[charleskieffner]

mtn gatos can still be hunted with dogs. actually i dont know of any outfitter that doesnt use dogs. success rates are high. gato population has skyrocketed in wet areas and gone down in dry areas.

but for the most part anything north of the rim is prime habitat. elk herds have exploded and deer is making a comeback gradually. with all this meat on the table gatos having litters and high survival rates.

if you send me your e-mail i will dig thru my stack and send you a pic showing size of cats here. this particular juan was nailed north of prescott by a car. owner called game and fish and they responded. cat turned on officer despite wounds and officer nailed it dead. the picture and the relationalship objects in the pic will show you we grow some mighty big assed putty tats!

we have one that has been sighted at airport where i work. i have not seen it but i have seen its cat tracks and its a healthy medium size puddy tat. the game here in carefree town limits is beyond belief as well as cave creek. just in my yard the other few nights a pack pod school covey of jave-leaners was cruising thru driving all of our dogs nuts. had a coupla lil footballs(babys) also.

all game has thrived since the rains. also PEEEE-TAA has put pressure and restrictions on trapping so furs are not drawing big bucks and to trap has become a PITA for many so populations of varmints have grown.

a tag is $10 bucks. its the time you dont have a tag that you will see them. sooooooo we will all have tags for puddy tats. this makes it fun for those that dont have an elk tag that we drag along to help get meat out. its the law here you must remove all meat before packing out the rack. if you do it vice versa you are poaching and thats when game and fish take your truck your guns your camping gear your wallet your soul your life and generally fuch it all up for some time to come.

the more rugged the area, the more katz you will find. they love rocky areas like we have right here and for many miles north of us. i literally can throw rifle in truck and in 15-20 minutes go legally hunting for deer pig mtn lion bear if drawn, and all the small game you want.

our unit is conifer forest into juniper going north into gramma grasslands heading towards grand canyon. juniper islands for miles. elk go in to hide and puddy tats nail them. eat their fill and then bury them for later. have found (2) cow elks dispatched this way and i'll tell ya the hair goes up on yer neck when you find that surprise. smell is usually how you find them. but looking for circling BUZZARDOS is always a dead(get it) giveaway for us to go explore and find out whats over dem dar hills!

when varmint calling here it is wise for all young inexperienced grasshoppers to put their back against an area where a cat cannot come up behind you or over you and turn you into kitty poop. this has happened a number of times while blowing varmint calls. kitty -1.......hunter- 0.