|
The 13th annual Antelope Hunters’ Clinic was held on Tuesday, August 16th, at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 19205 North 27th Avenue in Phoenix. With over 100 people in the audience, the clinic was very well attended, and hunters and their guests were treated to a wide variety of presentations on subjects important to the outcome of their upcoming hunts.
Presentations were made by:
- Arizona pronghorn history and behavior, by Richard Ockenfels, Arizona Game and Fish Department research biologist.
- Optics, by AAF past president Pete Cimellaro.
- Archery hunting tactics, by Corky Richardson and Dennis Wark.
- Rifle hunting tactics and trophy evaluation, by AAF past president Jim McCasland.
- Field care, taxidermy issues, and photography, by Greg McBride, Trail’s End Wildlife Artistry.
In addition to the formal presentations, representatives of each of the six AG&FD regions were on hand to discuss the specific hotspots in the game management units
drawn by the hunters in the audience. The regional representatives were:
- Region 1 (Pinetop) – Bob Birkeland
- Region 2 (Flagstaff) – Velma Holt
- Region 3 (Kingman) – Bill Ough
- Region 4 (Yuma) – Bob Henry
- Region 5 (Tucson) – Jim Heffelfinger
- Region 6 (Mesa) – Jake Fousek
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sportsman’s Warehouse store manager Bruce Gibson and his folks for the outstanding support they provided in
helping us plan, set up, and conduct the clinic. Sportsman’s Warehouse generously donated a Ruger model 77 rifle to the Foundation, which was raffled off during the clinic to help offset our
costs.
In addition, we had a new members’ raffle, in which the winner had his choice of a Garmin Etrex Vista C GPS, Bushnell YardagePro laser rangefinder, Nikon Monarch 10X42
binoculars, or a Leupold 15-30 X 55mm Gold Ring spotting scope, all made available to the AAF at a reduced rate by Sportsman’s Warehouse.
A common theme throughout all the presentations was the ethical aspects of the hunt and how we, as hunters, conduct ourselves in the field.
This is a particularly important issue for antelope hunters because our hunts generally take place in open spaces that, in many cases, are pretty close to other people, most of whom are
non-hunters. Antelope and other big game animals deserve to be treated with respect. We owe it to them to not take shots that have a high probability of wounding them (that means not shooting
at running antelope for most of us) and, after the kill, we need to ensure that we show the proper respect in the way that we photograph them (no “blood and guts” shots) and transport them from the field
(properly field dressed and covered in the back of your truck).
|
