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Actually that's not true. Most non-western states across America have been seeing hunter numbers dropping for decades. This means the most avid hunters apply even more pressure on the western states. Especially those states that still have some over the counter tags. Sounds just like inflation (we call point creep). Too many hunters chasing too few tag opportunities. The biggest problem is the average age of all hunters is increasing dramatically year to year. Plus side if you're young? In under 20 years there should be a lot of tags available as we older hunters move on to hunt in a different area!
An Official Journal Of The NRA | Western and Southeastern States Defy Hunting’s ‘National Decline’
While hunting participation at the nationwide level is down, license sales in Western and Southeastern states are booming.www.americanhunter.org
Hunter numbers dwindling across the US, not in the West
Number of hunters increasing year by yearwww.gohunt.com
Why We Suck at Recruiting New Hunters, Why It Matters, and How You Can Fix It
Baby boomers make up our nation's largest cohort of hunters, and they've already begun to age out of the sport. Within 15 years, most will stop buying licenses entirely. And when they do, our ranks could plunge by 30 percent—along with critical funding for wildlife management, advocacy for...www.outdoorlife.com
I grew up in PA. Whitetail hunting was as close as you could get to a national holiday. Generations hunting together. Still that way in most of that state which has people constantly complaining about the orange army. I have heard that same sentiment for 50+ years though.
Totally true! But, that's my point. AZ, CO, NV, etc are all considered western hunts. Hunters from other states are now very interested in elk and deer hunting in the western states. Nonresident applications continue to increase year over year while resident applications have stayed relatively flat.
There was, at least a couple of years ago, some coues tags usually on the leftover list. There's also OTC archery deer tags in AZ. So that's not terribly accurate. Now for elk, yeah, there's no OTC options in AZ.
I'm glad I don't live in Az. or Nv..I'd have to hunt out of state all the time. I started hunted Az. in 1987. One of my favorite states to hunt. I used to hunt 5BN archery elk often. Took 15 pts to draw last year. I'm done. I'm on a points burning mission in all states. I burned my Az.. deer pts. in 2018. Burned elk points on a rifle elk hunt this year. Now if I got burn my bighorn pts.. Oh, and those 24 lope pts.
Great infoTotally true! But, that's my point. AZ, CO, NV, etc are all considered western hunts. Hunters from other states are now very interested in elk and deer hunting in the western states. Nonresident applications continue to increase year over year while resident applications have stayed relatively flat.
Yes, you and I are seeing fewer opportunities to hunt in our resident states. There are MORE hunters coming to our states. But, that doesn't relate to the actual decline in hunters across the country in general. With our states ALSO issuing fewer tags in each of the last few years it does "feel like" there must be more hunters everywhere. But that's just not the case. At least not across the entire country.
I completely agree with you too regarding the increased usage of the outdoors everywhere. There is an ATV/OHV trailhead 1.5 miles north of my front gate leading to over 150 miles of trails. I watch $250k and up rigs make a never ending path past my front door every Friday and they reverse that on Sunday afternoon. However, overall our hunting numbers have and are dropping NATIONALLY. Below is a 2021 article and there are many in 2022 also but I didn't feel the need to add those.
Decline in Hunting Threatens Conservation Funding
The decline has stifled license sales and other forms of funding for state wildlife agencies.cnr.ncsu.edu
Going back to the original OP comment about wondering if the AZ draw was active and complete. AZ has issued fewer tags during each of the previous 3 years for elk and deer. You're also right that there were even more applications in each of the last 3 years. Elk 2019: 78595 vs 2020: 80642 (2021 will be even higher but isn't published yet)
I have been hunting in Colorado for 34 years (national forest at my literal back door). Hunters from the other eastern and west coast states are now more focused on the western states for big game hunting. Units in western Colorado that used to have hundreds of draw tags left over don't any more. The number of tags hasn't gone up either. Those numbers have come down. In Colorado, youth tags get the highest preference for every species. Our DOW feels this is the only way they can help jump start the overall resident hunting population which they have acknowledged on many occasions is decreasing in the state.
For example, under Colorado's new 2nd draw process for "leftover tags" youth applicants are guaranteed 100% of the leftover tags. Our state is more than willing to sacrifice adult tags believing that the adults will have no problem simply being the unpaid outfitter & guide for their new, youth hunters.
Arizona issued fewer javelina permits in 2021 than 2020. 11891 vs 11941 respectively.
Arizona hasn't listed their 2021 elk & deer permit number recap yet. For 2019 vs 2020, there were 26178 elk permits for 2019 and 24999 elk permits for 2020
You and me both, New Mexico makes it pretty straightforward for everyone
2023 AZ Elk draw has started.
