Good Idea or Not

[Bird Dog]

What one person values not all value the same way. I bet this topic would be viewed much differently if it were rifle tags on "coues" hunts for January and rifle bull elk in 9,10,1 or 27 to be allowed for two weeks in September.

 

I personally like all forms of hunting and was glad to see we could take a young lady out to hunt and get a bird over the counter, but I know there are many other hunters whom love turkey hunting and pass on deer hunts that this may impact. One thing is for sure, Arizona is growing much too fast our resources and animals will never keep up. If G&F only worry about getting kids into a hunt it all won't matter if we are not conscience about building quality hunts and ensuring "sound" management. Looks like another drought year in play and same numbers of tags with more people wanting them. We all live in a great recreational state with far less animals to lean on than most places.

 

This is a dedicated Coues site, what are we really doing to our deer in this state while balancing the budget and expanding opportunity when there is not enough to go around in the first place? I think this was a great step to getting kids involved but should there not be some limits to OTC permits that are reflected in numbers of tags during regular hunts? I say this because "Youth" spring turkey tags were offered and sold out yearly.

[Rembrant]

Turkeys are considered big game in Arizona, but are really just big game birds. Game birds like quail and dove are game birds. Game birds have incredible mortality rates every year because of hunting and other natural predation, yet they bounce right back the next year. On good years, where the conditions are favorable, they can bounce back with incredible numbers.

The turkeys can handle it. There may be pressure on mature 'boss' birds, (maybe), but the general turkey population will be fine with the addittional youth pressure.

 

Mike

[TLH]

Turkeys have a life span of about three years--how many birds just die out there every year?? The kids didn't have that much of an impact on the birds and what we got in return is priceless. I have heard two complaints about this hunt--one is that they don't think the kids should have the first crack at the birds--this is plain selfish in my eye's--two, can the birds handle the amount of kills that the kids put on them--there wasn't that many birds killed to worry about it--

 

So i guess my question is are we all hunters who feel the same way about the future of hunting and that the kids of today are our future or our we a bunch of elitists who care nothing about the future but only about our immediate needs?? I bet most will say we care about the future and that in my eye's is the correct answer--to those who care only about themselves--well, i guess you won't be changed and i feel sorry for you.

[105Coues]

I have heard two complaints about this hunt--one is that they don't think the kids should have the first crack at the birds--this is plain selfish in my eye's--two, can the birds handle the amount of kills that the kids put on them--there wasn't that many birds killed to worry about it--

 

So i guess my question is are we all hunters who feel the same way about the future of hunting and that the kids of today are our future or our we a bunch of elitists who care nothing about the future but only about our immediate needs?? I bet most will say we care about the future and that in my eye's is the correct answer--to those who care only about themselves--well, i guess you won't be changed and i feel sorry for you.

 

 

Well Said!!! The youth of this country should be our first priority and recruiting young hunters is the future of our great sport.

[johnnie blaze]

I have one question that needs to be answered. It seems that hunting is more popular today then ever before, agreed? If so, I dont ever remember having a junior hunt for me when I was a kid, or anything favorable to youths really back in my day. Im all for kids gettin outside, but whatever happened to just puttin in like everyone else? Are we really to the point that kids would not go out because they would just quit for the reason of not gettin drawn? Or for not having to work hard for a reward? Are we bein just a lil to soft on the next generation? I know when I was younger, if I didnt get drawn, the elders that molded me into a man of today would never let me quit because of such a reason. Ok, I know that was more then one question.

[mcelkhunter]

Every generation thinks that the next generation has it easier than they did. My gandpa walked to school ten miles in snow, uphill both ways. Yours probably did too!! I think that kids have it tougher today than I did growing up. There are many more pressures on them.

 

As far as hunting goes, our numbers are declining so to keep our sport alive we have to recruit. Youth hunts are great for that, kids get drawn, see lots of game, fill their tags and are hooked. Hunting also give them something to keep them away from all those other pressures. The double edge sword of that is that as the hunter numbers increase it makes it tougher to get drawn for some of those good hunts. I have four kids, two have benfitted from the youth hunts and the other two never really had the chance. Both who were lucky enough to go on the youth hunts are still hunting and the other two are not. Can't say for sure if the youth hunts are the reason but I do think it made a difference in their interest for the sport.

 

With that said, I have enjoyed the youth hunting experience with my kids and other kids much more than I enjoy my own hunts and am always looking to recruit some young hunters to offer to take me along with them. I have one youth hunter left and than have to wait for the grandkids and my friends kids.

 

Keep those youth hunts coming if you ask me!!

[ehunt]

In my opinion this is a great opportunity for our youth hunters! We as hunters need to do everything possible to keep our youth out enjoying the outdoors with family and friends and not out doing drugs or getting into trouble...etc! I have heard from a lot of hunters that they felt the birds were over hunted this year with three seasons. The only thing i can think of to help this is to possibly set aside a certain amount of tags per unit for youth over the counter, that way certain units are not getting a ton more pressure than others. Even if we have to eliminate one of the two seasons we already have in place in the draw to add 100 youth over the counter tags for each unit i am all for it. just my .02 cents.