Big changes to AZ Regs (OTC & other changes)

[Mykolaivka887]

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.

Exactly, which then increases take and furthers the eventual goal of the Department, which is to eventually get to a draw permit strategy for all archery deer hunts.

During this first five-year cycle (2023 - 2028) will probably have a few units go to archery only. But as hunter effort shifts from those units to remaining OTC units, those other OTC deer units will eventually fall to draw permit systematically.

Eventually, possibly at some point in the next five-year cycle (2029 - 2033) most of the state, if not the entire state, will be under a draw permit hunt strategy for archery deer. The Commission is working toward that end, anyway.

 

[Blackcats06]

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.

He retired so you got your wish

 

[arock]

That is a lot of tech infrastructure to build but a good approach. At least they should get better data regarding days in the field and harvest results so that even if they don't quite get it right this year they'll have something more reliable to make a decision on regarding the next year.

Probably a prerequisite to a draw. That way they can see number of hunters vs success rate in a given area and set up a draw number that is going to be conducive to hitting the objective while still providing reasonable opportunity.

Its a reasonable approach. One Colorado might consider for the OTC elk seasons namely archery.

 

[Athlonopticsguy]

As long as everybody does the ethical thing and follows the rules and actually reports archery harvests, I see this helping our deers herds.