Heffelfinger on instagram

[maximus]

This is what Jim Heffelfinger posted on Instagram:

Tragedy has struck the Heffelfinger household as we have come up empty-handed with no deer tags this year. None. As in, you can’t go deer hunting this year at all. Maybe a year from now. I spent almost a quarter of a century as a regional game biologist trying to maximize hunting opportunity so things like this wouldn’t happen to families who just wanted to hunt together. Our application this year included my dad (88 yrs), myself, and two sons (18 & 24 yrs). We’re not looking for trophies, just some quality 3-generation time spent on a hill somewhere glassing for deer and sharing the camaraderie of a simple deer hunt. When guides and outfitters petition the Game and Fish commission for less overall opportunity so their clients have a chance to find more mature bucks, it just doesn’t resonate very well with me. I won’t be deer hunting this year with my dad and sons. When people ask the game and fish department to manage for a higher hunt success and higher buck to doe ratios and an older age class of bucks, that comes at a cost. That cost is borne by the average hunter who just wants to get out with family and friends and spend some time at camp and enjoy a deer hunt. If you live in a state with the opportunity to hunt deer every year, don’t take that for granted.

[trphyhntr]

That’s a lot of cope. 
 

Edit: also, he must have lived an extraordinarily blessed life if not having a deer tag is considered a “tragedy” in his family 

[ForkHorn]

Just playing devil's advocate...

 

1.  Don't apply with 3 other people. He blew up his odds of drawing a tag by doing that. 1 or two people draw and everyone can go.

2. Plenty of "opportunity" to glass from a hill and share in the camaraderie with an OTC tag. Better yet go volunteer to help on a JR deer hunt.

3. Sure sounds like he's been making recommendations for managing wildlife based off of a personal agenda of "opportunity" and not science.  Trying to guess the minimum number of bucks that a deer herd needs to breed all the does is wild. 

4.  Pushing his agenda makes him no different than anyone else (including guides) pushing their agenda -  And I strongly dislike guides.

 

Should have stopped the AZGFD from advertising to nonresidents.  That's where a lot of the leftover tags went.

 

 

[HuntHarder]

1. How did he blow up his odds?  What if the guys he applied with had more points than him?

2.  Maybe he's not a bowhunter

3. opportunity vs. trophy is hardly science....  It is literally 2 different ways of managing wildlife.  

4.  What exactly do you want a commissioner to do?  Doesn't everyone try and push their agenda?  

[trphyhntr]

9 minutes ago, HuntHarder said:

1. How did he blow up his odds?  What if the guys he applied with had more points than him?

2.  Maybe he's not a bowhunter

3. opportunity vs. trophy is hardly science....  It is literally 2 different ways of managing wildlife.  

4.  What exactly do you want a commissioner to do?  Doesn't everyone try and push their agenda?  

1. What if they didn’t? He’s upset they didn’t get a tag like it’s a death in the family so I’m guessing they always get drawn meaning 0-2 points.  he cut his families odds of drawing a tag dramatically 

2. Maybe non bow hunters should pick one up before complaining about opportunities 

 

 

[Redman]

2 hours ago, maximus said:

This is what Jim Heffelfinger posted on Instagram:

Tragedy has struck the Heffelfinger household as we have come up empty-handed with no deer tags this year. None. As in, you can’t go deer hunting this year at all. Maybe a year from now. I spent almost a quarter of a century as a regional game biologist trying to maximize hunting opportunity so things like this wouldn’t happen to families who just wanted to hunt together. Our application this year included my dad (88 yrs), myself, and two sons (18 & 24 yrs). We’re not looking for trophies, just some quality 3-generation time spent on a hill somewhere glassing for deer and sharing the camaraderie of a simple deer hunt. When guides and outfitters petition the Game and Fish commission for less overall opportunity so their clients have a chance to find more mature bucks, it just doesn’t resonate very well with me. I won’t be deer hunting this year with my dad and sons. When people ask the game and fish department to manage for a higher hunt success and higher buck to doe ratios and an older age class of bucks, that comes at a cost. That cost is borne by the average hunter who just wants to get out with family and friends and spend some time at camp and enjoy a deer hunt. If you live in a state with the opportunity to hunt deer every year, don’t take that for granted.

Oh poor guy.... NOT.... he should ask himself- Did I shi t my pants today- if he hadn't then, not going deer hunting one time is NOT A TRAGEDY - post the app if you want us to believe you didn't apply for A "trophy" hunt - 

Finally the Game and Fish lowered the tags in 33- 

 

[trphyhntr]

Boomers are so entitled its disgusting 

[ForkHorn]

1. Example...  Assuming each applicant had a hunter Ed point and loyalty point.. that's two each.  Applying separately that's 8 chances at drawing a tag with a low draw number.  IE someone in his household gets a tag. Applying together cut those chances to just two chances.  The group average would have had to be 8 for him not to blow up his draw odds. (And if the group average was 8 they still blew up their draw odds) Not likely given his story.  If you want to hunt with a family member don't do what he did. Bottom line - any scenario that involves a group application gives an overall lower chance that at least one person in the group draws a tag.

2. He went on a long rant about opportunity. Don't complain if you don't utilize everything at your disposal.

3. You're right there. But if you're pushing the limits of what a deer herd can sustain, you're often not managing a healthy deer herd all the time.  You've taken away the buffer.

4.  I'm not asking anyone to do anything.  I dislike when people play the victim card.  Everyone involved should be accountable.

 

[NOTAGS]

Who the heck is Jim Heffilfinger and who gives a rodents rectum about his Instacrapposts.  I haven’t drawn a deer tag or anyone in family or friends for four years, five for myself. I don’t whine on social media.   Welcome to reality.

 

 

[Flatlander]

Jim is a top notch biologist and I think we are lucky to have him here.

But I guess he will just have to go share a camp with Randy Newberg or those Hush guys or some other YouTube celebrity that AZGFD has pandered to.

[Big or Bust]

He's Newberg's buddy. Seems to relish camera time, podcast time, and how smart he is.   I do think he's good as a biologist though but he owes himself significant self reflection. Everything in life has consequences. Only liberals feel that they are owed something.

Hilariously naive and ironic statement by him.   

[creed_az_88]

59 minutes ago, Flatlander said:

Jim is a top notch biologist and I think we are lucky to have him here.

But I guess he will just have to go share a camp with Randy Newberg or those Hush guys or some other YouTube celebrity that AZGFD has pandered to.

Stole the words right out of my mouth. 

[maximus]

he also wrote that book Deer of the Southwest which is a great book, but he has been on every social media paltform that you can think of.

[SunDevil]

he should have put 30A mule deer as his 5th choice.  You would think he would be smart enough to review the draw odds report if all he was looking for was to get drawn to spend time deer hunting with his dad and sons.

[dsotm]