Az To Change Hunt Structures And Dates

[bowhuntinmaniac]

tHE GAME AND FISH dEPT. IS PLANNING TO CHANGE THE HUNT STRUCTURES AND DATES ON MOST BIG GAME IN AZ.
ONE PLAN IS TO TAKE 1/2 OF ALL ARCHERY BULL TAGS AND MAKE THEM "ANY" ELK TAGS AND PUT THEM IN NOVEMBER AFTER THE RIFLE HUNTS.
ALSO, THEY PLAN TO TAKE ALL BUT 50 WHITETAIL TAGS FROM DECEMBER AND PUT THEM IN OCTOBER.
THEIR REASONING IS TO CREATE MORE HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES BUT TO KEEP THE SUCCESS LOW.
IT IS TIME TO GET INVOLVED;
There is a game and fish commission meeting this friday and saturday in Casa Grande that Leonard Ordway (Game Branch Chief) will be presenting the Draft Arizona Game and Fish Department Guidelines and Recommendations for the 2006-2007 Hunting and Trapping Seasons. The meeting starts friday morning at 8:00 am and will be at Francisco Grande Resort - 26000 West Gila Bend Highway, Casa Grande. This item about the archery elk hunts should be presented friday mid morning. This will be the only public meeting that both the game and fish dept. and commissioners will discuss this issue before the hunt set meeting in april. the other regional meeting will only have the dept. there. We need to convince the commissioners because they are the ones that actually give this proposal the ok. Therefore, this fridays meeting is very important for all hunters to attend.

2006 Public Hunt Guidelines Meetings

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

 

[AZ402]

There is going to be a lot of opposition too many of the AZGF proposals. The new proposed hunt stucture seems brutal to me. There are many that aren't thrilled with the new fee's being proposed as well. Hopefully the commission won't turn a deaf ear to the public this year............

 

[bowhuntinmaniac]

I'm afraid that the tags left in the rut will become the high dollar ones. I have been applying for 9, cuz I want to draw it one time, and now have 9 points. But, if they charge $300, i will still pay to hunt there.

 

[AZ402]

Hopefully they(AZGFD) feel enough opposition and think better of their proposal. I'll pay the higher fee's for the better hunts if I have to. I sure know a lot of guys that are going to head too several of the meetings. There were Probably more 400" bulls taken this year than any other in AZ.

 

[TheTone]

I hope things work out for the best down there, and right as I was about to start appyling for archery elk too. Hoepfully its not a matter as the decisions have already been made and they just have to present a smoke and mirrors scoping meeting to make the public think they have some control and instead the commision will go with what the public thinks. My fingers are crossed for you guys.