representative Weierssaw the importance of such a bill and agreed to its sponsorship.

Good Hunting in Arizona Mule Deer, Elk, Lion or Bear


Camp Cookby Ryna Rock

Answers to"Whadda Ya" Know?

(From Page 5)

1. 1927 4. Antelope2. Navajo 5. Rocky Mountain3. 34.23% ($61,002.50) 6. Pleasant Valley, AZ

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity be-longing to us. When we see land as a community to whichwe belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948)

Prime Golf and Prime Views10440 Indian Wells Drive, Fountain Hills

480-837-1173

Dutch Oven Swiss Steak

3 pounds round steak at least one inch thickBoiling waterOne-half cup flourBit of bay leaf if desired2 tablespoonfuls fatSalt and pepper

Pound the steak until the fiber is thoroughly brokenup; add the flour with salt and pepper while pounding.When the steak is tender, the flour should be thoroughlyabsorbed into the steaks.

Melt fat in dutch oven; put in the meat and letbrown on one side, then turn and brown on the otherside. Add boiling water and let simmer until tenderon hot coals at fireside. Maybe as much as twohours or more. The bay leaf, if used, should be crumbledand added with the water.

Humpty’s Apple Dumplings

Use 1-quart flour. Sift through flour 1-teaspoonbaking soda and 1 small spoonfuls cream of tartar. Mixin 1-tablespoon lard, 1-tablespoon butter if you have it,dissolved in small amount of hot water. Add enoughmilk to make a good dough.

Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick cut into squaresbig enough to contain ½ cup cooked apples. Bringcorners of dough together and crimp edges to hold injuices. Drop in hot fat and fry until dough is brown,turning only once. Drain on brown paper bag. Servehot.

Be sure apples are not too soupy. Drain cookedapples well before putting in square of dough. Thesecan be cooked in camp in dutch oven and other kinds offruit can be used such as peaches, apricots and evenprunes. Served with sugar and thick cream, they are areal delight.

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When you check out at Bashas'donate One Percent of your bill toAWF by using the AWF ID number:

Streams and Game Trails (Continued from Page 7)

them. Both Bald and Golden Eagles winter along theVerde and we enjoyed daily encounters with them.Good numbers of waterfowl use the river during theseason and we were into them constantly. While wewere not fishing on this trip, the small mouth bass andcatfish found here are legendary. Under the right conditions,the Verde produces large fish of both species. Duringthe warmer spring months, bears can be found feedingalong the waters edge.

Hunting by canoe has some dist inct advantagesover other types practiced in this state. While it maybe all uphil l from the boat, i t is all downhil l back and ifyou’re successful while hunting, the canoe can handlethe added weight of the quarry for the rest of the trip.Carrying firearms of quality along on the river takesspecial care and handling. One rule I ’ve learned thehard way is, “ if you do not want to lose it, t ie it down”and that holds true of all gear especially the firearms.Cameras and other delicate gear can be brought alongand easily protected in water-proof cases.

Our primary hunting area was past the confluenceof Red Creek. Here, the mountains are nearer the river.They are more steepened with rugged cliffs and canyons.Javelina sign is unusually thick along the river and thisseemed to us to be the prime lion country. Our schedulethe next few days was to leave camp before light andwalk to the stand we had picked out the evening before.

We focused more on these morning hunts and calledcontinuously for over an hour. Then it was breakfasttime back at the fire and then move down river to thenext likely place. During these hunting days, we werenot in the boats for more than an hour a day. We wouldmake camp early, have a snack, and then set out for ourevening stand. While we had no luck calling a lion in tous on this trip, a fresh track was spotted along the riveron our way back to camp from a stand. There was onesomewhere out there!

One memorable moment came on our final eveningstand. Two peregrine falcons circled high overhead aswe let the canyon settle back down. As we started calling,one of the birds set his wings and dove hard and fast andstraight at us. It pulled up just short and really providedus some excitement.

Our last night on the river was the hardest. We knewthat tomorrow the adventure would end. Both Lee and Icommented just how much fun we had the past weekand enthusiastically committed to try hunting lion onthe Verde again.

Sportsmans Mail Pouch (Continued from Page 4)

bill is currently in the Natural Resources and Rural AffairsCommittee with a hearing held on February 15. If passedand made law it would “designate unlawful feeding ofwildlife a class 3 misdemeanor. A class three misdemeanoris punishableby imprisonment for up to 30 days and afine up to $500 and up to one year probation.”

Defines unlawful feeding of wildlife as intentionally,knowingly or recklessly feeding, attracting or otherwiseenticing wildlife into an area.

Exceptions are made for persons legally hunting orfishing,public employees or authorized agents actingwithin their official authority, normal agriculture or livestockoperation practices and feeding tree squirrels and birds.The Arizona Game and Fish Department attempts tostop the feeding of wild animals through warnings andeducation on the hazards of contact with wild animals.At present there is no statutory mechanism for enforcingthe Departments policy against feeding wild animals.

Due to our present drought conditions, folks maybegin to see more and more wildlife. Animals that arehabituated to humans can literally bite the hand thatfeeds them. Several years ago, some coyotes in theScottsdale area bit some children. These coyotes hadbeen fed by adults in the area. This leads not only to adanger to humans but to the animals also. ArizonaWildlife Views July-August 2005 of the Game and FishDept. had a great article on this issue. Will keep youupdated.

S e t t i n g u p c a m p a l o n g t h e Ve r d e R i v e r

29173


by David Brown

Arizona Wildlife Trophies

All entries and awards are presented at the ArizonaWildlife Federation Annual Trophy Awards Banquet (see Page9). Additional awards may also be presented in one or moreof the following categories: the Arizona Big Game Award,the Arizona Trophy Antlers Award, the Arizona Trophy Headsand Horns Award or the Arizona Trophy Hunter Award.

More information about these awards, and allapplication forms and score sheets can be foundat www.azwildlife.org.

This year, Steve Hopkins and Dave Conrad will havecompleted their terms of office with the Arizona Wildlife TrophiesCommittee. Steve has overseen the creation of the annualtrophies during the past six years, and Dave was the editor ofthe 2005 edition of Arizona Wildlife Trophies. Their successorson the committee will be selected during the AWF AnnualMeeting, on April 29, 2006. Steve’s and Dave’s shoes will behard to fill, and we can only hope that the contributions of theirsuccessors will have the same impact on the AwardsCommittee’s success.

Each year, the members of the Arizona Wildlife TrophiesCommittee select the top trophies taken in the state for thefollowing species:

Pronghorn,Coues Deer (typical and non-typical),Mule Deer (typical and non-typical),Elk (typical and non-typical),Desert Bighorn Sheep,Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep,Bison,Javelina,Black Bear, andCougar.

All Annual Competition entries must be measured byan official measurer of the Arizona Wildlife TrophiesCommittee or the Boone & Crockett Club. A list of officialmeasurers can be found at the back of the new 2005 editionof Arizona Wildlife Trophies.

Interested applicants should mail their entry form alongwith an accompanying photo of their trophy and a $10.00check for the scoring fee to:

Arizona Wildlife TrophiesPO Box 26008Phoenix, AZ 85068

The deadline for submitting a 2005 score sheet isMay 2, 2006.

Late entries are registered in the record section, and ifapproved, are eligible for a certificate.

Trophies may be examined by the Committee, whichspecifically reserves the right to disqualify any entry that ischallenged and unavailable for remeasuring. Approved trophiesare automatically entered into competition status, and thelargest animals are considered for special awards.


M e s a H i l t o n - H w y 6 0 a n d A l m a S c h o o l

We invite you to join us at the Arizona Wildlife Federation’s Thirty-Sixth Annual Trophy Book Awards Banquet on July 15,2006, at the Mesa Hilton. This is Arizona’s premiere sportsmen’s event for 2006! This year’s Arizona’s Big Game trophyhead display will once again feature the current year winners, as well as some champions from the past!

Join us as we recognize the recipients of the 2005 Trophy Awards and honor the remarkable Big Game wildlife of Arizona. Yoursupport for the Raffles and Fantastic Silent Auction will help AWF generate monies to fund wildlife habitat restoration projectsacross the state.

*** Early Bird Special: Tikka T3 Lite 243 Win drawing for everyone who registers by June 1, 2006 ***

Trophy Banquetby Duke Mertz

* * R E G I S T R AT I O N F O R M * *ARIZONA WILDLIFE FEDERATION

T H I R T Y- S I X T H A N N U A LT R O P H Y AWA R D S B A N Q U E T

SATURDAY, JULY 15 , 20066 : 0 0 p m C o c k ta i l s a n d S i l e n t A u c t i o n s

7 : 0 0 p m St e a k D i n n e r8 : 0 0 p m Tr o p h y Aw a r d s

9 : 0 0 p m A u c t i o n a n d R a f f l e s

Order your tickets by detachingthis page and sending it with yourpayment for the "Total BanquetAmount” to:

Arizona Wildlife Federation644 N. Country Club Dr., Suite EMesa, Arizona 85201

If you pay by credit card, youmay fax this form to AWF at480-644-0078This form is also available atwww.azwi ld l i fe .org

Trophy Awards Banquet Tickets (please enter number ordered)

______ Regular Ticket - $80.00 per Person (includes Three Raffle Tickets)

______ Couples Ticket - $200.00 for Two People (includes Ten Raffle Tickets and 2 “Early Bird” chances)

______ Long Gun Table - $1200.00 per Table (includes Ten Seats and Fifty Raffle Tickets,plus a guaranteed long gun for one person at the table and 10 “Early Bird” chances)

______ Raffle Tickets - Chances to win rifles, shotguns, black powder guns and otherprizes ($20.00 each; 6 for $100.00; and 16 for $250.00)

$_________(Total Banquet Amount)

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone Email

! Check enclosed (payable to Arizona Wildlife Federation), or


Expiration Date: /

Signature


Affiliates Departmentby Stan Schepers, APC President

Route 2, Box 105, Cibola, AZ 85328

Emai l : in fo@hunt4geese .com

Phone (928) 857-3531

Fax (928) 857-3001

The Cibola Sportsman’s Club islocated adjacent to the Northboundary of the Cibola NationalWildlife Refuge in Cibola, Arizona.Our club boasts the highestsuccess rate in the valley andoffers some of the finest honkerhunting in the western part of thecountry.

ARIZONA PREDATOR CALLERST h e S a v e - A - F a w n H u n t w a s a b i g s u c c e s s i n t h a t

w e h a d a g o o d t u r n o u t . N o t t o m a n y a n i m a l s w e r ec h e c k e d i n , t h e w i n d b l e w a l l d a y, b u t a n y t i m e I c a nh u n t i s a g o o d d a y. T h e M u l e D e e r A s s o c i a t i o n &T h e E l k F o u n d a t i o n d o n a t e d $ 1 4 0 0 s o w e c a n r a f f l eo f f t h e $ 1 4 0 0 i n f i f t y - d o l l a r b i l l s a n d t h a t c a n m a k eb a d d a y h u n t i n g a w h o l e l o t b e t t e r. We o w e a b i gt h a n k y o u t o t h e M u l e D e e r A s s o c i a t i o n & T h e E l kF o u n d a t i o n .

I f y o u a r e l o o k i n g f o r a n a r e a t o h u n t t h i s w o u l db e a g r e a t s p o t u p o n t h e r i m 4 A & 4 B . T h e r e ’ s n os n o w t h i s y e a r, s o t h e r o a d s a r e i n g r e a t s h a p e . Ik n o w I ’ m p l a n n i n g t o h u n t t h i s a r e a a t l e a s t o n e m o r et ime th is season and I wou ld l i ke to encourage anybodyl o o k i n g f o r a h u n t i n g p l a c e t o h u n t t h i s a r e a . W eneed to continue our support to The Mule Deer Association& T h e E l k F o u n d a t i o n , s o h o p e f u l l y i n t h e f u t u r e t h e yc o n t i n u e t o s u p p o r t u s . I b e l i e v e t h i s i s a v e r y g o o da r e a a n d i f y o u h i t i t o n t h e r i g h t d a y y o u c o u l d h a v e

a v e r y g o o d d a y h u n t i n g , a s t h e r e a r e t o n s o f s i g ni n t h i s a r e a .

R e p r i n t e d f r o m t h e P r e s i d e n t s M e s s a g e i n t h eF e b r u a r y 2 0 0 6 i s s u e o f t h e P r e d a t o r s P r i d e


AWF Membersby Duke Mertz

! $30 I nd i v i dua l

! $45 Fam i l y

! $100 Pa t ron

! $500 L i f e Member

! $500 Bene fac to r

! $75 Sma l l Bus iness

! $500 Co rpo ra te

All membership feesare tax-deductible

! Check enclosed!


Expiration Date: /

Signature

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone Email

AWF Membersh ip App l i ca t ion

Mail to:Arizona Wildlife Federation644 N. Country Club Dr., Suite EMesa, Arizona 85201

Arizona Wildlife Federation Life MembersAlan Abel TucsonWi l l iam Acheson F lags ta f fPatsy Apple PhoenixJef f August ine Scot tsdaleJames Baldree PhoenixJohn Bauermeister Scot tsdaleDavid Beaty MesaJohn R. Beck Peor iaDona ld B i l l i ck PhoenixBruce H. B ishop TempeClarence Bowe Jr . Scot tsdaleM.J . Bramley J r . MesaJay Brandon Apache JtnJonathan Brooks AnthemWade Brooksby PhoenixR o g e r J C a r r o l l S ie r ra V is taGary S. Chr is tensen F lags ta f fLouise Coan TucsonCl i f ton E. Cox TucsonDon Cox Peor iaAl Crossman TempeDona ld D Da lg le i sh Scot tsdaleHoward Dar land MesaAnthony Diana PhoenixLinda Erman PhoenixRick Erman PhoenixRobb Evans F lags ta f fDonald Farmer Scot tsdale

George F lener MesaJames E. Frye MesaSteve Ga l l i z io l i Foun ta in H i l l sJohn Gannaway PhoenixGi lber t F. Gehant MesaFred Gerhauser Peor iaDonald Gerou ld Sun Ci tyJ . Dav id Gibeaul t TucsonRene G Gi lber t AnthemHank Gonzales TucsonKim Graber PhoenixTimm J. Haas Wi l lcoxDonna J Hal lman Queen CreekWestern Hardwoods PhoenixM i l es C . Hau te r SedonaJeffery L. Hinkley PhoenixMark Hu l l i nge r Chand lerRichard Humphrey TucsonBunny Huntress TempeMike Johns PhoenixHenry Johnson Lake HavasuThomas Kalos Paradise Vl lyPeter S. K lock i DeweyLee A. Kohlhase MesaRoy Kornmeyer KingmanWil l iam Lacy MesaHarvey J. Lawrence Scot tsdaleNancy L. Lewis Phoenix

Heather L i t ton PhoenixLong Val ley Serv ice Happy JackDon Luke PhoenixJe r ry Marqu is PageChr is t ina Mathew-Bowers PhoenixPa t r i c i a A . McNe i l PaysonDuke Mer tz ChandlerDav id & V ic to r ia Morgan AnthemAl len Na i l l e F lags ta f fMike Ne i lson Queen CrkFred Nobbe PhoenixDanie l & Annalee Nor ton Scot tsdaleDonald J . Parks J r . Peor iaAce H. Peterson Prescot tP r i ce Ph i l l i p s SomertonJ im P ie rce Scot tsdaleJerome Prat t S ie r ra V is taPau l Pr is to Scot tsdaleRober t & Mar i l yn Recker Sun Ci tyJudi th Ridd le PhoenixBryant & Marsha Ridgway Casa GrndeRyna Rock Camp VerdeKen t M . Rogers MesaRobert C. Schatke Chand lerWi l l i am H. Schmid t DDS TucsonLary & Betty Lou Scott Scot tsdaleWal te r Scr imgeour Prescot tDavid Seamans Scot tsdale

Jack H. Simon PhoenixJ im A . S l ing lu f f TucsonDale Slocum PhoenixRandy Sosin SedonaWendel l G. Swank CottonwoodGeorge L. Sypherd Sun City WestLewis N. Tenney Jr. HeberLarry Thowe PageRober t D. Tucker BuckeyeChar les W. Tyree TucsonJohn B. Underwood Scot tsdaleMark T. Vi t t Scot tsdaleStephen T. Whi te Scot tsdaleBr ian H . Wi l l i ams Scot tsdalePa t Wi l l i s PaysonRobert A. Wi tzeman PhoenixLar ry M. Wol fe Sr . PhoenixL.V. Yates PhoenixChuck Youngker BuckeyeGeorge Boutonnet Sal inas, CATerry Johnson Cos ta Mesa , CARoy G. Jones San Jose, CAGlenn Napiersk ie San Diego, CARober t S t ragne l l Hanover , NHDiana Beatty Laugh l in , NVJim Breck Alexandr ia , SDJaren Vander l inden Amar i l lo , TX

Arizona Wildlife Federation BenefactorsHonoring the memory of sportsmen and sportswomen through a $500 Benefactor Membership

Louise Coen TucsonDoug Baker TucsonMi l ton G Evans F lags ta f f

Don Gerould Sun Ci tyIvy Hanson Care f reeFrank H Moore Phoenix

Frank Murphy MesaEmmett Reyman MesaDonald G Rober ts F lags ta f f

Gene To l le PhoenixJohn C. Underwood Tempe

Please take a moment to review the list of Life Membersand past Benefactors to make sure we have not missedanyone.

If you want to add someone to the list or upgradeyour own membership status, please use the membershipform provided below.

Arizona Wildlife Federation644 N. Country Club Dr., Suite EMesa, Arizona 85201(480) 644-0077Fax: (480) [email protected]

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPHOENIX, AZ

PERMIT #5378

in this issue - arizona wildlife federation

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