Unit 3A BS

[Flatlander]

I know we are right before the holiday and mid-season on a bunch of hunts, but there is an issue in Unit 3A that needs immediate attention.

Below is a picture of the hunt recommendations for 2024 Elk and Antelope. Included in the recommendations is a modification to the boundary description for 3A that changes the hunts or area for draw tags to that portion of the unit within the Apache Sitgreaves NF. The remainder of the unit was converted to OTC at the insistence of the ranchers in the area.

With the OTC designation, the Elkins and Carlisle ranches have entered into an exclusive access agreement with an outfitter who is selling OTC hunts for $10k.

This privatization of hunting and commercialization of a public resource is not in line with the North American Model and is a disservice to all hunters.

Please submit a comment to AZGFD to close elk hunting in the Zeniff hunt area until these ranches create a public access agreement similar to what other ranches in the state have done.

Submit comments to:
[email protected]

 

[Largebull]

I know we are right before the holiday and mid-season on a bunch of hunts, but there is an issue in Unit 3A that needs immediate attention.

Below is a picture of the hunt recommendations for 2024 Elk and Antelope. Included in the recommendations is a modification to the boundary description for 3A that changes the hunts or area for draw tags to that portion of the unit within the Apache Sitgreaves NF. The remainder of the unit was converted to OTC at the insistence of the ranchers in the area.

With the OTC designation, the Elkins and Carlisle ranches have entered into an exclusive access agreement with an outfitter who is selling OTC hunts for $10k.

This privatization of hunting and commercialization of a public resource is not in line with the North American Model and is a disservice to all hunters.

Please submit a comment to AZGFD to close elk hunting in the Zeniff hunt area until these ranches create a public access agreement similar to what other ranches in the state have done.

Submit comments to:
[email protected]

View attachment 127094

View attachment 127095

Complete Bulcrap. This aint New Mexico.......................BULL

 

[AZ8]

Letter sent.

I believe the Carlisle ranch received HPC funds for some juniper treatment years back. So they get funds, get their ranch treated with our dollars, convince AZGFD that OTC tags are needed, sign exclusive rights with outfitter, create new OTC hunt north of forest boundary, then lock it up.

Nice.

Outfitters. It’s always outfitters fuggin things up.

 

[Skykarp]

Shocked it took AZ ranchers this long. NM ranchers get 10-15k per tag with no guide and CA gets 20k+.

You mean to tell me elk will thrive where there is dedicated water and feed? Crazy.

 

[money]

It is private land after all! They can and do lock it up already since that is their right. Unfortunately for us, it is their right to allow an outfitter to guide on their land and have the only access. If people are willing to pay $10,000 for that hunt let them have it. There aren't that many elk in that part of the unit.

I don't necessarily agree with the OTC hunt out there because I think the ranchers are making a much bigger deal of the elk than it really is. They act like there are 10,000 elk out there destroying their crops and range land. That is certainly not the case at all, but it absolutely is their right to capitalize on the opportunity whether we like it or not. If you were in their shoes you would 100% take the money and run just like they are. They don't care about the elk, they care about the cash. I would love to see the OTC elk out there go away, but access is already an issue and it's not like they are killing a bunch of big bulls.

Also, that boundary was already set last year for the over the counter tags that occurred this year. See note from this years regs.

The only change this year would be that the draw tags for 3a/3c won't include that portion of the unit. But again, it is already over the counter and doesn't hold many elk.

I get your frustration, but it is already hard to access and hard to find elk. Not going to really make a difference in hunt quality for 3a/3c if I had to guess.

 

[DBLung]

Are they blocking any public land access? If not, they're not doing anything wrong in my book. A ranch that has the land and habitat to help deer and elk thrive is an asset. They certainly don't need to do it. They could fight the AZGFD and have the elk eliminated like some other ranchers do.

 

[huntazido]

I doubt many residents are paying these high fees to hunt these limited opportunity OTC hunts. AZ should not be offering any OTC opportunities to NR's period. We don't have the wildlife numbers but we do have an ever growing human population. Make all NR's draw tags and use their points to get drawn for any hunts.

 

[Moe]

AZ game and fish would sell Mom if it helps the budget.

 

[105Coues]

Area in question is checkerboard with state. Bullsgit IMO as well. Hunters should not be blocked from hunting state land in any unit.

 

[AZ8]

I noticed in the new regs, the boundary for this hunt wasn’t modified. Looks like our letters helped.

 

[Booner]

They don't care about the elk, they care about the cash.

I would think if they care about the cash they care about the elk. The “African model” of game management isn’t all that crazy in some aspects. If game has value then people value game.