cactusjack

Here is a copy of the letter I sent to Game and Fish, the Gov office, my State Senator, Pres of the Senate, 4 diff media outlets, and a couple ADA groups. Please contact Game and FIsh and make your opinion known. Even if you disagree with me, you have an opinion, its wrong 😂, but express it just the same. there are many reasons besides lack of strength to draw a bow that can cause someone to be unable to draw, hold, aim and release accurately an arrow. In my case I have nerve damage/neuropathy, essential tremors, shoulder injuries, and an auto immune connective tissue problem that causes my ligaments and tendons to rip away where they are supposed to be. Its not a strength problems. 3 shoulder surgeries to put things back in place forced me to look at other options. My surgeon at the VA was the person who told me about the program. The VA has been pushing disabled vets to get back to doing what we did prior to our injuries, especially outdoors with our friends and families. It sometimes requires adaptive means. Taking away options because some people have abused it, doesn't seem like a good idea. Go after the bad players. I know its extreme but Lets get rid of all handicap parking because some people inherited their grandparents old placards or lied..... https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYIhOra-8hsDSgR8mjOmG99pSydNfhvrvufWo8B3zbBRfAtg/viewform rulemaking@azgfd.gov Subject: why is AZ Game and Fish taking away hunting opportunities from disabled hunters that are not disabled enough Arizona Game and Fish Department 5000 W. Carefree Hwy Phoenix, AZ 85086 Subject: Opposition to Repeal of R12-4-216 and Advocacy for Equitable Hunting Opportunities Dear Arizona Game and Fish Department, I am writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed repeal of R12-4-216 and the growing discourse surrounding crossbow use in archery-only hunts. As a committed advocate for equitable and fair hunting practices, I believe this change could alienate and disadvantage certain hunters, particularly those with physical disabilities who rely on crossbows as their legal method of take. The argument that crossbow technology has advanced beyond "standard archery equipment" does not hold when weighed against the progress of other hunting technologies. Compound bows to high-powered scopes, technological advancements have benefited all hunters across the board, offering more ethical and efficient harvesting opportunities. Singling out crossbows is an inconsistent and inequitable stance. If technology is a concern, should we not then limit compound bows, inline muzzleloaders, or range finders? Clearly, this approach is neither practical nor fair. Furthermore, statistical claims about the increased number of crossbow hunters are misleading when contextualized with Arizona's growing population and hunter demographics. With a population increase of 9.9% since 2015 and more individuals entering the sport, a proportional rise in crossbow permits is inevitable. The 1.3% of permit holders using crossbows represents a minor fraction of the total hunters and cannot reasonably be classified as a problem. Assertions regarding quick harvests and over-the-counter (OTC) unit closures fail to account for practical realities. Disabled hunters with crossbows are more likely to act on their opportunities due to limited mobility, while other hunters often prioritize trophy harvests, which extends hunting durations. It’s worth noting that nearly half of the OTC units remain open, debunking the notion of widespread closures due to crossbow use. Recommendations: Refinement of the CHAMP and Crossbow Permit Application Process: Introduce stricter accountability for medical professionals authorizing crossbow permits to ensure legitimate use. Transition to Draw-Based Archery Deer Seasons: Implement a system where all hunters, regardless of method of take, compete equally through a draw process for archery tags. This ensures fairness and mitigates concerns about overharvest by a specific group. Public Representation and Transparency: Include representation from crossbow and CHAMP permit holders in stakeholder discussions to ensure their perspectives are considered in decision-making processes. Arizona Game and Fish has worked hard to build rapport with non-hunting constituencies. Repealing R12-4-216 without adequately addressing concerns risks damaging the Department's reputation and undoing years of effort to foster public support for responsible wildlife management. I urge you to reconsider the proposed changes and instead work toward solutions that maintain equitable opportunities for all hunters, honoring the diversity and inclusivity that defines Arizona's outdoor heritage. Thank you for considering my concerns. I am confident Arizona Game and Fish will act in the best interest of all stakeholders. Sincerely, Steve

If you look at the agenda for the meeting being held this Friday, read down in the executive meeting minutes. During the closed session Legal Advice. The Commission may vote to meet in executive session in accordance with A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) for the purpose of discussing and consulting with legal counsel for legal advice regarding the Commission's authority to close state trust lands to hunting and to close roads providing access to state trust lands. What do we think about that? Our land?

https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/crossbow-vs-compound-bow/ an objective look at compound bows vs crossbows.

Friday. Trying to get there, but have an appointment at the VA that has been on the books for 8 months.

Im not an attorney, but I have had multiple concussions so my brain has been bruised enough to understand some of their ways. My hairbrained comments are below each item. b. Litigation and Legal Advice. The Commission may vote to meet in executive session in accordance with A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) and (4) for the purpose of discussing and consulting with legal counsel for legal advice in order to consider its position and to instruct legal counsel regarding the Commission’s position concerning the legal strategy recommendations from the Department’s legal strategies team. Circular legal speak, asking the attorneys if whatever shenanigans the legal strategies team has concocted will get them sued c. Legal Advice. The Commission may vote to meet in executive session in accordance with A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) for the purpose of discussing and consulting with legal counsel for legal advice regarding the Commission's authority to close state trust lands to hunting and to close roads providing access to state trust lands. Closing off select land to the public doesn't hurt their $$$$$. We pay the same. They can now charge more for the now "private property" leased state trust land f. Legal Advice. The Commission may vote to meet in executive session in accordance with A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) for the purpose of discussing and consulting with legal counsel for legal advice regarding a proposed petition to amend Commission rules related to the lawful methods of take and seasons for taking wildlife. Crossbow and OTC g. Legal Advice. The Commission may vote to meet in executive session in accordance with A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) for the purpose of discussing and consulting with legal counsel regarding trespasses and other unauthorized activities on Commission-owned Wildlife Areas. Robbins Butte, Powers Butte are 2 that came to mind, I see illegal dumping out there. Dont see this one as sketchy i. Purchase or Disposal of Real Property and Legal Advice. The Commission may vote to meet in Executive Session pursuant to A.R.S § 38-431.03(A)(3) and (7) for the purpose of discussion or consultation with Department staff in order to consider its position and instruct its representative regarding the purchase or disposal of real property and for the purpose of discussing and consulting with legal counsel for legal advice I wonder are we buying or selling? the legal definition of real property is land and anything that is affixed to, growing on, or built upon the land. Are b, c and i connected? Are these connected to the rumors for a push for landowners tags?

Just spitballing here, but limiting access to certain leased land would make those leases more desirable. If you own land and post it, but now you can keep people off leased state trust land too. How much more could they charge for those leases? They are looking at closing it to hunting and closing access roads. This dovetails with Land Owner Tags. The leased land would not increase the quantity of tags, but would stop joe public from hunting those "private" areas

Here is the entire agenda January-24-2025-Commission-Meeting-Agenda.doc (1).pdf

Complain on forums, push to punish everyone. Make allegations of fraud, on same public forums... Your job here is done.

Prime example of the problem. Complains about fraud, but doesn't want to do more than complain and make allegations.

Sad, if nobody is interested in stopping theft and fraud.

How is it that everyone knows someone that is committing fraud, but nobody is reporting them to Game Thief? Instead, many are pushing to take away something from everyone, people who have not committed fraud.

I just got a pair of 8s. They are great. Hold out for the 8s.

Did you call Game Thief?

Pm inbound

in your opinion. When OTC goes away, lets just sit back and say wow. Crossbows in 1996 were not archaic either. Have a great day. enjoy what you have while you have it.

Right from the proposed rulemaking clarification sheet "Crossbow technology was much simpler in 1996 when the crossbow permit was initiated, but improvements in crossbow technology have advanced to a point that crossbow is no longer comparable to standard archery equipment and cannot be considered reasonable accommodation in archery-only hunts." 1956 when the first only archery hunts were put in, that's traditional/primitive. Compound bows were not invented until 1966, patented in 1969. My first compound bow was from the early 80s. Basically 2 wheels. Judging distance was an art. If you wanted a range finder it was mechanical with a wheel to align the images. My father-in-law was an engineer at PSE in Tucson, I got to benefit from the advances quickly. Upgrading every time the latest and greatest came out. The grip was off set, eccentric radical cams, and the hits kept coming. So lets be honest, 90% let-off, trigger release, laser range finders, carbon fiber lightweight bows and arrows, that shoot at speeds of 300fps+ are not anywhere close to what was standard or traditional archery equipment from 1956, 1966, 1976, 1986 or even 1996. So if you start pulling threads, be sure your not unraveling something you don't want to fall apart.

Compound bows are not primitive archery equipment. With recurve and longbows, 20 to 30 yards is the effective hunting range. I am pushing to go straight draw, no more OTC tags.

It seems the only fair thing to do would be to get rid of OTC tags completely or go back to string and stick bows, recurve or longbow only. 20-40 yard shots. You can still use your compound bow during Ham hunts, rifle hunts or muzzleloader hunts. Just not in primitive weapon hunts. Be careful giving preference to one group that is shooting non-primitive weapons over. How can you defend modern compound bows with 80 to 90% let-off and condemn crossbows that someone followed the protocol and got approved? And then lets move on to muzzleloaders. No more in-line, no more optics. Then move on to GPS, OnX and radios.

thank you Roofer Billy. Lets get to what archery hunting in Az was when the first season was established. From what I can find, the first Archery Deer and Javelina seasons were in 1956. So lets call that a traditional archery hunt. The compound bow wasnt invented until 1966 and patented in 1969. So the first 14-15 years, long bows and recurve were your choice. Zero let off. Effective hunting ranges out to 40 yards. If we are going to push out who we deem as enabled, lets go all the way. No let off, no mechanical release, no laser range finder, no carbon arrows, ect.

that is pretty simple, simpleminded anyway. I am a disabled veteran, with service connected medical issues that make it impossible to use a traditional bow. I bow hunted before and now you are saying, tough shoot. Life is tough. Tougher when people push down those with challenges.

Flatlander, I have and will continue to do so. I hope others do too.

LMAO! This will change nothing. The same doctor will sign off on the CHAMP permit application and the number of CHAMP Permit holders will go up dramatically and crossbow hunters will grow in numbers. Some say that it is being abused and taken advantage of. Where is your proof? Before you answer make sure you are ready for what is about to be asked. How many people were cited for illegally acquiring a crossbow permit? It would be fraud, correct? What is the issue with crossbow hunters? Why is it being proposed that R12-4-216 be repealed? ● Crossbow technology was much simpler in 1996 when the crossbow permit was initiated, but improvements in crossbow technology have advanced to a point that crossbow is no longer comparable to standard archery equipment and cannot be considered reasonable accommodation in archery-only hunts. My Reply: What a load of crap, everything we have been granted to use as legal method of take with any hunt season for any wildlife has improved technology. How much technology has gone from a recurve to a compound, or a flintlock to a 500+ yard inline muzzleloader, how about a centerfire rifle which went from a lever action 30-30 to now taking shots at over 1000 yards. What is then standard archery equipment? A recurve is standard archery equipment therefore compound bows should also not be allowed to be used with any archery designated hunt. Make range finders illegal, make inline muzzleloaders illegal, make anything larger than a 3-10x42 rifle scope illegal, make any illuminated sight used for any legal method of take illegal, make OnX maps illegal. Can’t have technology advancement. . ● Trends in OTC archery-only deer, and archery-only elk, pronghorn, and deer draw hunts show a rapid increase in the number of crossbow permit holders applying for archery-only hunts (e.g., archery elk draw applicants increased two orders of magnitude since 2015, from 32 to > 3200 applicants in 2023). My Reply: 1. Arizona has increased by well over 32 percent of new applicants since 2020. That would put the number of applicants well over 250,000 hunting license holders in Arizona in 2024. 3200 crossbow permit holder is 1.3% (3250) of the total hunting license holders. 2. The amount of physically challenged / disabled people has increase by leaps and bounds in the USA. We have more disabled people today than ever at any time of the WORLD history. Technology and medicine have improved dramatically to achieve these numbers saving lives and allowing more disabled people become more mobile plus the increase of opportunity in sports, business opportunities and hunting opportunities. 3. The population in Arizona in 2015 was 6,832,810, The population in Arizona in 2024 7,582,384 The difference is 749,574 people have moved into Arizona since 2015 the increase of 9.9% of population and new potential Arizona Hunting applicants. To think that the number of potential new applicants and new hunters and new crossbow holder wouldn’t go up is concerning. I have to ask about the intelligence of those running the Arizona Game and Fish Department. If I were to take the amount of people have moved into Arizona since 2015 to 2024 and take the number of crossbow permit holder that would be less than 0.5%. Arizona does not have a crossbow hunting problem. ● Crossbow harvest in OTC archery-only deer hunts ranges from 5% to > 30% of total take in multiple OTC hunt units, but only 10% of archery hunters report they used a crossbow to hunt. My Reply: Ah here is the truth. Its about numbers and keeping it even and equal. Make the deer archery season a draw. You can have three archery deer season and allow those who hunt with a standard archery equipment like a recurve the opportunity to do so and those who chose to use a HIGH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY like the compound bow can also have that opportunity plus still giving the disabled crossbow hunter the same opportunity. Make OTC the deer archery season a DRAW! ● OTC units closing quickly (many within the first week); harvest surveys indicate persons who use a crossbow harvest an animal 3 days shorter than standard archery equipment. My Reply: Think outside the box. A person with a crossbow permit is disabled therefore it is unlikely for a physically challenged hunter to pass up a legal deer because its antlers are to small or not big enough to brag about. On the other hand, the person using standard archery equipment like a recurve or a long bow will also do their best to fill their tag. Those who choose to use a HIGH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY like the compound bow tend to pass up more legal deer. Which leads to tag soup for that unit. Currently AZGFD has 74 designated hunts for OTC and as of January 12, 2025 33 hunts are still open which is about 44% of the hunts still open. OTC units closing quickly is not valid.

this is beat to death, but I have both the Cricket and multiple Rascals. The Rascal is way better for everything that has been mentioned. I have a couple of the Tactical ones suppressed. They even make Left Handed models. The only complaint is the cheek weld is too low for a scope, and it is a scope only rifle. I have raised it with a stick on foam cheek weld. Considering cutting the stock and putting in an adjustable kit. The one on the right didn't have the riser on it for this picture. The one on the left does.

Pm sent

we absolutely can thread that barrel. We do it in 7/16x28 all the time. sent you a pm