Chef

You must be confused. Just by reading the list and knowing how much at the forefront many have been against wolf expansion shows that you are misinformed. I tell you candidly, these groups support an alternative plan to what the Feds want to shove down our throat. With every groups newsletter and magazine printing information against wolves in the state, I don't know how you just made the above comment. I am on the road, but can be reached via email. It's in my profile.

Crazy story! Thanks for posting it and advising people on what can happen to you if you procrastinate! Happy to hear you made it through.

James, Your dog could not have asked for a better life than what you gave her. Anyone that has been blessed in this life has or has had the true love that only a great dog can give them. Your writing this is a real sentiment on how much she meant to you. I can only hope that you'll see her again. Be strong.

Prayers for Paul. This is terrible news. I truly hope you make a full and quick recovery. Also, thanks TJ for keeping us in the loop.

Just WOW. GREAT buck and awesome mount. Happy to see a full body done with him.

Welcome Havasuhunter!

Happy Birthday Tim! I hope you are enjoying your day to the fullest. I'll toss one back for ya!

Contact Duwane as he offers glassing lessons as well. He is a super nice person that is very willing to help you become a better glasser and hunter. He will not only go over glassing techniques, but give you advice on where to glass and when. I cannot say enough great things about Duwane Adams. http://www.azbiggamehunting.com

Ha! Too funny!

Great footage of some stellar bulls Kevin! Best of luck to you and all of your hunters, including your family, on filling their tags with monster bulls! Looking forward to reading your success stories and watching your harvest videos!

Looks great Amanda. I couldn't help but admire the nice photos too! Keep on cookin'!

Enjoy your day my friend. Happy Birthday! I know you'll get to throw a few back and probably get a great meal from Peggy. Have a great one!

You're a popular guy today TJ! The threads all wishing you a good one so far! Ha! Good people deserve that at least!

Have a good one man. Don't spend all your money today, you'll have plenty of opportunity for that come elk season!

Congrats to all the winners and a huge THANK YOU to all that put their hard earned money into the drawing at a chance at some once in a lifetime prizes. A lot of money raised for wildlife. A lot of volunteer work behind the scenes to make this all happen.

Yes, loose guidelines on a deadline have been discussed. Based on the current deadlines set forth by other states, it can be as close as 1-2 weeks from the hunt start date. I agree that this is too close for comfort looking at it from a sportsmans point of view. Many times it takes considerable planning and money and vacation time from work in order to make a hunt happen. So a lot of times, I think people wouldn't be able to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise. After all, you would basically lose your bonus points as if you were drawn for the hunt in the first place. Not a good selling point. So, what happens when the next person in line can't go? Azgfd would call the next guy, so on and so forth, until the tag is accepted. As a business person I see an avenue for unnecessary expenses to be taken on by the department. How many man hours will it take to go through the applicants? How much paperwork? This I don't know.

I was talking to my parent's neighbor the other day. (an avid global fisherman) I brought this up and he believes the warm water currents will in fact reach areas that they normally don't. Bringing with them a flurry of fish not commonly seen in areas like the bay you posted. So interesting.

It's great to hear you are getting some good precipitation. I sure wish the rain would travel North all the way to the Kaibab. it's been a dry year to say the least.

This was brought up last night as well. I'm glad you feel the same. Not charging the youth was another submitted comment. Like Flatlander stated in the meeting, this would establish some goodwill with the department.

Congratulations on your first bull. Allen is right, you will kill better bulls in the future, but hunting with your Dad is priceless.

Cool photos. That's a lot of piggies!

The system (program) is antiquated and does need updating to current technology. Today, the system as it is designed, cannot be added to. With new technology, the portal will be updatable as advances in programs become available. It should also have the ability to work on any and all platforms. (All smartphones regardless of operating system, apple products, PC, etc.) The department is behind the times if you ask me. This is a refreshing idea that I believe will ultimately cater well to everyone's needs. *You may be addressing another point. Not quite sure, but I posted some relevant information related to the topic*

The scenario above has been considered and it is my understanding that yes, you could surrender your tag but not be reimbursed the fee, plus you would only be reinstated with the points you had going into the draw, not gain a point. Other states allow you to do this but have rules in place to deter fraudulent activities. Such as having the ability to surrender your tag for multiple years, but come the third year, you lose all of your bonus points in doing so.

Naturegirl: Pricing has not been hashed out, and may be one of the hardest things to consider. If the price is too low, they may be shooting themselves in the foot after the dust settles and their real costs are higher than what they are charging. If the price is too high, it reduces the potential market considerably of those that may buy into the services. Johnny Blaze: The department runs reports on the number of licenses/tags purchased for both hunting and fishing. Along with "comparing notes" with other departments across the country at various meetings/expos/etc. Hunter/fisherman numbers have been on a steady decline for quite some time across the country. Here in Az, we are losing more fisherman than hunters, but losing both at a regular pace. When you think about it, it's easy to see why, older sportsmen are retiring from the outdoors or simply dying off. Younger people have more/easier access to and get instant stimulation from technology than the outdoors.

Thanks Flatlander for the great summary of last nights meeting with Scott Lavin from AZGFD. It was a good get together with a lot of back and forth between the constituents and the department. Overall, I do think that we reiterated some points that have already been posted here on the forums, and brought up some good ideas for the department to consider. One thing I do think we all agree on is that the issuance of surrendered tags should NOT go to "club members" but to the person next in line. (or some other viable alternative such as this) Another thing to note is that surrendered tags don't necessarily need to go back to the department, but any of the approved 501c3 organizations. Such as the ones we are all familiar with that assist wounded military, terminally ill youth, and others. One would get their bonus points reinstated and get a tax write off in the process this way. It was great to see everyone again and meet new friends like Dave Bruns from the Az Deer Association, who has been doing a lot of leg work collecting real data for use in assisting the decision making process for the department. The ADA will be submitting a longer report full of ideas and comments to the department addressing the portal and proposed "tiered club". Again, if anyone wants to attend any of the public meetings, there will be a few coming up. Primarily, next Tuesday at Bass Pro Shops, also Cabelas, Payson, Flagstaff, etc. Good way to hear first hand what this is all about and get your two cents in. Thanks,