Just came back from our monthly gun club meet. We have a Legislative Business Chairperson that attends all wildlife agendas with the politician that he is allowed. And I would like to say that this guy is very good at what he does. I feel very comfortable with him representing my intersts. Anyway, this is what he reported tonight.

1) Due to increased demand for elk tags, the fish and game folks are discussing the reduction of archery tags during the rut. They propose in turn increasing the amount of rifle tags availible during the winter. They figure since less people will be successful during the rut and the winter success rate is always low, everything will balance out. Now, it could just be me, but Flagstaff in the winter ain't where I would prefer hunting. It's miserably cold.

2) They are proposing a 50% increase in tag fees. 50%!!!!! That means instead of $50, it'll cost you $75. If it is now $100, it'll be $150 in 2006. F&G figures this will generate an extra 5 million dollars of revenue in 2006. That's not all, keep reading.

3) F&G are proposing raising state taxes by 1/20th of one percent. This is to generate an extra 35 million dollars a year in conjunction with the 5 million for tag fee increases. Hunting out here's getting damn expensive boys.

And on a sad note,,,, Arizona is known for it's Desert Bighorn Sheep also. It is a lucky man that gets drawn. F$G take mountain lions very seriously when they start eating sheep. The Kofas are being studied right now to figure the impact of the lions. Meanwhile, 40 sheep were captured in the Castle Dome area for relocation throughout AZ and New Mexico. During the capture, a ewe(sp-female) recieved a broken leg. It seems that the vets decided to do an "in-field" amputation on the goat. After 3 hours it was decided that she was "doing OK" and she was released the next day. Now once again, it could just be me, but how's a 3 legged sheep gonna survive on a cliff that a cougar resides? Survival of the fittest? Seems like this gal could have been penned and used for artificial incimination to refurbish the population in AZ or New Mexico. Don't get me wrong, I'm a killer at heart. It just seems like a waste.

Keep in mind that I am just reporting what was reported to me. I make no pretence that I heard it first hand.

Personally I hate the fact that the bow hunters get all the good tags. I do bow hunt but thats because it has become the only way to get a good tag and sometimes the only way to get a tag at all.

A few years back, Az Game & Fish wanted to take 6 elk tags away from the bowhunter so that handgun hunters could have a special hunt. They literally stormed G&F in Phoenix protesting the loss of those six tags. They already get to hunt almost six months for deer with OTC tags including the Kaibab. They get the best elk hunting time. I've been here in Tucson now for 26 years and I haven't drawn a rut bull hunt yer, and I put in every damn year. I haven't drawn antelope either in those 26 years, not bison or sheep either. Now they even want to raise the price of the tags? BULLSHIT!
Paul B.

I guess I must be missing something here. What exactly is wrong with the proposals?? Hunting should be challenging and I don't disagree with a non-rut archery season.Do you think $75 is too much for an resident elk tag? Have you eaten out or gone to the movies lately (I have to admit that I haven't seen a movie in years)?? I'll have to look into all this and study this closer next month when I'm there.

You guys obviously don't bowhunt. Bowhunting during rut is still 100 times harder than gun hunting out of the rut.

If AZ doubles the price of resident elk, deer, bear, Javelina etc, I'm fine with that.

$150 is cheap to hunt elk for a week in my backyard.

If they double Bison or Sheep I will not be applying anymore.

quote:

You guys obviously don't bowhunt. Bowhunting during rut is still 100 times harder than gun hunting out of the rut

My last elk tag for archery was filled, while the last two with a rifle left me without meat in the freezer.

Flag cold in the winter? Gee, try hunting on the Alaska Penn. in Nov/Dec on a drop off hunt...no where to get warm but your sleeping bag.

I see no problem with the increase. AZ has a great game management program.

I would like to see the USDA Forest Service start charging a fee to target shoot in Natl Forests - maybe it would keep the slobs from dumping garbage, shooting clays in the desert (what a mess that makes), leaving shotgun shells in the desert, etc.

quote:

would like to see the USDA Forest Service start charging a fee to target shoot in Natl Forests - maybe it would keep the slobs from dumping garbage, shooting clays in the desert (what a mess that makes), leaving shotgun shells in the desert, etc.

Another excellent suggestion. It is disgusting to see the mess left by some of the slobs out there. I will add that this is not unique to Arizona.

quote:

Originally posted by naja302:

quote:

You guys obviously don't bowhunt. Bowhunting during rut is still 100 times harder than gun hunting out of the rut

My last elk tag for archery was filled, while the last two with a rifle left me without meat in the freezer.

You people choose to hunt with sticks. Your lucky it's still legal. The antis hate you most of all and the way you act like it's your god given right to do so.

I won't lose any sleep if bowhunting is banned. So many of you try so hard to keep us out it's rediculous.

And why should non-resident bowhunters from back east have so much power on Western game and fish agencies is beyond me.

Absolute bullshit is what that is.

Darn, I guess when they ban bowhunting, the now disenfranchised bow hunters, won't support your right to hunt with a rifle, making the next step to ban rifles all that much easier.

Gun control works the same way, I don't like/see the need for X firearm, so banning it won't affect me and then when they have wittled down the numbes by attrition, your are an easy mark to be next on the banned list.

Thank you for your support

quote:

You people choose to hunt with sticks. Your lucky it's still legal. The antis hate you most of all and the way you act like it's your god given right to do so.

I won't lose any sleep if bowhunting is banned. So many of you try so hard to keep us out it's rediculous.

D99, what are you talking about here?

DB

quote:

Originally posted by Maltese Falcon:
Darn, I guess when they ban bowhunting, the now disenfranchised bow hunters, won't support your right to hunt with a rifle, making the next step to ban rifles all that much easier.

Gun control works the same way, I don't like/see the need for X firearm, so banning it won't affect me and then when they have wittled down the numbes by attrition, your are an easy mark to be next on the banned list.

Thank you for your support

Very little of Europe has bowhunting. And their is no end in site for rifle hunters.

I wouldn't be so against bowhunting if every bowhunter was to join the NRA and Safari Club. This is a joint effort, not Zen the art of bowhunting.

Your seperate but equal tactics are going to be the death of your sport.




DB the antis have made it clear that goal one is to ban bowhunting, right after trapping and trapping is slowly slipping away state by state.