Desertguide

You sure rill your eyes a lot... 😂😂😂. You remind me of my 15 year old daughter.

Oh I see what you're saying. I don't know what my email will say yet but I'll be sending one for sure.

Well I'm a hunter first and whether I guide or not, I want what's best for the critters. That said, putting archery hunts on a draw for non-residents is eliminating OTC opportunity. Now, if you're saying that they should be eliminating from archery hunts altogether... I don't think their success rate is high enough to warrant that

I didn't get to watch the webcast because I was watching my 1 year old rugrat. From everything you've said it sounds like they came VERY prepared with lots of info. I'm bummed I missed it. Thanks for passing on the info!!!

I like the idea of putting NR's on an archery draw. Several big hunting websites like GoHunt have been pushing OTC opportunities in Arizona for quite a while and it's showing. I see as many out of state plates in the desert as I do Arizona plates. We do guide a lot of NR's on the OTC hunts but the demand is so high, switching to a draw wouldn't hurt us at all and what's most important is what's best for the animals.

That's what I've been told about harvest statistics and why there's no need for mandatory reporting. Even if it doesn't provide the dept with any real new information, I think it would be good to keep hunters accountable.

Well, after reading what Delw had to say, I learned I don't know crap about surveys. I've never had an issue with WM's. I think they do the very best job they can with the resources they're provided. I still don't agree with the fact that we don't have mandatory reporting. They can know exactly how many deer are out there but if they don't know exactly how many are harvested, what's the point? Maybe it doesn't need to be that precise... idk.

That makes prefect sense the way you explain it. I wish the individuals at the dept I had conversations with had explained it that way. Thank you

That makes sense. At the same time when I look at a desert unit where deer only live in certain areas and those areas change from year to year... how can they possibly get a solid number if they're flying the same spots year after year?

Oh man... talk about politics. We interact with other hunters. Game and Fish has wildlife organizations, ranchers, the USFWS, greenies, greenie groups, OHV people and... hunters all coming at them. They HAVE to be political to deal with that many different interests. Unfortunately they forget that we all just want to hunt and if they would educate us and then work with us... it could be an amazing partnership. The other part of the equation is hunters and their apathy. I swear hunters are the most apathetic group of individuals I've ever encountered. The vast majority only care about their next tag.

They haven't set tag numbers yet. Just recommended tag numbers. Here's the link to the hunt recommendations. https://azgfd-portal-wordpress-pantheon.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/2021-Fall-Hunt-Recommendations-as-of-3-29-2021.pdf

I remember it well. Brian Wakeling was much nicer one on one but I still got the same answers we got at LA Placita

With all the proposed unit closures up north it will send even more hunters to the desert. I can't even imagine what Dec and Jan are going to look like. Good dang thing desert muleys are so hard to kill.

Region 4 will always be the sacrificial lamb.

I'm with you my friend

Yeah... they're not big fans of people as smart as them. And don't get me wrong.... I learned volumes in my meeting with Brian Wakeling (former Game Branch Chief). The things he taught me about mule deer management have stuck with me to this day. But there were areas... like surveys and mandatory reporting... that he definitely wiggled out of.

Me too man!!! We pushed all this pretty heavy back in 2011 and they stonewalled us. Made me walk away from being involved with Game and Fish hunt recommendations or the rule making process. Unless there is major outcry from the hunting community, they do what they want when they want. The only exception is when they start getting lawyer letters like the one SirRoyals group sent about trailcams. Those actually work from what I've seen.

I had the opportunity to sit down with a former Game Branch Chief. I asked him all kinds questions. Supposedly they have some complex mathematical formula they use to determine the total number of bucks, does and fawns based on what they see when they fly. Problem is, they only grid and fly certain areas of a unit... never the entire unit. What I've always wondered is how they do aerial surveys in thick country like in the pines. You're telling me they can get a relatively precise count of elk and deer flying over a pine canopy? Horsesh!t. Not to mention they pay $1500 per hour to fly.

I answered the same question for HuntHarder.

Well they think they do. I've talked to several game and fish employees who have said that they know within 1% or 2% what overall success is based on how many people return their surveys. They figure that if X amount of animals are killed based on returned surveys... Y amount of deer were actually killed. I think its BS and they should have mandatory reporting but what do I know?

Also, Game and Fish only cuts rifle tags for 2 reasons. Either the buck:doe ratio has dipped lower than the prescribed minimum for the unit OR... they want to raise buck:doe ratios. If you look, they're cutting rifle tags in nearly every unit they cut archery hunts in. That tells me buck:doe ratios have dropped.

I think we will end up finding out these changes are due to the high success rates in Aug/Sept 2020. If I remember correctly, Game and Fish pulls archery hunts when the archery success rate is greater than 10% of the total rifle harvest in a particular unit. Don't quote me... I'm going strictly from memory on that.

THAT is freakin hilarious... 🤣🤣🤣

Nailed it

I've been visiting MonsterMuleys the last couple days. What a shart show!!! That's another one I haven't been to in forever. Made me feel like I was back on FB