Help with AZ Coues hunt.

[654321]

I am not suggesting that anyone other than the azgfd manage our game but they need to do a better job at it. I asked why they don’t implement a mandatory reporting process and they said they don’t want to burden the hunters with it, I think it's because they will find out we are over harvesting game in az!!! They in turn would have to reduce tags, and that would mean loose of revenue

I hear a few years back that the ada did some studies on the Kaibab and found the department was off on numbers. Amanda can you help out with this about the studies done

I agree with the mandatory harvest report, all though on this site all I ever see when a new rule is implemented is how stupid that is and we don't need more rules so how does the AZGFD go about forcing people to report. I looked and it appears NMGFD rule is you don't report by a certain time you aren't elgible for the next draw. It must work to a point but they don't have bonus points. Can you imagine the uproar if someone lost their loyal point because they didn't report. Oregon has had mandatory reporting for years but no enforcing of it, they were only getting a 42% compliance so this year they will charge an extra $25 if you hadn't reported again I believe that would cause a huge uproar here. Now there is the question of are they doing that bad of job, it seems to me that if the majority of people weren't happy with the AZGFD they would be getting so much negative feed back that they would have to change something. Lets say they cut tags back no doubt lost revenue so what now, they raise fees they have to, and lets don't kid ourselves the passage of this new bill the department will be changing the fee structure. I honestly don't mind some fee increases lets be honest the cost of doing business is true for the AZGFD too. I guess for me it just doesn't seem like its that bad.

NOT THAT BAD? When does it get "that bad, when the deer population is so low you see 20 hunters for every deer, or is it when you get real excited to see one deer all day? I have seen the Mule Deer population diminish significantly over the last 20 years. I used to hunt them in areas that now have hardly any Mulies and what you do see aren't the size they were years earlier. I for one would like to get something changed BEFORE we get to crisis levels....JMTSW

The only deer population that is that low is the desert mule deer and if you take a look at any state that has mule deer you will see that AZ. mule deer aren't the only mule deer down on numbers. Also take a look at where mule deer numbers were high 20 years ago you know what I see I'll tell you a heck of alot of those pretty adobe houses that all look the same. You know what else I see in traditional mule deer habitat? Whitetail deer and there numbers seem to be doing just fine. IMO

[huntlines]

I am not suggesting that anyone other than the azgfd manage our game but they need to do a better job at it. I asked why they don’t implement a mandatory reporting process and they said they don’t want to burden the hunters with it, I think it's because they will find out we are over harvesting game in az!!! They in turn would have to reduce tags, and that would mean loose of revenue

I hear a few years back that the ada did some studies on the Kaibab and found the department was off on numbers. Amanda can you help out with this about the studies done

I agree with the mandatory harvest report, all though on this site all I ever see when a new rule is implemented is how stupid that is and we don't need more rules so how does the AZGFD go about forcing people to report. I looked and it appears NMGFD rule is you don't report by a certain time you aren't elgible for the next draw. It must work to a point but they don't have bonus points. Can you imagine the uproar if someone lost their loyal point because they didn't report. Oregon has had mandatory reporting for years but no enforcing of it, they were only getting a 42% compliance so this year they will charge an extra $25 if you hadn't reported again I believe that would cause a huge uproar here. Now there is the question of are they doing that bad of job, it seems to me that if the majority of people weren't happy with the AZGFD they would be getting so much negative feed back that they would have to change something. Lets say they cut tags back no doubt lost revenue so what now, they raise fees they have to, and lets don't kid ourselves the passage of this new bill the department will be changing the fee structure. I honestly don't mind some fee increases lets be honest the cost of doing business is true for the AZGFD too. I guess for me it just doesn't seem like its that bad.

NOT THAT BAD? When does it get "that bad, when the deer population is so low you see 20 hunters for every deer, or is it when you get real excited to see one deer all day? I have seen the Mule Deer population diminish significantly over the last 20 years. I used to hunt them in areas that now have hardly any Mulies and what you do see aren't the size they were years earlier. I for one would like to get something changed BEFORE we get to crisis levels....JMTSW

The only deer population that is that low is the desert mule deer and if you take a look at any state that has mule deer you will see that AZ. mule deer aren't the only mule deer down on numbers. Also take a look at where mule deer numbers were high 20 years ago you know what I see I'll tell you a heck of alot of those pretty adobe houses that all look the same. You know what else I see in traditional mule deer habitat? Whitetail deer and there numbers seem to be doing just fine. IMO

Ok so I'm fine with increased fees as well IF and only IF they decrease the amount of tags being given. You and I both know that isn't going to happen because they want the money. I understand things cost more to operate the department but at what cost? The only animals doing well are the elk and with the amount of tags they are offering for elk this year I see them going down hill to. If the whitetail are doing as good as you say they are then why did G&F close units to archery hunting in December? None of what you are saying makes much sense.........

[654321]

I am not suggesting that anyone other than the azgfd manage our game but they need to do a better job at it. I asked why they don’t implement a mandatory reporting process and they said they don’t want to burden the hunters with it, I think it's because they will find out we are over harvesting game in az!!! They in turn would have to reduce tags, and that would mean loose of revenue

I hear a few years back that the ada did some studies on the Kaibab and found the department was off on numbers. Amanda can you help out with this about the studies done

I agree with the mandatory harvest report, all though on this site all I ever see when a new rule is implemented is how stupid that is and we don't need more rules so how does the AZGFD go about forcing people to report. I looked and it appears NMGFD rule is you don't report by a certain time you aren't elgible for the next draw. It must work to a point but they don't have bonus points. Can you imagine the uproar if someone lost their loyal point because they didn't report. Oregon has had mandatory reporting for years but no enforcing of it, they were only getting a 42% compliance so this year they will charge an extra $25 if you hadn't reported again I believe that would cause a huge uproar here. Now there is the question of are they doing that bad of job, it seems to me that if the majority of people weren't happy with the AZGFD they would be getting so much negative feed back that they would have to change something. Lets say they cut tags back no doubt lost revenue so what now, they raise fees they have to, and lets don't kid ourselves the passage of this new bill the department will be changing the fee structure. I honestly don't mind some fee increases lets be honest the cost of doing business is true for the AZGFD too. I guess for me it just doesn't seem like its that bad.

NOT THAT BAD? When does it get "that bad, when the deer population is so low you see 20 hunters for every deer, or is it when you get real excited to see one deer all day? I have seen the Mule Deer population diminish significantly over the last 20 years. I used to hunt them in areas that now have hardly any Mulies and what you do see aren't the size they were years earlier. I for one would like to get something changed BEFORE we get to crisis levels....JMTSW

The only deer population that is that low is the desert mule deer and if you take a look at any state that has mule deer you will see that AZ. mule deer aren't the only mule deer down on numbers. Also take a look at where mule deer numbers were high 20 years ago you know what I see I'll tell you a heck of alot of those pretty adobe houses that all look the same. You know what else I see in traditional mule deer habitat? Whitetail deer and there numbers seem to be doing just fine. IMO

Ok so I'm fine with increased fees as well IF and only IF they decrease the amount of tags being given. You and I both know that isn't going to happen because they want the money. I understand things cost more to operate the department but at what cost? The only animals doing well are the elk and with the amount of tags they are offering for elk this year I see them going down hill to. If the whitetail are doing as good as you say they are then why did G&F close units to archery hunting in December? None of what you are saying makes much sense.........

I have already shown that GF has decreased the mule deer tags in 34A for both the rifle hunt and muzzy hunt. What makes you think the whitetail populations are doing so poorly. I have been hunting the southern units for the last 18+ years and can harvest a deer on any of the hunts and the last 5+ years have been seeing some real nice bucks. I think people have these ridiculous ideas that they should be able to drive the roads and see 110" bucks behind every tree. I could be wrong but I thought I read about AZ Groundpounders and how they helped clients harvest 20 100" bucks that sure don't seem to me it's all doom and gloom here in Az.

[elkaholic]

Unit 29 is closed to archery hunting in December again this year. I was told it was due to a high harvest ratio during the Aug/Sep hunt of last year. I'm not happy about this as I love hunting unit 29 in December which has been the best rut in the past. 30A, 34A and 35 A&B are all good units as well during this time of year.

 

 

now that's so funny I spit up my drink -- high harvest - i'll bet you money there was not even 20 bucks killed the whole season !!

 

a close friend lives in the heart of 29 retired ranger - if you believe the harvest quotes for G&F he's got some good beachfront property just south of douglas!!

[Elkhunter1]

Unit 29 is closed to archery hunting in December again this year. I was told it was due to a high harvest ratio during the Aug/Sep hunt of last year. I'm not happy about this as I love hunting unit 29 in December which has been the best rut in the past. 30A, 34A and 35 A&B are all good units as well during this time of year.

now that's so funny I spit up my drink -- high harvest - i'll bet you money there was not even 20 bucks killed the whole season !! a close friend lives in the heart of 29 retired ranger - if you believe the harvest quotes for G&F he's got some good beachfront property just south of douglas!!

I've said it once and I'll say it again unless there is mandatory reporting for all hunters we will never know what is actually harvested. with accurate harvest data you then need to include accurate survey counts and then you'll have a good harvest percentage to determine tag numbers for the following year

[654321]

Unit 29 is closed to archery hunting in December again this year. I was told it was due to a high harvest ratio during the Aug/Sep hunt of last year. I'm not happy about this as I love hunting unit 29 in December which has been the best rut in the past. 30A, 34A and 35 A&B are all good units as well during this time of year.

now that's so funny I spit up my drink -- high harvest - i'll bet you money there was not even 20 bucks killed the whole season !! a close friend lives in the heart of 29 retired ranger - if you believe the harvest quotes for G&F he's got some good beachfront property just south of douglas!!

I've said it once and I'll say it again unless there is mandatory reporting for all hunters we will never know what is actually harvested. with accurate harvest data you then need to include accurate survey counts and then you'll have a good harvest percentage to determine tag numbers for the following year

If you haven't already read it there is an interesting report on the AZGFD web page called the Hunter Questionaire Improvement Report December 2008