Hi all,
It appears that 4 Hills is still getting visits from poachers and trespassing hunters . There have been reports of dead (gunshot) elk in Cataract Canyon and several reports of vehicles with hunters trespassing on 4 Hills land.

I confronted one group a couple of weeks ago: a white Dodge crew cab pickup truck with a gas/oil pump in the bed behind the cab. They were not property owners and claimed to be "lost", looking for "the Wilson place"--whatever that is. They were two young men and a middle-aged dude in the back seat (in full camo) yet displaying no orange sticker in their window. So we're talking lying trespassers, poachers--or both. .

I let them know in a none-too-friendly manner that they were on private land and there was no hunting. My AK-47 was next to me in plain sight (just to make it clear I was in a no-BS mood). Their plate number has been given to the Sheriff.

Just last Saturday, at least two 4 Hills residents spotted an older two-tone (green and beige) crew cab pick-up with a silver tool box on the bad and a bad muffler speeding up and down 4 Hills roads. He was spotted once pulled over at Oliver Tank (just east of Cataract Canyon) with a rifle poking out of the window. His plate number has also been forwarded to the Sheriff.

So, spread the word. Poachers and trespassing hunters are not welcome at 4 Hills. We are watching and listening (as you chat on your walkie-talkies) and we ARE reporting your license numbers to the local Sheriff's office.

By the way, there is an $8000 reward for the turn-in of the poacher(s) who killed a bull elk in Ashfork and cut off the rack, leaving the carcass behind. B-A-S-T-A-R-D-S. I'm sure there are rewards for turning in other poachers. I know that I could use some extra cash.

Well it happened again. I just got back from another encounter.

Dogs started barking around 0820 and I could hear--but not see--a vehicle approaching from the east on West Bright Sky when the vehicle just stopped. My spidey sense told me to saddle up. Sure enough, I hear two loud rifle shots (sounded very close!). I grab the AK, the truck keys and I'm off (minus the cell phone--oops!). As I get just past the Akers place (about .2 mile from my drive), I encounter a pickup coming right at me and so I crowd the opposite lane forcing them to stop.

Two guys. The driver acting all polite and apologetic but the passenger screwed up his face and looked mighty sour when I suggested that I'd be calling in their tag info to the Sheriff's Dept. If these clowns weren't shooting from their vehicle--they were at least shooting from the road or just off it. The shots started just seconds after I heard the vehicle stop. Anyway, I did the whole private property, where's your tag, shooting from the road drill. Driver said he'd be glad to show me his hunter tag. He just wasn't displaying it. Hmmmmmmm. Also, driver claimed he didn't see any signs--that they came in "the back way" from Hwy 64. Funny thing is that the white pickup truck had a PINE WOOD SOMETHING SOMETHING logo on driver's door. I escorted them out to Art's place before I turned back. Without a cell phone I wasn't going to push my luck.

White pickup truck, PINE WOOD SOMETHING SOMETHING logo, AZ tag# CD-18216

So . . . for the record, here are the three poacher/trespassers suspects to date:

1. White pickup truck AZ license# CD18216
PINE WOOD SOMETHING SOMETHING logo on driver's door

2. Two-tone (green/beige) pickup with loud muffler and silver tool box behind cab AZ license# 722PJY

3. White Dodge diesel pickup with crew cab and oil/fuel pump behind crew cab AZ license# 265WKX

Over and out.
Bruce

Can they be turned into the sheriffs' ??? Also like I said many of times, it would be nice to have gates at our' entrances

Guys,
Check out the state Game and Fish Dep't.'s "Operation Game Thief."
(TLTL - too lazy to link)

They'd like to know about poaching in our township, and may have some solutions in hand.
Cheers,
-Steve