LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-11 AT 08:49AM (MST)[p]To the comment about the money being a driver of tag numbers.
Currently we have a Commission and Department that is willing to listen and work pretty close with the public. There are many factors to managing wildlife in the state and the financial aspect is one of them and it is up to us, the public, to make sure that the financial needs do not drive the system of determining the number of tags. For this year there is a decrease in the number of elk tags. If you guys remember back about 6 years ago the bull/cow and calf/cow ratios were lowered to provide more opportunity. We all came unglued and the Commission refused to listen to the public. At the last elk guideline meeting the Arizona Elk Society, working with a wildlife biologist familiar with the State of Arizona, requested that the guidelines be reset back to the higher bull/cow and calf/cow ratios and the commission agreed. In a few units this meant a reduction of tags but overall there wasn't a big change. If the public approaches the Commission and Department with concerns that are based on science and biology, with the facts to back it up, we are able to affect changes. If the public approaches the Commission and Dept. with emotion and personal feelings we are listened to and pretty much ignored. That is where a group like the Arizona Elk Society and others can be effective. If we take all the emotion, bottle it up, thoroughly research the issue using the AZGFD data through a respected wildlife biologist and researcher like Jim devos, from the AES, and then professionally present it to the Commission and Department we can make changes and make sure that the decisions are based on science not financial need.
The Arizona Elk Society realizes that there are many factors governing the numbers of tags and this thread has hit on a few. One of the big ones is carrying capacity, carrying capacity has to be balanced between a lot of things including the health of the habitat and the relationship with cattle grazing. The AZGFD works very close with the Forest Service in balancing the amount of forage that is available and the split between the cattle and wildlife. The ranchers have a right to the forage through their grazing permit. This is another area that the Arizona Elk Society is working by meeting with both sides and being involved in many of the meetings that determine the ratios. Our goal is to identify areas where the hundreds of thousands of dollars we raise can do the most good to effectively allow an increase in the overall population of elk without elk/cattle conflicts. It is not only the cattle that we need to be concerned with, increasing an elk herd can have a very bad affect on mule deer and other wildlife populations too.
Sorry for the long post. As President of the Arizona Elk Society I am very driven to balance the needs and wants of the elk hunters in Arizona. I am very passionate about our elk herds. I really enjoy elk hunting and elk watching and have a ton of friends that feel the same way. I want more elk, I want more tags but I realize that there are many factors involved and must use the system to get what I want. My feelings are echoed by all the members and Board members of the Arizona Elk Society. I have always said that there is strength in numbers. If there is a group out there that has your interest at heart then support them by joining. We can accomplish a lot if we band together. The Arizona Elk Society is very concerned about many issues in Arizona and we are actively working on them for the sportsmen. These include elk management, forest health, habitat improvements, Mexican wolf reintroduction, Forest Service Travel Management Plans and many more. We have representatives at many of the meetings to make sure that Arizona Sportsmen are involved and heard.
Steve