Another year has gone by, and it's time again for C4C's annual Dove hunt in the Rio Puerco.  We'll see you Saturday (9/3) morning at 5:15 a.m. Don't be late because we will leave on time.  4WD will not be necessary.

The 2011 C4C Dove Hunt dove will be a blast! The Annual Crosshairs for Christ dove will once again be held in the Rio Puerco west of Albuquerque.  Participants will meet at the gas station (See Directions Below) at 5:00 a.m. and follow the group to the  hunt area. We will wrap the hunt up by 1:00 p.m. Sunrise is at 6:41 a.m with legal shooting hours beginning at 6:11 a.m.
For more information contact, Lance Cherry, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.
620-6883

The event will be held on July 16, 2011 at the Manual Lujan Building on the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque, NM. The doors open at 3 p.m. with dinner being served at 5 p.m. Dinner will be be catered by Whole Hog. There will be thousands of dollars in door prizes, outdoor sport vendors and demonstrations.

Guest of Honor and Speaker will be Alton Jones, 2008 Bassmaster Classic Champion. Music and Entertainment will be provided by Dennis Agajanian.
Tickets are $30 adults and kids 12 and under $15.

For more information contact Garland Peek at gpeek@sandiabaptist.org, 505-292-2713.

This meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 2011  in Rio Rancho at the Soulrio Church, 2003 Southern Blvd. SE in suites 128 -131, which is on the NE corner of Unser Blvd. SE & Southern Blvd. SE. This church is in a shopping center and the Church is on the eastern half of the shopping center. The meeting room will be open at 7:15 PM and the meeting will start at 7:30PM.

Jerry Maracchini is a former director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and worked for the agency for 27 years, holding numerous positions in Santa Fe and throughout the state. He is a retired Marine Corps reservist and graduated with a degree in wildlife science from New Mexico State University.

Please RSVP by e-mail or phone if you plan on attending.

Please forward this e-mail to your fellow sportsmen. This is a rare opportunity to share your views and concerns. If you have any questions contact Oscar Simpson, Campaign Coordinator for the NM Wildlife Federation, email oscar@nmwildlife.org, direct 505-345-0117 or mobile 505-917-2134.

ABOUT HOLYGHOST

Set at 8,400 feet, Holyghost is 13.3 miles North of Pecos via NM 63 and 2.3 miles west of Terrero. Nestled in a quite meadow surrounded by wilderness, the area is home to flocks of wild turkeys, blue grouse, herds of elk, deer and solitary bear and lion. The campground offers great fishing for rainbow trout. The Holyghost camping area has trailhead access, picnic tables, fire rings, toilets, drinking water and the group shelter. RVs with a maximum length or 32 feet can access the campground. For more information on Holyghost and the Pecos Wilderness, visit the Santa Fe National Forest, Pecos Ranger District webiste at www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/districts/pecosLV/index.html.  

TURKEY REGULATIONS

Spring turkey season opens April 15 and runs through May 10. The bag limit is two bearded turkeys. You will receive two carcass tags when you purchase a license. The beard and a patch of feathers surrounding the beard must remain on the bird until it is delivered to the place where it will be eaten or placed in cold storage. To hunt you will need to buy your NM Turkey Tag/Permit $25, Habitat Stamp $5 and Habitat Management Access Validation $4. You will also be charged a Vendor Fee of $1. You may purchase your license, stamps and tag from any Department office or license vendor, such as Wal-Mart. For more information on hunting rules and regulations, visit the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.  

MEALS

While at the Mark Jones Invitational, you will need to plan to provide your own meals. On Saturday night, we traditionally hold a potluck style dinner. Everyone is encouraged to make your favorite camp dish and join the feast.  

DON’T FORGET

At a minimum, hunters should plan to bring: Shotgun, Shot Shells (#4 or Turkey Shot), Warm Clothes (camouflage or earth toned clothing suggested), Turkey Calls, Camping Gear and Meals.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For additional information contact:

Mark Jones, (505) 220-9437 or email, mjones@unm.edu.   

Lance Cherry, (505) 620-6883 or email, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

Lance Cherry, 505-620-6883, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org

Jim Johnson, 505-573-0302, jim@crosshairsforchrist.org

Bring: – License – ID – HUNTER'S EDUCATION CARD. (REQUIRED, UNLESS YOU WERE BORN BEFORE JULY 1957) – A 12ga. (or 20ga.) shotgun, 2-3/4" shells and #6 to #7-1/2 lead shot is a pretty standard. load. – Blaze orange hat is highly recommended, as swinging on game out of your zone of fire is the number one cause of hunting accidents in KS. – Dress in layers, it could be 60 degrees and sunny, or 20 degrees and whiteout conditions w/ a foot of snow on the ground.  We'll hope for the latter, minus the whiteout part. – Chaps, or upland type hunting pants are recommended, there are plenty of 'pokeys' that will penetrate regular denim fairly easily.  If you don't have anything like this, let us know. – It's not uncommon to hike 5-8 miles in a day's hunt.  Although it's generally level ground, a good pair of boots are desirable. Don't worry though, if you get tired, blockers at the end of the field are always helpful too.  KS Regulations can be found here at: http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/Hunting/Hunting-Regulations. For more details, contact Jim Johnson at 505-573-0302 or email jim@crosshairsforchrist.org

The Open Gate Agreement has been signed and with the additional permission we recieved today, we will be hunting a select group of hot spots off the Rio Puerco. The hunt is still set for Saturday, September 4. We will meet at 5:15 a.m. behind the gas station at Soul Rio Church. Don't be late, we will leave on time.

The 2010 C4C Dove Hunt will be a blast! The Annual Crosshairs for Christ dove hunt location has been set for the Rio Puerco west of Albuquerque.

Either way, participants will meet at the gas station (See Directions Below) at 5:15 a.m. and follow the group to the final selected hunt area. We will wrap the hunt up by 1:00 p.m. Sunrise is at 6:39 a.m with legal shooting hours beginning at 6:09 a.m.

For more information contact, Lance Cherry, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

Required License:

•   Current NM Hunting License (Small Game or General Hunting)
•   Habitat Stamp
•   Habitat Management Access Validation
•   HIP number

For more information on hunting rules and regulations, visit the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.    

Gear to bring:

•   Shotgun
•   Shells
•   All-Weather Clothes (Earth tones or camo suggested)
•   Picnic lunch
•   Water

Directions:

Soul Rio Church located in the Southern Plaza Shopping Center at the intersection of Southern & Unser in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Practice:

 Loosen up that itchy trigger finger with some practice this weekend South of San Ysidro with C4C.  We'll be at our usual place, if you've been shooting with us in the last year or so.  Bring some clays and a couple boxes of shells, and any other sporting arms you like. 

To get there, drive West on Hwy 550 to Cabezon Rd, just past the weigh station pulloff on the south side of the highway.  It's about 20 minutes from the Home Depot on Hwy 550 in Rio Rancho.  Make a left onto Cabezon Rd.  It has a green street sign you can see from the highway.  If you cross the bridge near the Perea Nature Trail, you've gone too far.  Immediately after leaving Hwy 550, veer left.  Follow Cabezon Rd. for 4.5 miles.  You'll cross a cattle guard and a BLM sign stating you are on public lands.  At 4.5 miles, you will top a small rise, and make a left onto a 4 track road.  We'll be at the end of the 4 track road about 1 mile off Cabezon Rd.

Just past the 4-track road, there's a parking lot for a mountain biking trailhead.

We'll be there Saturday morning 8 am until we're done. (probably lunch time)

For more info, contact Jim Johnson at 505-573-0302 or email jim@crosshairsforchrist.org.

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;"  - Job 12:7  

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHALK CREEK CAMPGROUND Event attendees will camp on their own and many will even stay in local hotels. If you are looking for a campsite with all the ammenities Chalk Creek is the one. POB 39, 11430 CR 197 Nathrop, CO 81236-0039 TOLL FREE: 888-395-8830 FAX: 719-395-8337 • PH: 719-395-8301 www.chalkcreek-campground.com WANT TO RAFT THE RAGING ARKANSAS? GO WITH NOAH’S ARK Noah’s Ark is a Christian company with a heart for ministry. We encouraging you to use their services for a truly exciting whitewater adventure. For more information on rafting and rates, visit Noah’s Ark online, www.noahsark.com. TAKE A HIKE Last year, we had a great time hiking Mt. Huron.  The planning for this year began before we finished the hike!  Typical for us altitude junkies.  Be warned, hike one, and you might become addicted.  Lead by Jim and Jennie Johnson, this year’s 14er promises to be another memorable hike. C4C has chosen Mt. Sherman, a 14,036’ peak in the Tenmile-Mosquito range.   Sherman is 10 miles west of Fairplay and 8 miles south of Mt. Democrat (14,148') and Mt. Bross (14,172').  The hike will begin early on Friday morning. From the trailhead, you will start at 12,000' and hike ~2.6 miles to the summit. The trip is 5.25 miles round trip.  If we can't make it to the 12,000' trailhead due to snow, the hike will obviously be longer. Directions from Fairplay: Drive just over a mile south on U.S. 285 and turn right onto County Road 18. Drive 10 miles to a large parking area at 11,250'. This is the Leavick site. There is a large mine building on the right before the parking area. The road starts to get rough after this point but passenger cars can slowly drive another 1.5 miles before the road gets harsh. There are a couple of small pull-offs between 11,700' and 11,900' and more parking before a gate near 12,000'. The gate is usually closed. In winter, the road is usually plowed only to 11,100' which is one mile below the Leavick site. Source: www.14ers.com. To learn more about fourteeners visit online, www.14ers.com. For more information about the trip contact Lance Cherry, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org. For more information about the hike contact Jim Johnson, jim@crosshairsforchrist.com.

All hunters, regardless of age, must have a valid hunting license ($20-$62.50), a Habitat Management and Access Validation ($4), a Habitat Improvement Stamp ($5), a Migratory Bird Permit (HIP) Number ($1), Waterfowl hunters 16 years or older need a federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp $15) and free Bernardo and La Joya Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Permit (available only at Department offices or online at www.wildlife.state.nm.us/.)

Nontoxic shot is required for hunting any species with a shotgun on all open Wildlife Management Areas and State Game Commission lands. Nontoxic shot includes steel, bismuth-tin, tungsten-matrix, tungsten bronze, tungsten-iron (2 types), tungsten-nickel-iron, tungsten-iron-copper-nickel, iron-tungsten-nickel, tungsten-bronze, tungsten-tin-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-tin-bismuth, tungsten-tin-iron-nickel shot.

The daily bag limit is 6 ducks, no more than than 5 mallard (only 2 may be female, Mexican-like ducks are part of the mallard bag limit), 2 redhead, 2 wood duck, 2 scaup, 2 hooded merganser and 15 American coot. Pintail and Canvasback may not be taken until Dec. 18, 2008 – Jan. 25, 2009. The Light Goose daily bag limit is 20 and includes snow, blue-phase snow and Ross’s goose. Canada goose season opens Jan. 3-25, 2009 may only be hunted by free special goose permit only, available only at

Department offices or online at www.wildlife.state.nm.us/.

For more information contact Lance Cherry, 505-620-6883 or by email, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

C4C DUCK HUNT ___________________________________________

The following information is provided for Belen, Valencia County, New Mexico (longitude W106.8, latitude N34.7):

SUNRISE: 6:53 am   SUNSET: 4:57 pm 

LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS: 6:23 am – 1:00 pm

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;” - Job 12:7

This fishing report has been generated from the best information available from officers and anglers.

Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, however, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

NORTHEAST AREA

CHARETTE LAKES: Fishing for trout was slow-to-fair using power bait, worms and salmon eggs. Fishing for perch was slow-to-fair using worms.

CIMARRON RIVER: Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 9.7cfs. Trout fishing was fair using pheasant tail nymphs, hares ears, San Juan worms and salmon eggs. We had no reports from the Gravel Pit Lakes.

CLAYTON LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. Fishing pressure continued to be very light.   

CONCHAS LAKE: Fishing was fair using sweet beavers, brush hogs, senkos and lipless crank baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing for white bass was fair using crank baits and slab spoons. Fishing was fair using live bait for catfish. We had no reports on other species.  

COYOTE CREEK: Trout fishing was slow.

EAGLE NEST LAKE: The kokanee snagging season opened this past week but with very little action. Expect it to pick up over the next week or two as the weather cools. Fishing was generally slow for all species but there were a few trout caught by anglers using power bait, salmon eggs and Pistol Petes. Fishing for perch was slow-to-fair using worms.

LAKE MALOYA/LAKE ALICE: Trout fishing at both lakes was fair-to-good using power bait and home made dough baits during the day and flies and Pistol Petes in the evening hours.   

MCALLISTER LAKE: Closed due to high golden algae content.

MAXWELL LAKE 13: Fishing was slow for all species.      

MONASTERY LAKE: Trout fishing was slow with just a few fish caught by anglers using salmon eggs and Pistol Petes.

MORPHY LAKE: Trout fishing was good using assorted power baits and salmon eggs from the bank and pheasant tail nymphs and olive wooly buggers from boats.     

PECOS RIVER: Water flow near the town of Pecos on Monday was 36cfs. Trout fishing here and on Holy Ghost Creek and the Mora was fair using small streamers, night crawlers, salmon eggs, humpys, flash back pheasant tail nymphs and prince nymphs.

RED RIVER: Water flow below the hatchery was 59cfs. Trout fishing above and below the hatchery was fair using wooly buggers, San Juan worms and salmon eggs.

RIO COSTILLA: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using pheasant tail nymphs and parachute adams.       

RIO GRANDE: The water flow Monday morning at the Taos Junction Bridge was 228cfs. Trout fishing was fair using wooly buggers and night crawlers. Fishing was slow with just a few smallmouth bass taken on spinners and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species.  

SHUREE PONDS: We had no reports from anglers this week.    

SPRINGER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

STORRIE LAKE: Fishing was fair using salmon eggs and power bait for trout. Fishing for all other species was slow.

STUBBLEFIELD LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.    

UTE LAKE: Fishing was fair-to-good using spinner baits, crank baits, jigs, creature baits, senkos and worms for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. The bass were scattered and taken at depths of 2-to-25 feet. Fishing was fair using live bait for walleye. Fishing was fair using live bait and liver for catfish.  Fishing was fair using spoons and live bait for white bass. We had no reports on other species.

NORTHWEST AREA

ABIQUIU LAKE: Fishing continued to be sporadic for both bass and walleye. A few smallmouth bass were taken on crank baits and spinner baits. A few walleye were caught by anglers using crank baits, spoons and spinner/gulp worm rigs. Fishing for all other species was slow.

BLUEWATER LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using large flies, jerk baits and in line spinners for tiger musky. A few trout were taken on power bait. We had no reports on other species.    

BRAZOS RIVER: We had no reports from anglers this week.  

CANJILON LAKES:  Fishing was slow. Fishing pressure was very light.        

CHAMA RIVER: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 697cfs and 375cfs respectively. Trout fishing at both locations was slow-to-fair using night crawlers and spinners.

COCHITI LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using lipless crank baits for northern pike and a few smallmouth bass. Fishing was fair using liver, night crawlers and shrimp for catfish. We had no reports on other species. Fishing pressure was very light.   

EL VADO LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.

FENTON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs and power bait.

HERON LAKE: Fishing for rainbow trout and lake trout was slow.

JACKSON LAKE: Trout fishing was fair using salmon eggs, power bait and spinners.

JEMEZ WATERS: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 16cfs near Jemez Springs. Fishing on the Jemez and the Rio Guadalupe was fair using worms, ant and spider imitations, beetles, parachute adams and salmon eggs for trout. On the Valles Caldera National Preserve waters the last day to fish the East Fork is October 24. For more info or for reservations to fish call 1-866-382-5537 or visit on line at www.vallescaldera.gov.  

LAGUNA DEL CAMPO: We had no reports from anglers this week.         

MANZANO LAKE: Trout fishing was slow.         

MCGAFFEY LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.  

NAVAJO LAKE: Fishing was good using lipless crank baits, spinner baits, jerk baits and plastics for northern pike We had several good reports from anglers fishing the main lake, the San Juan arm and the Pine arm. Fishing was slow-to-fair using drop shot/worm rigs, senkos, tubes and crank baits for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Kokanee snagging was slow with only a few fish taken near the Pine arm marina. Expect the snagging to pick up over the next week or two. We had no reports on other species.  

RAMAH LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species. 

RIO PUEBLO: Water flow near Penasco as of Monday was 8.1cfs. Trout fishing was good using prince nymphs, worms and salmon eggs.

SAN JUAN: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 746cfs. SPECIAL NOTE: Effective September 15, the entire stretch of Quality Waters became Catch and Release only waters. Trout fishing through the Quality Waters was good using emergers, dead chickens, wooly buggers, San Juan worms, sparkle worms, parachute adams, zebra midges and hair jigs. Fishing through the bait waters was good using hair jigs, spoons, jerk baits, salmon eggs, garlic cheese and night crawlers.

SANTA CRUZ LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.      

TINGLEY BEACH: Fishing at the Youth and Central Ponds was good using small spoons, salmon eggs and power bait. Fishing for catfish was fair using hot dogs and stink bait. Fishing for bluegill was good using worms and small hot dog chunks. Fishing for trout in the Catch and Release Pond was slow. SPECIAL NOTE: The bag limit for trout on the Youth and Central Ponds has been changed from 5 per day to 4 per day and the possession limit has been changed from 10 trout to 4 trout.

SOUTHWEST AREA

BEAR CANYON: Fishing was slow for all species.   

BILL EVANS LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.       

BURN LAKE: We had no reports from anglers this week.  

CABALLO LAKE: Fishing was slow with just a few white bass taken on crank baits, grubs, minnows and spoons. We had no reports on other species.

ELEPHANT BUTTE: Fishing was fair using jigs and spoons at 20-to-28 feet for white bass. There were also several white bass caught at night by anglers using minnows. Fishing was fair using ikas, senkos, sweet beavers, creature baits and crank baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing for striped bass was slow with just a few taken on umbrella rigs, swim baits, live bluegill and live shad. Fishing for catfish was fair using minnows, cut bait, dough bait and liver. Fishing for bluegill was fair using worms and small jigs.

ESCONDIDA LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.  

GILA RIVER: Water flow on the Gila as of this past Monday was 45cfs. Fishing on the Forks was slow with a few trout taken on small streamers and small bead head prince nymphs. Fishing pressure was very light.

GLENWOOD POND: Fishing was good using salmon eggs and power bait for trout.  

LAKE ROBERTS: Fishing was fair-to-good using salmon eggs, power bait, cheese, spinners and spoons for trout. We had no reports on other species.

PERCHA DAM: We had no reports from anglers this week.   

QUEMADO LAKE: Fishing was fair using salmon eggs, salmon peach and garlic power bait and spoons for trout.  Fishing was fair using jerk baits, spoons and in line spinners for tiger musky.

RIO GRANDE: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 62cfs.  Fishing below Caballo was slow-to-fair using minnows and liver for catfish and minnows for white bass. We had no reports on other species.

SNOW LAKE: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs.

SOUTHEAST AREA  

BATAAN LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.  

BONITO LAKE: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using salmon eggs, corn power bait and garlic cheese. A few fish were also taken on Pistol Petes and spinners.  

BOSQUE REDONDO: We had no reports from anglers this week.   

BRANTLEY LAKE: Anglers are to practice catch and release for all fish here as high levels of DDT were found in several fish.  We had no reports from anglers this week. 

CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.            

GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs, power bait and spinners. 

JAL LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.          

LAKE VAN: Fishing for catfish was slow-to-fair using liver and night crawlers. We had no reports on other species.  

OASIS PARK POND: Fishing was slow for all species.          

PECOS RIVER: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 98cfs. Fishing was slow.

PERCH LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.       

RUIDOSO RIVER: Water flow at Hollywood on Monday was 8cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.

SANTA ROSA LAKE: Fishing was slow-to-fair using chigger craws, sweet beavers, senkos and lipless crank baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass. We had no reports on other species.

SUMNER LAKE: Fishing was slow for all species.    

STOCKING

Crews stocked 19,835 rainbow trout averaging 10.4 inches in the following waters: BLUE HOLE PARK POND, BLUEWATER LAKE, BONITO LAKE, BRAZOS RIVER, CHAMA RIVER-Above and below El Vado and below Abiquiu, COSTILLA CREEK, EAGLE ROCK LAKE, LAKE ROBERTS, PECOS RIVER-Villanueva to I-25, SAN JUAN RIVER-Below Quality Waters, SNOW LAKE & STORRIE RESERVOIR.

In addition, crews stocked 65,575 fingerling bluegill in LAGUNA MADRE and STUBBLEFIELD LAKE and 49,411 fingerling Rio Grande cutthroat trout in the CHAMA RIVER below El Vado and the RIO GRANDE-Gorge above Pilar.

CATCHES OF THE WEEK:

Navajo Lake: On October 2nd and 3rd, Andrew Orlicky caught five northern pike ranging from 22-to-34 inches. He was using Rat-L-Traps and size 14 Rapala husky jerks.

Ute Lake: On October 3 Danny Campbell of Friona, TX caught a 7.39 pound largemouth bass. He was using a jig. On October 4, Larry VanLeer of Dumas, TX caught a 5.5 pound channel catfish. He was using a minnow. On October 4, Marley Cairns age two and a half of Amarillo, TX caught a 3.75 walleye with the help of her parents. She was using a minnow.   

If you have a catch of the week story or just want to tell us about your latest New Mexico fishing experience, send it to us at fishforfun2@hotmail.com. We may include your story in our next report. For catches of the week include name, date, location, type of fish, length and bait used.

_______________________________________________________________

The weekly fishing report is Published by Bill Dunn for the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish Public Affairs Division, P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 – (505) 476-8000