***URGENT 2021-2022 ARCHERY DEER OTC HUNT RECOMMENDATIONS***

[68OLDS]

 ***MAJOR CHANGES*** proposed to archery deer OTC hunts this year and January 2022!!!.  Got caught up in all the fuss over the elk draw and totally missed on this announcement.  

I know there are quite a few fellow bowhunters on this forum.  Many units in December are being recommended to close and the biggest change of all, GMU 27 archery would 100% draw only.  

Proposed changes can be found at: 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

It's late notice but you can still provide comments via email at AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov. There is a webcast at 6PM tonight to provide public input. The webcast, which begins at 6 p.m., can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/webcast.

[Riesop]

I LOVE that 27 may go to a draw.  WAAAAAY to many people this last year.

[creed]

Probably less hunting opportunities but I’m all for going to a draw. With the influx of people I don’t see how the desert mule deer can stand much more pressure. I didn’t get to hunt much but from  what little I saw and the friends that I talked to said that it was an absolute circus.

[Coues79]

It'll send everyone down south for a year, which cannot sustain increased pressure. Then the south will be closed next year. 

[trphyhntr]

I’m not sure, but I think most people want those things. 

[bigbuckclub]

I'll just be bummed that after I don't draw my late kaibab tag I won't be able to go make a fool of myself and fail miserably sitting for coues in August. Assuming things eventually go to a draw completely. 

[68OLDS]

5 minutes ago, bigbuckclub said:

I'll just be bummed that after I don't draw my late kaibab tag I won't be able to go make a fool of myself and fail miserably sitting for coues in August. Assuming things eventually go to a draw completely. 

Glass half empty or half full.  Plenty of folks on both sides of the coin on this one.  Webcast starts at 6pm tonight...

[AZBIG10]

Good riddance. Hunters played them selves. Well social media contributed as. Can’t wait for this. 

[PowellSixO]

Great news. I just wish they’d put more units for draw. Especially for non residents. 

[creed]

Disappointed they didn’t address the desert units more. The 40’s are scorched earth. 

[Desertguide]

48 minutes ago, creed said:

Disappointed they didn’t address the desert units more. The 40’s are scorched earth. 

Region 4 will always be the sacrificial lamb. 

[Desertguide]

5 hours ago, creed said:

Probably less hunting opportunities but I’m all for going to a draw. With the influx of people I don’t see how the desert mule deer can stand much more pressure. I didn’t get to hunt much but from  what little I saw and the friends that I talked to said that it was an absolute circus.

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. 

[Coues7777]

About time ...  Hopefully more units follow.  

[Rharris]

With the deer populations the way they are (declining) specifically mule deer, it has NEVER made sense to have rut hunts. This does nothing but disrupt the critical breeding time and remove genetically dominant bucks from the gene pull. Getting doe's bred in short order is a vital part of fawn survival. This puts fawns dropping nearly all at once basically flooding the market so to speak when it comes to predation. good move G&F!

[Sobrbiker]

Here’s the full proposal, and may get more restrictive.

A couple/few thousand less rifle tags too.

As far as the social problems, I think raising the OTC tag price for NR would help both income and pressure. Was listening to a podcast yesterday out of the Midwest about their great western OTC deer adventure (even though they had no success) and they repeatedly touted how relatively cheap the tags were.

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?fbclid=IwAR17b6offChFsALyw5nuPUcQRMhGoAMw6SQ_SeHatC-__JeqPTCsL6CaMRQ