CouesWhitetail Report post Posted February 23, 2009 Arizona Game and Fish offers “public forums” to discuss planned recommendations for the 2009-10 fall hunting regulations Feb. 23, 2009 PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is bringing a new format to the fall hunt recommendation process by offering six public forums across the state to allow constituents an opportunity to provide input to regional biologists before the hunt recommendations are presented to the commission for the 2009-10 hunting seasons. Each region will be providing details about the populations within their jurisdiction. This means that if you have interest in a particular unit, you will need to attend the public meeting in that region to discuss management direction. “This new process of including our customers before finalizing the hunt recommendations, will address the concerns of hunters earlier in the process, when we still have the ability to make changes if they are warranted,” said Brian Wakeling, chief of game management. “This collaboration should also reduce some of the questions during the commission meeting, improving the efficiencies of those public meetings.” Constituents interested in attending a public forum where department biologists will be on hand to share the preliminary details of the recommendations may go to any of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s regional offices. Public forum dates, times and locations are: Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd. Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St. Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road Tuesday, March 3, 7-9 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive Thursday, March 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road After the public forums the final draft of the hunt recommendations to be presented to the commission will be made available for public review at six regional open houses. No formal presentation will be made. However, a knowledgeable staff person will be available to discuss regional hunt recommendations. Open house dates, times and locations are: Tuesday, April 7, 3-6 p.m. – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road Tuesday, April 14, 4-6 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd. Tuesday, April 14, 4-6 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road Tuesday, April 14, 3-5 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St. Tuesday, April 14, 5-7 p.m. – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road Tuesday, April 14, 3-5 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive A PDF version of the 2009-10 hunt recommendations will be available for review at the Game and Fish Department's Web site beginning Saturday, April 11 at www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hunt_guidelines.shtml. Each year, the department makes recommendations to the commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years. The next guidelines will be set in the summer of 2010 for hunting seasons 2010-11 and 2011-12. The final recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during its April 17-18 meeting in Phoenix at the department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17). The agenda will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/commission under commission agenda. The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted March 3, 2009 Reminder, These meetings are tomorrow, Tuesday night (except Flagstaff, which is on Thursday) With the leftover tags being available for the early coues hunts, those of you attending the meetings might suggest a return of some tags to the Dec hunts, if you prefer the quality to quantity/opportunity hunts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basser15 Report post Posted March 3, 2009 Glad to see that they are having meetings during a time that encourages folks to show up this time. Recently it has seemed that they were scheduling them at a time that discouraged the general working public from being able to attend. I'll more than likely be at the Mesa meeting tomorrow night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted March 3, 2009 It looks like their are no meetings scheduled for the carefree location, or in phoenix, at least until the final meeting Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basser15 Report post Posted March 3, 2009 Actually, now i have a question for anyone that might know. In the description it says that if I have interest in a particular unit that I have to attend the meeting in the location of the jurisdiction? So if I'm concerned about the areas I like in the northern half of the state I would have to drive to Flagstaff or choose to go to Tucson for information regarding the units down south? I would like to take back my comments stated in my last post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted March 3, 2009 Basser, Guess we could email our questions, comments and suggestions to the unit WM. But since I have not seen any harvest data from last season, might be hard to make any educated questions/suggestions. I am wondering how having more coues hunts with fewer hunters in each affected the success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted March 4, 2009 Any feedback about the input meetings on Tuesday from those that went? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
