Free: Contests & Raffles.
I think some people are in denile about the effectiveness of harvest reports and wildlife management. I think we all want to believe our harvest reports are used for accurate management but when you really look at the big picture and how things operate now it just isn't true. If managers strictly relied apon them for for management things would be worse than they already are. It's a lazy way to manage game that's not truely accurate and effective in todays world. If game were managed strictly by in the field observations and counts I'm sure people would see a more positive differance As far as the $10 penalty for not reporting - Didn't last year the revenue from that alone rake in over 2 1/2 million dollars?Not to mention it being a black mark on the record of ones who didn't report.With that said I mainly report because I would rather keep my 10 dollars to my self not because I think it's going help wildlife anymore
Ceder pants your making my point and I'm with you that its a good tool and worth while . Thats why ALL USER GROUPS NEED TO REPORT .
Quote from: Practical Approach on December 05, 2011, 11:41:27 AMQuote from: ICEMAN on December 04, 2011, 07:13:14 PMBigtex, good point. Here is the question though. Why fine or charge unreporting anyway? Do the numbers they glean from the reporting actually truly help the managers "manage" game populations? Are game numbers reported this fall really truly altering how they manage next years hunt? I would have expected managers to have a bigger plan than this yearly reporting. They should be able to manage on a long range plan, and not be quick to fine somebody for that immediate answer they do not need. Don't wildlife managers already estimate the number of game animals poached or killed by vehicles, or tribal take (reported and not...). Are we going to start citing drivers who do not report striking a deer with their car? Wildlife managers are paid to do what? Wait for hunters to report what they "said happened", and then blindly manage game populations based upon these numbers? This is not what they studied for all those years in college. Let's throw away all our education and place all of our career decisions based upon what alot of pissed off hunters report....yeah! Yeah, this is how we will manage game populations!I bet wildlife already has a "false reporting" average built into their number gathering. They already suspect that a whole lot of the reports are false, and therefore are pushing this mandatory reporting issue as revenue source plain and simple. Yes, these are only my BS observations and assumptions. So be it, this is how I see it.You fine people for not reporting so that hopefully they remember to report next time. If most people actually gave two sheets about management and quit buying into all of the conspiracy theory BS then maybe there wouldn't have to be fines. Yes the information truly helps managers. Yes, managers can manage off this falls data. It is called emergency closures if needed. Managers do manage based off a big picture, but the big picture is painted from annual snapshots of data. People must have the perception that wildlife managers are rolling in money and that they only manage hunted species and that they get to choose where they focus their time. There is not enough time or money in a year to survey every GMU annually. DOT keeps a database of road killed animals which are reported, discovered poached animals are reported and a large portion of tribal harvest is reported. Iceman, I will ignore your ignorance on what wildlife managers are paid to do and what they went to school for. You obviously have a small vision of what it takes to manage wildlife and what resources this state has to do it. I can't fathom why it is so difficult to report your harvest. If so called sportsmen who claim they care about the resource can't fill out a simple harvest report, then in my opinion you have no business hunting. You obviously are someone who disregards rules and does not have the best intent for wildlife in general.But thats my observation. I probably have it all wrong. Practical, since you know so much about what biologist are paid to do and what they schooled for, please explain to me what percentage of error you factor in to mandatory big game harvest report data.I fill out the form each year. Missed it one year and got fined. I complained. No reason for the fine, I have a long history of reporting my harvest data, the record show this, yet I still get the fine. The fine is all about taking advantage of hunters, even those with a stellar reporting record. The fine is about revenue. How long have you been in this state? I have been here for 47 years and follow the rules. My job requires that I follow the rules, so blow it. I think I must have struck a nerve with you in particular. I care a whole lot about wildlife, so much so that I question the departments ability to maintain a healthy game population. Did you happen to read in the thread where I felt that Doe and Cow tags should not be given out? I feel that game populations are way to small in many areas of the state, and I feel that the game department could care less, and are willing to sell out our resources to stuff the state coffers with our permit application fees. I am sure you will agrue that the beloved biologists know better with their edumakation and all. Others here have argued that the Bios can make recommendations but they often fall on deaf ears. So what is the point of reporting to the bios? Sounds like they should be solely in charge of season setting and harvest quotas? Would this fix the situation?I do not know what the answer is. It seems that season setting and permit sales is so politicized that there is no possible way to salvage the game herds in the state. Add to the bias of the game commission, tribal harvest, continual illegal taking of wildlife...., we normal guys get a hunting season that is over in 9 or 10 days for mule deer, rediculous "true spike" regulations and a game regulation manual that is 118 pages long. How much do you want to bet that some jackazz lowly state employee like myself, and about 5 good ol' boys could put together a better game management plan that actually preserves big game populations for generations to come, better than a truck load of educated biologists and game management professionals?
Quote from: ICEMAN on December 04, 2011, 07:13:14 PMBigtex, good point. Here is the question though. Why fine or charge unreporting anyway? Do the numbers they glean from the reporting actually truly help the managers "manage" game populations? Are game numbers reported this fall really truly altering how they manage next years hunt? I would have expected managers to have a bigger plan than this yearly reporting. They should be able to manage on a long range plan, and not be quick to fine somebody for that immediate answer they do not need. Don't wildlife managers already estimate the number of game animals poached or killed by vehicles, or tribal take (reported and not...). Are we going to start citing drivers who do not report striking a deer with their car? Wildlife managers are paid to do what? Wait for hunters to report what they "said happened", and then blindly manage game populations based upon these numbers? This is not what they studied for all those years in college. Let's throw away all our education and place all of our career decisions based upon what alot of pissed off hunters report....yeah! Yeah, this is how we will manage game populations!I bet wildlife already has a "false reporting" average built into their number gathering. They already suspect that a whole lot of the reports are false, and therefore are pushing this mandatory reporting issue as revenue source plain and simple. Yes, these are only my BS observations and assumptions. So be it, this is how I see it.You fine people for not reporting so that hopefully they remember to report next time. If most people actually gave two sheets about management and quit buying into all of the conspiracy theory BS then maybe there wouldn't have to be fines. Yes the information truly helps managers. Yes, managers can manage off this falls data. It is called emergency closures if needed. Managers do manage based off a big picture, but the big picture is painted from annual snapshots of data. People must have the perception that wildlife managers are rolling in money and that they only manage hunted species and that they get to choose where they focus their time. There is not enough time or money in a year to survey every GMU annually. DOT keeps a database of road killed animals which are reported, discovered poached animals are reported and a large portion of tribal harvest is reported. Iceman, I will ignore your ignorance on what wildlife managers are paid to do and what they went to school for. You obviously have a small vision of what it takes to manage wildlife and what resources this state has to do it. I can't fathom why it is so difficult to report your harvest. If so called sportsmen who claim they care about the resource can't fill out a simple harvest report, then in my opinion you have no business hunting. You obviously are someone who disregards rules and does not have the best intent for wildlife in general.But thats my observation. I probably have it all wrong.
Bigtex, good point. Here is the question though. Why fine or charge unreporting anyway? Do the numbers they glean from the reporting actually truly help the managers "manage" game populations? Are game numbers reported this fall really truly altering how they manage next years hunt? I would have expected managers to have a bigger plan than this yearly reporting. They should be able to manage on a long range plan, and not be quick to fine somebody for that immediate answer they do not need. Don't wildlife managers already estimate the number of game animals poached or killed by vehicles, or tribal take (reported and not...). Are we going to start citing drivers who do not report striking a deer with their car? Wildlife managers are paid to do what? Wait for hunters to report what they "said happened", and then blindly manage game populations based upon these numbers? This is not what they studied for all those years in college. Let's throw away all our education and place all of our career decisions based upon what alot of pissed off hunters report....yeah! Yeah, this is how we will manage game populations!I bet wildlife already has a "false reporting" average built into their number gathering. They already suspect that a whole lot of the reports are false, and therefore are pushing this mandatory reporting issue as revenue source plain and simple. Yes, these are only my BS observations and assumptions. So be it, this is how I see it.
My wife reports every year,but not sure what she reports,and i dont care.I refuse to do it.There do it or else communist,crap just will not work.If i was in charge,i would fire most of them and start over.
For those with a negative view of mandatory reporting, I'm willing to listen to any and all reasons/facts you have to support how NOT reporting will benefit game management in this state. I can understand your viewpoint, but I'd like to hear your supporting facts as to how our game numbers will benefit if they do away with mandatory reporting.
