FYI - Tonto Closure Starting July 2 (1 Viewer)

[JunkCrzr89]

Truly fascinating. Would love to see some of your photos/videos.

You must cover an immense amount of ground in your travels / chase. What type of cool, random schit have you stumbled upon, truly out in the middle of nowhere? Thanks for your time and insight.

Here are a few photos:

Adult male lion captured and GPS collared in the Jemez Mtns, NM (2017). Corresponding results from that study available here: Improving estimation of puma (Puma concolor) population density: clustered camera-trapping, telemetry data, and generalized spatial mark-resight models

Rigging rope to climb up and immobilize and GPS collar a lion that we treed with hounds in Jemez Mtns, NM

Inside an 80-ft tall cypress tree that a female black bear denned and birthed a couple cubs in the Atchafalaya Swamp, LA (2015). Corresponding results from that study available here: Genetic diversity, effective population size, and structure among black bear populations in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA and TWS Journals

 

[knewstance]

I'm in the wrong job... Aside from writing the studies, it sounds like you just get to play in the woods all day!

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I'm in the wrong job... Aside from writing the studies, it sounds like you just get to play in the woods all day!

I’ll forever be poor, whereas you’ll be rich in a few years. I will always have to buy s***box Cruisers off Craigslist, whereas you’ll be able to buy from BaT

 

[knewstance]

I’ll forever be poor, whereas you’ll be rich in a few years. I will always have to buy s***box Cruisers off Craigslist, whereas you’ll be able to buy from BaT

Money doesn't buy happiness

But it can buy you a minty LC off BaT and that's basically the same thing so...

 

[blatant]

@JunkCrzr89 thanks for sharing this part of your life!

 

[OffRoadScott]

Open Forest Roads a lot of the more popular roads are still open. The wife and I did the Mogollon Rim last weekend in our Subaru Crosstrek. There were some rough parts but the Crosstrek held its own.

 

[tls3601]

Apache-Sitgreaves still open. Time for you to come checkout the White Mountains and catch mountain lions with me

Always been interested in photographing Mtn Lions. We have quite a few in Prescott. A neighbor had hounds and worked with Game and Fish radio collaring them. Interested in seeking them out. Tom

 

[tls3601]

Tracks, scrapes, kill sites, etc. Males in particular will scrape the dirt to mark territory. Kills are generally unmistakable (buried under bushes, covered with leaves, etc). However, hounds are indispensable during summer and fall, given their extraordinary olfactory capabilities (~50x more receptors in their noses than ours) that can detect lion scent days after the lion passed through. Hounds don’t need to see tracks or anything, just smell what’s been there and they can track it. I used to run trap lines, but hounds can do in 2-3 days what takes me 2 weeks using traps.

Time reflected above is 3-4 days/week for consecutive weeks. Can typically work the hounds that long before they need a couple days off for R & R.

Randy Cook described the process much like you have. Interested.

 

[Living in the Past]

Open Forest Roads a lot of the more popular roads are still open. The wife and I did the Mogollon Rim last weekend in our Subaru Crosstrek. There were some rough parts but the Crosstrek held its own.

The 300 rim road between SR87 and SR260 is in Coconino National Forest and Apache Sitgreaves National Forest. I know Coconino is still open. Believe Apache Sitgreaves is as well.

 

[Dimples]

Step one is finding a willing partner, step two is establishing a safe word... beyond that? let it flow!

You don’t set hard limits first?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Here are a few photos:

Adult male lion captured and GPS collared in the Jemez Mtns, NM (2017). Corresponding results from that study available here: Improving estimation of puma (Puma concolor) population density: clustered camera-trapping, telemetry data, and generalized spatial mark-resight models
View attachment 2358866

Rigging rope to climb up and immobilize and GPS collar a lion that we treed with hounds in Jemez Mtns, NM
View attachment 2358888

Inside an 80-ft tall cypress tree that a female black bear denned and birthed a couple cubs in the Atchafalaya Swamp, LA (2015). Corresponding results from that study available here: Genetic diversity, effective population size, and structure among black bear populations in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA and TWS Journals
View attachment 2358878
View attachment 2358881
View attachment 2358884

So cool
This is of total interest to me. I have spent a lot of time out in some very remote areas and I saw my First cat last September.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Money does not buy happiness but neither does poverty.

 

[Dissent]

We ran up to Payson and back today. All the forest roads were signed indicating the forest was closed up there. We spoke to the rangers and they cited the 250K acres lost already this year.

 

[blatant]

Is Tonto open?

 

[isthatalexus]

With Tonto, it depends. Info here Tonto National Forest - Alerts & Notices

Prescott Forrest is a fiery mess. Bearing down on Crown King; evac orders earlier today...SMH

 

[-Spike-]

Is Tonto open?

Yes, except for the Bush fire area, which is basically everything between the 87, 188, and Saguaro and Apache Lakes. The closure may extend down to 88.

 

[jkl72-40]

here kitty kitty Id be in!!