AzG&F reports low compliance reporting Archery deer harvest

[AZP&Y]

Directly From Arizona Game and Fish

? Archery deer hunters are still required to report their harvest; compliance for this requirement last year was low.

One area of ongoing concern, Ordway said, is the lack of reporting this past year by archery deer hunters. He explained that as of last year, successful archery deer hunters were required to contact the Game and Fish Department by person or via phone within 10 days of harvesting a deer. Unfortunately, department analysis indicates that only 25 to 30 percent of the successful archers complied with the new requirement last year.

The archery report-in process was put in place to gather data on archery harvest rather than going to a full draw system for archery.

It appears that we?re giving AzG&F ammunition & the thought of an Archery draw for deer in the future? I don?t think it?s too much to ask to contact them if that?s what they are asking. { Bear and Mountain Lion hunters do this anyway}?

 

Just think if you bowhunt, you?re set for 2006/2007 Coues hunt in the Rut- What does 2008 and beyond hold?

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/highlights/highlights_0604.html#4

 

AzP&Y

Doug

[KGAINES]

Doug I think this is a relatively simple request, all you have to do is call, it has to be that the archery hunters just don't know that they are required to do it, I think the azgfd got their data from field checks and the paper surveys that are mailed out and that didn't add up to the calls received. All of us need to get the word out to other hunters, I would hate to lose the over the counter archery tags. One thing to take note of too, is that with them lowering the december rifle hunters the best rut hunt opportunity is going to be with a bow.

[DesertBull]

LOL! How do they know only 30% complied? If they know only 30% reported, then would have to know how many hunters were successful to begin with.

[bobbyo]

First off I think that GF is setting us up with what we all know is going to happen sooner or latter. A drawing for Archery. If GF wants diligent compliance with this why don't they have a handout, a little flyer, when the archery tag is sold. Instead of the new regulation buried in the Regs. Ignorance is no excuse, but when the rules change GF needs to bear some responsibility and show some diligence in getting the word out. Of coarse, if there is no compliance then bowhunting needs more regulation . Lets be truthful, a significant % of hunters take advantage of the situation and really harvest two deer a year. I believe many of these poaching violations would be remedied with a more liberal sign over policy. The sign over policy, even you ardent GF haters have to admit, is a great policy. If it were more liberal, maybe more of you would report that 75 inch buck you got in August with your bow; and Grandpa could use your December Whitetail tag that you waited 4 years for.

[bobbyo]

oops

[HEADACHE]

Maybe everyone was like me, chucking arrows at trees this year with no meat in between!

I didn't know we were supposed to call in though. . . . shame on me.

[runningbird]

I would bet that most casual archers had no idea they were suposed to report a kill.

[JohnFriddle]

They need to wait a few years then see what happens... It is a new law after all... I think this is just to get us used to the idea of a full draw...

[billrquimby]

"LOL! How do they know only 30% complied? If they know only 30% reported, then would have to know how many hunters were successful to begin with.

 

 

A. They know how many archery tags are sold.

B. They have only an estimate of the success rate for archery hunting.

C. They know the number of kill reports received.

 

A times B = X minus C = D (30%)

 

A and C are known factors. B and D are only estimates. I suspect they are overestimating B.

 

Bill Quimby

[KGAINES]

Bill I think you may be right, but it seems like at the meeting they were saying that only 300 some calls were made, but 700+ were reported taken by the paper survey or by field checks. Someone may be able to remember what the exact numbers were, but if I am right it is more than 30 percent, but still not enough for them. They are now printing the number and the requirement on the tag, it is on the bottom on the left side while looking at it, I think the problem was most people didn't know.

 

The numbers they have are probably as scientific as the numbers in the survey so I wonder if it matters.

[Traveler]

BobbyO - What is your basis for this statement? "Lets be truthful, a significant % of hunters take advantage of the situation and really harvest two deer a year."

 

This is not helping our cause if you basing this on the rumors of a few renegades who poach when they get two tags. The odds of someone drawing a rifle a tag and successfully filling that and an archery is very low even if they try.

 

30% Rifle Average Draw Odds

30% Rifle Success Rate

15% Archery Success Rate

 

I am not a mathmetician but I think this works out to about 1.3% At this level they should allow it for the increased revenue alone!!!.

 

If you move the success % up to

50% Rifle Average Draw Odds

50% Rifle Success Rate

25% Archery Success Rate

 

It comes out to 6.25% Not what I would call "a significant % of hunters"

Now if you add in what % of Archers actually try this it is reduced by another factor.

Not trying to flame just looking for some basis of fact.

[AZP&Y]

Hmmm. Page 14 of the 2005-2006 AZ Hunt Regs in bright Green Color Band jumps out at me pretty quick.

The 3 bullet points being:

• Defintion Antlered- erupted through the skin
  

• Deer Bag Limit: 1 per calendar year
  
• ARCHERY SPECIAL DEER REGULATION- All Archers must contact AZG&F within 10 days of harvest
  

Sure AZG&F can DEFINETELY DO a better JOB of informing archers. The average coues hunter is pretty darn savy. (in my opinion)... But it's up to US (BOWHUNTERS) to adhere to what is a requirement = Regulation!

 

The 2006-2007 regs will be out in a few days.. They'll be a quiz at the end

 

AzP&Y

Doug

[couesdiehard]

As I recall there was little to no reporting requirement for successful deer archers in the past. What baseline is being used to say that successful archers reporting is low. How the heck do they know? Based on their extrapolations from the surveys mailed out to tag-holders after the hunts? Those things are crap. Out of 10 guys I hunt with I bet only 2 of us ever fill out and return those things. I frankly believe this is just ;aying the groundwork for an archery draw for deer. Just my 2 cents.

Lee

[bobbyo]

First of all Doug you are right that it is the hunters responsibility to be aware of all regulations. Ignorance is no excuse, but I bought my 2005 archery tag in December of 2004. The regulations came out in May of 2005. Also let me state I am one who prints the 80 pages or so on my computer and read it cover to cover and then study the draw odds statistics for weeks. I will be ready for your quiz. I noticed the change in the archery reporting at that time and I also believe it was in the "New Regulations Section." Yet I think it is unfair for G+F to expect all hunters to be as deranged as me especially if you could of had a legal license and legal tag 6 months before the new regulation.

a significant % of hunters take advantage of the situation and really harvest two deer a year.

Now Traveler when I used the word "Significant " I did not mean to imply it was a large amount or a majority etc. I meant it in the mathematical sense that significant means a measurable amount. Which seems appropriate with all the % s you used and Bill's Quadratic equation . For myself I have drawn a deer tag ten out of the last ten years. (I enjoy watching guys in Wisconsin orange walking around in the catclaw, in between my immigrant sightings.) I have also had an archery deer tag ten out of ten years. (Nearly 2 1/2 months of hunting a year! I love Arizona). So If i was a better hunter and of lesser moral charachter I believe I could of harvested more than one deer in a year. In addition I have seen, as we probablly all have,people hunting with questionable ethics; road hunting, familys of ten all hunting in an area with 50 tags and a 10% draw odds ect ect . I stand by my modified statement a "Measurable % of hunters take advantage of the situation and harvest two deer.

Bob

[AZP&Y]

It's also on Page 2,14 & 64 of the 2004-2005 hunt regulations.

 

 

The 2004-2005 Regs has the picture of the Coues bedded (picture on the cover).

** I won't post a picture , but take my word for it.

 

The 2006-2007 regs will be the 3rd year in a row regarding the change, I'm sure it's going to be a better return % in the coming year (I hope).

 

AzP&Y

Doug