Preference or Bonus

[Mason]

Hello all and congrats to those who had a good draw. Now seems like a good time to get some input on this topic to me. I would like to know how you people feel about Arizona going to a preference point system instead of a bonus system. I actually had good luck in my family this year on the draw but I know that there are many others who did not fare so well. To me it does not seem fair that a person can draw a Bull Elk tag 3 years in a row before another guy can even get one! I would like know that once every 4 or 5 years that I could hunt rather than rely on my so called "Bonus" points to help me out. It seems to me that a Preference point system is much more fair and I believe that most people would agree. There are several different ways to structure it and I would like to have your input on this. Many other states use a preference point system and they seem to work very well. Lets toss this around and come up with a good solution, I'm sure that the Gaame and Fish Dept. would really love our input(haha). Thanks all, Mason

[SunDevil]

I do not see anything wrong with how UT does it.

 

One you can only choose from one of the 4 once in a lifetime species to apply for each year (buffalo, sheep, goat and moose).

 

Also, you can only choose from one of the premium hunts to apply for each year (antelope, elk and deer)

 

Finally, after you draw a premium hunt you have to take 2 years off from that species before you can apply for it again.

 

Just my 2 cents. CB

[Mason]

I do not see anything wrong with how UT does it.

 

One you can only choose from one of the 4 once in a lifetime species to apply for each year (buffalo, sheep, goat and moose).

 

Also, you can only choose from one of the premium hunts to apply for each year (antelope, elk and deer)

 

Finally, after you draw a premium hunt you have to take 2 years off from that species before you can apply for it again.

 

Just my 2 cents. CB

In UT a guy with no points cannot draw before a guy with points right? That seems to me the way it ought to be.

[rimhunter]

Dont know anything about any other state but with the amount of people putting in I dont think its going to help much if you can only get a tag every 2 or 3 years . its going to be hard to get a tag regardless

[ajohunter]

How about we just start making everyone that applies pay the full amount up front. that would be a good start.

[rimhunter]

The thought of only being able to put in for one permit is not a good thought either deer or elk . I got a 24A deer tag this year . Its been 7 years with no tags for elk or deer tags thats the luck of the draw . When I dont get a tag I go bear hunting and archery deer . I still get to hunt and am happy I can

[ronaldo]

I feel like the AZGFD needs to implement a system that gives minimum a 50-50 split to the max point holders. I saw BP work this yr. with some of my buddies, but I have seen a lot more "lucky" people that have drawn premium tags either back to back or 2 w/in the last 4 yrs. Doesn't seem right.

 

Believe it or not I think the system is corrupt and the only way to control the draw a little more is w/a preference pt. system where it is "impossible" to draw a given tag unless you have the pts. to do it.

 

I can give an example of a guy that is best friends with some people in the draw department and he calls his tags every yr. I mean not after the draw but before he puts in. I will tell you that he has had 9 bull elk tags in a row and none of them have been Limited Opportunity Hunts. He has had units 10, 7e, 6b, ...... archery bull elk tags in the last 5 yrs. I don't get it but would you agree and how do you fee? This is JACKED. The only way to control this kind of thing happening is w/a strict preference pt. system. What do you'll think?

 

 

I have seen the same thing in the past with whole familys doing that same thing,

getting 5 antelope tags, several early rifle bull tags and then to top it off late whitetail tags. They all keep a tight lip now that everyone is on to them. Its all in who you know anymore....

Ron

[Mason]

I feel like the AZGFD needs to implement a system that gives minimum a 50-50 split to the max point holders. I saw BP work this yr. with some of my buddies, but I have seen a lot more "lucky" people that have drawn premium tags either back to back or 2 w/in the last 4 yrs. Doesn't seem right.

 

Believe it or not I think the system is corrupt and the only way to control the draw a little more is w/a preference pt. system where it is "impossible" to draw a given tag unless you have the pts. to do it.

 

I can give an example of a guy that is best friends with some people in the draw department and he calls his tags every yr. I mean not after the draw but before he puts in. I will tell you that he has had 9 bull elk tags in a row and none of them have been Limited Opportunity Hunts. He has had units 10, 7e, 6b, ...... archery bull elk tags in the last 5 yrs. I don't get it but would you agree and how do you fee? This is JACKED. The only way to control this kind of thing happening is w/a strict preference pt. system. What do you'll think?

Thanks for the input and I couln't agree with you more. There are definately too many holes in the "Bonus" point system. As for the guy calling his tags, something needs to be done there, like letting me put in with him! Thanks for the response, I really would like to come up with a good proposal for the G&F this coming year.

[donniedent]

I'd like to see them go back to the system where if you draw a bull elk tag, you have to wait 3 years to apply again. But I'd change it a little, if you want to put in for cow tags in the mean time great but you gotta wait 3 years to apply again for a bull tag. Lets face it, these days a good majority of hunters are hunting horns, nothing wrong with that but its a fact. So lets take turns so the same guys aren't drawing all the tags. I had a guy tell me he's been drawn for 5bn archery bull 2 years in a row. Now I don't know what kinda points he had last year but he only had at the max 2 this year, I applied with 4 and didn't draw, its just not fair. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a whiner but I'd just like to see some fairness.

 

Donnie

[rimhunter]

As for havening friends in the draw department thats pretty chicken sh*t . If this is true .

 

In being fair AG&F gave 14695 elk tag this year . There"s about 50.000 people movening into the valley area each year if 2000 of them are hunters in 7 years there will be 14.000 more hunters . with this amount of people appling I think a once in a life time elk tag would be a start .

[BASS]

I think that the guy entering the info is the one who screws up the most, not the owners of the info as GFD tries to pass off. Either way something needs to be changed I think. I havn't been drawn in three-four years for elk, yet one of my friends has drawn in 10, and 9 for the last four years in a row.

 

Or maybe I should just get a job at the draw office? That way we all would get our tags!

[KGAINES]

I have never been drawn for elk, so I don't know about once in a lifetime, I would like to hunt them more than once, but the system is flawed, this year I had 9 points, my first choice was 6A archery bull, and my second choice was a limited opp. any elk tag. Up until a few years ago cow was always my second choice so I think I am really really unlucky when it comes to elk, as far as deer, I have had a tag every year, oct. coues hunts are 3 thru 5 and sometimes my second choice. If i got a bull tag I would gladly wait a couple of years, but it would have to be a law, and a penalty like no license for a year or two and that species off for 5 years for those that apply for bull when they are on the 2 year off list.

[firstcoueswas80]

personally, i think that would make it more like waiting in line then actually having to have 'the luck of the draw' if you HAVE to take time off of a species, i would not be happy with that at all! i think the system in AZ is jacked up,but i would hate to see it go to waiting in line than anything else

[daverp]

I don't know why they did away with the way it used to be when I was a kid back in the 80's, where if you drew an elk tag, that was it for 5 years I thought (someone here said 3?). Put a 3 year res and 5 year non-res restriction on it, and keep the bonus point system. You would not accumulate points for the years you could not apply after drawing a tag.

 

That would have to even things out a little better I think. I'm not complaining, because I just drew a non-res bull tag, but it's hard to hear of guys going 10, 15, or even more years without drawing a bull tag when others claim to have drawn "three years in a row". "Lottery drawing" or not, where's the fairness in that? it might be cyclic, but tell that to the guy that hasn't drawn in 13 years!

 

They're going to have to make adjustments. With the drought we're getting fewer hunting opportunities, and more residents to compete for the decreased opportunities.

 

I don't like the idea of having to pay for all your tags up front like they did last year (res or non-res). That puts a lot of the hunts, especially for non-residents, into reach of the rich only, and that doesn't sit well with me. Come up with a system where the poor guy has every chance the rich guy has, and I'll buy into it.

[rimhunter]

How is waiting in line going to help there always someone who will let someone cut in the line