WM 6A

Thanks for all the great feedback. Sounds like an October hunt will have some support. I will do my part to push this forward to our Game Branch. There were some neat ideas brought forward. You guys should really become more active in the recommendation process. You can do that by submitting suggestions on the website and by attending the public meetings. There were only 6 people that attended the public meeting in Flagstaff. I find that pretty scary. There were some questions on what other units are doing. I know that Unit 23 has submitted a proposal for an October hunt. I do not believe that there are any plans for other units as of yet. I will attach a copy of these comments with my deer recommendation to Game Branch. Thanks again for your help! Dan Caputo

Hey Doug, Thanks for commenting. You've done your homework. The example of permits used was only an example. I am still receiving data from the hunt and survey results. Until I get that info, I won't be able to figure out a hunt recommendation. You are right on the hunt success. On average, the October hunts in the south are about half of the December hunt. Until we establish a baseline for hunter success in October, we should be conservative. That would go the same for a Junior's hunt. As for hunter conflict with mule deer hunters. In the early 90's, there were 2500 permits. Today there are less then 300. I don't believe that there are enough mule deer hunter afield to create a conflict. If anything, the mule deer hunters on the rim will push the whitetail back into the canyons. There maybe a few lost mule deer hunters disturbing the whitetail hunters and there maybe a few lost whitetail hunters disturbing the mule deer hunters. Overall, they should be hunting different topography types. Thanks Dan

Greetings, my name is Dan Caputo and I am the wildlife manager for unit 6A. I am seeking feedback on a possible hunt change in unit 6a. This site was recommended to me as a place to receive honest feedback. I am recommending that permits be transfered from the December hunt into an October hunt in Unit 6A. The new October hunt will be similar to those offered in S. Arizona. It will be four days long and offered on the first weekend of the mule deer season. The December hunt will not be changed, other then a reduced amount of permits. For example: last year there were 250 permits offered in December. With the proposed change, there maybe 150 permits offered in December and 150 offered in October. The management objectives will target the same overall harvest, but will reduce the pressure on the older aged class bucks that become vulnerable during the December mating season. We can offer an increase in total permits without taking more bucks because the success rate in October will be lower then December. These are a few biological and political reasons that I believe an October hunt should be introduced: 1) There will be a net increase in permits, which will provide more opportunity to sportsmen. This increase in permits will not negatively impact the population because the overall harvest objective will remain the same. Besides, if you are strictly a 6A coues deer hunter, then you will have two chances in the draw, rather then just one. 2) Many portions of Unit 6A are not accessible in December do to scheduled road closures and possible weather conditions. An October hunt will allow hunters to access areas such as Woods Canyon, Munds Canyon, Williard Springs, and the Oak Creek Rim. 3) The Buck:Doe ratio in Unit 6a has been around 19 Bucks to 100 does. These are pretty modest buck numbers to justify having a high permitted hunt that targets breeding class bucks during the rut. The majority of October hunters will harvest 1-2 year old bucks. This will lighten the pressure on the breeding class bucks during the rut without negatively changing the buck:doe ratio. 4) Unit 6A does not have a blanketed whitetail population, like what is experienced in S. AZ. The populations are scattered into pockets. As a result, during the December hunt, hunters are concentrated into those same pockets. I have received numerous complaints concerning hunter overcrowding issues on the December hunt. Spreading the permits over two hunts will reduce hunter density and provide a more quality hunt. 5) Many hunters have expressed frustration over deer movements during the rut. It seems like they find bucks in August, watch them through November and then loose them as the rut begins in December. An October hunt will provide for different hunt tactics based on deer behavior alone. Keep in mind that this is only a suggestion and has not been made into a decision yet. I wanted to ensure that you all had an opportunity to comment on the matter before it becomes proposed. Even if it is proposed, it can still be rejected by our Game Branch or The Commission. You can also direct comments to me at dcaputo@azgfd.com On a personal note, I am a savvy coues deer hunter that would only entertain ideas that would improve the quality of the hunt. I personally am willing to sacrifice a few draw percentages in December in order to have the opportunity to hunt in October. Thanks Dan Caputo