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Another mild winter in conjunction with other factors has resulted in a record 24,760 elk hunt permit-tags being set by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission April 15, with a corresponding low record number of deer permits being set again this year.
The mild winter has also resulted in an increased number of fall turkey tags being set and an optimistic outlook for squirrel hunting again this fall.
Game Branch Chief Tice Supplee explained that mild winters can create favorable conditions for turkey and tree squirrel survival rates because the animals don’t have to dig through deep snow to obtain food.
Arizona has had back-to-back mild winters. Due to the good turkey hunting opportunities, last year, she explained that the number of squirrel hunters increased to meet the department’s strategic objectives. "That increased hunter participation was probably a result from a combination of factors. There was a the lack of deer hunting opportunities, an increased effort by the department to raise public awareness about the good squirrel hunting opportunities, and the hunters experienced good success in the field."
Information Branch Chief Joe Janisch said that last year a concerted department outreach effort encouraged parents to take their youngsters tree squirrel hunting. "For many adults, such hunting trips were a rediscovery of the fun they had small game hunting as youngsters."
Janisch explained that given the busy lifestyle most people experience, small game hunting offers a great family opportunity to get afield when time allows. "Plus, the chances of being successful, even on a single-day hunt, is very high. Families can actually harvest some game and then experience the satisfaction of enjoying that harvest at the family dinner table, and gather memories for years to come," he said.
Supplee said another area where hunter participation and harvest increased last year was for coyotes. She explained that once again, some of the increased participation may have been stimulated by the lack of deer hunting opportunities and the fact that the department tried to increase public awareness about those types of hunting opportunities. "A lot of hunters also wanted to help us manage coyotes by trimming the population when they could," she explained.
Hunters will be faced with similar choices again this year. While there is a record number of elk permit-tags available, wildlife officials expect to have a record number of applicants again to partially offset those increases. There are also record low numbers (45,850) of deer permit-tags available again this year.
"Just like last year, we are expecting to have a record number of people being unsuccessful at getting drawn for big game permits. But just like we said last year, don’t get dejected, use it as an opportunity to rediscover the joy of small game hunting and maybe mix in some fall fishing at the same time," Janisch said.
In various surveys over the years, hunters have said the most valuable part of going big game hunting is not the harvest, but the time and camaraderie afield. "There is absolutely no reason to miss out on those quality of life aspects to being afield hunting, there are lots of fun alternatives," he said.
But big game hunters will still want to hedge their bets – get their applications in early. Game and Fish offers a grace period for those who apply early – if they make a mistake on the application that would normally get the application rejected, they will be given an opportunity to correct that mistake.
"It’s just smart to play the odds, especially when deer numbers are not likely to rebound soon. Remember, if you wait until the last minute to apply, make a fatal mistake, and get rejected, you not only lose the potential of being drawn this year, you lose the opportunity to pick up a bonus point for next year. Play it smart from the start," Janisch said.
The 2000-2001 Hunting Regulations should be available at dealers around May 15. However, the regulations should be posted on the department’s Interne Home Page (www.azgfd.com.) by Friday this week and hunters can use those to complete their hunt-permit applications and submit them. You can also download an application form. Hunters can start submitting their applications any time.
The deadline for submitting applications is 7 p.m. June 13, and postmarks do not count – applications must be in the department’s hands by the deadline.
Supplee explained that there were a variety of reasons for the record elk permit level this year. The unseasonably warm weather during last year^s elk hunts -- especially during the archery hunts -- resulted in elk being active mostly at night, which meant they were not readily available for harvest.
Lower than expected harvest levels combined with good winter survival due to mild weather to provide the record elk hunting opportunities for this fall.
Another factor leading to increased permit levels this year is the permit-allocation formula that determines how permit levels are spread among general, muzzleloader and archery seasons. One part of the formula takes into account the harvest success for various weapon types. Because archery harvest success was down last year, archery permits had to be increased to properly allocate hunt opportunity.
The story has been different with deer. For much of the state, the key to deer reproduction and recruitment is having good precipitation in both winter and summer. Since 1995, the state has lacked one or the other almost every year. The low ebb in the deer population has also resulted in predation and disease becoming a more significant factor.
"Most reductions were adopted for deer units in southeastern, central and northeastern Arizona. However, permit increases are in place for western Arizona, where climatic conditions have been more favorable for deer fawn survival the past few years," Supplee said.
The juniors-only deer seasons were set with 1,230 permits distributed around the state. Muzzleloader permits were set at 895, which is a reduction of 150 from last year. The biggest change is the removal of the Muzzleloader Season from Hunt Unit 20B to accommodate a Juniors-only Season. Next year, the Juniors-only Season will rotate to another hunt unit in Region VI. A Juniors-only Muzzleloader season is again recommended for Unit 16A, with an increase of 10 permits.
Uploaded: 4/21/2000
Uploaded: 4/21/2000