Big changes to AZ Regs (OTC & other changes)

[Blackcow]

There a a unit by unit cap, and is further broken down by species, coues/mule.

 

[Blackcow]

Go to Azgfd.com. Look for 2022 guidlines. Probably have a link in the news section even.

 

[BBob]

Go to Azgfd.com. Look for 2022 guidlines. Probably have a link in the news section even.

I've read them and have seen the overall thresholds. The question is if and or how are they going to implement a NR OTC cap? Will it be a harvest cap, an overall NR OTC tag cap or a unit by unit NR OTC tag cap or something else?

 

[Blackcow]

If they implement the 10% cap, looks like there will be 10 nr hunting 27 between mule deer and coues. Maybe g&f broke out a calculator and decided no to a nr cap. Guess we’ll see.

 

[Blackcow]

I doubt there would be a separate nr threshold. That would be 2 sets of numbers for them to keep track of, one a subset of a larger one. And if their IT person that handles the draw is the one keeping track? Jesus I hate to think!

 

[canyonhunter47]

Looks like spring bear is now OTC only and no archery specific hunts for spring. Not sure what to make of that

 

[bohntr]

I was told that they would simply track R/NR harvest #’s and when 10% of the overall threshold is taken by NR’s that unit would close to NR. When the remainder is taken, it will be closed to residents as well. It’s only one more column to track when called/submitted by the mandatory reporting so it won’t be too difficult.

The only thing I wish is that they had individual season (time-frame) quotas. As of right now, if 5 mule deer are taken during the august hunt in say, unit 24B, that unit will no longer be open for the Dec/Jan hunt.

 

[Blackcow]

I agree. Like they do for bear. Have a hunt harvest and an annual harvest, just with the year being like Feb 1st to Feb 1st or something.

 

[wweaver]

200 Less tags in 12a E and W between all the hunts. That should really help in a couple years, if you can draw a tag.

 

[Herdbulll]

Kaibab archery will take a big hit as well.

 

[bohntr]

Kaibab archery will take a big hit as well.

Down 75 to 300 tags now.

 

[Herdbulll]

Are the deer numbers down on the Kaibab? I know it will be good for the deer but it appears to be pretty significant tag cuts.

 

[bohntr]

Are the deer numbers down on the Kaibab? I know it will be good for the deer but it appears to be pretty significant tag cuts.

Yes. In my opinion, the game manager for that unit should be transferred. That unit has been mismanaged for the last several years. The herd had more mature bucks and more deer when it was OTC…..now many years later with ‘managed’ seasons, it’s worse. You can’t allow youths to kill that many does year after year.

 

[bowuntr]

This whole thing will be interesting... It'll be a crap shoot on where you'll be able to hunt in January. Ed F

 

[Mykolaivka887]

This whole thing will be interesting... It'll be a crap shoot on where you'll be able to hunt in January. Ed F

Agreed. Some of those unit-specific and combined unit threshold numbers are pretty low.

 

[Elkangle]

That's a big commitment for nr to go down for a hunt that could be shut down any day...will definitely discourage people towards the end of season

Should make for a fun dynamic

 

[canyonhunter47]

That's a big commitment for nr to go down for a hunt that could be shut down any day...will definitely discourage people towards the end of season

Should make for a fun dynamic

You’re right, they should all stay home then

Bear season closes the Wednesday after the female harvest limit is reached so I would expect something similar for the buck limits

 

[Mykolaivka887]

With the increasingly higher number of deer killed during the summer portion of the annual season dates, chances are real good that there won't be any winter seasons, or, the very real chance that winter seasons could be closed by EO while in-season, because there's only few kills remaining on the quota for specific units.

It's the Department's and the Commission's combined systematic approach toward going to full draw for archery deer hunts.

If quotas for individual units or groups of units are met or exceeded during any two-year period, the unit manager and/or regional manager then has the option of eliminating OTC deer seasons completely, or going to a permit draw hunt in future years.

As for me, personally, I wouldn't mind the implementation of a draw permit hunt strategy, sooner rather than later, especially when considering dwindling deer populations and the ever growing advancement of hunting technology.

In the end, archery draw permits will eventually become the rule in Arizona, but the quota system with season closures by EO while in season postpones such a radical shift from OTC to no OTC.

 

[bohntr]

With the increasingly higher number of deer killed during the summer portion of the annual season dates, chances are real good that there won't be any winter seasons, or, the very real chance that winter seasons could be closed by EO while in-season, because there's only few kills remaining on the quota for specific units.

It's the Department's and the Commission's combined systematic approach toward going to full draw for archery deer hunts.

If quotas for individual units or groups of units are met or exceeded during any two-year period, the unit manager and/or regional manager then has the option of eliminating OTC deer seasons completely, or going to a permit draw hunt in future years.

As for me, personally, I wouldn't mind the implementation of a draw permit hunt strategy, sooner rather than later, especially when considering dwindling deer populations and the ever growing advancement of hunting technology.

In the end, archery draw permits will eventually become the rule in Arizona, but the quota system with season closures by EO while in season postpones such a radical shift from OTC to no OTC.

I disagree. There is no need for a draw in this state. You can have opportunity and still manage the resource. This is the first step.

Most of the desert units, historically, do not yield many deer taken during the August season. The threshold for Coues deer are relatively high, so I don’t see a major issue there. Mule deer could reach the threshold(s), which was their (Amber’s) goal in the first place. JMO

 

[Blockcaver]

As a winter NR archery hunter of AZ since 1979 (over 20 hunts) at least I can continue deer hunting annually. Just may have to flexible on the unit (I hunt Coues deer 98% of the time).

The big drawback I see with the plan is still open units will get packed with hunters if a lot of units have already reached the harvest quota. Doesn’t sound like fun in January. Hope I am wrong.