Ryn Gargulinski

Creativity on Fire

arizona game and fish

Wildlife abuse at its most obscene: Nine dead does, fawns slaughtered in Arizona ‘thrill kill’ – matches Troy Gentry’s slaying of tame bear Cubby

As if a headless javelina found hanging from a tree and a duct taped coyote discarded not far from the border weren’t enough evidence of some fine folks in parts of Arizona, we think we found one that is.

Random skull shot/Rynski file photo

Nine mule deer does and fawns were found slaughtered in the Bonita area north of Willcox, according to a news release from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish surmise the killings took place somewhere between Dec. 3 and 8.

The dead does and fawns were so badly mangled that officials could not determine how they had been killed. The best guess is they were either run over by a vehicle or shot, either way left to rot in a field full of chilies.

Nice.

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Headless javelinas $3,000 reward, two deer slayers arrested

Operation Game Thief open in javelina case; two arrested in prior deer poaching case

Two headless javenlias were found illegally shot alongside a trail in Cochise County and up to $3, 000 could be yours for helping the Arizona Game and Fish Department nab responsible poachers, according to a news release from the agency.

Javelina get no respect/file photo

The javelina carcasses were found Feb. 24 near St. David, along East Touchstone Trail south of Interstate 10. Although the javelina had been field dressed, they had no game tags attached. Both appeared freshly killed by gunshot wounds through their shoulders. Both were missing their heads, which Sawyer surmises went home to be trophies.

“Evidence at the scene suggests that they may have been left at that location by two individuals who drove there from the intersection of Sybil Road and East Touchstone Trail, then returned by the same route,” the release said.

The reward money includes $2,500 from The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust as well as $500 from AZ Game and Fish.

“Poachers are thieves who steal wildlife from the citizens of Arizona. No true hunter would leave game by the side of the road to waste,” said Regional Supervisor Raul Vega of the AGFD office in Tucson. “We appreciate greatly the Humane Society offering a generous reward in this case as part of their ongoing involvement in helping us solve wildlife crimes.”

Game and Fish urges anyone with information to call the toll-free Operation Game Thief hotline at 800-352-0700 or visit www.azgfd.gov/thief.

You may remain anonymous.

While the headless javelina case remains open, Operation Game Thief recently worked in nabbing two suspects in connection with the illegal killing of a mule deer doe just south of Seligman back in October, another AZGFD release reports.

The doe had been shot in the neck and left to rot. The informant received half of the $1,000 reward from Game and Fish when two men were arrested. The other half gets paid by the Mule Deer Foundation upon conviction.

Winslow’s Mario Avalos, 58, was slapped with $1,200 in fines after pleading guilty to taking of the wrong sex, possession of unlawfully taken big game and waste of game meat.

Seligman’s Hugh Campbell, 22, was cited for the same charges. His case is pending.

Both guys could also lose their hunting and fishing privileges for up to five years and civil sanctions from the Game and Fish Commission that could result in penalties of at least $1,500.

This post originally appeared March 9, 2010 on the blog Sawyer Says: Animal Talk on TucsonCitizen.com.

Halloween hazards: Spooky eve one of top three holidays that can maim, inflame, injure or kill you

Halloween is spooky, creepy and downright scary – but not just because of the dressed-up ghoulies and goblins.

Beware of Halloween hazards/Thinkstock

As the tender pagan holiday draws nearer, more and more organizations are sending out news releases, announcements and other forms of warnings outlining all the hazards that surround this formerly fun and festive day.

While many of the warnings are valid – like taking care not to carve through your tendons while you carve out your jack-o-lantern – they also reflect the extreme paranoia that has come to pervade the nation.

Let’s start with the pumpkins. As already mentioned, the American Academy of Orthopeedic Surgeons (AAOS) begs you to keep that carving knife away from your tendons.

And make sure you use a carving knife in a well-lit area, not some dull steak knife in the dark. And for goodness sake, never let your kid have a pumpkin and a knife, especially if his age range is 10 to 14.

After all, Halloween is in the top three when it comes to holidays that land people in the emergency room, with kids age 10 to 14 constituting 30 percent of those visits. For the record, the other two most hazardous holidays are July 4 and New Year’s Eve.

Cuts to the fingers and hands are Halloween’s most common injuries around the ER, followed by fractures to those same areas.

Once you’ve carved up your pumpkin and no one ends up bleeding to death, your next precautionary move is to forget about putting a real candle inside. That’s way too much of a fire hazard.

Instead opt for a battery operated candle, one that flickers if you prefer realistic, and one on a timer so it doesn’t accidentally overheat.

And don’t you dare place that pumpkin on the porch. That’s just asking for trouble – and unwanted visitors.

Hooligans will be encouraged to steal and smash your handiwork, potentially hitting you on the head or strewing a stream of slick pumpkin pulp on your stairwell, risky for a slip.

Area wildlife will also be apt to stop by, the Arizona Game and Fish Department warns, looking for a feast.

“Coyotes, javelina, deer and even bears eat some of the vegetables that are part of traditional holiday displays,” a news release quoted Tucson’s Game and Fish Regional Supervisor Raul Vega. “When displayed outdoors, they may attract wildlife to homes, potentially creating conflicts with people.”

And just think how your pets will react if a bear suddenly bumbles onto your porch.

We didn’t even yet get into the other Halloween horrors that await your pets, usually sent out in list form from animal organizations.

Keep your animals inside, especially if you have a black cat. There are always “several accounts” of satanic rituals increasing on this creepy eve, and you don’t need Miss Kitty becoming a sacrifice.

Your kids, too, need some extra precautions, fire and police departments usually warn. Pick outfits that are flame retardant, highly reflective in traffic and don’t drag on the ground to prevent trips and falls.

Pay special attention to any masks to make sure you children can properly see and, more importantly, breathe. And steer clear of any masks resembling Nixon as an added precaution for personal protection.

While we’ve covered much ground on Halloween hazards that go down, we still haven’t even touched upon how to counter bullies who will do anything to steal bite-size Snickers bars or those heinous folks who stick apples full of razors blades.

Perhaps it’s just easier to forgo Halloween altogether. That would cut out all these hazards – and give us plenty of time to get started on safeguarding ourselves from the dangers of Christmas.

[tnipoll]

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Ryn Gargulinski is a poet, artist, performer and TucsonCitizen.com Ryngmaster who found out the hazards of Halloween when she tried wearing giant wings in an elevator. Her column appears every Friday on Rynski’s Blogski. Her art, writing and more is at RynRules.com and Rynski.Etsy.com. E-mail rynski@tucsoncitizen.com.