Tucson Daily Citizen from Tucson, Arizona • Page 68

Bailir Outdoors FRIDAY. JANUARY 12, 1973 PASE 68 Blue Primitive Area 'accepting 9 mine in wilderness By BILL QUIMBY Cltlien outdoors Writer Conservationists are taking a "realistic" approach to the U.S. Forest Service's quandary concerning the Blue Range Primitive Area, according to Apache National Forest supervisor Hallie Cox. The.controversy is over a loophole in the Wilderness Act allowing access to feder- al wilderness and primitive areas for mineral exploration and prospecting until 1984. Consequently, the Phelps- Dodge Corp.

has filed mining claims throughout the Blue Range Primitive Area in eastern Arizona between Alpine and Clifton. Official wilderness status is being sought by Arizona conservation and hunting groups, but is opposed by mining and cattle interests. Phelps-Dodge has also filed an application to construct a 3.8-mile road to a drill, site in the bottom of Strayhorse Canyon within the primitive area. The ap- plication set off a chain reaction of protest among the state's conservation groups. Subsequently, U.S.

Forest Service prepared and distributed, a draft environmental impact statement concerning the proposed road and drilling, asking all groups to write their comments to Cox prior to the preparation' of the final report. "The response has been good and most.of the letters- have 'been rational ones," Cox told the Citizen yesterday. "Most of the people are well informed and know what the problems are. The law we have to give a reasonable access for prospecting." Cox admitted that'recent Environmental Protection legislation would probably prohibit use of mechanized equipment for road building in the roadless area, although mining laws'and the i Wilderness Act specifically state mining exploration must be allowed. "That's something the lawyers are going to have to fight over," he said.

Cox said that is the deadline for receiving comments on the proposed drilling and that the chief of the forest service in John McGuire, would make the final decision oh the drilling probably within three months. The environmental impact statement lists three to the drilling and road permit application. Among these is a proposal to allow the drilling, but require' that all equipment be transported to the drillsite by helicopter. "Most of the letters from conservationists support this alternative," Cox said. "We've received few other alternative proposals that Ice fishing at Hawley rated good -Big trout are being caught through the Ice at Hawley Lake, but most fishermen-aren't bringing home limits, according to a spokesman for the Fort Apache Indian Robert DeRosier, manager of the Tribe's White Mountain Recreational Enterprise, said Hawley was probably the "hottest!" lake in the White Moun- for ice fishing, but that Horseshoe and Sunrise Lakes were also providing good catches of smallerfish; Forest solitude A hiker pauses on a trail in the Blue Range Primitive Area north of Clifton.

Although the area Is being considered for official wilderness status, Phelps-Dodge Corp. has asked that it be allowed to build a 3.8-mile road to an exploratory- drillsite in Strayhorse Canyon. Mining laws and the Wilderness Act permit mining exploration until 1984, although the Forest Service and conservationists contend mining would destroy the untouched-by-man characteristic of the wilder- ness. we did not consider prior to making the draft statement" Cox said that a Sierra Club proposal to require drilling be done outside of the primitive area would probr- ably be included in the final statement, which will be ready in about four weeks. Sierra Club southwest regional representative John McComb said his group recommends that no decisions be made by the Forest Service until Phelps-Dodge makes public its findings on two earlier exploratory drill- ings in the-primitive area.

"Our letter to the Forest Service urged that Phelps- Dodge explore by horizontal drilling outside the primitive area," McComb said. "We'd prefer that there be no drilling within the area." McComb said Sierra Club had no plans to seek injunctions against the drilling if approved by the Forest Service, but that the club's legal staff was "undoubtedly exploring that possibility." The'Blue Range Primitive Area is a popular hunting, hiking and horseback trail riding area, is also the state's largest roadless wilderness. Deer, elk, bear, turkey, javelina, Meams quail and other wildlife are common throughout the area. The draft environmental statement said that wildlife would only be temporarily affected by the drilling, but soil erosion and stream pollution may be permanent. The drilling would destroy "the pristine, untouched-by- man characteristic of all the land" in the immediate area of the road and drilling site.

Bog Tank and other lakes on the reservation -are inaccessible because of deep snows, he said. DeRosier fishermen use' lead-headed ice jigs for larger fish. VA lot of people are catching lirii: its on cheese, corn and that typie of thing, but the bigger fish have all been caught on said. Meanwhile, trout fishing is holding up at Parker Canyon, Pena Blanca and Patagonia lakes, and there may have been a plant at Parker Canyon Lake earlier this week. The largest fish caught at any of the three lakes this week was a largemouth bass caught by Tucsonian Kevin Leman at Patagonia Lake.

caught the fish on a Mepps Minnow. Magley said, the same type of lure was also responsible for catches of crappies and trout this week. He rated trout fishing as good, bass fishing as fair. The two tagged California Golden trout worth which were planted in the lake last spring, have not been caught, he said. Parker Canyon Lake may have been planted with 4,000 trout i Monday, concession manager Ernie Hisey said.

Hisey rated trout fishing as good, catfish and bass fishing as slow. Trout' fishing at Pena Blanca Lake is still good, although the lake has not been stocked since, last month. A plant is expected there within the next 10 days. Bass fishing at Pena Blanca lake is rated as poor. Water Depths Bird dog field trials Approximate deplhs of water at the lower ends of boat ramps at Salt River Protect lakes durlno the coming weekend will be: SAGUARO LAKE Del Norle No.

1 8 (cot Del Norte No. 2 8 feet Concession 24 feet CANYON LAKE Verde No. 1 20 feet Palo Verde No. 2 10 feel Laguna 10 feet Concession 23 feet APACHE LAKE Burnt Corral 14 feel Concession 7 feet ROOSEVELT LAKE Porter Springs 30 feet Roosevelt Lake Marina 32 feet. Windy Hill 19 feet Roundup Duck season has been spotty State competition tests pointers Arizona's current waterfowl season has been spotty, according to Arizona Game and Fish Department, despite excellent predictions made by federal authorities and Ducks Unlimited survey crews early last fall.

Although good flights of ducks and geese stopped in Arizona, most flew on to Mexico. Hunters are characterizing the season as a "here today, gone tomorrow one," a 'SPORTSMAN'S spokesman said. The goose season closed Sunday, but ducks will remain legal until Jan. 20. Mourning dove hunting will also end Tuesday, but seasons on Mearns, Gambel and Scaled quail will continue until Jan.

31. John R. Sandige of Phoenix has a complimentary pioneer's license, but he bought a $12 Arizona hunting and fishing license anyway. Sandige said 'he doesn't hunt anymore and does very little fishing, but wanted to contribute. He was one of the original organizers of the present Arizona Game and Fish Department and Commission.

Under state law, a free hunting and fishing license is offered to persons 70 years of age who have resided in the state for more than 25 years. By ROSS HUMPHREYS Ciliion stall Writer FT. HUACHUCA Bird dog people are in a class by themselves. They spend $500 to several thousands of dollars for an animal that they may see only four weeks out of a year and that costs them upwards of a month to train and board. Many of them may be getting their money's worth.

Hundreds of bird dog owners now are trying to get their prized pets to earn their keep as they tour the Southwest competing for prizes and cash money in field trials. Fanciers professional and amateur follow the weekend trial circuit like golfers on a professional golf tour. Brittany spaniels, German short-haired Pointers, and some English pointers are judged for their ability to cast or make-wide passes in a field, point, and retrieve. Professional handlers like Bill West of Mesa train dogs to run in trials to gain prestige, and earn championship titles for their absentee owners. West brings 16 dogs to a trial and enters them in puppy class, derby dog, or the open all age group.

The dogs are trained and boarded at. West's kennels. Occasionally the owner may bring his dog home for vacation or a weekend hunting trip- Other handlers are amateurs who run their own dogs. Ejner Lund of Napa, raises Brittany Spaniels in his spare time. His dogs look more like house dogs than most kept by professional handlers.

They are more at ease people and look a little bit overfed. But looks proved to be deceiving last weekend at the Sahuaro Brittany bird dbg trials here at Ft. Huachuca. Lunn's dogs, Black Butte Eichochet Trooper and Faulkner's Reddy, swept first and second places in the open all age group. Tomorrow, the second ARC bird dog field trial this season.will be held at the Magma Game Preserve, north of Florence.

Next weekend the Desert German Shorthaired Pointer Club is sponsoring a trial Jan. 20 and 21 off Thornton Road two miles south of I-S near Casa Grande. The Arizona Bird Dog Club will hold its first ARC trial near Casa Grande Jan. 27 and 28. Trial champs The winners of the fourth annual Sahuaro Brittany bird dog trials held in Ft.

Huachuca last weekend in the open all age group are (left to right): Black Butte Ricochet Trooper with his owner and handler Ejner Lund of Napa, first place winner; Faulkner's Reddy, also ow'ned by Lund, handled by Charley Ayers of San Diego, second place winner; and Allamuchy Desert Wrangler with his owner and handler Gabe Rocco (Phoenix), fourth place winner. Third place winner was Sir Kemthsebask Du Lac owned by Hideto Nishimoto of Los Angeles. GAME BIROS ARE LIKE OTHER SAME IN THAT THEV INVARIABLY HEAD FOR COVER WHEN FLUSHED. THUS, WHEN A HUNTER WORKS AN OPEN FIELD HE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SWING TOWARP THE NEAREST CCVER. IT'S BEST TO KS6P SEVERAL VARDS AWAV FROM COVER'S BORDER, FOR IF BIRDS ARE HEADON SHOTS ARE MOST DIFFICULT.

IF you SHOOT RIGHT-HANDED, KEEP COVER ON YOUR LEFT. IP KEEP COVER ON WHrstOE.THUS,«UH SWING IS CASfER UNLESS XWKE The Arizona Wildlife Federation has announced the names of three men it will recommend to Gov. Jack Williams for consideration for appointment to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. The three men are William H. Beers of Prescott, Frank Ferguson Jr.

of Yunia and Martin Johnson of Kingman. Johnson is a former commissioner. Beers is a Prescolt outdoor writer. Ferguson is a Yuma rancher. The governor Is expected to appoint one of the three men to the commission to succeed Homer Kryger of Yuma, whose five-year term expired Jan.

1. And there it goes Citizen photo by Ross Humphreys access sought AGFD powers would expand Special to the citizen PHOENIX Bills per- mitting the purchase of access rights to hunting areas and to exempt the Arizona Game and" Fish Department from the state motor pool were in-'; troduced into the Arizona leg- islature this week. The bill to permit purchase of access would grant the and Fish Department- the same powers to acquire land or roadways for hunting as it now has for fishing. The exemption from motor pool restrictions is necessary because an oversight included the department in last year's motor pool law, according to- Rep. BUI Lewis, R-Phoenix.

Game and fish department vehicles are stationed and used all over the state', making a centrally based motor pool impractical, he said. Another bill, introduced by Rep. Tom Goodwin, R-Tucson, would repeal all state and county laws providing for payment of bounties on wild animals. No bounty has been paid in Arizona since 1969. Apache camp fees increased Camping fees on'the'Fort Apache Indian Reservation have been increased to per day $100 for the May through August camping sea- son.

Fishing fees have been raised 50 per cent to per: day or per year for Ari-'l zona residents. Hunting fees will remain the. same as in 1972. No change' was made in a regulation that requires hunters with packs to purchase a $100 guide's license for the bear" and lion hunting on the reservation. The tribe will also seek to; set up an early fall elk hunt," with permits costing approxi-" niately $500 to $700, according to Robert DeRosier, manager of the White Mountain Recreational Enterprise.

"We'd probably have about 50 permits would furnish, everything for a hunter in-) eluding guides and food. All he'd have to do is step out of his plane or car and go hunt-' ing," he said. DeRosier said the guided elk hunt, if it is authorized, would be in addition to the regular late elk season. Ski Report MT. LEMMON' SKI AREA: 42 miles" northeast of Tucson on tho Catallna Hloh- vJOSCu.

BILL WILLIAMS SKI AREA: 4 5 Perklnsvllle. Road Closed, but will be ooen on weekends. Skllnq Is oood to excellent with 36' Indies of Backed snow over entire matin- an A 8 inS," 58 a surface snow. Porria" lift and facilities are In operation, except for tho rope tow. Chains and snow tires' are required.

nort PURGATORY SKI AREA: 25 miles, srth of Durango, op U.S. SM, re. -orls excellent skllna conditions on packed powder and powder. There arc 71' Inches midway, and 8 Inches of new' snow. Roads are snow packed and chains and snow llres are required.

All facilities arc 'ARIZONA SNOW BOWL: IX mllMv northwest of Flaostaff and the Snow Bcwl- Rpad, reports excellent skllna conditions with 12 Inches of. new snow. There are 10 ches mid-" Chains' 1 I all facll-- to 36 Inches at base, 40 to 66 Inches mid-" way and to 84 Inches at too. Chains' and snow tires are required and all facilities are operating, except Ejner Lund of Napa, handles Brittany spaniel Black Butte Ricochet Trooper while gunners shoot a pen-raised chukar to test the dog's staunchness on wing and shot last weekend at the ourth annual Sahuaro Brittany bird dog trial at Fort Huachuca. The spaniel won top honors during the trial.

Bird dog trials are increasing in Arizona and several are scheduled during the next few months. SUNRISE PARK SKI east of McNarv on State mlin south on Bio Lake icellent sk miles, ttute 73 then 3. oood to excellent skllnq with inche? at base 2 Inches at top. There are five inclws of new snow. Chains and snow" ilrss are rewired all facilities GLACIER GLIDE: on State Route between Pine and Strawberry.

Closed..