NOTAGS Report post Posted July 26, 2019 https://www.azgfd.com/azgfd-recommends-amending-spring-bison-hunts-for-2020-2021/ I thought I misread this, AZGF leaving money on the table? Gonna make it tougher to draw a tag now, as if it wasnt already. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted July 26, 2019 Just my opinion but these are good changes. The attempt to pack more hunters in with less time overall for each hunt was a bad move IMO. I think they were trying to milk it a little too hard. If people have to wait their turn to go, so be it. Its not hard to get drawn for cow. I got a tag the first time I put cow on my app. The extended weather just made a not so good situation a lot worse. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NOTAGS Report post Posted July 26, 2019 I'm not saying the changes would be bad. I was commenting that I find this contrary to the usual actions of the GF and their "hunter opportunity" argument with the southern deer tags. Now they are more concerned with hunter happiness? Quite the switch IMHO. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roosevelt Mark Report post Posted July 26, 2019 Less tags longer hunts same yield. That what I got out of it. Not like AZGFD to leave money on the table. They will probably have a price increase. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted July 27, 2019 2 hours ago, NOTAGS said: I'm not saying the changes would be bad. I was commenting that I find this contrary to the usual actions of the GF and their "hunter opportunity" argument with the southern deer tags. Now they are more concerned with hunter happiness? Quite the switch IMHO. I was not trying to be argumentative or even reacting to your comments. My comments were 100% directed at the management of the herd and the hunt structure. Directed at Game and Fish and to a certain degree Russ. Sorry if you felt that it was directed to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NOTAGS Report post Posted July 27, 2019 Not at all... As said, it may be a better thing, they dumped a bunch of hunts in a row during the summer a few years ago, and it seems that they have had pretty decent success on them for the most part. One year of a return to what used to be a normal winter, with limited access for most, and now they are looking at changing them back to more closely resemble the old hunt structures. At a loss of over 12k in revenue due to the cut in tag numbers. Considering how many coues. tags they dumped on southern units after the "survey", it is a nice change in direction for the AZGF. I do feel for those people who are up around 30 pt.s trying for bull tags.The wait may get longer. 17 hours ago, Roosevelt Mark said: Less tags longer hunts same yield. That what I got out of it. Not like AZGFD to leave money on the table. They will probably have a price increase. I agree, the tags will most likely increase in price as soon as they get a chance to change them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted July 27, 2019 They just did the Bison hunter clinic last Saturday. They did mention that they would be changing the hunt structures due to how the weather affected the hunts earlier. They also said that starting in September the park would start the trapping process with their corals. I believe they said the goal would be no more then 50 Head per year relocated. I'm glad I got a tag now. An already once in a lifetime tag is only going to get harder to draw. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted July 27, 2019 Ya it is contrary to the usual MO no doubt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northern Pintail Report post Posted July 30, 2019 Several statements from GF have been they are not going to raise prices any time soon. At some point licenses will have to go up again but I bet it’s not for another 5 years Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MT_Sourdough Report post Posted July 31, 2019 The objective is still herd reduction, over all, but it seems the azgfd aims are focused on hunter satisfaction. They'll leave the job of population management to the Park as far as this herd is concerned. I am curious how the effort is going as far as the state's effort to build up a herd that doesn't involve the feds/park. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Explorer Report post Posted July 31, 2019 Why dont they transplant some buffalo like they do antelope and such. Plenty of room south of the rim for some new hunting opportunity 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted July 31, 2019 13 hours ago, MT_Sourdough said: The objective is still herd reduction, over all, but it seems the azgfd aims are focused on hunter satisfaction. They'll leave the job of population management to the Park as far as this herd is concerned. I am curious how the effort is going as far as the state's effort to build up a herd that doesn't involve the feds/park. I think they said they had 19 animals up at the house rock wilderness area. It's gonna be awhile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NOTAGS Report post Posted July 31, 2019 Buffalo goes where buffalo wanna go. GF and the feds can spend money rounding them up and plunking them down on the prairie at the House Rock but, those animals are going to remember that it is cooler and safer on top and go back. It wont take them any time at all to be back where they started. Fences are meaningless to them. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted August 3, 2019 On 7/30/2019 at 9:31 PM, Explorer said: Why dont they transplant some buffalo like they do antelope and such. Plenty of room south of the rim for some new hunting opportunity I heard they rounded some up in the Park a number of years back, brought them to House Rock and in 3 hours they were right back on top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted August 3, 2019 On 7/31/2019 at 4:17 PM, NOTAGS said: Buffalo goes where buffalo wanna go. GF and the feds can spend money rounding them up and plunking them down on the prairie at the House Rock but, those animals are going to remember that it is cooler and safer on top and go back. It wont take them any time at all to be back where they started. Fences are meaningless to them. 41 minutes ago, Heat said: I heard they rounded some up in the Park a number of years back, brought them to House Rock and in 3 hours they were right back on top. I don't know because I'm Podunk white trash, and you guys I'm sure are better informed then most (no im not being a smartass, im saying that cuz you have both had tags). But for everyone else who may not know... What I took away from the bison clinic was Bison are very much pulled to the place they grew up or were born. The reason the cow mentioned above made a b line to the park was because of that strong natural pull. I got the impression they need younger animals born and or raised there I guess to also birth there, which would in turn keep them on public land and not b line to the park. I'm not a biologist so I have no clue. Just passing on what seemed to be the point. The same point seems to be the reason the park will round them up to sell but not relocate to house rock (because they will just come back). Of course there's gotta be some politics mixed in with all that so dont shoot the messenger! All that being said, I hope game and fish won't spend all this time trying to establish a herd that will just learn hunting pressure and movements and find their way to the park as their safe space. Honestly I can't wrap my mind around the desire for the park to remove them, seems to me they are a natural tourist attraction, why get rid of them? I can't help but wonder if it's about $, but what do I know? #Podunk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
