proposed ban on salt and feed

[TREESTANDMAN]

I figured that would be the response I'd get. I feel that it has already been decided that feed will be illegal and want to focus on what I think has a chance. If grain and Corn stay, I'm fine with that, but I don't want to lose salt. I have gotten many pictures over grain and corn and have even hunted over it. I do not believe it is unethical. Fire away.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

I figured that would be the response I'd get. I feel that it has already been decided that feed will be illegal and want to focus on what I think has a chance. If grain and Corn stay, I'm fine with that, but I don't want to lose salt. I have gotten many pictures over grain and corn and have even hunted over it. I do not believe it is unethical. Fire away.

 

 

Mike,

 

I think the point that Catclaw was making is that this issue is like trapping. We lost it because not all sportsman and outsdoorsman stood up and fought for it, and now it is basically gone, in this state. WE lose a little at a time because if it does not directly have bearing on our intrests, then we are too busy to stand up. It really does not matter if you hate "baits", hunting over salt, tanks, springs, optics, LR shootong, radios, or any other PERSONAL choice in hunting.... we all love to hunt and we should all support that not allow bits and pieces of unsupported legislation go into affect. We all have our own reasons for standing up against the ban.... those reasons are all Good ones.... because they made us all stand together, as sportsman should!!!!

[TREESTANDMAN]

"Comment deleted"

 

 

 

I hope it doesn't happen. There will be a lot of disappointed archery hunters for sure. I don't feel that feed should be banned and I also don't believe the archery success ratio's are too high. These areas get no rifle pressure so the sucess ratios should be higher.

 

I agree with Mark that I want to see how they are coming up with these "accurate" increased sucess ratios. I think they are mainly going off of rumors and hearsay which is not right. If I didn't think it was a sure ban, my input would be different.

[TAM]

Mike, I think there are a lot of people that are supporting this issue that feel exactly the same as you do! They want to keep salt, but could care less about feed. I think Catclaw, Gino, and others are not ripping on you for your opinion so much as inviting you to to join the fight against baning both salt and feed. The two methods are very closley related and if we loose feed then it's only a matter of time before the G&F will come back trying to take away salt. That's just how politics work, one small step at a time, give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile. I know you think it's BS, but hunters do need to stick together and fight for these issues side by side, rather than battling ourselves over it.

[couestaxi]

Hey all - I've read thru these posts and letters. I agree with a good part of it. One topic I see missed is Chronic Wasting Disease. There is some data that shows CWD may be spread thru saliva via bait stations/salt. If and when CWD gets here this could be devastating to our deer herds. It may be a pro-active measure to ban the use of such items. Based on experience, once coues deer get used to corn they really hit it hard. I have watched deer hit the feeder within minutes of the timer and have it down pat. On the flip side, deer not used to it consider corn a foreign substance and avoid it at first. Not sure what the answer is or at what cost it would be acceptable.

[bowsniper]

One topic I see missed is Chronic Wasting Disease. There is some data that shows CWD may be spread thru saliva via bait stations/salt. If and when CWD gets here this could be devastating to our deer herds. It may be a pro-active measure to ban the use of such items.

 

In the G&F preamble to the rule change, G&F makes no attempt to justify the rule with the threat of CWD. I would have to assume that there is no basis for the threat of CWD, otherwise I'm sure that G&F would be all over it to help justify the rule. Their justification for the rule is "fair chase" and hunter success. It will be interesting to see where they get their data for hunter success, other than hearsay. Using feed can be effective, but it is not easy as many people would have you believe. Like any hunting tool, it depends how you use it and how hard you work at it. It also depends on location in the state, weather, precipitation, luck, and who knows what else. The does might be all over it, but good luck with the bucks. Also, most of the time deer only feed at night. Just dumping corn somewhere and coming back a few weeks later to just "pick up" your buck is probably not going to happen.

 

Mike, with negotiations, you should always ask for more than you want, and I think that as hunters, we really need to stick together and watch out for each other. No hard feelings.

 

Mark

[KGAINES]

Not much longer to have your opinion heard on this before they end the public comments. I have heard from one commissioner that he has received more response on this subject than any other during his tenure. I wish we would have had that kind of response when they changed the hunt structures years ago, and threw out the ADA survey and recommendations. Let yourself be heard either way, but just think what might be next, this is part of some survey data that another one of the commissioners emailed me.

"nation wide survey conducted by Responsive Management

and The National Shooting Sports Foundation.* In this project the authors found

that 78% (WOW) of all adult Americans, nationwide, approve of hunting, whether

they participate in our tradition or not. Of that same group (all adult

Americans), 69% opposed hunting using high tech gear, 59% opposed hunting over

bait, and 50% opposed hunting using special scents that attract game."

 

[elkaholic]

hello - we may have achance -- heres some good news --- Quote:

Governor Brewer’s Management Directive

 

In compliance with Governor Brewer’s agency directive issued January 22, 2009, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission has placed all rulemaking activities, both formal and informal, on hold until May 1, 2009.

 

 

Oral Proceedings pertaining to Natural Resources Chapter 4 Game and Fish Commission’s rulemakings for Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date.

 

 

Any comments received in regards to Game and Fish Commission rules will be retained by the Department to be considered once rulemaking activities are resumed.

For more information on our rules or to submit a comment on a rulemaking, contact our Rules and Risk Department:

 

 

 

Rules and Risk Department

 

Office: (623) 236-7390

 

E-mail: Rulemaking@azgfd.gov

[Codywhi]

all us coues hunters need to stick together, letter sent...

[bowsniper]

Governor Brewer’s Management Directive will do 2 things:

 

1) The baiting issue will be moved from the April 17 G&F meeting agenda to the June meeting agenda .

 

2) It will give us two more months to write letters to the commissioners! The public comment period for the rule is over, but I think it is even more effective to write the commissioners! We can keep writing them up until the June commission meeting. Keep it up. One commissioner has already said that he has received comments on this issue than any other issue during his term. Lets get them all so they can say that! If you haven't written them yet, it is very easy to do on the G&F website (link below). If you have already written to all of them, do it again in March, April, May, and June! Lets not let this issue die out until the June meeting.

 

I saw one email from a commissioner saying that this no baiting rule was not initiated by the commissioners, but by G&F enforcement officers. If this is true, the commissioners are getting lots of heat about an issue they may not care too much about. Keep up the heat so the squeaky wheels get greased.

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/commission_members.shtml

 

 

Mark