Over the counter deer tags

[BowNut]

Got this in an e-mail today just wanted to pass it on.

Deer_issue_meeting_flyer.pdf

[hunterdude]

That sucks! I guess pretty soon if you are going to hunt in Az you better marry someone from one of the Res. !

[coueshunter]

I expected the Kaibab to go to something like this, but other units were not in my mindset. I know I have mentioned this many times, but people need to get more involved in wildlife issues, go to the commission meetings, belong to a conservation group and spend time on the committees. In todays day, it isnt enough to just send in your membership dues and expect alot back from the 25.00 or so. TIME donated to conservation projects and committee meetings is really where the results are made............sorry if this is a old message but get involved, be informed if you want to retain some of the rights we have............Allen Tayor.............

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Thanks for the heads up I will be there.

[bmf1321]

Does anyone know if there will be a meeting in the Tucson area?

[Red Rabbit]

bmf,

The public meetings for the 2008-2010 guidelines have already been held.

There is an open house meeting in Tucson tonight at 5-7pm to discuss the spring hunts and waterfowl.

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hunt_guidelines.shtml

[SilentButDeadly]

Which Units are being discussed?

 

As much as it will suck to go to a draw it is the wave of the future - unless the uncontrolled population growth is checked and the destruction of prime Coue's and Muley habitat is halted. There are still high density developments going into areas that hold deer - once the habitat is gone the deer have no where to go and then they are gone.

 

A scary thought - the world record typical Coue's was killed in Pima County - what are the chances that the habitat that once held that world record deer is now part of a subdivision somewhere in suburban Tucson??

[monstercoues]

I am glad someone posted this. The reason for the proposal is because there are units out there where hunters are harvesting just as many deer with a bow than the rifle hunters are with a rifle. As far as wildlife management is concerned, something needs to be done here. This is why I was so against baiting. There has been a significant increase in archery harvest over the last few years due to increased baiting, salt, corn, whatever. I expressed this opinion in another thread and someone asked which units and how do I know, I just went down to the Game and Fish office here in Tucson and bought the Hunt AZ book and it has all this info. Everything from hunt harvest to draw results for each unit. There are too many for me to scan and post on this site.

[ultramag]

I hate when G&F change stuff, but the last time I was in kiabab it was crazy, people everywhere. I still don't see how success is good enough to make it a draw.

[ultramag]

I am glad someone posted this. The reason for the proposal is because there are units out there where hunters are harvesting just as many deer with a bow than the rifle hunters are with a rifle. As far as wildlife management is concerned, something needs to be done here. This is why I was so against baiting. There has been a significant increase in archery harvest over the last few years due to increased baiting, salt, corn, whatever. I expressed this opinion in another thread and someone asked which units and how do I know, I just went down to the Game and Fish office here in Tucson and bought the Hunt AZ book and it has all this info. Everything from hunt harvest to draw results for each unit. There are too many for me to scan and post on this site.

I don't think that baiting makes the deer harvest go up that much if at all.

[bowsniper]

There has been a significant increase in archery harvest over the last few years due to increased baiting, salt, corn, whatever.

 

Where did you get this information? G&F has made the same claim, but it has been pointed out by many at the so called "Public Input Meetings" that there is no bases or data to support this claim of "significant increase in archery harvest over the last few years". You are falling for the G&F miss-information used to justify whatever they want to do.

 

Mark

[Rembrant]

I just added up 4 years of whitetail rifle success out of the '04 stat book for unit 23 and they averaged to 103 deer per hunt.

Units 22 and 23 lately have been harvesting around 80 deer a year, each, for archery. Archery success percentages have typically risen and fallen over the years, but lately the archery hunters are getting more consistant. Y'all can argue why this is; high tech bows, bait, or whatever. And we can debate whether this harvest will eventually affect our deer herds. Apparently the Game Dept is looking at it with some concern (that is their job).

One possible solution that would not affect the over the counter tag, or the baiting folks, would be to put a harvest quota on the archery hunt like we have for the bear hunt - everybody gets a tag, but the hunt is over when the quota is met.

Personally I think putting it to a draw would preserve the best quality of the hunt. It would eliminate the casual arrow flingers and keep the hunter numbers at a more desireable level.

The quality argument is the latest consenses on this site, right? Not every change the Dept makes is bad.

How many stories of ripped off tree blinds and cameras, and people stumbling over other people's baits have we shared lately?

Our biggest problem is too many people in the state. How long can we expect an over the counter system to work when everyone wants to hunt?

By the way, I don't like it either. I'm just trying to get my own selfish interests out of the way and take a logical look at the big picture.

Mike

[bmf1321]

I like that I can go to Wal Mart and buy a tag and go archery deer hunting but I can also see why they want to eliminate the OTC tags. If it has to happen I think they should increase the number of draw tags issued and extend the seasons. I would like to see them do a 4-5 week general season, pretty much combining the early and late seasons. I also think they should allow succesful tag holders to hunt an archery only season in their drawn units prior to and after the general season ends.

[Outdoor Writer]

By the way, I don't like it either. I'm just trying to get my own selfish interests out of the way and take a logical look at the big picture.

Mike

 

Now that's certainly a novel idea, Mike.

 

Everything stated in your message is dead on. -TONY

[CouesWhitetail]

Here is a letter from Dick King, Vice-Chairman of the Arizona Bowhunters Association. He shows alot of the harvest data for the archery hunt from the Hunt Arizona book. Sorry it's not open text in this message, but the forum won't maintain the table formatting so I had to scan it and convert it to a PDF.

 

Anyone feeling strongly about this issue should definitely attend the commission meeting on Sat in Flagstaff.

 

 

dick_king_letter.pdf