G&F meetings last night

[bowsniper]

How did lenord's sales pitch go at the ADA meeting last night? Brian, who works for lenord, gave a pitch at the Desert Christian Archers meeting last night. Nice guy, but he did a lot of dancing. He said outright that despite much criticism, their recommendations to the commission will not be modified, they are sticking with them, including the archery deer/elk overlap. So my question is "if G&F is so inflexible as to not even consider to change their recommendations to the commission, why has lenord made himself so available to hunters to "discuss" the issues?" Basically, he's just giving hunters lip service so he can go ahead and do what he wants to do. The BLM and Forest service do the same thing all the time with their "public input meetings”.

 

Mark

[CouesWhitetail]

Bowsniper,

 

Leonard said last night that they will be giving the input received from hunters to the commission. I asked him what the options were for remedying the overlap and he said they could truncate the archery deer season a week or move the archery deer season ahead a week. Of course the ADA and I assume most other sportsmen's groups are not interested in shortening the season and would be more in favor of moving it ahead a week. Leonard is evaluating options for remedying the overlap so that if the commission directs him to, then he will know what is feasible to fix it and what the repurcussions are. Believe me, Leonard is hearing the concern from hunters about the overlap. However, the dept is under direction from the commission to set seasons a certain way. That direction comes in the form of the guidelines the commission gives them. Leonard said they are going forward with the recommendation that includes that overlap of archery deer and elk because to do otherwise would mean they are not following the commission guidelines. As I understand it, the dept can't just change things if they would violate those guidelines. So the dept proceeds with the recommendations but brings to the attention of the commission that there is a lot of criticism of the overlap.

 

So please don't think that your comments mean nothing just because the dept goes forward with their recommendations. The commission can and has in the past directed the dept to change their recommendations based on hunter input. That is why attendance at those commission meetings is important.

 

Amanda

[CouesWhitetail]

The commission meeting to set hunt regs is this weekend at the Glendale Civic Center. It's really important that as many hunters as possible attend. I know it can feel like you have no impact and I certainly can't guarrantee that things will change, but I know it won't change without the commission hearing from hunters. Many of you have already emailed and called which is great. But if you can also attend the meeting and speak up to the commission that really goes a long way. (unfortunately, I won't be able to make the meeting due to a prior committment with a girlscout troop). There will be several board members from the ADA there to present the official ADA position on this stuff, but it's become very apparent that this commission doesn't have much respect for sportsmen's groups and that individual hunter input is important. Don't just assume that because you agree with the ADA position that you are not needed at the meeting.

 

here is a link to the agenda for the two day meeting. Saturday the 21st is the date for the hunt recommendations to be discussed.

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/inside_azgfd/age.../April20-21.pdf

 

Amanda

[bowsniper]

Sorry to sound so negative about G&F. I guess I don't completely understand the whole process. I have had a lot of bad experiences with the BLM and Forest Service that seem to completely ignore public input. Also, I had a pretty negative impression of Leonard from a public input meeting in Mesa in January of 2006. He seemed to me to be arrogant, defensive, and condescending. Maybe it was because he was new, or he was having a bad night, and of course I was comparing him to Tice.

 

Mark

[hawkeye]

I was going over the agenda for Saturdays AZGFD meeting, and the second thing on the agenda is voting on the hunt guidlines. The public statements aren't heard until the end of the meeting. Will they let people speak before they vote or is this just the way they set up their meetings?

[CouesWhitetail]

They generally allow people to speak before they vote. You fill out a speaker card specifying which topic you wish to address and turn it in to the commissioners so they know there are people waiting to speak on a specific topic. I think the official "Call to Public" is to give the public a place to address the commission on items that may not be on the agenda. If you look at the dec commission meeting minutes there is public comment included in the segments where hunt regs are discussed and then there is a separate "call to public" where other issues are discussed. Someone correct me if I am wrong on this....

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/inside_azgfd/min...mMtgMinutes.pdf

[hawkeye]

Thanks Amanda.

I wasn't sure if they would let people speak just before the vote. I'll be there. But as in past practice I don't think they will listen. Once they print the proposals it's pretty much over, from what I have seen from past practices.

[dustyb0]

Sorry to sound so negative about G&F. I guess I don't completely understand the whole process. I have had a lot of bad experiences with the BLM and Forest Service that seem to completely ignore public input. Also, I had a pretty negative impression of Leonard from a public input meeting in Mesa in January of 2006. He seemed to me to be arrogant, defensive, and condescending. Maybe it was because he was new, or he was having a bad night, and of course I was comparing him to Tice.

 

Mark I was at the same meeting,and had the exact same impression.

[rthrbhntng]

Mark I too was at your meeting and I went away with a different take. What Brian was trying to say is that the Dept was going to go ahead with their proposals and not offer the Commission an alternative. His reasoning was that many times when they offer alternatives it muddies the water and the Commission comes up with their own recommendations on what to direct the Dept to do. So the Dept will let the public outcry and the public speakers bring up their ideas and the Commission will amend the proposals if they see fit. Keep in mind that the Commission sets the direction for the Dept. A lot of people don't understand that fact, the commission gives the Dept direction and the Dept comes up with the proposals that they think the Commission wants to approve. Many times I see and hear sportsmen berating the Dept when it was the Commissioners telling the Dept what to do. I'm not saying that the ideas the Dept comes up with are good ones, but the blame for the direction for the AZG&F lies more on the COmmission than the Dept.

Steve

[ultramag]

they dont have to change the season dates this year. ALL they need to do is add a note that says you need an elk tag to hunt that week. one sentence.

[rthrbhntng]

The elk tag in your pocket to hunt deer idea would be a rule change and takes a year or two.

[ultramag]

I will give respect to the hunters who waited a long time for a elk tag. I will not hunt deer that week!

[coueswt]

So I'm curious, how many of you will be bowhunting deer and don't have an Elk tag during the archery Elk season this year if the commisson doesn't change the dates?

 

I have an elk tag this year and hope that if the commission does change the dates that the archery deer hunters show a little consideration for the elk hunters considering that the fact how lucky it is to have an Elk tag!

[peloncillo]

I also would respect the elk archers and would go to a unit that did not have elk.

 

Keven

[HUNTMUP]

It sure is nice to hear that some of you would hunt other units for deer during the archery elk hunt! I am one of those fortunate to have a bull tag this year and even though some will honor the gravity of getting a bull tag, most will not. You can sure bet I would do the same if I had not drawn. I know how important these tags are (7 year wait for me) it makes me feel sick to think that the "perfect hunt" is just not going to be the same I just hope that they change the dates or something. I do not understand what has happened to the AZGFD, it seems as if every year things change and mostly end up as negative changes. I too will be at the meeting on Saturday but I can't help feeling that it is a lost cause and I should just accept the fact that what ever they decide to do is just going to be the was it is...............