So who doesn't like a little friendly discussion about our favorite deer hunting areas in northern Arizona?
Steve and I have had a long talk about this project and I, like some other folks on this forum asked for answers to a number of questions.
Bottom line here is just what do you hope will be accomplished by this "study"?
How you going to save thousands of dollars for sportsmen?
I wonder why aren't you working with the BLM folks in St. George IF you got water issues with a few permittees? Document the problems and get a hold of those BLM guys and see if issues--when they are identified--can be resolved at that level before we take this out for the public to look at.
I have been fortunate in the past to see what several of the permittees up in the north end on Black Rock have done. I can tell you that Darryl Blake and his brother Ron have done a lot for wildlife and here is an example..
I watched as Darryl trucked up that nasty Black Rock road with 5,000 gallons of water in an old 54 Ford (I think) water truck and emptied it into galvanized drinkers up top where thirsty cows and yes mule deer were waiting. He never got a nickel for those efforts, and didn't ask for any. I guarantee that year if Darryl hadn't been hauling water up there, wildlife would have suffered big time. The G&F drinker just 3/4 mile away was not working and wildlife had no place to drink except at the places where Darryl was putting out water!
Darryl and Ron have always been friendly and have never denied me or anyone else I know permission to go hunt on their private lands.
Where do you think that G&F put the experimental turkey transplants on Black Rock? They were put out on Blake's private lands where permanent WATER was located! (Black Rock Spring and the pond by his summer camp on top of Black Rock Mtn)
I am concerned that this study will do more harm that good when it comes to the relationships that have been built with the livestock operators on the Strip. The way this is playing out waters of all the permittees will be under scutiny! Why single out everybody if you have issues with one or two permittees?
Steve spoke of seeing 1,000 cattle at a water and just six deer.
Guys, I don't think there is one permittee up there that has 1,000 cows in ONE pasture.
Could his camera have taken 1,000 pictures of cattle that came to a drinker? Sure, but it was probably the same 100-200 or so that came in day after day. And if only six deer showed, so what? To those deer the water being there was very important.
Now I don't want to get into any pi$$ing matches with anyone over this project especially Steve, who I consider to be a friend!
But everyone ought to read the co-op agreements to see just what language is in there and know what was and was not required on each one of them.
Again, the BLM has them, and they sure as heck are open to public inspection.
Who do you think does most of the maintenance of the waters up there? Not G&F and not even BLM. Nope its the cowboys!
Steve and I spoke about several projects that he has identified as places where he feels sportsman money wasn't well spent. One is on the top of Black Rock and one is on the Twist Hills.
Steve questioned the need for them when other G&F waters were close by (one within 3/4 of a mile!)
Both of those have 80,000 gallon storage tanks, and I assure you both will hold water well after the old G&F drinkers in the area, one of which hasn't worked for years, will run out of water in drought years.
I've looked the data on what it cost to do each project, who paid for what, and can tell you I think I know what species benefits at each water.
Heck last year Steve himself told me about a 200 inch buck at that big Twist drinker that he had on camera, and had I seen that critter on the hunt, I would have owed him a couple of trail cams as compensation for that information!
I fully support a project that has some well defined objectives, and a way to accurately collect and analyze data collected.
But I for one am not sold on this project as it is being presented.
That is just my opinion.
If you feel after investigating all the facts that you want to donate to it, please go ahead.
We all want the best for the land and wildlife, no matter where it is, and I suspect we all have different ways we believe will accomplish that goal. (After water I like a lot of predator control!)
There is always two sides to these issues, and I and a few others, just want both sides discussed on this forum so that an informed decision can be made.
I just hope that the livestock guys up there don't take offense to this and we loose the good relations we have had with them for many, many years.
Hey guys we are both "endangered species". Those who don't want cows out there sure as heck don't want hunters out there either.
We need to work together as partners or eventually we'll BOTH be tossed off of public lands!
Lastly, there is no doubt in my mind that Steve is doing what he absolutely believes is the right thing to do.
We don't always agree on issues, and this unfortunately is going to be one of them.
Steve is like me in a number of ways, he is hard headed, and says what he believes.
So be it.
I'll always consider Cheuvront a friend and a supporter of sound wildlife management in Arizona.
Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
