Jr elk and Jr deer hunts set for same week.

[Devil Diver Down]

Looking at the Fall/Main regs last night I noticed most of the junior deer hunts are set for the same week as many of the junior elk hunts. It seems odd to me that AZGFD would do that since they seem to be encouraging hunter recruitment/retention. Have they always done this? I never noticed if they had and only caught it this year since my oldest drew a Jr elk tag. Can't put or his little brother in for the junior deer hunts in the areas we want to hunt and they'll have to go general.

[rogeti]

Yep they have always done this!! Im 23 and did it when I was 10. I would hurry (or atleast try) and kill a cow elk in unit 1 then go on over to Unit 27 and hunt the rest of the 3 days. we only had 4 days to kill a deer and elk!!!

[bonecollector]

Maybe its like that so that the youth that didnt draw the elk tags have a better chance at getting a deer tag?

[Coach]

I'm not sure. A couple years ago my sons drew mule deer and cow elk hunts in 3C (both youth hunts). The deer hunt ended the day before the elk hunt. Maybe it's unit-specific???

[CouesRanger]

What unit are you talking about??

[firstcoueswas80]

I remember when I was classified as a Jr. there was a mule deer and cow elk hunt in 27 at the same time. Where we hunted, I saw more 150"+ bucks than I did cow elk.... Even directed a hunter to where we had been seeing a nice 4x4.... 5 minutes later, dead deer. It would have been awesome to draw both tags, and actually tried for it the next year but was unsuccessful on both accounts.

[1uglydude]

I'm not sure. A couple years ago my sons drew mule deer and cow elk hunts in 3C (both youth hunts). The deer hunt ended the day before the elk hunt. Maybe it's unit-specific???

 

The guidelines state that, where possible, there shouldn't be a junior deer hunt and a junior elk hunt going in the same unit at the same time. That's why the 3AC junior elk hunt used to be a week later than the other junior elk hunts. Now that the junior deer hunt has been moved to November, the junior elk hunt is the same date as the other junior elk hunts (except for the elk hunts in 22 and 23).

 

To the general question of why they junior elk and deer hunts tend to take place at the same time: First, the guidelines state that they should try to schedule the hunts at the same time as a school break. These hunts often fall during fall break/Columbus Day (although this year fall break is the week before the hunt). Second, they've got to fit junior hunts in when there aren't any general hunts for any other species going on in the unit. If you set aside certain weeks and decide that all junior hunts should take place at that time, it makes it easier to fit all of the general hunts within the schedules provided in the guidelines. It's all about uniformity...where possible. Finally, and this isn't in the guidelines, but I've always assumed (as stated above) that the thinking is that when a kid draws a junior elk tag, scheduling the junior hunt on the same week may open up opportunities for another kid to get a junior deer tag.

[oz31p]

I don't know what to thinkbabout the deer elk Jr combo. But I did notice there are a few javelina deer hunts that over lap, and that I think is a good idea.

[stanley]

I'm not sure. A couple years ago my sons drew mule deer and cow elk hunts in 3C (both youth hunts). The deer hunt ended the day before the elk hunt. Maybe it's unit-specific???

 

The guidelines state that, where possible, there shouldn't be a junior deer hunt and a junior elk hunt going in the same unit at the same time. That's why the 3AC junior elk hunt used to be a week later than the other junior elk hunts. Now that the junior deer hunt has been moved to November, the junior elk hunt is the same date as the other junior elk hunts (except for the elk hunts in 22 and 23).

 

To the general question of why they junior elk and deer hunts tend to take place at the same time: First, the guidelines state that they should try to schedule the hunts at the same time as a school break. These hunts often fall during fall break/Columbus Day (although this year fall break is the week before the hunt). Second, they've got to fit junior hunts in when there aren't any general hunts for any other species going on in the unit. If you set aside certain weeks and decide that all junior hunts should take place at that time, it makes it easier to fit all of the general hunts within the schedules provided in the guidelines. It's all about uniformity...where possible. Finally, and this isn't in the guidelines, but I've always assumed (as stated above) that the thinking is that when a kid draws a junior elk tag, scheduling the junior hunt on the same week may open up opportunities for another kid to get a junior deer tag.

 

I think that ugly hit on a couple of key points....... 1) They try to schedule (as best they can) when some kids might be out on break. 2) They also have to schedule several hunts throughout the fall, and it's just not that easy to fit them all in to a calendar that is perfect for all.

 

Also, oz31p; I agree with you regarding the combo javelina/deer! A couple of years ago my son had a junior deer tag. We picked-up a javelina tag OTC for him, and it was a lot of fun. Kind of like a 'Southern AZ Safari'!!!

 

 

 

S.

 

 

 

[Devil Diver Down]

I'm not sure. A couple years ago my sons drew mule deer and cow elk hunts in 3C (both youth hunts). The deer hunt ended the day before the elk hunt. Maybe it's unit-specific???

 

The guidelines state that, where possible, there shouldn't be a junior deer hunt and a junior elk hunt going in the same unit at the same time. That's why the 3AC junior elk hunt used to be a week later than the other junior elk hunts. Now that the junior deer hunt has been moved to November, the junior elk hunt is the same date as the other junior elk hunts (except for the elk hunts in 22 and 23).

 

To the general question of why they junior elk and deer hunts tend to take place at the same time: First, the guidelines state that they should try to schedule the hunts at the same time as a school break. These hunts often fall during fall break/Columbus Day (although this year fall break is the week before the hunt). Second, they've got to fit junior hunts in when there aren't any general hunts for any other species going on in the unit. If you set aside certain weeks and decide that all junior hunts should take place at that time, it makes it easier to fit all of the general hunts within the schedules provided in the guidelines. It's all about uniformity...where possible. Finally, and this isn't in the guidelines, but I've always assumed (as stated above) that the thinking is that when a kid draws a junior elk tag, scheduling the junior hunt on the same week may open up opportunities for another kid to get a junior deer tag.

 

uglydude- You raise some good points. It would have been great if the Jr elk hunt lined up with my son's fall break--they did in the past, but not this time (his first draw)--so we have a more limited schedule with school days conflicting. I can see the point about not having a kid draw both deer and elk (junior hunts) but I was hoping either of my boys (or both) would draw a Jr deer tag--they'll be in the general draw instead.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone!

[Sam]

In the Paradise Valley School District, High Schools have not had a day off in October in years. I'm a counselor at one of the high schools and my kids are students. I always try to work my hunts around days off - but Thanksgiving and Veterans day are really the only options. Except this year, the bull elk hunt is after Thanksgiving - no good for high school kids. We do have 3 days off at the end of September - would have helped if I got drawn for early bull.

 

I think the original intention was to have youth hunts centered around school holidays. However, there are so many districts now and they all have different calendars, it just doesn't work. They call our 3 day break in September a Fall break - school just started! Fall is in October last I checked. It is really there for Yom Kippur. Which is fine, but call it what it is - not fall break.

 

The youth hunt for deer this year in 3C is after the general adult hunt. This will be tough for the kids.

[1uglydude]

In the Paradise Valley School District, High Schools have not had a day off in October in years. I'm a counselor at one of the high schools and my kids are students. I always try to work my hunts around days off - but Thanksgiving and Veterans day are really the only options. Except this year, the bull elk hunt is after Thanksgiving - no good for high school kids. We do have 3 days off at the end of September - would have helped if I got drawn for early bull.

 

I think the original intention was to have youth hunts centered around school holidays. However, there are so many districts now and they all have different calendars, it just doesn't work. They call our 3 day break in September a Fall break - school just started! Fall is in October last I checked. It is really there for Yom Kippur. Which is fine, but call it what it is - not fall break.

 

The youth hunt for deer this year in 3C is after the general adult hunt. This will be tough for the kids.

 

My kids will be in the Gilbert District when the start school, and Gilbert always seems to make a special effort to schedule its breaks at different times than other districts in the east valley. From the various districts I checked, Gilbert is the only district that has its fall break during the early youth hunts this year. Usually, Gilbert kids get the shaft.

 

As for the 3C youth hunt, they also cut the tags way back to 25. It should be a quality hunt because of time of year, lack of OTC archery, and fewer general tags. I wouldn't worry about the adult hunt screwing it up...I'd worry about actually being able to pull the tag.

[HuntKaibab]

We were pissed when we found out that most all the junior deer hunts are scheduled for the same week of the 5B south cow hunt my father and I drew. Little sister finally showed a true interest in going deer hunting this year (wanted to take her up to 12A-W to whack a doe and see some deer). She'll have to wait another year, hopefully maintains an interest.

[Coach]

I just realized both of two oldest sons have 27 youth deer the same week as their unit 1 cow hunts. We are going to focus on deer first and then elk if there is time.

[stanley]

"We were pissed when we found out that most all the junior deer hunts are scheduled for the same week of the 5B south cow hunt my father and I drew. Little sister finally showed a true interest in going deer hunting this year (wanted to take her up to 12A-W to whack a doe and see some deer). She'll have to wait another year, hopefully maintains an interest."

 

Yea, that's a tough situation. Used to be that we all put-in for the deer and elk hunts at the same time, but the elk/prong-horn draw has been moved earlier so it can be hard to figure. I kind of like it though, as at least we all know what elk/prong-horn tags we might have prior to making a decision on deer. Luckily, there are lots of other deer hunts to choose from, Jr. or not...... Maybe you can keep her interested by bringing her along for your cow hunt with your father though? The cow hunts are always fun, and at least she can have fun with you two there (whether she is pulling the trigger or not.....).

 

Either way, good luck on your cow hunt and good luck keeping your little sister interested in the outdoors/hunting!

 

S.

 

 

PS: Coach, seems like a good idea to me! Your sons are blessed to have BOTH of the tags!