Special Interest groups?

[dmcbride]

How do these groups get there proposals to the table and how do they get it done so quietly?

I'm pretty new to this forum and I would have never known about the proposal to ban Spears and Atlatls or splitting the draws(archery and general season) if it wasn't for this forum. I know now how to find the proposals, but I know more than half the hunters don't know or don't care.

The proposal to ban Spears and Atlatl's was never an issue until the ABA made it an issue.

The proposal to split the draws doesn't benefit anyone unless they are strictly a bow hunter only and it forces the guy's who do both to choose. It's not like this proposal increases the amount of animals that can be harvested. Or does it if you are a bow hunter only and lie about the harvest success? I can see how bow hunter success is lower then using a rifle and they could issue more tags to the bow hunters to meet there target goal of 15-20% animals taken by bow. But if they give more tags to the bow hunters to meet there target goal where are these extra tags coming from.They don't grow on tree's. In the end it is the general season hunters and the guy's who do both who loose.

I just don't understand how somethings come to be when there is clearly more general season hunters and guy's who do both. Something is fishy

http://www.afga.org/pdf/2014Conferen...Conference.pdf

[albertaatlatl]

Definitely fishy. At the May AGMAG meeting, the ESRD rep wanted more info on Atlatls and Spears for hunting. When I asked what more info, than what I supplied at the meeting, the answer was an astonishing..." I don't know"! What? You don't know? How do we as hunters address that?

[dmcbride]

Originally Posted by albertaatlatl

Definitely fishy. At the May AGMAG meeting, the ESRD rep wanted more info on Atlatls and Spears for hunting. When I asked what more info, than what I supplied at the meeting, the answer was an astonishing..." I don't know"! What? You don't know? How do we as hunters address that?

It almost sounds like they already have there mind made up. What information did you supply? I am assuming minimum spear and dart head requirements and argued how effective they can be in the right hands just like any other weapon? Something is fishy for sure.
"I don't know" you would think they would have something to say. Unless they are hoping this will just quietly get passed. I am glad you were there, I would have lost it. Keep up the good work, I am thankful.

[3blade]

Nothing new here...

Re: split seasons - problem is that when mulies went on draw, outfitters got first chance at most of em because the resident bow hunters were mostly way low on priority. Had everyone (including outfitters) been cut at the same time, I doubt this would have come up. I don't like it either, kind of a bandaid over an amputation.

Regardless, we need to address outfitter allocations (nice little tap dance around that one ), redefine resident status, and predator control and then things will get better. Yet again, nothing of substance on those subjects in this document.

Edit: anyone else notice the complete lack of g bear strategy?

[dmcbride]

I wonder what some of these special interest groups would think if Walking buffalo's post from another thread became a reality.

Originally Posted by walking buffalo View Post



There are many much more effective and sound changes to current wildlife management practices that will result in more hunting licences which will result in lowering the priority required to draw a tag. Here's one.



Anybody want a quick easy way to double the number of draw licences available for many of these "trophy" hunts?


GET RID OF THEM!


If we simply got away from this "Trophy" management mentality there would be many more licences available, especially for species such as Mule Deer.

Instead of offering a harvest of 3-5% of the population as is done for a "trophy" Mule deer area, lets issue the 10-15% that the population can biologically withstand thus maximizing the licence availability while reducing the draw wait times.


Yes, I can hear the hard core Antler hunters.....