Mobile tagging/reporting

[QuazyQuinton]

I like the e-tagging in OR. It’s super easy to use, and even works when not in service range.

It's still more steps than paper tagging. More importantly, with e-tagging, you are committing a wildlife violation if your cell phone dies in the woods. (To be fair, I'd rather not tell my stories of forgetting paper tags at home.)

QQ

 

[Sytes]

All for it.
Value for biologists to wardens.
That alone makes it worth having my phone.

 

[np307]

All yall saying its more steps with an app must not have mandatory harvest reporting. The method we had before the app was you either had to call or go online to register the kill so you could get a harvest number which you then wrote on the tag. With the app now, you just select the tag you want to validate, validate it, and you're done.

If you don't have mandatory harvest reporting, you're really hamstringing your state game agency.

 

[Nick87]

I sure like it.

Wondering if western states that go this route are able to collect more data, than the traditional way. I sure would think so.

 

[Dsnow9]

Wondering if western states that go this route are able to collect more data, than the traditional way. I sure would think so.

I think the data would be shocking in Colorado. I usually have a minimum of two Co tags a year and I think I get the harvest survey on 25 percent of my tags at most.

 

[Nick87]

I think the data would be shocking in Colorado. I usually have a minimum of two Co tags a year and I think I get the harvest survey on 25 percent of my tags at most.

We have to check in or report every animal here within 24 hours. What county, what weapon, length between eye and nostril, circumference of antler base, amount of points, also how many other species we've encountered. It was pretty crazy the first time I traveled west to hunt and you wrap your tag on it and that's pretty much it unless someone calls. Felt like I was breaking the law unintentionally.

 

[KingOfTagSoup]

Just reading and looking at harvest numbers of states tonight and this may be discussed elsewhere on HT. Why don't all states or at least western states go to a mobile report/tagging system? To me I feel it would give them the most accurate number of harvest possible. AZ does it because of the quotas on units. Idaho has mandatory reporting, but that doesn't really mean anything. If you had to tag your animal with a mobile tag that spit you out a number that you attach to the animal or it's not legally tagged it would give the most accurate harvest reports. Sometimes a hunter will harvest an animal in a place with no service so they could say you have 24 or 48 hours to get on your phone or computer to report it and get your mobile tag number.

I never could figure out why some states still don't require harvest reporting. Mandatory reporting would provide the most accurate data which in turn should inform better management decisions?

 

[Raisin Bran]

Wondering if western states that go this route are able to collect more data, than the traditional way. I sure would think so.

You would think this is the case but in MT all the app is used for is an Etag. Montana hasn’t figured out that they could gather way more information through the app than their out dated “call-and-leave-message-call-back-if-you-remember” harvest result system.

I have been using the app since it came out and think it is a good start to a better result if MT FWP would listen, be open minded to change & actually try something different. I hold out with hope!

 

[TheTone]

As others have said; if it helps states get better harvest data I’m all for it. Especially if you penalize false or non reports

 

[Jwill]

Seems like the places that don’t have mobile tagging/ mandatory reporting at this point just prefer not knowing.

 

[mevertsen]

Nevada is in the process of e tags.

Also, we have mandatory online harvest/hunt reporting.

 

[Raisin Bran]

Nevada is in the process of e tags.

Also, we have mandatory online harvest/hunt reporting.

Curious? What does this look like?

 

[mevertsen]

Curious? What does this look like?

Not sure on the e tag. That was in the last commission meeting.

The online reporting is easy.

Did you hunt? Days hunted? Scout? Days scouted? Harvest? Unit kf harvest. Wound and not recover? Satisfaction score 1 to 5.

Literally takes 2 minutes to fill out the survey. Mandatory by certain date (I think Janurary 31), or you have to pay $50 fine or no app next season.

 

[mevertsen]

Curious? What does this look like?

Here's the face part of it. As an example. And various surveys we have.

 

[FairWeather]

It's still more steps than paper tagging. More importantly, with e-tagging, you are committing a wildlife violation if your cell phone dies in the woods. (To be fair, I'd rather not tell my stories of forgetting paper tags at home.)

QQ

True, but it’s also harder to lose. I’ve never lost my phone, but bits of paper? I know better than to expect I’ll keep track of those.

 

[Hammsolo]

This reminds me of tag costs for residents in MT. You spend $100 to gas up your truck for the weekend, but under $100 for your combined deer and elk tag?

You spend countless hours researching, scouting and more, but you’re unwilling to share the data from your hunt?

In today’s day and age, they should be requiring all hunters to provide the data deemed necessary to manage our herds. If you’re incapable of using tech to do this due to age or bank account you could apply for a mail in system or a waiver?

What about requiring a photograph? Yes, back grounds could be eliminated, but shouldn’t the agency know where the animal was killed for management?

Now let’s be real, the meth heads in downtown Spokane all have two things in their holster a pipe on the left and a free cell phone on the right.

 

[Gerald Martin]

All yall saying its more steps with an app must not have mandatory harvest reporting. The method we had before the app was you either had to call or go online to register the kill so you could get a harvest number which you then wrote on the tag. With the app now, you just select the tag you want to validate, validate it, and you're done.

If you don't have mandatory harvest reporting, you're really hamstringing your state game agency.

MT doesn’t need mandatory reporting. We have low paid telephone operators that call random people for several months after hunting season and ask them if they saw wolves or moose….

 

[mtmuley]

MT doesn’t need mandatory reporting. We have low paid telephone operators that call random people for several months after hunting season and ask them if they saw wolves or moose….

Yeah exactly. How many of you guys are using the etag Montana app thing? mtmuley

 

[406dn]

Every statistics class teaches that you do not need every last data point to get a good picture of what is going on. Businesses use that routinely for quality control and other process issues. Therefore, I do not have a problem, per se, with the phone call method that Montana has long used.

Also, in Montnana's case, it is hard to see how they respond to changes in the data, that is collected. The basic season structure is unchanged since I first moved here in 81. Many things have changed in that time, but not the season structure, other than adding even more time to kill an elk.

I've been tagging animals with a physical tag for over 50 years. It is not hard to do. Yes, you can try cheat the system. Point me to any system that can't be cheated.

E-tagging is a pimple on an elephant's ass. The elephant facing hunting is the ever increasing commercialization of hunting. I'm a lucky man to have been born when I was.

 

[Raisin Bran]

Here's the face part of it. As an example. And various surveys we have.

Looks straight forward and I like the required date range to complete the survey.

If there are any MT FWP reading this, please take note.

@mevertsen Thanks for sharing these!