Desertguide

I knew there were no blinds but I couldn't recall a distance from water rule. Thanks for the clarification.

Is the Big Bo rule a 1/4 mile or is it no ground blinds on water? I honestly can't remember. I know there are no ground blinds but I don't remember a 1/4 mile rule.

So cool!!!! Congrats on a great time!!!!

You're making numbers up man!!! You have no idea what percentage of guys use cameras... outfitters or otherwise. You try and use the strip, a couple elk units and the rest of the state in one argument when they might as well be on different sides of the planet. The price of hunts, the amount of cameras, the number of outfitters, the number of DIY hunters, the size of the bucks and bulls, the demand for tags and lengths guys go to kill big animals are all completely different than the rest of Arizona. If an outfitter on the strip is willing to buy "pallets" of cameras, you don't think he will hire a bunch of young guys to sit and watch deer all summer? You don't think an outfitter with 3 or 4 unit 9 early rifle bull tags won't hire guys to sit on tanks morning and evening to take pictures of the bulls that come in? I'm not trying to offend you but you haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about.

95% of statistics guys use are pulled directly from their ars.

Lol... what frame of reference do you have to say they won't spend the money? Are you an outfitter? Do you know what they're willing to spend? How do you know what's practical? I know for a fact they will. That's why prices will go up... and clients will pay it. Do you think the outfitters that have been for the ban want it out of the goodness of their hearts? That's actually pretty funny. I've said from the beginning this would help outfitters. Go back and look. I also said that I didn't want a ban because I was a DIY guy for many many years and I don't want to see them get screwed. Go back and look. There isn't any reverse psychology. Nice try.

I'm 48 with an 18 month old. I'm DONE!!! We might get alot more practice in though!!! Yay me!!!! 😂😂😂😂

First off... weren't you the one that talked about all the outfitters having an army of minions? I can look back and quote you if you like. Remember all the flatbills? Trailcams aren't the only technology that has developed over the last 20 years. Used to be, only a handful of guys carried 15's and a tripod. Now everyone has them. BTX, Kowas, dual spotters.... all relatively new technology. You are correct, smaller outfitters will get killed by this. So where are those who want to hire outfitters going to go? The big outfits... who can afford to hire a bunch of kids to scout.... wearing flatbills of course. As far as tanks go, right now it's guys popping in and out to check cards. With this new rule, they're going to have to sit there and watch the animals come in. That's the dumbest thing about all this. It's going to put even more pressure on already stressed animals. Unintended consequences.

Well one thing is for sure, the divorce rate among hunters is going to go up. Wives aren't going to be too thrilled with all the extra time their husband's will be spending scouting... 😂😂😂. And that'll be universal. Pissed of wives aren't a DIY or guide specific issue.

No it will not. It will raise the price of hunts, it will put more guys scouting in the field up there for longer, it will separate the men from the boys up there but it WILL NOT boost the age class. They will still find a way to get it done. There MIGHT be a drop in big bucks killed in 2022... maybe. As for the rest of the state, you'll see outfitters killing an even bigger percentage of the trophy animals compared to DIY guys. The only exception might be unit 9 because guys would basically have to sit tanks every day because there are limited places to glass from. Actually... theres only really one. One thing is for sure, the tanks in 9 are going to get mobbed now. As bad as it may have been before, it will be 10x worse.

The LAST thing in the world we would want is the legislature making decisions about wildlife. Even if its something we wholeheartedly agree with.. Thats a recipe for disaster. I think what the commission is trying to do is keep things like this out of the legislature and off ballots... which I agree with 100%.

No cameras for hunting at all after Jan 1st. Nothing specific.

Why would you regret that? I actually love hunting the big bo and it's because of their rules. The problem is, most of the rules the big bo has could only happen on private/checker board lands and would be overly restrictive for public lands. That and they charge $500 per guide just to step foot on the ranch. Thats extreme.

Some of those made me laugh with my outside voice. Some great people on that list and others are absolute clowns

It had been a while for me until today. It was a different commission back then though too.

I've seen the commission go against department recommendations on several occasions. This particular issue originated with a commissioner. I didn't realize until today that the Big Boquillas rules are what sold him on the idea of a trailcam ban. The original writer of the Big Bo rules called in and that commissioner mentioned him by name in his speech before his vote. If you don't know the Big Bo rules, read them. That's where they want to take things in AZ.

Because they're required to by their own rules. If they could get around it I think they would

That's an angle I hadn't thought of until someone at the commission meeting said it. There will be guys who don't buy hunting licenses, running cameras and selling the info. That's a little disturbing to me. The ones paying for the info will be the same ones that skirt every other game rule or law there is. The ban is happening and it is what it is. At this point my only concern are the unintended consequences.

My woman is a dang good hunter... and would take one look at this site and say it's full of a$$holes. I know because she calls me one daily.

You might be right... I don't know. Club membership? You mean like the zero guide fees deal? That's not a club. That's a yearly fee guys pay instead of having to come up with all the money up front for outfitted hunts. They are still selling and guiding the hunts. Travis McClendon came up with the idea and everyone else is copying him. Diamond does it and I believe Steve Chappell is doing it now too. They aren't scouting packages.

I don't know how the strip outfits sell hunts but we don't get more money for bigger animals. We also don't charge trophy fees. The established outfits, like us, already have a client base and won't need trailcam pics to sell hunts. This ban will really hurt some outfits and really help others. We've also never once sold the location of an animal.

The biggest outfitter that spoke was for the ban. Its going to help us... especially in the desert. I think it depends on the outfit. There are some that rely heavily on trailcams and some that don't. We don't. You also have to consider the market. We book VERY few residents. If we do book residents, it's for elk or antelope hunts. Almost never for deer hunts. I can only think of one or two in the last 5 years. Residents won't book for instate deer hunts... cameras or no cameras. The outfitters this will hurt are the smaller ones that still have day jobs. Big outfits like AZ Groundpounders are mostly full time guys that don't do strip hunts. They just got a huge break because it will all but eliminate competition from residents for the big animals. They will get out and put eyes on animals most guys would only find with a trailcam.

I was actually pretty embarrassed that I know a few that spoke. One in particular. I sure as heck wouldn't want him speaking on my behalf. You don't piss on the shoes of the guys voting whether to take your cameras away or not. I know a few guys hunting careers that just ended... lol.

There was one guy that called in that admitted he was close to tears. Didn't catch whether he was for or against though.

One of the commissioners addressed the lack of clarity in the rule on what you're saying and directed the department to put something in the rule about it. My guess is it won't matter when you got the picture if you used the info to "take" an animal. But... I don't think they will ticket you for killing an animal next year you get on camera this year.