bowhunters you better read this

[Larry Landgren]

The Az Game and Fish Dept. has proposed eliminating half of all the september archery bull permits in each area and moving them to a later hunt structure that would start the 47th week of the year ( nov 24th in 2006). The september hunts would be shortened from 14 days to 10 days and the late hunts would be for 14 days unless the season would overlap with a general (rifle) elk hunt. If this happens the late archery season will run for 7 days in areas that have conflicting general hunts. The november archery hunts would be for any elk. They would offer about a 2 to 1 ratio of the permits that were taken from the september season for the late season , because the success rate would be much lower. For instance : in 2005 there were 100 permits available for the september archery bull elk hunt in unit 9 . in 2006 there would be 50 permits available for the september season and 100 permits available for the november any elk season. If you dont like this proppsal you better get involved.

There is a survey set up to get information about what arizona archery elk hunters want. It's very important that you take the survey! The survey can be taken on the internet @:

www.archeryelksurvey.com

There will be several game and fish public input meetings. Its very important that you attend as many of these meetings as possible and voice your opinion to the Game and Fish Department.

I will post the dates and locations for the meetings a little later.

 

[AZ402]

Larry many of us are already aware and not real happy with this new proposal. There will be a bunch of opposition at many of the G&F meetings. The Coues hunt proposal will get a bunch of opposition as well.

 

[Delw]

Az whats the couse hunt proposal? I havent heard that one.

Althought I like the idea of a fall season for archery hunters on elk

 

[BOHNTR]

What's their reasoning on changing the archery season to a later, more difficult time frame?

 

[WHT_MTNMAN]

BOHNTR-I think it is to increase overall tags, 2:1 is what I've seen.

I haven't made up my mind yet since I have a bunch of BP's but possibly won't ever get to use them.
Late season bull is a little tougher and it would be really tough with a bow, but at least we may have a little better chance of getting drawn.

 

[AZ402]

I think it will let the G&F charge premium fees for the archery rut hunts. I don't know anybody that is in favor of this archery elk hunt change.

Delw, they are proposing that no more than 10% of the coues tags are in Dec.

 

[Delw]

I beleive they did it to give more people at a chance of getting a tag per the surveys at the begining of this year, people in az do nothign but whine and complain about not being able to hunt much, cause they cant get drawn every other year.
people wanted to raise prices to boost the non res tags out of this world so the res would get more tags(which is bull shit)
so game and fish came up with a way to get more tags out there to bow hunters.
problem with most( not all) az guys is they are greedy and think they should get everything game and fish tries to help out and gets shit up on. everyones panties gets all wadded up.
Game and fish dont have a chance in hell in making residents of this state happy. no matter what they do ( even though people want more tags) they will get crap.

according to lots of people the success rate for early archery elk is alot higher than general rifle elk, I havent been able to see the success results cause I cant find them anywhere on the net.

You know maybe the game and fish should stop all rifle late hunts and change cut 1/4 of them into early rifle tags, then everyone would be happy LOL


I didnt here that stan thanks( about the couse)

 

[IdahoBugler]

Thanks for the heads up. I filled out the survey hopefully it went through. It said the site was under constuction when I did it but I just hit next through all the bs. Man I hope that doesn't pass.

 

[noharleyyet]

I sincerely think it's a trend to limit harvest success while maintaining current revenues. Colorado did much the same moving the 1st rifle elk a week later from the rut this season.

 

[Ithaca 37]

You guys in AZ hafta make up your minds about what you want. You want more opportunity to hunt elk? Open a late archery season and cut back on the rut hunts. It's real easy. Go to a lower percentage of success hunt and more people can hunt. I'd be in favor of it. So what if it's tougher? More hunters have a chance to get an elk.

What a bunch of whiners!

 

[Washington Hunter]

It's the same way here in Washington...hunters complain no matter what the dept of fish & wildlife does...just can't make everybody happy. |oo

It's difficult for the state game departments, especially in states with more hunters than game, like Washington and Arizona.

 

[AZ402]

Everyone that I know in the AZ hunting community is willing to sacrifice opportunity for quality. There are some that complain regardless of what the AZGFD does. AZ has the most sought after archery and early rifle hunts in the nation. AZ produced more public land 400+ bulls this year than it ever has before. This is the result of a small elk herd (in comparison to many other states) being managed for quality not quality. Why quality and not quanity? AZ doesn’t have the carrying capacity to maintain a major herd. The elk habitat is basically the center strip of the state. With record application numbers every year, it is obviously getting harder and harder to draw tags (not only for elk but all species). The elk herd has been managed the same way for years. The hunting seems to get better, year in and year out. The bulls seem to get bigger, year in and year out. This proposal has about zero support from the bowhunting community. The Arizona Bowhunters Association and several other groups and individuals were able to get this proposal tabled at the G&F meeting in Casa Grande two weeks ago. Unfortunately the 50% fee increase proposal did go through. Any concerned hunters/archers in AZ here is a date list for upcoming meetings.

2006 Public Hunt Guidelines Meetings
1. January 12, 2006 – Yuma – 7-9 pm AGFD Yuma Regional Office — 9140 East 28th Street
January 17, 2006 – Mesa – 7-9 pm AGFD Mesa Regional Office — 7200 East University
January 18, 2006 – Flagstaff – 7-9 pm AGFD Flagstaff Regional Office — 3500 South Lake Mary Road
January 19, 2006 – Page – 7-9 pm Glen Canyon National Recreation Area office — 691 Scenic View Road
January 24, 2006 – Pinetop – 7-9 pm AGFD Pinetop Regional Office — 2878 East White Mountain Boulevard
January 25, 2006 – Payson – 7-9 pm Payson Police Department conference room — 303 North Beeline Highway
January 26, 2006 – Prescott – 7-9 pm Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Room — 1015 Fair Street
January 31, 2006 – Kingman – 7-9 pm AGFD Kingman Regional Office — 5325 North Stockton Hill Road
February 7, 2006 – Safford – 7-9 pm Graham County General Services Building — 921 Thatcher Boulevard
February 8, 2006 – Sierra Vista – 7-9 pm Performing Arts Center at Buena High School — 5225 Buena School Boulevard
February 9, 2006 – Tucson – 7-9 pm AGFD Tucson Regional Office — 555 North Greasewood
IT, FU.

 

[Washington Hunter]

This is the result of a small elk herd (in comparison to many other states) being managed for quality not quality. Why quality and not quality?

Is this a trick question??

 

[Ithaca 37]

So if the permits were shifted from rut hunts to a late season archery hunts the quality of the bulls would go down?

Wouldn't you still have as many good bulls, just more opportunity for more hunters? Sure, success rates would probably decrease, but if the number of permits increased the harvest could remain the same.

Or do the AZ hunters just want an easier hunt during the rut?

Wouldn't care of meat be easier in late seasons and chances of wasted meat be less?

 

[Washington Hunter]

Wouldn't care of meat be easier in late seasons and chances of wasted meat be less?

That's a good point. Not only that but it just seems hunting in the cooler temperatures would be much more enjoyable. Doesn't it get a little on the warm side during September in Arizona?

 

[AZ402]

Have either of you guys hunted archery elk in AZ? Have you ever hunted archery elk in AZ in Nov? How many archery elk hunts does WA and ID have in Nov? Yes WH the quality/quality was a trick questions, glad the thread police caught that one

 

[Washington Hunter]

No, I never have and I probably never will. Washington has unlimited over-the-counter elk tags for archery, muzzleloader, and rifle seasons. Archery seasons are two weeks in September, and about 3 weeks in late Nov/Dec. And yes, archery hunters here also complain to the dept. of wildlife that the early archery season isn't long enough and/or late enough (it's Sept 8-21)

 

[Ithaca 37]

AZ104, No I never hunted elk in AZ. What difference does that make? And what difference does it make if we have late archery hunts in Idaho?

I'm just curious and asking questions to try to understand the problems in AZ. Can you answer my questions?

So if the permits were shifted from rut hunts to a late season archery hunts the quality of the bulls would go down?

Wouldn't you still have as many good bulls, just more opportunity for more hunters? Sure, success rates would probably decrease, but if the number of permits increased the harvest could remain the same.

Or do the AZ hunters just want an easier hunt during the rut?

Wouldn't care of meat be easier in late seasons and chances of wasted meat be less?

 

[AZ402]

No complaints from the majority here in AZ on season dates (until now). Typically the season runs from Sept. 15th-30th plenty of time for archery elk. I don't know everybody that hunts in AZ. I do however know quite a few. Pretty much to a man they don't like these new proposals (including the increased tag fees for res and non-res). You heard very little from AZ hunters as far as complaining goes for a LONG time. When a Douche-bag outfitter and a suddenly money grabbing G&FD start changing things for the worse; your going to hear some whining and rightfully so.

 

[TheTone]

I think what I am gathering as what may be the main motivation for moving so many of the archery hunts is to call the early rut archery tags a premium tag and thus they command more $$. Probably has very little to do with hunter success, hunting opurtunity, or animal quality; just a way to make more money. The increase in the number of tags in the late season is probably an attempt to make this proposal look good by giving more chances to hunt.