2017 AZ elk draw odds... what the hell happened?

[swampokie]

Archery tags are a long way from the hardest to draw.

It was a generalization. I understand early rifle tags are harder but compared to general rifle early archery tags much harder.

 

[Steve O]

Early rifle
Early muzzy
Early archery
General rifle
General muzzy
Late Archery

There’s your order.

Everyone wants an early elk tag to hunt elk in September. If “they” did not limit tags ALL the hunts would suck. I’ve hunted the same AZ unit for elk 3 times now plus a turkey hunt. In 2004 I hunted the general rifle season, it sucked. In 2005 I hunted the early archery, it was awesome. It was even better in 2017. I only put in for premier units in other states for elk because I am spoiled by average units in AZ. It’s so good I can wait 10 years between tags. One of the very few regrets I have in my life is not taking a job I was offered there 17 years ago. I’ll keep building points and hopefully at some point I can retire out there and reap the resident benefits. Non residents get screwed in every state, AZ just gave it to us a little harder the most recently. When it gets so bad the residents have to pay their share, things will change, but unfortunately most of us non residents are passionate enough about getting a quality hunt we will keep asking for higher prices and lower odds by keeping in the “game”.

To say entities like Huntin Fool, Epic, or GoHunt have ANY say with the game departments and their policies is laughable. They gather data that is all available to us and publish it in an easy to understand format. That’s a service many will pay for. All the point programs were in place WAY before the service companies.

 

[Target rush]

The anti hunters always play a part in the drawings. I know they do in Michigan bear drawings.

 

[jmez]

The anti hunters always play a part in the drawings. I know they do in Michigan bear drawings.

They do it in all states. There was an article about it in the Rapid City Journal a couple years ago over the mountain lion season. They only allow hound hunting in certain areas here. In one of those areas, Custer State Park, they have an allotment of tags you have to apply for. Your tag allows the use of dogs over a certain range of days. An anti hunting group in Rapid City got together applied for and got a number of those tags the first year.

 

[sneaky]

Early rifle
Early muzzy
Early archery
General rifle
General muzzy
Late Archery

There’s your order.

Everyone wants an early elk tag to hunt elk in September. If “they” did not limit tags ALL the hunts would suck. I’ve hunted the same AZ unit for elk 3 times now plus a turkey hunt. In 2004 I hunted the general rifle season, it sucked. In 2005 I hunted the early archery, it was awesome. It was even better in 2017. I only put in for premier units in other states for elk because I am spoiled by average units in AZ. It’s so good I can wait 10 years between tags. One of the very few regrets I have in my life is not taking a job I was offered there 17 years ago. I’ll keep building points and hopefully at some point I can retire out there and reap the resident benefits. Non residents get screwed in every state, AZ just gave it to us a little harder the most recently. When it gets so bad the residents have to pay their share, things will change, but unfortunately most of us non residents are passionate enough about getting a quality hunt we will keep asking for higher prices and lower odds by keeping in the “game”.

To say entities like Huntin Fool, Epic, or GoHunt have ANY say with the game departments and their policies is laughable. They gather data that is all available to us and publish it in an easy to understand format. That’s a service many will pay for. All the point programs were in place WAY before the service companies.

I don't think the odds services have any pull with F&G departments, don't think the other poster does either. Where they are hurting is guys are moving points around from unit to unit trying to draw tags quicker and it is skewing the odds big time in units that were once easy to draw. They provide a good service, but it's a double edged sword.

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