Input sought from elk hunters

[Outdoor Writer]

GAME AND FISH NEWS       Sept. 10, 2019

Input sought from elk hunters to help guide management of state's herds  Harvest a bull in Game Management Units 1, 9, 10 or 23? Send a tooth      PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is asking all elk hunters to submit data from their upcoming hunts to assist the department in managing the state’s herds.    AZGFD’s goal is to receive a completed questionnaire from each hunter who was issued a hunt permit-tag, whether or not that hunter harvested an elk or participated in a hunt. AZGFD will use that data to estimate harvest and hunter participation, along with population surveys, to set hunt permit-tag numbers.   A questionnaire will be mailed (or emailed) to each elk hunter, to be completed and returned to the department after the hunt.Other options include using a link or scanning a QR code, which are located on the back of the questionnaire. A questionnaire and link also can be found on the reverse side of the hunt permit-tag.   Meanwhile, hunters who are successful harvesting a bull elk in Game Management Units 1, 9, 10 or 23 are being asked to submit a tooth from the animal. These units are managed under alternative management guidelines to provide higher hunt success and more abundant, older, age-class elk.    In order to manage herds in accordance with these guidelines, it’s important to collect additional data on the age of harvested elk. All successful applicants who received hunt permit-tags in these units will receive a mailing that includes a return envelope in which to send back a tooth.   For more information, email AZGFD’s big game management supervisor, Amber Munig, at amunig@azgfd.gov.

[elkaholic]

It's a joke right.   Older mature , abundant elk. 1600 rifle cow tags , in unit 10 the past 10 plus yrs. That's just rifle.  The herds are gone. No mature cows left.

 

[JustinB]

On 9/13/2019 at 5:29 AM, elkaholic said:

It's a joke right.   Older mature , abundant elk. 1600 rifle cow tags , in unit 10 the past 10 plus yrs. That's just rifle.  The herds are gone. No mature cows left.

 

The results of the last survey sent out by AZ G and F....

 

[CouesFanatic]

Less tags, there you go.

[elkhutnaz]

Rather have less tags and better herds than what we are doing now. Wouldn't even mind seeing units get closed on a rotating basis but that will never happen.

[AZLance]

Actually manage our wildlife with biologically sound decisions...not $$$ as the reason.  G$F has destroyed the mule deer and Elk herds in this state.

[jdown]

I've sent a couple of emails on observations the last couple of years on elk, deer herds and habitat (roads that have been 'opened' by recreational users over the years that have just become a normal road now that are killing great habitat in one particular until that I have hunted for 35 years now and have seen it change for the worse.   I have received 0 response.  If they are listening to their biologists, I would be shocked too.  I think they also have forgotten where babies come from...  

[elkaholic]

They will listen to biologist,  but to the $$$ advantage. 

Unit 10 case and point.

Just a few yrs ago. Unit 10 bull to cow ratio out of guidelines . Too many bulls.

So instead of lowering the number of cow tags. They started the early muzzleloader bull hunt with  50 or75 tags. (Not positive on tag Numbers).

Now remember usually when they hand out tags , let's say 1000 ,they expect a 35% kill quota.  So if it was 50 tags , that meant 15 bulls should be taken (approx).  Now you tell me how harvesting 15 more bulls is gonna make any****:::*****  difference on balancing the bull to cow ratio in a unit the size of 10.  

Simpler  answer would been less cow tags but that'd hurt the $$$! $  . Where 50 more licences  , bull tags would increase  $$$! $. 

 

[knothead]

Start by cutting all cow hunt permits by 1/2.    While we are on the subject cut the Jr. only doe hunts in 12A in half also.

 

Stop killing the baby makers.