AZGFD is considering some changes that will have a big impact on nonresident draw odds. As a resident it will increase the resident tags in the bonus pass but it's largest impact is to the nonresident. The following is copied from another site as its a well written piece.

As you may have heard, right now the Department is suggesting that a change be made regarding the 10% cap on tags that are issued for almost all of Arizona's big game animals except sheep, antlerless elk and javelina.

Currently in a number of big game hunts, the 10% cap is reached in the 20% Bonus Point draw. That draw, which is held first, is where 20% of the tags are given to those sportsmen and women with MOST bonus points for that hunt.

Take the Arizona Strip (Unit 13B) for instance.

75 tags were issued for that general hunt in 2014. That meant the first 15 tags (20% of 75 = 15)were issued to those who had the MAX bonus points and applied for that hunt.

Since the NR's with max points (147) far outweighed the residents(9), it was obvious that NR's would and in fact did 7 tags during that first round.

That meant that none of the other 60 Strip tags were available to NR's, no matter how many points they had.

AZ Game & Fish is proposing that a 50-50 split be made to ostensibly give 5% of the tags to the top NR bonus point holders while the additional 5% could be AVAILABLE to all NR's ,irregardless of the bonus points they had.

I'm not going to debate whether this is right or is wrong, and why this is being done. But I was told that it started when NR's complained to the Department and Commission that unless they had max points, they couldn't draw any PREMIUM tags.

But I've also been told that the 50-50 split is NOT written in stone yet! That is the RECOMMENDATION from the Department to the Commission. The Department and Commission are taking informal comments at this time on what YOU think it should be.

There are options..leave it as it is (10% to the max bonus point holders), or make the split any way you want; (20-80, 30-70 60-40) etc. It could be split any number of ways...and the Department and Commission wants to hear from YOU the NR sportsmen.

There will be some debate about this at the April Commission meeting, and then at the August Commission meeting it will be finalized. It will become the way the Department does business starting on January 1, 2016.

If you have an opinion I strongly suggest you write to the Arizona Game & Fish Department and/or the Arizona Game & Fish Commission at 5000 West Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.

It is just like everything in life.

If you don't bother to take the time to express your opinion, then when the final decision comes down, don't complain!

Be involved! Believe me the Commission is very interested in hearing from you on this.

The Department proposal is 50-50: if you agree with that, fine, let the Commission know that. If you don't agree, write and tell them why...and give them your suggestion.

I think it's only fair
NRs pay lot more so why not consider them more equally?

I think MOST should go to those with max points, just give the others without max points at least a small chance of drawing the tops tags as well.

From the view point of the "average" nonresident without max points I see this as a reason to stay in the points game. For guys with max points waiting on a strip tag,antelope,or early rifle bull it would be aggravating after all the years and money spent. Never going to make everyone happy but seems like a reasonable compromise.