MULEPACKHUNTER

Well the intimate Wickenburg meeting is over, there were 5 G&F people and 4 hunters. One hunter was a guide. We were in discussions for 2 hours when it was all over, of course everyone was apposed to the Premium system and also the hike in the application fees and many suggestions were noted by the young lady taking notes. I would say I am please with the process so far and hope to see some changes to the structure based on feedback form email and meetings. I sent an email in earlier with concerns and I was happy to get a personal reply back. I was also addressed at the meeting based on the email. There are a lot of good simplifying items being presented and some normal fair rate changes. The structure around the youth prices was very good but at the cost of rate hikes in other areas which in the end is ok with me to a point. I also was pleased that if implemented, the premium would not cover my OTC archery deer December tag. Premium would be for draw only tags. All we can do is wait now and see how the input effects the next stage. I hope in the next meeting to get some numbers on how many responses were received and how many bodies showed up for meetings. I think is is very low from what I have heard so far. With so many hunters applying for tags and under 1 percent showing up to get involved in the future of their sport it doesn't bode well for us. On another note, with all of the flack going around about G&F I would like to say that I have only a good opinion of them. I have had good experiences and they have been very professional. Remember the individual does not make the whole team.

OUT2HUNT, I SENT YOU PM, HOPE IT HELPS SOME.

Nice, I know nothing on the AR stuff and had not heard of that round but that makes sense now.

Just my opinion but doing the round and load usually comes first? Work up the case reaserch the loads build the round then the reamer? Why not 243 straight up? What might be better about the x45 over 243 other than being different? Also when zombies come and you run out of rounds you can't Stop at wallmart for more ammo? Oh and very nice rig as well.

Ok dont go buy any until after 3pm today so I can get mine but I am letting a secret out. Costco has mountain house meals in a 10 pack for 42.99. Along with home made ones I buy these every year and use them all year for hunting, pack trips, hiking, work lunch, etc. Great deal if you use them alot. Assorted flavors and all are good, beef stew is the least of the bunch.

Ha Ha thats funny, Not to mention all the electronics on the dash. LOL Sorry Oneshot just kidding, I have some dash gizmos too.

I think some of the post that have the simple math in them are the best to go by, until the why is answered on the increases being suggested at such a large increase. I know everyone I have talked to that hunts has said they will have to reduce hunting vacations if these fees go in. I still think by budgeting you can get it done but when I look at my costs for the year as some others have I agree the App fee is high and if myself my son and daughter are going to hunt or put in as planned for the year my costs will be up by hundreds of dollars. I will still go for it but I think the revenue will be down overall as not all folks are as hooked as we are. I will do my best to study the ins and outs of this deal and hit the meeting and send in email and start putting some extra cash in the cookie jar. Just looking overall at some other states I think AZ would be higher in price and I have yet to see any valid reason as far as quality hunting for the average joe. Colorado Elk is looking better and better next year.

Back from a long hike with no turkey. Oh well it was nice and I found some new elk country for me in the future

Headed for the wickenburg meet, I may be one of 2 there but we will see

Taxes from the purchase of fire arms and such goes towards Game Management if I remember right. I agree that the increases are high and I hope they go down. One thing that I keep hearing is pricing folks out and I am sorry but sometimes you just cant afford to do what you want. Bottom line. I am tired of hearing people say everyone should get to do this or that because that is not true. That is welfare. The cost is going to be what it is because most people wont show for the meetings as said before and even if they do they will be heard and ignored just like all politics so in the end do what you have to to do the things you want and if that don't work then I guess you don't get to do them. Just because your a poor kid or family doesn't mean you get to elk hunt for 10 bucks. I cant afford a new truck so I guess I should get a discount or subsidy?

I'm going to have to side somewhat with couesmagnet on this one, I was hoping for some family structured stuff like discounts for multiple tags in the same family and the like so we don't price kids out of it but i guess most of you are right in saying its all about the money, well it has to be in order to run a company so its going to happen, how often do you really go elk hunting anyway, i saved the cash for a full on pack trip hunt 3 years ago and have been sitting on it and have spent a total of 22.00 dollars so far so if I do get drawn it will be like over 5 or 6 years the elk tag will be spread out. Most don't go every year anyway so it ends up being like 50 buck a year if you handle your money right. The only thing I see that doesn't make sense is that how do they think they can price our non resident hunts higher than most other states? I put in for Nevada and it would be 50 bucks less at least? Prices are going to go up and most likely need to but I think they may price themselves out of some non residents. I bough 4 OTC tags this morning and it was 83 bucks. Hard to beat that. I will be going to the Wickenburg meeting for sure to give my 2 cents if possible.

I heard something about the admin exec being into owls so posting this for that reason, Pic of the month on Nat Geo Email I get daily.

Headed for unit 4a 4b tomorrow til Monday night to do some chasin. Will post back some pics hopefully.

Very nice. You should make 4 of them and make a big clock using those for the 12 3 6 and 9 positions then sell it in snottsdale for 5,000

Good deal, I figured but thought I would ckeck

New to hunting and hunting bear for first time, in unit 22 what road do I go in on and how far to where the bears are? I don't know the unit and don't have time to find out? Just kidding on the above, its just a lot of posts are like that. Lol anyway so if I call the hotline on Monday and they say my unit is closed but it was open when I called the friday before I can still hunt until sundown on Tuesday right? The rules say the following wed after harvest is met. Or do they wait to post closure until the next week?

Game and Fish to seek public input on license structure and fee concepts PHOENIX -- Gov. Jan Brewer yesterday (May 7) signed into law Senate Bill 1223, a bill that allows the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to set future hunting and fishing license structure and fees directly through a streamlined, customer-focused process. The bill, which is supported by 24 sportsmen's organizations, gives the Game and Fish Department the ability to operate more like a business and react to changing market conditions and customer needs in a timely manner. It previously passed the Arizona House, 43-10, on April 15 and the Arizona Senate, 26-2, on March 6. The department now will present its proposed public outreach process to the Game and Fish Commission at the commission's meeting this Saturday, May 11, at the Mohave County Board of Supervisors Auditorium, 700 W. Beale St., in Kingman, Ariz. The public is invited to attend the meeting in person or view it over the web at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. The commission may provide input or further direction. Following that meeting, the department will engage in a public outreach effort, including statewide public meetings, to solicit input on a conceptual license structure and fees. "It's important to keep in mind that the license structure and fee concepts that will be shown at the public meetings will only be that -- concepts," said Deputy Director Ty Gray. "They are not recommendations at this point, but are meant to serve as a starting point for discussion. We want to know what constituents think and what input they might have." The public meetings are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the following dates: Thursday, May 16, Pinetop, Pinetop Fire Department, Station #2, 5976 Buck Springs Road Monday, May 20, Phoenix, Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway (Note: This meeting will also be webcast at www.azgfd.gov/webcast) Monday, May 20, Mesa, Arizona Game and Fish Department Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive Tuesday, May 21, Tucson, Arizona Game and Fish Department Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road Wednesday, May 22, Yuma, Arizona Game and Fish Department Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St. Wednesday, May 22, Flagstaff, Arizona Game and Fish Department Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road Thursday, May 23, Kingman, Arizona Game and Fish Department Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road It is anticipated that additional public meetings will be held in each region. Those meeting locations and dates will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification as soon as they become available. Interested individuals are encouraged to monitor that webpage. For those who can't attend the public meetings, input/comments will be accepted at LicenseSimplification@azgfd.gov. For more information about SB 1223, visit www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification.

I am optimistic on this deal, I think there will be some good things from it. Being able to react to market issues and offer packages will be helpful to many. I hope they do some kind of discount for multiple tag buyers. I buy almost every OTC tag offered and could use come help there. I think we will see some cool packages pop up when turn out is lower on some hunts. Like leftover deals. We will see.

Minutes ago, just as we were reading a Forbes story headlined "3D-Printed Gun's Blueprints Downloaded 100,000 Times In Two Days," this message appeared on the Twitter page of the group that has made those plans available to the world: "#DEFCAD has gone dark at the request of the Department of Defense Trade Controls. Take it up with the Secretary of State." The 3-D printed gun, as we've reported, has been successfully test-fired by Texas-based Defense Distributed. The thought of spreading the know-how to have a 3-D printer produce a firearm is unsettling to some, who worry about the technology getting into the wrong hands, but is liberating to others, who say that Americans should be able to build their own handguns that way (provided they can afford an $8,000 3-D printer). After more than 100,000 downloads of the plans, of course, going "dark" at the request of the government (suspending such downloads) would seem to be closing the virtual barn long after many, many horses have gotten out. We'll keep an eye out for what happens next.

Very interesting topic, I have never heard of this happening before. Not sure what to think about it.

Exactly my point.....I get asked all the time to show verification that I am a citizen so why is it such a big deal for voter ID.......what is good for one should be good for the other................ Really it just caught me off guard......it also shows that gun registration will not stop crazies from getting guns....my wife has bought all my guns and I am the one who shoots them, uses them etc...........well I guess they really aren't my guns, they are hers........legally..... Just curious and if its over the line let me know but why did your wife purchase all your guns???

I will be up in 4a4b area next 2 weekends 10th and 17th. Good luck. This is my first turkey hunt. Deer archery last year I didn't have a tag so I filmed 9 turkeys form 20 yards with my bow in my hand. Major bummer. Will have tag every year now

Dang , being new to hunting I guess I got played. Not cool but still nice deer shopped or not.

Unit 27 in december the deer move quite a bit form my experience so even if you fond them scouting or durring archery in aug they won't be there later on.. I have a photo of a buck I saw and then got another one of the same animal 9 miles away later in the year

Very cool wish I could afford some of that history