AZ deer tag quota recommendations out...several changes!

Go to this page for the link and then click on the ?S-3 Attachment, Big Game Commission Orders? http://azgfdportal.az.gov/hunting/guidelines

The deer tag quotas in unit 12 sure took a hit this year!?
Rifle:
Oct 23 - Nov 1, 2015 (2,4,36) 12A West Any antlered deer from 500 to 450 (-50)
Nov 20 - Nov 29, 2015 (2,4,36) 12A West Any antlered deer from 135 to 100 (-35)
Juniors:
No Hunt Nov 7 - Nov 10, 2014 (2,4,12,36) 12A West Antlerless deer from 100 to 0 (-100)
Oct 9 - Oct 12, 2015 (2,4,12,36) 12A West Antlerless deer from 250 to 400 (+150)
Archery:
Aug 21 - Sep 10, 2015 (14) 12A and 12B Any antlered deer from 800 to 550 (-250)

That's good. Need to get some age class in the herd. The Kaibab could be the best trophy mule deer hunt in the country with the genetics up there.

I agree...I hope they keep lowering the Kaibab buck/doe tags. If they can bring the Kaibab back like it was in the 80's, everybody would want a tag!

LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-15 AT 06:08PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-15 AT 11:40?AM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-15 AT 11:39?AM (MST)

>I agree...I hope they keep lowering
>the Kaibab buck/doe tags. If
>they can bring the Kaibab
>back like it was in
>the 80's, everybody would want
>a tag!
I too see the need for the reduction in tags....especially the late rifle tags. You just can't keep shooting all those older bucks during the rut and then expect to replace them every year. I did find the math a bit baffling when you see that they lowered the archery tags to the point that you now have the same exact number of archery tags as there are rifle tags? I could be missing something but I sure don't see how 550 archers have the same impact as 550 rifle hunters? The other thing is that they also increased the number of doe tags and have indicated that this was because they are at or near the herd size objectives. Years ago the numbers of deer you could see up there was far greater than now. With the slight increase in tags for the doe hunt, I guess they feel as though the herd is close to or perhaps a little over carring capacity.

I too support the reduction in deer tags on the Kaibab.

Great genetics, and simply put, you got to let those bucks get older than 3 years old in order to fully reach their potential!

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

The Bab is not close to carring capacity,when AZGFd looses money they make it up some where else!!!!!The does tags for the last 15 years is one of the main problems that 12a does not have the bucks it had in the mid 90's,and way to many early buck tags!!!!!At least now the does tags are for youths,the first few years they were general tags.

LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15 AT 11:19PM (MST)[p]The archery hunters have done really well the last couple of years on the Kaibab, so success was above prescribed archery quota(I think its target range is between 10 and 20% of all kills?) Its still a "young" hunt since it went to a draw not that long ago, so they watch it really closely.