The Hunt Recommendation Process

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Interesting video, kinda makes me scratch  my head as I see conflicting information in the field compared to how the process is presented.

 

[stanley]

That caught my eye earlier today, as well.  I thought it seemed fairly informative.  Seemed to lay-out in a fairly elementary way the various elements and variables they try to consider when coming-up with hunt recommendations.  Absolutely NO system is perfect, but I'm a "glass is 1/2 full" kind of guy and I like to think that they are doing their best (at least at the ground level) to manage things.

S.

[Northern Pintail]

6 hours ago, Non-Typical Solutions said:

Interesting video, kinda makes me scratch  my head as I see conflicting information in the field compared to how the process is presented.

 

What’s the conflicting information? You can find the guidelines on their website which makes it very clear what they are to do.    

 

I wish they had population objectives instead of just ratios.   Ratios aren’t a good thing if there is only 50 deer in a unit 

[azbirdhunter88]

6 hours ago, stanley said:

That caught my eye earlier today, as well.  I thought it seemed fairly informative.  Seemed to lay-out in a fairly elementary way the various elements and variables they try to consider when coming-up with hunt recommendations.  Absolutely NO system is perfect, but I'm a "glass is 1/2 full" kind of guy and I like to think that they are doing their best (at least at the ground level) to manage things.

S.

Your kidding right? Way too many tags in most units for deer and elk. It’s been an issue for a long time now. They are not doing their best. 

[mbiewer]

9 hours ago, azbirdhunter88 said:

Your kidding right? Way too many tags in most units for deer and elk. It’s been an issue for a long time now. They are not doing their best. 

again,... how is it conflicting information. they talk about "extra hunters" in the video... at 3:10-to 3:40 of the video, they talk about filling units with hunters. ha ha

then at 4:05-5:00 Even the wildlife biologist talks about the scarcity of animals.

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One thing they don't mention is I had heard at one point, they have a "multiplier" for tags. for example: they need the herd size maintained.  If in a particular unit, they need 100 animals to be removed, they issue 400 tags.  Because they need 100 animals to be removed, but they don't expect 100 hunters to be successful, so they over issue tags** to get closer to the target.

**Footnote: while my example is not specific, they might spread the abundance in tags out over an entire species, not one particular method of take (although it feels like it on most hunts). Spreading it between  archery, rifle, youth, etc

[StickFlicker]

The "multiplier" you speak of is essentially the success rate.  If that hunt has had 25% success in the past, obviously you would need to give out 4 times as many tags as the number of animals you want taken in order to accomplish that.

 

They also didn't mention the "pie" method of distribution between weapon types.  Basically, if 30% of the FIRST choice applicants for a species are for a particular weapon (e.g. archery), then they apportion enough of the tags for that species to that weapon type to be able to have 30% of the harvest be with that weapon.  If you are the type of person that puts a different weapon for first and second choice, you are increasing the future number of permits that go to the weapon type of your first choice and decreasing that of your second choice.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

11 hours ago, Northern Pintail said:

What’s the conflicting information? You can find the guidelines on their website which makes it very clear what they are to do.    

 

I wish they had population objectives instead of just ratios.   Ratios aren’t a good thing if there is only 50 deer in a unit 

When you look at the number of tags issued, the number of hunts that take place from August-December, there is no way the number of animals/quality of hunts is maintained! In both instances they go down the toilet.

The only place either of those is met is in units that number of tags issued is limited!

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Conflicting information meaning.......what I see and what they claim!!!! 

[Northern Pintail]

2 hours ago, Non-Typical Solutions said:

When you look at the number of tags issued, the number of hunts that take place from August-December, there is no way the number of animals/quality of hunts is maintained! In both instances they go down the toilet.

The only place either of those is met is in units that number of tags issued is limited!

Since the opportunity survey was implemented I think it’s hard to say that the amount of animals has decreased.  If the amount of animals were decreasing each year I think that would show in their tag numbers.  Give me one unit and species specific that you can directly relate lower animal numbers due to the amount of tags and nothing to do with habitat quality or drought    

 

As for quality  that went down the drain with the results of the opportunity survey.  Most people (I would bet 80 plus %) just want to go hunting and don’t care about the size they shoot.  That is very apparent  each fall when you see tons of people on fb with a small deer.   If that’s what they want to shoot that’s great.  Wildlife is managed for the masses    Not a small percentage, specifically those who want everyone to be a trophy hunter. 

[AZ11]

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[AZ11]

44 minutes ago, Northern Pintail said:

Since the opportunity survey was implemented I think it’s hard to say that the amount of animals has decreased.  If the amount of animals were decreasing each year I think that would show in their tag numbers.  Give me one unit and species specific that you can directly relate lower animal numbers due to the amount of tags and nothing to do with habitat quality or drought    

 

As for quality  that went down the drain with the results of the opportunity survey.  Most people (I would bet 80 plus %) just want to go hunting and don’t care about the size they shoot.  That is very apparent  each fall when you see tons of people on fb with a small deer.   If that’s what they want to shoot that’s great.  Wildlife is managed for the masses    Not a small percentage, specifically those who want everyone to be a trophy hunter. 

Unit 7 Mule Deer. 1025 buck tags. I'm going to say no more

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I don't disagree with you on habitat quality/drought absolutely a factor and I by no means am a trophy hunter, quality of hunt to me means being able to pursue an animal without feeling like I'm on the B-line highway Monday Labor Day weekend evening

When I see numbers like this.....it just scares me........750 tags regardless of habitat/drought that is a pot load of tags

Archery 700 tags in 6A.......what kind of an archery hunt is that?

I don't hunt 6A but I do hunt 27 and 10 and I have been pretty deep and off road in both of those units but when there is 6-700 tags it makes "hunting" not so fun!

I am thankful every day that we have the opportunity to hunt!!!

 

3048 Oct 18 - Oct 24, 2019 (8) 7 West Antlerless elk 450

3049 Dec 6 - Dec 12, 2019 (8) 7 West Antlerless elk 350

3050 Dec 6 - Dec 12, 2019 8 Antlerless elk 500

3051 Oct 18 - Oct 24, 2019 9 Antlerless elk 300

3052 Dec 6 - Dec 12, 2019 9 Antlerless elk 300

3053 Oct 18 - Oct 24, 2019 (35) 10 Antlerless elk 725

3054 Dec 6 - Dec 12, 2019 (35) 10 Antlerless elk 750

3134 Sep 13 - Sep 26, 2019 6A Bull elk 700

1097 Oct 25 - Oct 31, 2019 27 and 28 Antlered whitetail deer 600

[Non-Typical Solutions]

19 minutes ago, AZ11 said:

Unit 7 Mule Deer. 1025 buck tags. I'm going to say no more

This.......^^^^^^

[AZ11]

It says in the video that if you want to give your opinion to the game and fish about the amount of tags in a particular unit than you can email them at AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov

[azbirdhunter88]

1 hour ago, AZ11 said:

It says in the video that if you want to give your opinion to the game and fish about the amount of tags in a particular unit than you can email them at AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov

Ya this will solve it all. Thanks.