Red Rabbit Report post Posted April 8, 2008 What I can't understand is how someone sees the removal of permits from a Dec. hunt as a drop in quality. That IS a contradiction. I'm not sure of the number of times I've read here about having more hunters in the woods means a less-than-quality hunt. Then when the number of hunters is cut, it still means a drop in quality. Geez, it can't go both ways. -TONY Reducing the number of December tags to 15 in u27, or to 40 in the much larger u33 & u36B is not needed for quality. U36B encompasses over 500 square miles. When the permits were at 10%, were those hunters complaining about crowding?-I didn't hear it. If lowering the Dec permit numbers increases quality, then just having ONE permit would be the epitome- UH-Huh? Now wouldn't it be a dandy hunt with one permit and a month long season? Talk about ultimate quality. But of course, the quality complaint of too many hunters in the field is not new to this year's proposals; it has gone on for while here. -TONY The argument for quality (or going to a lack of) stemmed from the increase in Oct & Nov permit numbers. With the Dec permits numbers, many argued a year ago for the increase back to 10%. After having the increase to close to 10%, the ave is proposed to be reduced back to under 5% for the non-AHM units. Having 10% of the hunters in Dec was not a quality issue, that I recall. Guess both of us should buy some Super Raffle tickets Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Schmitty Report post Posted April 9, 2008 I'm with Doug on this one. When there were leftover tags in both C and A of the 36's, why go and add more permits. There was already plenty of "opportunity" available to a guy who put down one of those hunts as his #3-5 choices. The December whitetail hunts were one of the few "quality" deer hunts that could be pulled every once in awhile. With the serious reductions, they'll become the equal of a Kaibab deer tag or an early bull hunt. Seems to me that there was already plenty of "opportunity" available to the guy who wanted it. Just my observations, Schmitty Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted April 9, 2008 I'm with Doug on this one. When there were leftover tags in both C and A of the 36's, why go and add more permits. There was already plenty of "opportunity" available to a guy who put down one of those hunts as his #3-5 choices. The December whitetail hunts were one of the few "quality" deer hunts that could be pulled every once in awhile. With the serious reductions, they'll become the equal of a Kaibab deer tag or an early bull hunt. Seems to me that there was already plenty of "opportunity" available to the guy who wanted it. Just my observations, Schmitty Because it's not all about opportunity. Why would they care if the tags sell out during the draw or after, as long as they $ell? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted April 9, 2008 If I seen a demand for the Oct. hunts increased I would still question the four hunt structure, but I would have less of an argument, but there are still leftover tags for those Oct. hunts and this year there will be even more leftover tags. People do want the Dec. tags, they want them in the central units and the southern units and that keeps getting taken away so they can put more tags out there, tags that people settle for only after all five of there original choices were taken. I can see it two years from now, lets have five hunts down south and less DEC. tags, we will add a sixth choice on the app., but there will also be an additional app. fee to fill out the fifth and sixth choice. We will just have to wait and see what the next skewed azgfd survey tells us is coming. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wetmule Report post Posted April 9, 2008 Two sportsmen showed up for the Pinetop meeting, Blaine Bickford and one other person. Way to go pinetop Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted April 9, 2008 Did anyone go to the Tucson meeting and have news or information to share? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted April 10, 2008 Did anyone go to the meeting yesterday in Mesa and have anything to share? Tonight, the open house is in Flagstaff from 6-8pm. Hope to see some of you there. Doug Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
couesdiehard Report post Posted April 15, 2008 Due to the schedules, I couldn't make any of the meetings regarding the hunt recommendations last week. Did any of the members attend and what was your take on the proceedings? From what I am seeing these recommendations are pretty much a done deal. Any feedback appreciated. Lee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThomC Report post Posted April 15, 2008 I didn't see anyone at the Tucson office. You all missed a good chance to have a one on one with Jim Heffelfinger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted April 15, 2008 I had contacted G&F about trying to move some of the early WT permits back to December. With the proposed permit numbers, the December permits are right at 5% of the total number of WT permits, which is the max allowed under the 2008-2010 guidelines. Thus, no shifting is feasible or foreseen. I went to Flagstaff open house, and there were 5 hunters in attendance, including Bowhuntingmaniac/Garth and myself. Doug~RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muley62 Report post Posted April 21, 2008 Amanda stayed until the end of the meeting on Saturday at which time Bob Hernbrode asked the department to increase tag numbers by and additional 10%! Does that piss anybody off? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TLH Report post Posted April 21, 2008 Pisses me off--that guy is completely out of control! I can not believe the disrespect he showed one of the speakers at the Saturday meeting and if i were a die hard archer i would be very worried about the way he feels about archers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted April 21, 2008 Increase which tags by 10%? All species & all hunts? Just Deer? Just certain hunts? What was his stated justification and ramifications? What discussion followed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 21, 2008 This part of the discussion came as the commissioners were giving guidance to the director as to what his goals should be for 2008. Mr. Hernbrode told the director he wants to see the dept increase deer and elk tags by 10% over the next two years. And Leonard Ordway got up to say he didn't see a problem with making that happen. Mr. Hernbrode also stated that the dept had achieved a 12% increase already in the last two years. And he also told the director that it was ok to fail on the new objective to increase tags by another 10%, but it was not ok to not try and find a way. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted April 21, 2008 They will do it by eliminating all but a token handful of Sept / Dec elk and deer hunts, including archery. So, those of us that have been applying and waiting faithfully for a Sept archery bull hunt are going to get bent over. It is also fairly obvious that lion hunting will come under serious pressure in the next few years with the current commisioners. How much longer before hounds are made illegal? I'll give it 3 years, max before we get Kalifornicated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
