Technology and Animal Quality

[Guest akaspecials]

2 hours ago, bigsky2 said:

I'm a non-resident and have only been hunting Arizona for two years, so take my opinion for what its worth. Technology is playing into hunting more and more in my home state of Montana too but I would say its way behind Arizona from what I have seen. I had a Kaibab archery tag this fall and I couldn't believe the number of trail cams I saw. I spend a lot of time hiking around popular hunting areas in Montana and I have yet to see another trail camera other than my own. Talking to other hunters during my Kaibab hunt I heard several stories of people shooting bucks at 80-100 yards.

 

Just give it another ten years when the rest of California invades Montana. I spent a winter South of Bozeman 4 years ago and it was already changing enough I hightailed it back to AZ as soon as I could. Your forest will be full soon too : /

[ThomC]

Northern Pintail you obviously have a G&F connection.  Your verbiage is exactly what I have heard from G&F.  Who creates the guidelines and who creates the ratios.  Getting the guidelines changed would be a joke.  Nothing will be changed without $ checking the result.  

[oz31p]

4 hours ago, trphyhntr said:

and thats accurate?

As accurate as the volantary harvest reporting. 

[goinhuntn]

AZ should start mandatory harvest reports like other states. You don’t send it in you don’t get to hunt the following year.

People may lie on them, but if they care they will fill them out truthfully. I believe technology has caused a decline in animals

as others have said and only going to get worse as technology advances. I’m am guilty of it, I have rangefinder, binos, 

scopes, compound bow etc. One thing I refuse to use though are trail cameras. I don’t have a problem with them or anyone using them there just not for me. Loss of habitat is also a factor!

[KoosCrazy]

Yes technology has increased harvest on the older class animals.  I see it in NM.

There are other factors as well.

More people are trophy hunting.  People like me are passing the little bucks and bulls and hunting for the trophy thus increasing harvest on older age class animals. 

The increase in The outfitting industry with the technology.  The top end optics, planes flying for governors tags, lots of governors tags.and they are good at what they do.

Drought was the biggest factor with NM elk quality last season.  No winter moisture killed antler growth on elk.

In NM the tag #s in our best units have not increased but elk population has increased. Quality has decreased at the same time, which is related to technology.   I think drought is the bigger driving factor for quality tho.

[Alpinebullwinkle]

I agree that technology improvements have impacted harvest statistics for both deer and elk. However for units 1 &27 that I spend time in I have to say that the Wallow Fire has had a greater impact on the statistics. Without the trees 500-1000 yard shots are now more prevalent resulting in more wounded bulls and unclaimed animals. Used to be a 340+ bull in the late gun hunts were monsters and since the fire even 400 class bulls are harvested. Improved sighting due to the fire and longer range rifles

[Northern Pintail]

15 hours ago, trphyhntr said:

and thats accurate?

It’s probably the most accurate way.   Every western state flys and gets their data that way.   They fly as close to the rut as possible to get more accurate buck to doe ratios.  

 

Do you have a better scientific way?

[ThomC]

It is what happens to the science, when it gets to the bean counters and fat bureaucracy in Careless, that is the problem.  👴