G&F commission voted unanimously to ban trail cams

[Desertguide]

1 minute ago, huntlines said:

Yeah I heard that too. I also heard several of the commissioners mention that they live and run cattle in some of the units that have the biggest problem. Seems like they had an agenda from the get-go. As for the commission going against Game & Fish I’ve never seen it but I admit I don’t watch all the commission meetings.

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

[654321]

Commission Members

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission establishes policy for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife, and makes rules and regulations for managing, conserving and protecting wildlife and fisheries resources, as well as for safe and regulated watercraft and off-highway vehicle operations.

 

Kurt R. Davis, Commission Chairman – Phoenix

Kurt R. Davis of Phoenix was confirmed as a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission by the Arizona Senate on Jan. 25, 2017, after being reappointed by Gov. Doug Ducey. Davis was appointed to his first 5-year term in 2012 by then-Governor Jan Brewer, and he served as Commission Chairman in 2015-16.

An avid hunter and angler, he is a founding partner at FirstStrategic Communications and Public Affairs, where he specializes in strategic public policy development for nonprofit clients, issues relating to rural Arizona, and government relations. Prior to forming FirstStrategic, Mr. Davis served as vice president of public affairs & marketing at Northern Arizona University. Earlier, he was vice president of public affairs & corporate communications at Rural/Metro, a company that provides fire and ambulance services to communities across the country.

While at Rural/Metro, Mr. Davis was asked by then-Governor Fife Symington to take a leave of absence from the company to serve as executive assistant/deputy chief of staff for the Office of the Governor. In that role, he had policy responsibility for executive agencies such as the departments of Transportation, Corrections, State Land, Game and Fish, and others. Mr. Davis has also served as director of intergovernmental affairs & issues analysis at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, executive director of the Arizona Republican Party, and held several appointed positions in the Reagan administration. He served as a gubernatorial appointment to the Arizona Board of Regents, the Vision 21 Transportation Task Force, and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.

Mr. Davis serves as a board member for the Great Hearts Academies, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, and on Arizona State University’s Ramsey Executive Program for Public Policy. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Arizona University in 1984. Contact Me.

Leland S. “Bill” Brake, member – Elgin

Leland “Bill” Brake of Elgin was confirmed as a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission by the Arizona Senate on March 6, 2018, following his appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey. An avid wildlife enthusiast, he has promoted activities with various wildlife groups in coordination with the Game and Fish Department to encourage involvement of youth and women in wildlife programs. Mr. Brake has owned and operated ranches in various Arizona counties for 50 years and has served as past president and current board member of the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, chairing its Wildlife Committee.

He has served as an agriculture consultant for DuPont Agriculture and as chief operating officer and president for distribution of heavy fuels and asphalt for HollyFrontier, which manufactures and markets a variety of asphalt-related products. He served as past chairman of the Arizona Rock Products Association. Mr. Brake is active in the community, serving as a board member and current chair of the Advisory Committee for the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources (Wildlife and Range Management), and on the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for the Bureau of Land Management for Arizona. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Range Management, with a minor in Wildlife Management, from the University of Arizona. Contact Me.

James E. Goughnour, member – Payson

James E. Goughnour of Payson was confirmed as a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission by the Arizona Senate on Jan. 29, 2019 following his appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey. He has lived in Arizona for more than 40 years and is a driving force for wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation in the Payson area. He is the owner of Rim Country Custom Rods, a small business that designs and builds custom fishing rods. Prior to starting his business, he worked 26 years for General Dynamics Aerospace Systems Group (previously Motorola Space Systems Group), culminating in his position as project manager responsible for all aspects of the Aerospace Operations Program.

Goughnour is active in the community. He is the immediate past president of the Mogollon Sporting Association (MSA), a not-for-profit 501(c)3 volunteer organization that raises funds to benefit wildlife conservation and youth education programs throughout the Mogollon Rim area. He has also chaired the Payson Special Volunteer Committee, where he led a group of business owners, county and town representatives, and volunteers to develop a plan to attract national-level bass fishing tournaments to Roosevelt Lake and promote Payson as the “Host Town.” Several FLW (Forest L. Wood) and two WON (Western Outdoors News) national bass fishing tournaments have since been conducted at Roosevelt Lake,

Goughnour chairs the Gila County Roundtable, a group of Gila County anglers working with AZGFD to enhance fishing conditions at Roosevelt Lake. He is an active member of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), FLW, the National Rifle Association, and the Tonto Rim Sports Club. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Contact me.

Todd G. Geiler, member – Prescott

Todd G. Geiler, O.D., of Prescott, maintains a solo optometric practice that his grandfather began in 1946 in Prescott. A lifelong outdoorsman, Dr. Geiler is an avid hunter and advocate for conservation of all of Arizona’s diverse wildlife and their habitats.

 

He volunteers his time involving young people in a full spectrum of our Arizona’s outdoor activities. He spearheaded a partnership with the City of Prescott and the Arizona Game and Fish Department providing the youth of Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley with a Kids Free Fishing Day. This day encourages children to spend time outdoors fishing and learning hands-on conservation. He is a Benefactor member of the National Rifle Association and a member of numerous other organizations, including the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, the Arizona Deer Association, Arizona Farm and Ranch Bureau, the Pope and Young Club, the Granite Mountain Archers, Safari Club International, Prescott Sportsmen’s Club, Kiwanis Club of Prescott, and other local organizations.

 

Dr. Geiler earned a bachelor of visual science and doctorate of optometry from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Prior to that, he attended Glendale Community College and Northern Arizona University for pre-doctoral studies with an emphasis on physics and finance. Contact me.

Clay Hernandez, member – Tucson

Clay Hernandez, of Tucson, was confirmed as a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission by the Arizona Senate on Feb. 2, following his appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey. A longtime angler and hunter, he has dedicated nearly 30 years to wildlife conservation and is a member of Trout Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Arizona Elk Society, the Arizona Antelope Foundation, and Project Healing Waters of Southern Arizona.

He is active in the community and has served as president of the Old Pueblo (Tucson) chapter of Trout Unlimited and was on the board of the Tucson Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. He has volunteered as a fly fishing guide for Project Healing Waters in Arizona, Colorado and Alaska. He also volunteered for four years in an Outdoor Studies class for a Tucson High School.

Hernandez has called Arizona home for more than 40 years and has been a practicing attorney in Tucson since 1986. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University in 1981 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona in 1986. He is a licensed pilot and speaks two languages. Contact me.

A little background on the commissioners for those that are interested.

[HuntHike61]

42 minutes ago, Desertguide said:

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. 

I'm gonna regret this, but here goes...

I've gotten two "once in a lifetime" permits- early bull in unit 10, and deer in unit 13B.

Unit 10- I hunted the BigBo, after spending 20 man days scouting and 200 miles of boots on the ground scouting.  It was the best hunt I ever had.  My son and I both got great bulls, and I met several guided hunters who had not even seen a good bull.  It felt like I knew almost as much as the guides did (surely I didn't, but it felt like it).  No game cameras anywhere.

Unit 13- I spent 18 days scouting and hunting the unit.  There were game camera "traffic jams" on every water hole.  The guides knew every buck in the unit, and their runners were all over.  It felt like any buck in the unit had snipers waiting for them.  Just how it felt- not anywhere near the hunt I had hoped for.

Honestly, for 90% of hunt units, I never thought game cameras were even a factor in the hunts.  But in high trophy units with high-stakes guides in play, it sure seemed different.

[Desertguide]

8 minutes ago, HuntHike61 said:

I'm gonna regret this, but here goes...

I've gotten two "once in a lifetime" permits- early bull in unit 10, and deer in unit 13B.

Unit 10- I hunted the BigBo, after spending 20 man days scouting and 200 miles of boots on the ground scouting.  It was the best hunt I ever had.  My son and I both got great bulls, and I met several guided hunters who had not even seen a good bull.  It felt like I knew almost as much as the guides did (surely I didn't, but it felt like it).  No game cameras anywhere.

Unit 13- I spent 18 days scouting and hunting the unit.  There were game camera "traffic jams" on every water hole.  The guides knew every buck in the unit, and their runners were all over.  It felt like any buck in the unit had snipers waiting for them.  Just how it felt- not anywhere near the hunt I had hoped for.

Honestly, for 90% of hunt units, I never thought game cameras were even a factor in the hunts.  But in high trophy units with high-stakes guides in play, it sure seemed different.

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. 

[high rise hunter]

7 minutes ago, HuntHike61 said:

I'm gonna regret this, but here goes...

I've gotten two "once in a lifetime" permits- early bull in unit 10, and deer in unit 13B.

Unit 10- I hunted the BigBo, after spending 20 man days scouting and 200 miles of boots on the ground scouting.  It was the best hunt I ever had.  My son and I both got great bulls, and I met several guided hunters who had not even seen a good bull.  It felt like I knew almost as much as the guides did (surely I didn't, but it felt like it).  No game cameras anywhere.

Unit 13- I spent 18 days scouting and hunting the unit.  There were game camera "traffic jams" on every water hole.  The guides knew every buck in the unit, and their runners were all over.  It felt like any buck in the unit had snipers waiting for them.  Just how it felt- not anywhere near the hunt I had hoped for.

Honestly, for 90% of hunt units, I never thought game cameras were even a factor in the hunts.  But in high trophy units with high-stakes guides in play, it sure seemed different.

I don't think anyone would argue this. Obviously 13B and A, the Bab, 9 and 10 (not on the Big Bo) are the trail cam problem areas. The issue with the ban lies with the rest of the state to the south where there isn't this trail cam congestion. 

[cohntr6]

Anyone want to buy about 20 trail cameras? LOL

I hope whatever lawsuits filed or yet to be filed have an effect and the decision is reversed. Ridiculous.

Jeff

[lancetkenyon]

Using a camera "for the aid of taking game".  So if you have a camera in June, see a big bull, now you know it is in the area.  If you shoot it in November, technically, you have used a camera in the aid of taking game.  Illegal.  

I have never used a camera.  And to be honest, last year, on the late bull hunt in 7W, EVERY SINGLE WATER HOLE we checked over 10 days had at least 3 cameras on it.  Some had 5 or 6.  So it is not just the trophy units.  Not a fan of the cam.  But I don't think this ban will work at all.  Too hard to prove it's usage.  Innocent until proven guilty.  Going to be a huge cluster f♡(&.

[HuntHarder]

Gonna be my last year using cameras.  One last hoorah to help out a buddies son on a semi-trophy early rifle elk hunt.  With how dry it is this year, the cameras will make locating some better quality bulls much easier.  I will not skirt the laws intention after January 1, just seems dirty to me, but to each their own.  

[seek100plus]

You want a trophy hunt ,like 9 10 13 A&B , then go in like a trophy hunter . No cameras aloud in the units . Simple 

[ForkHorn]

They are counting on the public to do the enforcing.  Most people will abide by the law, and jump to conclusions when they do see a trail camera (hunter or not). Some people will report, but a hunch tells me most people would destroy or take cameras they come across 

 

Before this people were taking cameras. Imagine what it'll be like now.  Even the guys that continue to run them will face the onslaught and potential of damaged or stolen cameras.  

Some people just need an excuse to mess with someone else's stuff.

[wildwoody]

The one thing about coues, if your going way of road in the thick, who will ever know, water holes different story..

[NewlyMinted]

Is it a ban with a season or 365 day ban? I think I missed it in the discussion.

Also when do we have to get them out of the desert by?

[UggRedBilly]

2 minutes ago, NewlyMinted said:

Is it a ban with a season or 365 day ban? I think I missed it in the discussion.

Also when do we have to get them out of the desert by?

It basically bans cameras just for hunting purposes or assisting in hunting. You can have them out just as long as you dont hunt that general area. With that being said there is a huge grey zone when it even comes to that

[NewlyMinted]

Just now, UggRedBilly said:

It basically bans cameras just for hunting purposes or assisting in hunting. You can have them out just as long as you dont hunt that general area. With that being said there is a huge grey zone when it even comes to that

1/4 mile from water or anything specific?

[Desertguide]

12 minutes ago, NewlyMinted said:

1/4 mile from water or anything specific?

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