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  

Benefit Raffle for Alex M. Garcia

Kidney Transplant Fundraiser

Two Opportunities to Win!

Sept. 1-15, 2010 Elk Bow Hunt Tag (Unit 6A)

Cost: $25 per chance

Sept. 16-30, 2010 Elk Bow Hunt Tag (Unit 6A)

Cost: $30 per chance

Do not have to be present to win.

Only 100 tickets for each will be sold.

If interested contact:

Anthony Garcia @ 505-450-7464

or Alex Garcia @ 505-345-9322

The Mark Jones Invitational Spring Turkey Hunt will be held Saturday, Apr. 17-18 in the Pecos Wilderness. The Holyghost Group Area has been reserved Friday night and Saturday night for the hunt. You may arrive at anytime. The lower gate to the Holyghost campground will be open for the season. The gate at the group shelter will be closed, with the lock in place but not secured. You will need to open the gate to proceed to the group shelter campground. Fees for camping and rental of the shelter will be split between all, when we have final head count onsite. Bring your friends, family and co-workers. The wilderness is huge so we have room for everyone.

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/recreation/districts/pecos.

TURKEY REGULATIONS

Spring turkey season opens April 15 and runs through May 10. The bag limit is a bearded turkey. Another bearded turkey may be taken with the purchase of a second tag. 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 $28, Second Tag $10 (Optional), 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.

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.

Make plans to attend the NMSO banquet in July 2010, at the Manuel Lujan Building on the New Mexico State Fairground (EXPO NM) in Albuquerque. Details of the event will be available in the spring of 2010. For more information contact Garland Peek at gpeek@sandiabaptist.org, 505-292-2713 or contact the Evangelism/Discipleship Team at sportsmenoutreach@bcnm.com, 505-924-2314 or to learn more online, www.bcnm.com.

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 std. load.

- Blaze orange is recommended, as swinging on game is the number one cause of hunting accidents in KS.

- Warm clothes, the colder, the better, 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 10 miles in a day’s hunt.  Although it’s generally level ground, a good pair of boots are highly desirable.

KS Regulations can be found here at: kdwp.state.ks.us/news/content/download/14625/100362/file/KS%20Hunting%20Regulations%2009.pdf.

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

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

CROSSHAIRS for CHRIST presents the Fifth Annual New Mexico Big-Game Hunters Draw Information Banquet at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 6, 2010 at Soul Rio Church located at 2003 Southern Blvd SE, Suite 128-131, in Rio Rancho, NM. Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15 per person and includes grub and giveaways.

Information will include:

•  How to Succeed in the Deer and Elk Draw and Changes in 2010
•  Stories from the Field
•  Women in the Outdoors
•  Hunt videos from the 2009-2010 season

Family and friends are encouraged to attend. This event is sure to be fun, informative, fun, entertaining and most of all, fun.

In 2009, members served a full house, as over 150 members and guests attended the annual information fest.

Please RSVP so we can plan appropriately. You can buy tickets online from the C4C SHOP or mail a check. Checks should be made payable to: Crosshairs for Christ and may be mailed to Lance Cherry, 4200 Cuba Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114. Other arraignments may be made by contacting, Lance Cherry, 505-620-6883 or by email, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

The 2009 New Mexico State Duck Calling Contest will be held at 10:30 a.m. on September 20, 2009 at Expo New Mexico, NM State Fairgrounds on the lawn in front of the Natural Resources Building. The Albuquerque Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, The Duke City Duck Club Albuquerque Chapter of Delta Waterfowl, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and Buck Gardner Calls will sponsor the event this year. State Fair parking and Entry Fees will NOT be waived.

Expo New Mexico (State Fairgrounds)

300 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108

Registration opens at 8:30 am & closes at 9:30 am 
Duck Calling starts at 10:30 am

•     New Mexico State Junior Open Duck Calling Championship: Open to all callers under the age of 17. Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $15 entry fee per caller.

•   New Mexico State Women Open Duck Calling Championship: Open to all female callers. Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $15 entry fee per caller.

•   New Mexico State Duck Calling Championship: The contest is open to all New Mexico residents that will attain the age of seventeen (17) as of the hour of the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest. All participants must bring proof of residency and agree to represent the State of New Mexico at the World’s Championship in 2009, should they win. Should the winner fail to represent the contest, the 2nd place winner can represent the contest at the “Worlds.”  Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $30 entry fee per caller.

•   New Mexico State Open Team Meat Duck Calling Championship: This is a mallard duck calling 2-person contest, Open to All. Contest will be judged on the best team callers working ducks in from medium range, 250 yards or so. Leave the ringing hail calls alone and make the high end loud greeters. There is no limit on the number of teams a caller can call on. No calls barred. Three rounds, 90 second routines, no rules. $30 entry fee per team.

The first place prize for each category in this year’s event will be 25% of Entry Fees from each category and a Buck Gardner Call. The winner must be able to attend the World Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart, Arkansas on Nov. 28, 2009.

The event chairman or a committee member must receive the registration fees payable to Ducks Unlimited no later than 9 am M.S.T. on the day of the event.
Registration forms can be obtained from the NM State Coordinator, Carole Shores, by calling (505) 275-0497 or email DuMaDuck@aol.com or Duke City Duck Club Chair, Lance Cherry, by calling (505) 620-6883 or email duck@cherrymediagroup.com.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER AT THIS EVENT

PLEASE CONTACT JAIME CHERRY, mallardmom@cherrymediagroup.com

Hunt Results

  Apparently someone forgot to tell the doves we were hunting today. Correction, someone must have spilled the beans. You could’ve counted the entire morning flight on a single hand. Perhaps it was the prior night’s rain storm or the warmer than usual temperatures. Still, the day wasn’t a total bust. A few birds were harvested and the time spent with friends was priceless. Better luck next year! You are invited in 2010.  

2009 C4C Annual Dove Hunt Video

  NOTICE! THERE IS A LOCATION CHANGE! HUNTERS WILL MEET AT SOUL RIO CHURCH AT 5:15 AM.   Opening Day for the 2009 dove season will be a blast! The Annual Crosshairs for Christ dove hunt near the Rio Puerco west of Albuquerque is set for September 1, 2009. Participants will meet at the gas station (See Directions Below) at 5:15 a.m. and follow the group to the hunt area located in the Open Gate property along the Rio Puerco. 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.   DOVE SEASON COUNTDOWN ______________________________________   The following information is provided for Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico (longitude W106.6, latitude N35.1): SUNRISE: 6:39 am   SUNSET: 7:33 pm  LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS: 6:09 am – 6:33 pm   "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;"  - Job 12:7     ABOUT THE OPEN GATE HUNTING & FISHING ACCESS PROGRAM From The NM Department of Game and Fish Website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us   The Open Gate Program benefits hunters by opening private and landlocked public land for your recreation, free of charge! Hunters and anglers can contribute to the success of the Open Gate program by obeying all NMDGF regulations and being considerate of participating and non-participating landowners.   It is important to remember that enrollment by landowners is voluntary and their experience with the program will directly affect your future access.   OPEN GATE RULES  

•   Walk-In Only Unless Roads Are Designated
•   Look for Open Gate Signs & Know Boundaries
•   Do Not Litter
•   No camping & No fires
•   No Target Practice
•   Do not block roads, gates, or driveways
•   Respect the Landowner & the Land

Comments and suggestions are welcome. Contact Aaron Roberts, the Open Gate Coordinator at (505) 476-8043 or aaron.roberts@state.nm.us.