New Archery seasons

[BaldBeaver]

Looks like New Mexico will be down to 2 Archery seasons for elk Statewide. Hmmmmm, that changes things a little bit.

~Jason Peterson


"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."~Jack Kerouac

 

[cfreak]

Is that official?

 

[BaldBeaver]

Not sure how to call it official, but I jsut spoke with someone who was at the meeting and they informed me that it was approved. NMWF webpage is also claiming it.

~Jason Peterson


"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."~Jack Kerouac

 

[earlyriser]

I'm not sure odds would drop unless the tag allotment drops? Hear anything about that?

 

[BaldBeaver]

The proposed numbers are there. IT actually showed for 16B ten extra tags, but the odds will surely drop with more people going into two pools instead of three.

~Jason Peterson


"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."~Jack Kerouac

 

[OCHO]

Pretty good write up on all the changes here.... The youth encouragement and buddy system tags were pretty mind blowing!

And finally the deer tags are getting cut!!

http://www.nmwildlife.org/news/commission

 

[JACOB2006]

Gila hunters are getting screwed.

 

[cfreak]

Number of tags in 16b remained the same still totalling 390. This is pretty scrappy. I guess it was good while it lasted.

 

[BaldBeaver]

Yeah, my public math was wrong. Now the question is do I risk it next year on the last season or look for a new area. I mainly like the wilderness aspect of 16B. Hunted there this year and never saw another hunter the whole time I was there.

~Jason Peterson


"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."~Jack Kerouac

 

[cfreak]

Wilderness hunts are what I gravitate toward for the simple reason less pressure and less hunters. I have stock that carries me my camp and my kills so it is suitable for me, I'll say on foot I'd prob never do it. The second season is definitely going to be a bear to get drawn...... tough call my friend....?

 

[Wailing4Wapiti]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-14 AT 12:48PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-14 AT 12:28?PM (MST)

Even when the odds change on you, you have to stick with areas you know until you find them truly shot. The bottom line is you have time in your areas. You have experience with what the elk do, where they go, how to get there, etc. Yeah, you might see a few hunters there next year, but odds are it might be their first time in there and you will be a huge step up on them.

Our 3rd choice unit is one that isn't a great unit, especially trophy wise. However, we know how to hunt it and always do well. Numbers change, but the basic topography and elk don't much. If I knew 16b, I'd stick with it at least for my 1st and 2nd choice (if you know the area, first hunt can be fantastic. They may not scream as much, but they are more susceptible to cow calls and sitting on water) and then do a flier on a 3rd choice.

I imagine you know this, but the way the system works is that when your app is drawn they go through all three choices before they move to next app. If you have a unit like 16b that you know, no matter how bad the odds appear to get (you never know for sure what your actual odds were until the new odds are posted months after the draw) you should still use it for your first two choices because wouldn't you kick yourself if you found out later your app was the very first one pulled and you put in for a second tier hunt as your first choice.

BTW, wouldn't it be great if on your draw results page they gave you the number of your drawn application. I.e. your app was the 4579th drawn.

 

[Iowan]

Unless I am missing something the number of tags is the same for most units- so if there were 100 tags split between three seasons now there will be 100 tags split between two seasons right? If there were 300 people applying for 100 tags under three seasons and now there are 300 people applying for 100 tags split between two seasons the odds will be the same???

It will put more hunters in the two seasons but with the longer dates it will spread them out about the same anyway. I have a very flexible schedule and it is even hard for me to hunt 14 days so I think it boils down to most guys can only carve out so many days to hunt regardless of how long the season is.

I think the harder question will be which half of the season will most guys apply for. I would prefer the 1-14 dates myself.

The buddy tag thing has tons of potential pitfalls and likely abuses but the idea behind it is pretty solid - let two people enjoy hunting on one tag. It definitely puts more pressure on the animals and adds more hunters to the field. Should greatly increase harvest rates too which is good and bad. My vote would be NO as I can enjoy helping someone with their hunt and I do not need to have a weapon in my hand to enjoy being out there.

 

[muleywhisperer]

Wow, there is allot of new changes proposed. I think some are awesome and some are forcing me to attend the future meeting in Espanola.

The Gila breaking down into 2 archery seasons sucks.

The mentor program definitely needs some over hauling, 5-7 year olds don't need to be applying for archery hunts. In my opinion there should be a separate pool of tags for those youth that have passed hunters safety and one that is limited for the youth mentored program. In my opinion the once as a youth hunts should be restricted to only those that have passed hunters safety as a reward for working hard and earning their right to hunt.

The buddy system should only be allowed for immediately family members like a mom or dad allowing there child to harvest the game or in the instance of a legally blind individual who would love some fresh meat but is physically unable to do so. Times are tough and I am sure I can get my non-hunting buddies to apply where I want to hunt and pay for the tag and give them a few hundred bucks for being my good buddies. The idea of essentially "transferable tags" sucks.

As for limiting the number of deer tags I would say I am in favor of that but, more needs to be done as far as controlling predators. I trap and hunt but the idea of buying a cougar tag does nothing for me. I am not in a position to afford to make a rug or get a cat mounted so why spend the money on a tag. If it were included in my general hunting license I would spend some serious time in pursuit of these deer killers. With that said, If there is some one in the Santa Fe area the has dogs and a cougar tag and would like to kill a horse killing, deer slaying cat send me a P.M. I have a ranch that needs to get rid of some cats.

 

[stoney]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-09-14 AT 04:59AM (MST)[p]I was at the meeting at Socorro last week and it was absolutely pathetic in the lack of public participation in the Game Commission meeting. Only three or four hunters there.

I lobbied hard and testified to keep the three season structure in the Gila only to deaf ears. This move was initiated by the Commission and not the Dept. Mr. Salopek got it pushed through as it was his pet peeve for some reason he told me and I for the life of me couldn't understand his reasoning. We worked hard to get the three season put in place and there was no way to stop them on this move. No other sportsmen there to defend it but myself. I have been going to these meeting for almost 40 years and it is always the same, good ideas are rolled over and stomped on by the powers to be.

 

[hank4elk]

I hear ya Stoney.
I was only hunter at the SF rescheduled meeting,only other ones there was G&F & NMWF....
Some things actually get discussed ,then just by passed by commish.
As for the bow seasons,I think they should be consistant thru state. They get more than their share of hunting time IMHO.But then I'm not bowhunter anymore,and just see rifle hunts shoved to the side. MHO
As for the buddy tag BS,we got that now if you see whats going on. Truckloads of folks hunting on one tag.......pure BS.
It's called hunting on a draw tag during season. Something comes up you can't go, too bad. That's life!
And the little kids without proper training and supervision hunting is BS. 8-10 if they have passed huntersafety and are accompanied by RESPONSABLE adult, maybe....
I am seeing fewer RESPONSABLE adults hunting as it is....

 

[cfreak]

I disagree with the elk hunts being uniform state wide. One reason being not all units across the state are as coveted as the gila units. Three hunts spread out the draw odds enough to make not as difficult to draw a good archery tag,the second reason being two long hunts with more hunters pressuring elk herds and crowding the woods makes it harder on the hunter, and also outfitters. It is just not a sensible thing to do,the people who have the power to make these types of decisions have no consideration to any of these issues and simply do not want to hear the hunters and outfitters opinions.

 

[JACOB2006]

Hank I agree with you, but it's hard to take vacation to attend then have it changed. I can't help but think it was intentionally done.

 

[hank4elk]

Yep Jacob , SOP w/ gubberment agencies. Reschedule meetings at last minute. Keeps us dissalussioned. Same as answering a ? with a ?
The Gila elk herds could hold for the 3 seasons,and each unit is somewhat different.
But I also think the critters need some time off from the pressure.