Seen the fee proposals for 2006?

[COOSEFAN]

$1,000 in gas for a month? That's alot of scouting or long trips-. I don't like the fees going up anymore than anyone else, and I definately hope to have my little ones behind the scope one day, but in the grand scheme of things, my hunting trips are still affordable. I setup a budget, take my lunch to work, and try to save a little where I can. Like many of you, I have a choice where to spend my money, high end optics, camp items to make us comfortable and good whiskey. I am willing to shell out a coupla extra bucks if it will help the cause. Look at what it takes to take a family of four to a movie or to a professional ball game. talk about outrageous. I truely feel for the average hunter (because I am one), but we all make decisions on how to spend our hard earned dollars. Whitetails are a passion of mine and I choose to skimp in other areas so I can spend them on my passions.

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" there's always a way". It sucks, but we'll find a way to continue doin' what we love. Change is inevitable, but we'll work through it. More importantly, setting cost aside, I hope there's at least hunting opportunities still available to our kids in the future. BTW, I've spent close to $ 4,000.00 in gas since July 05". Thats all on hunting and scouting, that SUCKS. (appearently so does my V-10)

[.270]

the gas i pumped into my truck last month wasn't for scouting. that was for huntin'. just got back from 26 days in the mountains. and had a great time and it was a bargain at twice the price. how much has the price of a house gone up in the past few years? or a pickup or gas or anything else? and how much has hunting permits gone up in comparison? i don't know the exact percentage, but not near what everything else has increased. the proposed increase is not near the rate that other commmodities have gone up in recent years. i wouldn't mind it at all, if the stinkin' azgfd would do something with it. look at the mule deer herd. it's about to bottom out. look at the lion and coyote population. all time highs. but what does the the azgfd do about it? let out more permits than there are bucks, by their own calculations, in a lot of units. and try to prosecute every good lion hunter there is for some thing or another. legislate any kind of predator hunting out of existence. the proposed increase would be fine with me, if they would just do what their own bioligists tell them to do. Lark.

[COOSEFAN]

the gas i pumped into my truck last month wasn't for scouting.  that was for huntin'.  just got back from 26 days in the mountains.  and had a great time and it was a bargain at twice the price.  how much has the price of a house gone up in the past few years?  or a pickup or gas or anything else?  and how much has hunting permits gone up in comparison?  i don't know the exact percentage, but not near what everything else has increased.  the proposed increase is not near the rate that other commmodities have gone up in recent years.  i wouldn't mind it at all, if the stinkin' azgfd would do something with it.  look at the mule deer herd.  it's about to bottom out.  look at the lion and coyote population.  all time highs.  but what does the the azgfd do about it?  let out more permits than there are bucks, by their own calculations, in a lot of units.  and try to prosecute every good lion hunter there is for some thing or another.  legislate any kind of predator hunting out of existence.  the proposed increase would be fine with me, if they would just do what their own bioligists tell them to do.  Lark.

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That's a good point about the cost of everything else in our lives! I actually have relatives and friends that work for AZGFD and I remember asking my uncle about the deer tags. They had just done a survey( 2 years ago ) with several resources, ground and air, of the deer in unit 4B ( I'm almost positive it was for 4A also). They had observed a total of 63 deer and 3 of those were fawns! Yet they still issued a huge amount of tags! They have a system that figures in the deer they didn't count and go off that, but still issue even more tags to keep the general public happy! My uncle said they don't want an uproar from the general public from reducing tags. He said, they can't just shut an area down because of the backlash from the poeple that are more concerned about getting a tag than the welfare of the herd. These same poeple then complain about not seeing any deer on their hunt! The AZGFD has a lot of things to deal with, that we usually don't see or understand, but overall tend to do what the general public wants. As for the lion hunters, your right! They need to make life a little easier for them and keep it out of the public eye! It's amazing how many lions are actually out there today! In unit 10 and 9 on the late hunt last week alone, my guides, hunters and friends together saw 9 lions!!!!!!!!!! 6 lions in unit 10 and 3 lions in unit 9. 4 lions running together in 10 and 2 together in unit 9. I'm in the process of aquiring the photos for this site, but my brothers client photographed a big lion eating his elk quarter hanging in a tree at less than 30 yrds last week! The lions are a big problem and need to be delt with! Sorry for ramblin' or gettin' off subject. Thanks JIM

[25-06]

Jim how many lion did they get?

[COOSEFAN]

Jim how many lion did they get?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not even a shot fired! I would have been throwin' lead! The late hunts were very tough, and my brother and friends of mine were going in to tanks at 2:30 AM while clients slept, to make sure they were there first, and to see what tanks were being hit and by what. One guy just sat down in the blind and was about to turn his headlamp off when he saw eyes in the sage looking at him. He shined the big light and had TWO lions sneaking through the sage towards him. Needless to say, he sat in the truck till his client showed up. This tank is very close to the one that the lion was eating the hanging hind quarter. These tanks are too close to the park fence to turn dogs loose. The cats in unit 10 were either too fast or too far, and I know the four together were to close to the rez. fence to chance with dogs also. It was actually a lion hunter that saw the four together, but was guiding elk clients. It's also not good to put your clients hunt on hold while you go hunt for yourself, " I still would have been throwin' lead", except the ones at night! As for sitting tanks at night, the competition for them was very bad, and they had to go to those measures to hunt them. We feel no one owns the tank, but be respectful to the first person there. I definitely see a growing lack of respect in the woods every year from other hunters and it's sad. Sorry for getting off topic,"PRICE INCREASES SUCK", there I feel better!

[predator]

Jose, I disagree? For what future generation do these fee increases preserve the privilege of hunting? The rich only! I am a non-resident of AZ, and as such expect to pay more than a resident, but when even residents suffer a 100 percent hike, I have to wonder what is really going on. I work my butt off 7 months of the year so I can spent 4 hunting. I don't own a quad, I don't own a trailer, and have the same sound system my truck was built with. It's taking every penny I have to come to your state and enjoy the beauty and the chase.

 

I can't imagine how that must feel as a resident...oh wait, yes I can, it's becoming the same here. Our fees are proposed to increase to 700 bucks for a limited entry elk hunt. It's already nearing 300 now.

 

I also agree with wanting to see how OUR money is being spent......although your state kicks butt as far as resources to hunters such as maps, unit boundaries and general advice, which I assume is being financed through game fees. We are fighting a similar battle here with the 'wolf plan'. The anti's won't pony up a dime, but expect some sort of management (ie, contraception or some crap). The hunters already finance the doody spinefish studies and everything else related to wildlife.

 

At what point does hunting become a privilege for privileged only?[