draw only deer hunts

[.270]

so whatta all you bone'narrow freaks think of limiting the number of hunters with the new drawing only archery hunts in 1,7, kaibab and the the strip? just wondering. it's something i've felt for a long time would be a good idea. at least it will seperate serious archers from kids. anyway, any opinions? Lark.

[ac guy]

It's not the draw I mind, as much as the amount of tags. 150 tags in 3a/3c, which 820 people annually hunt is ridiculous. I would think 500-600 tags would have been more realistic.

[Coach]

Like most things, there are both good and bad outcomes here. For the most part, limiting the number of bowhunters in some of these units was inevitable - I've you've ever been up around Big Lake during archery season, you know it's like a parade of camo'd knuckleheads driving around bumper-to-bumper looking for anything with horns. Heck, if a deer did appear it would look like a pocupine faster than you can say "Dude, there's one - hold my beer!".

 

On the other hand, some areas affected (3B in particular) already have more deer killed by cars than bow hunters, so the unit selection seems a little bit arbitrary. Also, specifically with Unit 1, I can only imagine what unit 27 will look like this year with all of the knuckleheads from Unit 1 getting puhsed into the Blue, Eagle Creek and Sprucedale areas which were already at pretty high knucklehead densities.

 

I think my biggest complaint with the drawing is that it is combined with the drawing for general season. I can see a first come- first served permit allotment for the areas that get overrun each fall to keep the numbers in check, but it shouldn't affect the general deer season application process, IMO.

[DesertBull]

Why can fall archery and general bear be over the counter / quota, but not archery deer? Both are already mandatory reporting of kill.

[300 wsm]

I think it is a good idea. I think it will help the deer herd in those units out. Only serious hunters will go, and there wont be all of the road hunters that just want to drink beer and drive around. Just like AZOnecam said. It is pathetic around areas like Big lake, and the Kaibab. I just wish they would have added 3B to the list. Our deer herd here sucks.

[coues krazy]

I also think it is a good idea. I have been hunting archery on the kaibab the last few years, and it was over run with people road hunting.

I bet alot of people will put kaibab archery as second choice after rifle first. It will be a better hunt with half the number of hunters up there.

[skyhawkbowhunter]

I think they should add some other units. the one they should put as a draw is 20a.

[Red Rabbit]

While it might be nice to have fewer hunters in the field and less roadies, that means one has not been hunting far enough away from the roads, or on an Oct/Nov deer hunt, or doesn't like so many other road hunters competing on the roads and spooking the deer ahead of him.

 

What I really feel is that this is a cog in the gear of "opportunity". If an archer puts in and draws for an archery hunt, that means that one more permit is available for a rifle hunter. Those that apply for the archery permits will likely be the die-hard archers who do not hunt with a rifle, or the convicted felon who cannot possess a firearm (these days, people want to classify spitting on the sidewalk as a felony) or the person who thinks the archery Kaibab permit id better than a 21 mule deer rifle tag, but still hunted the Kaibab in Sept before the rifle season. The permitting of the archery permits is not about limiting the archery harvest to their "fair share" of 20%, but about increasing opportunity and having more hunters have permits. The same number of deer will be killed. Smoke n mirrors.

 

If G&F really wanted to increase opportunity (ie permit numbers), they would decrease the number of rifle permits and increase number of the muzzleloader and archery permits.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

Lark,

 

 

Your dead on, IMO. It separates and gives better opportunity to the Serious Bow Hunter. We, too, have talked about it for years in my close group of friends..... But I am not sure if, in the Big Picture, it is for the best. I, for once, am really on the fence here..... There are reasons that make it really good for the Only with a Bow hunter and also helps the gun only guys as well. I just can't help but wonder...... what is next... all archery deer and turkey hunts? They are increasing, and yet decreasing, opportunity...... all at the same time, depending on how you look at it. It is muddy water at very best...... IMO.

 

CnS

 

[firstcoueswas80]

Gets AZGF$D's foot in the door to regulate us more and more and more. Not a fan.

[grizzly]

I agree with azonecam. I would like to see an over the counter with a first come first served allotment. One of the funnest things is going to Kaibab and passing on younger, smaller deer with the thought of a rifle tag later in the year, knowing if that rare monster sticks his head out he would be worth forfeiting the late season rifle hunt. This basically means less days in the field for me. Also those people who buy their first bow the week before season will now be congregating in other units which will necessitate those units also going to draw in the future.

[crazy4COUES]

Myself first of all being a bowhunter and second of all being a unit 1 native don't have a problem with the draw. I have a problem with the season dates and the effect it will have on future of bowhunting. Personally I prefer to hunt deer hard horned. So with that said, I feel the G&F should have made draw seasons that are later in the year so you could have an opportunity to hunt them hard horned. However, this is going to allow more rifle permits to be issued until the >20% limit harvest rate is met. Because bowhunter sucess is going to drop drastically as compared to the past. So I believe the herd will maintain the same quality and or quantities for awhile. Only time will tell if things are really going to turn around for the deer herd and or the bowhunting sportsmen.

[DesertBull]

There are a lot of western states that draw ALL archery deer tags. In fact, I would say most of them do.

 

I still think the quota system would work. When "X" amount of deer are killed in archery season, the season is closed. Works for bear, why not deer?

[Snapshot]

Just as someone else said, the hunters that bought over the counter tags before, and don't apply for the new draw units are just going to hunt other units

and make them more crowded.

I am a two season hunter archery/rifle and I like the opportunity to hunt both, however, I don't hunt the archery units that have gone to draw. If the units in question that have gone to a draw benefit both the deer and the hunter it could be a good thing. I like all of the new rifle season formats, but I feel that our herds (mule deer especially) need to rebound awhile longer before G&F starts to add more permits. I think it might take 2-3 years to find out what effect these new hunting formats and increased opportunity have on the deer herds? Time will tell.

[bobbyo]

While it might be nice to have fewer hunters in the field and less roadies, that means one has not been hunting far enough away from the roads, or on an Oct/Nov deer hunt, or doesn't like so many other road hunters competing on the roads and spooking the deer ahead of him.

 

If G&F really wanted to increase opportunity (ie permit numbers), they would decrease the number of rifle permits and increase number of the muzzleloader and archery permits.

 

Couldn't of said it better myself. Create more opportunity by increasing tags for low success rate hunting methods instead of protecting one method (rifle hunting) over another.

Bob