boycott the harvest survey post card!!!!

[bowsniper]

Despite strong support from hunters, G&F refuses to institute a mandatory harvest reporting system. The result is suspect harvest data, that G&F can manipulate into what ever their agenda desires. What if enough hunters boycotted the current harvest survey post card? Could that possibly nudge G&F into a mandatory harvest reporting system, that would certainly produce more accurate harvest data? Think about it..... I'm going to be filing mine into the trash.

 

Mark

[Tucson John]

Despite strong support from hunters, G&F refuses to institute a mandatory harvest reporting system. The result is suspect harvest data, that G&F can manipulate into what ever their agenda desires. What if enough hunters boycotted the current harvest survey post card? Could that possibly nudge G&F into a mandatory harvest reporting system, that would certainly produce more accurate harvest data? Think about it..... I'm going to be filing mine into the trash.

 

Mark

 

Mark, I've been filing mine in the round file for years! They have no interest in reality. I'm not going to support a bunch of bureaucrat's that do the opposite of whats good for the animal population year after year. Mandatory harvest won't work either. The answer is to listen to their own field people, but they won't.

[bowhunter4life]

I've sent them in for as long as I remember, but today after what they pulled with our archery deer tags and what they want to do with archery elk, ( move 1/2 of tags to november ) we had close to 50 hunters at the flagstaff meeting, not one of the " comish " batted an eye for what az hunters want. I was told that one " comish " made the statement " we are just tired, we have been here for 4 days setting game regs." I'm sorry I throught this was your job ! you asked and were given the responsiblity. the bad news it appears Lenard " game chief " has an agenda " he does not like archery hunters

[25-06]

I allwys fill mine out and send em back, I think thats what every hunter should do. How else are they gunna know how many critters are taken from a area if WE hunters dont report it back to em?

[firstcoueswas80]

I allwys fill mine out and send em back, I think thats what every hunter should do. How else are they gunna know how many critters are taken from a area if WE hunters dont report it back to em?

 

 

terry, what does it matter? they dont take what we say or do into consideration at all. it does seem like its a waste of time to me as they dont listen to us anyways and they manipulate the numbers as is.

[elkhunter]

You guys need to understand that the game and fish employees do care it's just that the commission makes the final decisions, i don't know why the commission doesn't follow suggestions from game and fish officers but those harvest papers really help them out with maintaining hunt numbers and success

[firstcoueswas80]

Tyler, I understand that the wardens that are in the field care and are extremly knowledgeable. I ran into Mike Hollister the other day and he is far and away the most field smart game warden I have ever met.

 

It is understood that the fault lies within the commision. If they dont listen to what we have to say, what our surveys say, our the reported numbers, than what is the point?

[dave]

The surveys are vital to establishing harvest objectives.

Are they so vital they should be accurate?

Mandatory reporting along with having the public participate in the surveys would limit the ability of non-factual information that could be used to construct whatever you want to construct. Thus, here we are.

 

I believe I remember a couple Commissioners say something about surveys conducted by the public that were invalid.

 

I disagree that the Commission are the ones to blame. I have never heard the Department recommend to them mandatory reporting for all species and all weapons groups. The Department recommended that archery deer harvest reporting be mandatory. The Department recommeded it. The Department recommended that any archery deer harvest that reaches 20% success go to a draw. How do you count 20% of an unknown? What is mandatory about what they call archery harvest reporting? There is nothing factual about it. It is only a mouth tool to say they will do what they want. They are not willing to do factual survey counts of animals, browse or harvest. Factual reporting would really put a cramp in their style. Facts would not allow them to push the pencil enough to support the financial goals they have.

 

Until the hunting public requires them to produce facts, we will still have to mail in bogus survey cards or throw them in the trash where they belong. Since they make the rules, it is all good and perfect.

 

How about we start a thread on what kind of Department personell we have?

1. Ones that are far enough along not to buck the system?

2. Ones that have a passion for what they do and put up with the bull?

3. The ones we never get that won't put up with the bull?

4. The ones that control it and give us all the bull?

[elkhunter]

The point is that the game and fish department really needs the information, they run pretty much seperate from the comission, your hunt cards may not be relevant to the commission but it is extremely important to the wardens in knowing how the hunt went, the commission can choose to listen or ignore them but do it because the people who documents the hunt cards do care and they need to know whats going on with the unit/hunts.

 

Recently a new commission has been formed and it seems like they're money lovers and don't give a care bout hunt quality, many people are upset with the commission but don't let the commission ruin your help/effort towards the wardens who truly do their best do maintain good hunting

[CouesWhitetail]

As a wildlife biologist, I find hunter survey cards a useful tool for managing game species. I always fill out my hunter card accurately and honestly. I don't see how boycotting those survey cards is helpful to anyone. I do however think instituting mandatory reporting for all hunts is something that we should push harder for.

 

Amanda

[Rembrant]

I will fill out all my hunter survey cards, report kills when mandidory (like I did this week), I will pay my taxes, obey traffic laws, and pay public officials the respect the position deserves- even if I don't like them.

I will also report civil disobediance when I see it.

I don't do this to make myself feel good, nor do I do it purely for a better society - though I get both of those; the main reason I do my best to be a law abiding citizen is to bring honor to God by my actions.

Mike

[SunDevil]

so what % of the survey cards are returned on average?

 

is a mandatory reporting structure like UT and NM better than what we have? If so, why would the G&F not move towards one?

 

if a mandatory reporting structure is better and the G&F is just being stubborn maybe a survey boycott would force them into something else.

 

I have often wondered what the confidence factor of the %s the G&F reports is? + or - 5%. + or - 10%. the response rate can not be that high. then you factor there are probably some people who are not honest about it. lets face it, if you are successful and report it as unsuccessful, your unit is going to appear less appealing to other people who look at the numbers than if you report it as successful. granted, a mandatory report will not solve this problem but it will get the honest people who normally do not report on the records and make the %s they report significantly more accurate.

 

I also think they should spend a little time, effort, resources on following up with butchers after the seasons are over and get a copy of all the names of successful hunters they cut deer up for. I know one butcher who cuts a lot of deer up and he has never been contacted by the G&F to get a list of names. it would be very easy because he keeps a little notebook of everyone who brings him deer.

 

just my 2 cents.

[Switchback]

i heard that the people who do send them in get put into a different pool for the next years draw I fill mine out everytime and still cant get a tag

[bowsniper]

I don't see how boycotting those survey cards is helpful to anyone. I do however think instituting mandatory reporting for all hunts is something that we should push harder for.

 

Amanda

 

That's my point. Right now, the response is so low, that the harvest numbers are extrapolated (guessed). Why G&F wants to keep guessing and not collect accurate data is a great question. If we boycott the response cards, making the response even lower, G&F would have even less to base their guess on. It could force them into instituting mandatory reporting for all hunts. Would that be a bad thing??

 

 

Mark

[.270]

personally, i don't think that the survey does one bit of good, as it is. the elk tag increase in 22 north this year proves it. but, if a guy doesn't do his part, he can't complain, at least not as much, about the system. a guy should send them in. i hafta admit that sometimes i don't. but a guy should. some states require participation and if you fail to return it, you can't apply the next year. i also think that there should be a lot more surveys done in the field by the wardens and biologists. they should set up road checks and stuff and travel around to camps, things like that, and do lot more plain ol' good biologicial data collection on dead animals and get some idea about where in the unit they were taken and talk to the hunters about what they saw as far as animal populations. and not just talk about the animals that were in seaon. ask some questions about other game and range conditions and don't be so dang accusatory and act like anyone that was successfull musta broke the law. Lark.