fin little,
If you ever had the opportunity to sit with me by a campfire and have a civil exchange, you'd find out I'm a reasonable, thoughtful, yet passionate, advocate for the things I believe in. Perplexing...well, my two teenagers level that charge at me all the time!
You've posted responses to this issue many times as well. You've, for the most part, been very even handed on this issue. I recall you and your crew have drawn a certain unit here in AZ and have enjoyed good success. You guys scout, hunt hard, and your efforts are rewarded. You also have testified to the necessity to "play the game" when it comes to drawing an elk tag in AZ. You all are probably working on a once every 8 years or so program. I'm in the same boat as a resident; I've had two tags in 18 years. The reality is it is very tough to draw here. The number of folks moving to AZ is significant, #2 nationally in growth in the latest statistics, and a percentage of those new residents are going to be hunters.
When you add the existing "base" of AZ resident hunters that will apply every year to the new resident applicants the pool will continue to grow. Now, throw in the regular AZ NR applicants, such as your crew, that apply every year, building BP's, and you have a fairly stable number of NR applicants. I respectfully disagree that many more NR applicants will apply just because a cap has been lifted or modified. With the advent of the credit card/internet application process I really trust that most NR's that want to hunt bull elk in AZ are already applying. Certainly the licensing outfits are applying their customers in AZ every year, they say so when ever you read their literature or see them on the tube hawking their services.
I guess a bit of civil disobedence in the name of preserving individual state sovereignty is something I would advocate in regards to this issue. The draw is done, mail the permits, and lets' go hunting! We live in a republic, a collection of states all able to determine what is best for them. We do not need the federal government to step in and dictate how we should issue hunting tags! IMO, the draw in AZ is fair.
Soon we will have to deal with the Landowner Permit issue as AZ ranchers are seeking these tags right now. There are also members of a prominent hunting organization within AZ at work trying to help the ranchers to get the tags as they will benefit when a landowner permit program is in place.
It all revolves around dollars. I believe the lust for money is the root of all evil. It is clear that the only reason this issue has come to a head on the day of the probable release of the draw results is to get more tags for NR outfitters' clients thereby increasing their profits for this year and beyond. How long before they swing a deal with the Boquillas Ranch in unit 10 and lock everyone out who doesn't have a hunt booked with their exclusive outfitter?
I didn't think it would come to this but I underestimated the degree to which greed will drive the outfitter groups to steal tags from the hard working, tax paying residents of AZ. Basically the unattached, public hunting Arizona elk hunter takes it in the shorts. Brutal. Maybe I ought to post the letter USO mailed to NR applicants for elk tags in AZ? It's a doozie with all of its' hate rhetoric and "us against them" drivel, all composed and signed by George Taulman himself.
Naturally, I'm frustrated by this circumstance. I came home from a trip expecting to log on and find out if my long history of draw failures in my own home state had come to an end for 2004. I wanted to plan my vacation time and work out my fall hunting options and plans, just like 1000's of other hunters, you included. Now, here we sit with a draw in the books and the info held hostage. It isn't right, it isn't fair, and it's wrong to change the rules when they were agreed upon before the "game" started.