Saw this on Instagram...what’s your take?

[Sky Island junkie]

All of this is like rearranging the chairs as the ship goes down. I applaud all that are fighting this fight to give us a couple or maybe a few more years of otc deer tags but to me it’s inevitable archery will go complete draw. 

[TOBY]

No draw just set numbers of tags per unit. Open to purchase in december. Tag is good for said unit only. If you hunt multiple units buy multiple tags. Once sold out you are sol. buy a different unit. Each tag allows one hunter and 2 helpers. Any more helpers have to purchase a posse hunting permit that and requires you to wear a posse permit orange vest over your matching kuiu costumes. I think this would work as long as the tag numbers issued are not stupid high to make more money.

[bigbuckfever]

I'm in favor of mandatory reporting, just like bear season.  If a unit hits its harvest goal, then you can close it.  

[creed]

6 minutes ago, bigbuckfever said:

I'm in favor of mandatory reporting, just like bear season.  If a unit hits its harvest goal, then you can close it.  

Wonder how this would go over with outfitters/guides that book months in advance?

I am in favor of a draw but would be curious how an OTC in the early hunt and a draw in the later desert hunts would work. It would take some of the pressure off of the desert deer herds but still give OTC opportunity to hunters. It would maybe minimize the $$$ hit the department would take.

[Sky Island junkie]

6 minutes ago, Boarman03 said:

Mandatory reporting is the most exacting method to manage the herds. It also puts absolute pressure on G&F to discover the true reasons for herd loss/reductions if not due to hunting. Real, trackable management!

i.e. Why are there so few mule deer in 3B?

I know part of the answer is poaching in that area because while hunting we had a local admit to it and invite us to come back anytime and do the same.

Outside of 3B we know that Nobull360's brother was eventually convicted of poaching and Nobull360 made it sound like no big deal.

How big is the poaching problem by locals really? And by others?

Mandatory reporting would help diagnose and prove what the true causation of herd loss was/is and allow G&F to focus on the real problems and thus more efficiently utilize the revenue to improve game opportunities.

I would only exempt varmint for now unless there is a very rapid or major reduction.

Nobody likes regulation. I hate regulation! But to help sustain our wildlife opportunities all hunts should be reported ( still excepting varmints) to stop the thieves and provide quicker response to health and thief issues.

Safeguards should be in place so that exact location is not required but general info like 3B N (or S,E,W, central) would be helpful but they should be required to  protect any information on location other than the hunt area (i.e.  just the 3B) from public release. Such should be enough for herd management. Even that exacting may not be necessary.

I use 3B because 3B seemed to me to be in real trouble for mule deer. That is where I hunted this year and I learned a lot!

Absolute pressure on G$F to basically do their job and do real counts in every unit will require a ton more revenue. I don’t believe we’ll ever see that out of this dept. Draw is going to happen to archery it’s just a matter of time and we’ll pay for it! I agree on reporting but enforcing is another thing and again that takes more money. Getting everyone to complete the hunter survey after every hunt is a joke. Probably would have to offer $ incentives to get hunters to complete these surveys 

[Sky Island junkie]

I help on half dozen hunts a year as well as my own hunt ( if drawn). I spend 30-45 days in the field on average ( big game, small game and varmint) in different units and I believe it’s been 20 years since I’ve seen a game manager in the field. Enforcement of all the items talked about will be interesting 

[Flatlander]

10 minutes ago, Sky Island junkie said:

Getting everyone to complete the hunter survey after every hunt is a joke. Probably would have to offer $ incentives to get hunters to complete these surveys 

Many states require this to buy a license or tag the next year. It’s very effective and doesn’t cost the dept anything.

[Edge]

Mandatory reporting, no problem. But before azgfd can penalize one hunter for not reporting, they need to get their act together. I got an email days ago urging me to return the harvest report I never received.

If some hunters are going to take it in the shorts from azgfd, why always on the back of AZ residents? Fewer NR tags and make them pay more. This last special draw is a perfect example. NRs entering the draw paid $2 more more for an application fee than residents. Gimme a break.

If restructuring hunts, I'd like to see some primitive weapons hunts for bows and muzzleloaders.

[Sky Island junkie]

2 minutes ago, Flatlander said:

Many states require this to buy a license or tag the next year. It’s very effective and doesn’t cost the dept anything.

Yes and I have to wonder why not here. Seems we are completely on the honor system with very little enforcement. I too have sent emails regarding this and other item and boiler plate response. But yes on no completed survey no application!

[trphyhntr]

8 hours ago, Flatlander said:

Brian has done a heck of a lot more than send an email to get this considered. He has been pitching this idea, adapting and improving it for almost a year in an effort to try and preserve OTC opportunity in AZ. I am learning the hard way that sending a few emails is not an effective way to get anyone to listen to your ideas. 
 

Pretending Brian is getting some special treatment is just plain ignorant. Trust me, the dept (Amber Munig specifically) started giving the same nonsensical argument about barriers to participation etc. and Brian didn’t let it go. He took it to the commission, branch chiefs, critter groups, etc. There is no need for sour grapes. Mandatory reporting is good for wildlife management and we have been asking for it long enough. Let’s make sure everyone hears it this time.

He’s not ignorant, there’s likely truth in what he said and what you said. Mandatory reporting isn’t a new idea, azgfd has been hearing about it for at least 20 years

[trphyhntr]

1 hour ago, Boarman03 said:

Mandatory reporting is the most exacting method to manage the herds. It also puts absolute pressure on G&F to discover the true reasons for herd loss/reductions if not due to hunting. Real, trackable management!

i.e. Why are there so few mule deer in 3B?

I know part of the answer is poaching in that area because while hunting we had a local admit to it and invite us to come back anytime and do the same.

Outside of 3B we know that Nobull360's brother was eventually convicted of poaching and Nobull360 made it sound like no big deal.

How big is the poaching problem by locals really? And by others?

Mandatory reporting would help diagnose and prove what the true causation of herd loss was/is and allow G&F to focus on the real problems and thus more efficiently utilize the revenue to improve game opportunities.

I would only exempt varmint for now unless there is a very rapid or major reduction.

Nobody likes regulation. I hate regulation! But to help sustain our wildlife opportunities all hunts should be reported ( still excepting varmints) to stop the thieves and provide quicker response to health and thief issues.

Safeguards should be in place so that exact location is not required but general info like 3B N (or S,E,W, central) would be helpful but they should be required to  protect any information on location other than the hunt area (i.e.  just the 3B) from public release. Such should be enough for herd management. Even that exacting may not be necessary.

I use 3B because 3B seemed to me to be in real trouble for mule deer. That is where I hunted this year and I learned a lot!

A dude killed a big one on the 3b muzzy this year. And yeah that’s poachers corner up there. 

[Edge]

7 minutes ago, trphyhntr said:

A dude killed a big one on the 3b muzzy this year. And yeah that’s poachers corner up there. 

Brevity is wit. Thank you.

[AZBIG10]

Make a draw and require to report.

not sure why gf makes it a big deal. They count lions and bears

[ThomC]

Do you arm chair biologists think that poachers are going to mandatory report?  Do you think that the dept. will get a search warrant and check to see if you reported correctly?  Herd numbers change for many many different reasons.  

[trphyhntr]

4 minutes ago, ThomC said:

Do you arm chair biologists think that poachers are going to mandatory report?  Do you think that the dept. will get a search warrant and check to see if you reported correctly?  Herd numbers change for many many different reasons.  

With this logic, why even have tags or hunting seasons