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Advice on how to input my daughter for rifle deer tag

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Hello everyone. I am hoping you all can help me out with a little advice on how the AZ Fish and Game draw for deer tags works in regards to my daughter.

 

I moved to AZ a couple years ago and have been out deer and elk hunting and understand how the draw/lottery system works for myself. My 14 yo daughter has expressed great interest this year about going hunting with me also and I am excited she wants to get out with me. The question I pose to all of you is this:

 

Do I submit her with myself for a standard deer rifle tag or do I submit her for a youth hunt? I am not sure how the youth hunt system works. Am I able to submit her for a youth hunt as her primary request and a secondary request to come along with me in case she doesn't get drawn for a youth hunt and we get lucky enough to be drawn?

 

I don't know if I apply her with me for a deer tag if that will automatically remove her from the opportunity to draw a deer tag for a youth hunt. I have been reading over the AZ regs but it is still confusing to me. My next step before submitting will be to call AZ Fish and Wildlife and ask them, but I figured I would at least ask here since this has been a very supportive community.

 

My 14 yo is excited and we have been hitting the ranges and practicing for the last couple of months. Anyone with advice regarding the youth hunts and how I should proceed would be appreciated.

 

Nathan

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If you want her to hunt with you then you will have to put her in on your application for regular hunts. If you want her to do the youth hunts you will put her in on a separate application with just her. Be aware tho that a lot of the junior hunts are hard to draw and she might go a couple years without drawing. Your best bet in my opinion is to put her in with you on the general tags. Another choice is to put her in for an area that has left over tags in it. If your not worried about size and want to get her a hunt while she is interested it would be the best bet for making sure she has a tag this year.

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It is really up to you if you want her to hunt with you or if you want a hunt that is dedicated to just her. The youth hunts are set up to give the youth an advantage both in draw success rates and harvest success rates. There are some great youth hunting camps to participate in if she does draw a youth tag.

 

One option you have and could make you the best Dad ever is to put her in for the youth hunt and yourself for the general hunt. If she does not get drawn for youth and you do for the general hunt you can sign over your tag to your daughter and she can use your tag in the general hunt. Last resort, you could both pick up Left Over Tags (if there are any left over this year).

 

Make sure she has taken Hunter Ed class and field day prior to the hunt.

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Excellent idea. Thank you. I will input her for a youth hunt and just submit myself for my usual hunt. If I get drawn and she doesn't then I will sign the tag over to her and take her out during the general season.

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On the youth hunt is she required to go with a youth hunting camp or can I take her and mentor her myself? Lots of great info and advice here. I appreciate you all trying to help me set my daughter up for success.

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A good option is the youth doe hunt on the Kaibab, my fairer didn't draw but I put her in 2 years. I hear that's a blast for the kids.

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No she does not have to go to a camp if she draws a youth hunt. There is typically free food though!!

 

Another tweak that I didn't see someone mention is putting a whitetail hunt 3rd choice that usually has left overs. If she doesn't draw a youth tag with first two choices that gives her a great chance with a 3rd choice. Some of those units down south are great for new hunters as they'll see a ton of deer and buck size for a new hunter usually doesn't matter.

 

If that plan doesn't work hopefully you draw and can give her yours.

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I am not sure what you mean by putting in a whitetail hunt 3rd choice that usually has left overs? Do you mean under the youth hunts? Can I submit her for more than one youth hunt. Example. Put in for an antlerless deer in one unit, an antler deer in another unit, a third choice for "left overs". I am not sure what you mean by left overs. I just want to do my best to get her onto a deer this year. We are not particular about bucks or does or going for trophies. Just want to get her her first deer.

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This entire draw system by units seems so foreign to me. Coming from OR the only draws for deer were for antlerless or spike tags. You could buy a buck tag over the counter and it was good state wide regardless of unit. So I want to make sure I do this correctly to give her the best chance of drawing something and getting out busting some brush with her old man.

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You can submit her for any deer hunt, youth or not youth, and any combination. You can enter 5 hunt choices for her. The 1st 2 choices should be a hunt you really want her to get. 3rd, 4th and 5th choices should be for units you would consider hunting and for whitetail there is always leftover tags in most units down South. I would put her in separate from you because you cannot apply for youth hunts. Even though she does not need Hunter Ed., it's still a good idea to learn AZ Hunter Ed. Good luck! Lots of knowledgable people here!

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Just look at the draw odds and results. There's plenty of hunts that have leftover permits after the draw. Basically that means if you put one of those in any one of ur 5 choices you're gonna get a tag. And that doesn't mean its a bad hunt. A lot of the southern unit coues hunts are great hunts and easy to draw. What part of the state are u looking to hunt?

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This may help. Go here first and brush up on the draw.

 

https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/draw/process/

 

Then read here about bonus points.

 

https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/draw/bonuspointprocess/

 

Then go ahead and dive into the regs. Basically the answers to your questions go like this:

 

Anyone can put in for general hunts, including youth.

 

Only youth 17 and under can put in for juniors hunts. They are usually good hunts but do not always have the best odds. Many of them are designed to line up with fall breaks in school.

 

You can mix and match general and youth hunts on an application.

 

An application allows for up to 5 choices, you can choose to leave some blank if you like.

 

The draw essentially works like this; The first 20% of tags for each hunt go to the applicants with the most bonus points. The remaining 80% are issued randomly to the other first and second choice applicants, then if after all first and second choice applicants have received tags there are still tags remaining they are issued randomly to 3-5th choice applicants. Then if after that there are still tags left, they become 'leftovers' and are available by mail and then by pick up in game and fish offices. There are usually hunts for southern az whitetail hunts leftover each year.

 

So an easy option is to apply for desirable hunts for first and second choice hunts, followed by hunts that typically have leftovers for 3-5, basically ensuring her a tag.

 

That's the short version.

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