Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Like Tai, take it easy. Tai puts safety in first place at night. "You absolutely must have a spotlight at night," says Au, "but Arizona law says you can't drive with it constantly on. What I do is barely get the boat on plane, take it slow, and use that spotlight intermittently to make sure where I am." Knowing what marker buoys mean is crucial – the buoys with vertical stripes mean "don't go between here and shore". A diamond on a buoy is marking a hazard like a submerged rock, a square contain... Full story
By John And Margie Anderson Mother's Day is for letting Mom know how much we love her -- and giving her the perfect gift is one of the ways we show love. It can be as simple as a hand-made card, a vase full of wildflowers, or a home-baked treat. If Mom is the outdoorsy type, We've got a lot of options for you to consider! Camping Mom BlendJet I love a good protein shake for breakfast, so I recently got a BlendJet so that I can make my daily shakes when I'm camping and hunting. Oh my! My only... Full story
The Belmont Mountains are full of history. The Belmont Mine is now abandoned, but back in the 1920s up until the' 30s, it was a busy copper mine that also produced gold and silver. Now the big adit and mine opening have metal grates over them – the main one is over 500 feet deep, and a couple of people fell to their deaths in the abandoned mine, which led to the grates being installed. There is lots to see around the Belmont Mountains, especially at the site of the old mine. You can drive up t... Full story
Something Different This Month: Crappie Pros Rambo and Chamberlin Tell Us What Not to Do! Most anglers are familiar with bass pros, but Arizona anglers might not be aware that there are a lot of crappie pros out there, too. Crappie tournaments are starting to mean big money and slab hunters have learned a few tricks to help them target the big fish. Closer to home, guys like Curt Rambo and Art Chamberlin are known for their crappie prowess. What do these guys think the biggest crappie fishing... 
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February 2022 Hunting Calendar Compiled By Margie Anderson Make sure you don’t miss an opportunity to hunt! Keep an eye on the Arizona Game and Fish website at azgfd.gov so you know when the latest regulation booklets are available. Applications are only online now. Don’t miss out! YOU CAN APPLY FOR 2022 ELK AND PRONGHORN UNTIL FEBRUARY 8, 2022, 11:59:59 PM MST. APPLY ONLINE. YOU MUST HAVE A LICENSE THAT IS VALID ON DEADLINE DAY – FEB 8. Draw deadlines for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bigho... Full story
Early in February it can seem like the fish are on strike," says local resident and ournament angler Debbie Blanchard, "but before long the big smallmouth start to move in and you can catch a lot of really big fish." The smallmouth begin to spawn when the water reaches about 58 degrees, and they spawn deeper than largemouth do. Easy To Spot Debbie looks for beds in at least ten feet of water. They're easy to spot, she says, because smallmouth nests are as much as three times as big as... Full story
We save most of our desert drives for winter because although our Jeep would make it through snow and mud, many northern Arizona off-highway trails are closed in winter, and we also don't like to make deep ruts in muddy roads just from a conservation standpoint. It's too hot in summer to really enjoy a desert drive, because we like to get out of the Jeep and do a lot of walking and exploring. In the summer we have not only the excessive heat to contend with, but also my constant fretting that... Full story
When I saw the Whoopsie Trail on www.trailsoffroad.com, I knew I had to go there. Who can resist a name like that? It's called the Whoopsie because of all the twists and turns and ups and downs it has. This is a high-clearance vehicle road. It can get rough out there, especially after a rain. This is a great winter off-road adventure because it is west of Buckeye. Gillespie Dam As a matter of fact, I talked John into swinging by to look at Gillespie dam again because I just love the way it... Full story
Prespawn can be a difficult time for bass fishermen. Marty Lawrence’s advice on prespawn fishing is “don’t overthink it”. That being said, the man probably has 14 rods on the deck by the end of the day, and several of them will have a Senko tied on. He’ll throw the Senko Texas-rigged, wacky rigged with no weight, or wacky rigged with a nail weight for deeper cover. As for the Texas rigs, he’ll have one with weight pegged or with a bobber stopper, and one unpegged. The Texas rigs are for around... Website
Christmas Gifts For Outdoorsy Types Need some stocking stuffer and gift ideas for your outdoorsy family and friends? Look no further – here are a bunch of great ones at all different price ranges. UNDER $25 STANSPORT knows it's never too early to start kids on a love for the outdoors, and they make it easy for you by providing fun stuff for your little explorers at great prices. For instance, you can get a Kids' Insect Catching Kit for $25.99 and a Kids' Magnifying Jar for 10.99. That will k... Full story
You'll Want To Get Out Of The Car And Explore I'm always on the lookout for a day trip with something to do or see – I love riding around in the Jeep, but it's always better if you see something amazing or fun along the way. Fun stuff can include old cabins, ruins, old wells, springs, waterfalls, lakes, cliffs – pretty much anything that makes you want to get out of the car and explore. However, some of the roads we've been on aren't much along the way, but the view you get at the end is wha... Website
John and I have known fishing legend Fred Ward for many years, but we actually met him in Florida. At that time I was writing for a tiny publication (now defunct) called Arizona Fishing News. My day job, The New Times, sent me to Denver for a week, then to Miami for a week, and as a reward, they gave me a guided fishing trip on Lake Okeechobee and even flew John out there to join me. Fred was guiding for the Roland Martin resort, and when he found out I was a writer, he comped our stay! We got... Full story
The First Rule Is Dress For The Weather I've been a hunter since I was just a kid, and back then I wore whatever my mom and dad bought for me. I also had some Army clothes that were hand-me-downs from my dad, like field jackets, fatigues, and even combat boots. Trust me, those are the last things I'd choose to hunt in nowadays. For one thing, the fatigues and boots were designed for the jungle, not for chasing deer on the North Rim. It's a wonder I didn't freeze to death. But that brings us to... Full story
Visit To View Fantastic Fall Color In Arizona We ran up to NAU last October to visit our granddaughter for her 20th birthday. She's been hiking with us since she was three years old, so naturally we all wanted to go do some hiking in the forest, preferably with lots of fall color. A couple of years ago, her older sister had shown us a fantastic place only about 15 miles north of Flagstaff off Highway 180, so we decided to go there. Colorful Reward To get there, you just take Highway 180 about fi... Full story
When water temperatures start to go down and lake levels begin to rise, crankbait time is here again. Fish start moving up and getting more active, and one of the best ways to find them is to start cranking around the same places you found them during the summer, but shallower. Long points that have good drop-offs to deeper water are prime early-fall areas. Fishing crankbaits is easy, but still requires some effort and attention. You must learn to feel a crankbait while you're fishing it. A lot... Website
When I was a kid, the only things I worried about when I was camping or hunting were bears and mountain lions. As it happens, I've only seen lions two or three times in my life, and each time the lion was hightailing it away from me. And sad to say, I've never seen a bear in the wild. However, I have had plenty of narrow escapes and a few times when I didn't escape some of the dangers that you might run into when you're enjoying Arizona's great outdoors. Most can be avoided if you simply pay... Full story
Compiled By Margie Anderson For the Spring 2021 Hunts – The Spring 2021 Hunt Regulations booklet is available online and in outdoor stores now. Applications must be submitted online at www.azgfd.gov. Applications will be accepted in early to mid-September unless otherwise noted in the Hunt Permit-tag regulation booklet. For spring turkey, spring javelina, spring bison, spring bear, and raptor capture, deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. on October 13, 2020. Hunt permit-tags will be mailed o... Full story
Marc Townsend is one of those guys who can catch fish just about anywhere, and Pleasant is no exception. We went out with him one September and started out fishing very shallow with Yamamoto buzzbaits, literally throwing them right on the bank and dragging them into the water. This works very well when the angler in the front of the boat is throwing the buzzbait, and the angler in the back follows up with a Yamamoto Senko. To Fish A Senko... Website
Compiled by Margie Anderson For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Draw is over. Tags mailed out by Aug 9, 2021.The fall regulations booklet is available online and at outdoor stores. Applications must be submitted online. If tags are left over, first come applications accepted by mail on or after 8:00 a.m. July 26, 2021. Available at Game and Fish offices after 8:00 am Aug 2, 2021. 2021-22 Fees: General Hunting, resident: $37 Non-resident: not available see combination Combination Hunt and fish, resident: $57... Full story
Camping is awesome, especially if you know some basics. Choosing a great spot and setting up a camp site is something I've been doing for decades. Of course, when I first started camping, my dad did most of the choosing, but we all helped set up the camp. Where and how we camp still depends a lot on the purpose of the trip. In other words, are we hunting, fishing, hiking, or just exploring and camping? How elaborate our camp becomes is largely dependent on the answer to that question, but the... Full story
Yamamoto Pro MartyLawrence fishes a lot of night tournaments in the summer, and summer in Arizona means monsoon storms. These storms usually do roll in at night and if you're out on the water, it can mean that jigs and reaction baits can fill the boat in a hurry. He says that a fisherman's best friend in a storm is a Minnkota Ultrex because it will hold your position all night, even if water is coming over the bow. He has actually stayed on the water in those conditions – he just sets the U... Website
Compiled By Margie Anderson Unless you drew a bison permit, there isn't much going on this month except small game, but small game is a great way to get your kids out hunting this summer. Check the Game and Fish website for places to start looking. Also, don't forget to buy your tickets for the Super Raffle! For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Online applications atwww.azgfd.govfor deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, sandhill crane were due by June 8, 2021. Tags mailed out by Aug 9, 2021. If tags... Full story
Everyone loves to show off their outdoor adventures: some hand their phones around at work, others post on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter, some print them out and frame them. Unfortunately, not everyone takes rockin' outdoor photos. If you want to wow your friends, there are a few basic things you should remember when you are taking photos outdoors. Keep Your Lens Clean Even if you're not shooting into the sun, water spots and fingerprints on your lens can make big blurry spots. Specks of dirt... Full story
Daniel Elias found out about the Free Rig in early 2019 from Japanese bass fishermen on Instagram, in posts that weren't even in English. The rig is fairly simple – you use a cylindrical drop shot weight, but instead of a clip, there is just a small loop at the end – a pencil weight with an eye at the top. You simply slide it onto the line before tying on the hook, and it slides freely up and down the line: Free Rig. The Hook Up Tackle (www.thehookuptackle.com) has weights for this technique; ju... Full story
Compiled By Margie Anderson For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Apply online at www.azgfd.govfor deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, sandhill crane by June 8, 2021. Tags mailed out by Aug 9, 2021.The fall regulations booklet is available online and at outdoor stores. Applications must be submitted online. If tags are left over, first come applications accepted by mail on or after 8:00 a.m. July 26, 2021. Available at Game and Fish offices after 8:00 am Aug 2, 2021. ARIZONA BIG GAME SUPER RAFFLE:... Full story
