Dear Arizona Game & Fish,

[knothead]

If you could sit down with the decision makers at AZGFD what recommendations would you make to improve things for the wildlife, hunters, hunting and the department without breaking the bank or impacting their generated funds?  This is where I would start:

1. Make the application process less redundant.  Why do we have to list our personal information every time we apply for a different species?  Other states have figured out how to do this why can't we?

2. When applying for hunts, give the option of listing a 2nd credit or debit card in case the first card is rejected.  

3. If the person who turns in or donates tag using point guard is the highest point holder on the application then in order to keep bonus points if they bought point guard 1.) everyone on application must turn in their tag or 2.) the person turning in tag does not get to regain all their points.  If the person turning in tag is not the highest point holder on the application then they can keep their points and has no effect on everybody else on application.  This will help with reducing the bonus point farming by allowing point farmers to use points one time instead of two.  This should also help reduce or slow down point creep.

4.  The archery deer hunts that you must get drawn for should be placed with the elk/antelope draw.  This will allow the successful applicants have time to schedule time off work, scout, search for a guide etc.  

5. Game camera season on public land (not private property).  I know some people are really passionate about this topic but cameras would only be allowed from Feb 1st to August 15th every year.  This still allows people time to use them but also give the animals a break.  

6.  Right now virtually every season ends on a Sunday.  If a season ends on a 3 day holiday weekend that is a Monday, allow the season to end on Monday & not Sunday.

 

What else?

[creed_az_88]

I agree with alot of your ideas but definitely not number 5.  I don't want a camera season. There is virtually zero camera issues in any of the areas I hunt which is alot, predominantly in the south half of the state. I really like pieces of number 3.  

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I am not familiar with the point deal in number 3 but I will say I think they should expand the tag surrender. I used my point guard due to a family death and that broke my heart more ways than one. It helped out another hunter and saved my 9 years of waiting for my dream hunt. Now god forbid if something was to happen when I draw again I would be devastated. I think if your turning a tag in early and not at the last minute it should be unlimited if you buy point guard.  Also point guard should be more than 5.00 bucks. Maybe its more expensive after you use it and it goes up each time.

I haven't really seen anything on tag turn ins and how that is effecting the system or guys that take the tags so maybe the volume can be an issue. 

I agree with creed on game cameras, I just jumped back into that game and I have never had any issues with other hunters or theft the way I use them. 

I also agree on the system having to take my info redundantly, I can click two buttons on my phone and have coffee hot and ready for me at a drive through paid for.

It is interesting on the pressure issue but I don't think game camera usage is going to put much of a dent in human traffic in the woods. Shed season, hikers, campers, trail runners, jeep clubs, UTV clubs, mountain bikers, fisherman, and just general day drivers and photographers all play a roll there. The one thing I would like to see is all those other groups mentioned start contributing to conservation.

You do have to say though that this is a year where I don't think I saw one complaint about the draw??? Great job AZGFD on that deal

[Ohthatguy]

9 minutes ago, MULEPACKHUNTER said:

 I think if your turning a tag in early and not at the last minute it should be unlimited if you buy point guard. 

Not just no, but HF'n NO!   

[CouesFanatic]

1. Yes

2. Yes 

3. No. This would hinder funding. 

4. No way

5. Worst idea ever. Not everyone cares about using cameras for deer and elk. The season idea caters to those animals only. You are missing the bigger picture. 

6. No

[PhxDT]

biggest one for me:  points should be squared so that less chance of low point holders getting permits.  Yes, we all like the chance to get a late hunt with 1 BP, but it also is lame to wait 10-20 years for one hunt.

It would go like this:

1 BP= 1BP

2 BP= 4BP

3 BP= 9BP

and so on.

And since AZ is growing like crazy, and our wildlife population is essentially capped, it is going to get even tougher/impossible to draw in the future.  So if we square points, we should put hard caps on out-of-state draws.

[creed]

1...yes

2...yes

3...I am a point whore. I bought every one of my ex wife's 22 antelope bonus points. They haven't helped me yet.

4...yes

5...yes

6...don't care one way or the other

[azcouesandelk]

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. No.  To many variables with this.  What’s saying the person with the most points has a medical or family emergency?  How is it fair that they wouldn’t be able to get their points back?

4. No.  If this were to happen then an individual could apply for deer more than once or it would hinder people like myself who apply for both archery and rifle.  Possibly go back to one application period for all species?

5. Yes and No.  I believe certain units this would be beneficial but there are To many variables and not enough man power to enforce this

6. No. Most seasons are 7 or 14 day seasons that end on a Thursday with another hunt starting the next day. The few seasons that end on a Sunday are 10 days hunts so you already have 2 weekends to hunt

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

1 hour ago, Ohthatguy said:

Not just no, but HF'n NO!   

Care to explain? What exactly does it hurt? 

[Bailer41]

13 minutes ago, MULEPACKHUNTER said:

Care to explain? What exactly does it hurt? 

There’s some abuse, not sure how often it actually happens.  In theory my wife with 14 points and me with 2 apply together for something like 12aw early.  We average to 8 and both draw.  She turns hers in and continues to build points for a strip hunt someday.  I hunt the kaibab with 2 points.  Under the current system she can do that for me once.  Under your system we do it every year forever.

[Ohthatguy]

7 minutes ago, MULEPACKHUNTER said:

Care to explain? What exactly does it hurt? 

I don't want max point holders to all be able to surrender tags year after year on a stretch of bad growth years yet remain max point holders. IMO, point guard is great insurance against unexpected events that can and do happen in life, not a way to get cut in line every year regardless until everything is perfectly aligned. The fact that you can buy a point if things have happened prior to the draw and surrender 1 tag after the draw seems more than fair to me.

[Edge]

3 hours ago, knothead said:

If you could sit down with the decision makers at AZGFD what recommendations would you make to improve things for the wildlife, hunters, hunting and the department without breaking the bank or impacting their generated funds?  This is where I would start:

1. Make the application process less redundant.  Why do we have to list our personal information every time we apply for a different species?  Other states have figured out how to do this why can't we?

2. When applying for hunts, give the option of listing a 2nd credit or debit card in case the first card is rejected.  

3. If the person who turns in or donates tag using point guard is the highest point holder on the application then in order to keep bonus points if they bought point guard 1.) everyone on application must turn in their tag or 2.) the person turning in tag does not get to regain all their points.  If the person turning in tag is not the highest point holder on the application then they can keep their points and has no effect on everybody else on application.  This will help with reducing the bonus point farming by allowing point farmers to use points one time instead of two.  This should also help reduce or slow down point creep.

4.  The archery deer hunts that you must get drawn for should be placed with the elk/antelope draw.  This will allow the successful applicants have time to schedule time off work, scout, search for a guide etc.  

5. Game camera season on public land (not private property).  I know some people are really passionate about this topic but cameras would only be allowed from Feb 1st to August 15th every year.  This still allows people time to use them but also give the animals a break.  

6.  Right now virtually every season ends on a Sunday.  If a season ends on a 3 day holiday weekend that is a Monday, allow the season to end on Monday & not Sunday.

 

What else?

7. Jail time and lifetime hunting bans for poachers.

[ThomC]

You have the perfect right to write to the G&F with your brilliant ideas.  The web site is AZGFD.COM.  Every year after the draw people who did not get drawn will come up with changes to improve THEIR chances to get drawn.  LOL😷

[wildwoody]

Most seasons end on Thursday, Camera's who cares. I've never had any problems with any of this. Ain't broke don't fix it. Always someone.

How about no camping unless your in a tent. Rules to many rules

[Ohthatguy]

2 hours ago, PhxDT said:

biggest one for me:  points should be squared so that less chance of low point holders getting permits.  Yes, we all like the chance to get a late hunt with 1 BP, but it also is lame to wait 10-20 years for one hunt.

It would go like this:

1 BP= 1BP

2 BP= 4BP

3 BP= 9BP

and so on.

And since AZ is growing like crazy, and our wildlife population is essentially capped, it is going to get even tougher/impossible to draw in the future.  So if we square points, we should put hard caps on out-of-state draws.

Interesting..  Would definitely change things:

However if 1 person puts in with 1 point and ONLY 10 other people put in with 20 points, Mr. 1 point guy is now 4000/1 odds to draw 1 tag.

If only 10 people at each point level, up to 20 points put in, (200 people total) it's 1 in 28,700 per tag.  I sure wouldn't have put in with those odds. lol

The #'s are ish as I didn't exclude the 1 guy. (I'm not bored enough to redo it)