I've received another letter from AZ Game and Fish:
Sent: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 5:25 pm
Subject: RE: Legalization of Night Hunting for Predatory Mammals
Jeff,
Thank you for your inquiry. More importantly, thank you for being a hunter and for your interest in predator management in Arizona. Jennifer will address the rules process as she is the expert. I was on a night hunting predator evaluation team around 2000 that analyzed the pros and cons of night hunting of predators with the aid of artificial light. Commissioner McLean was correct in stating that hunter safety was one of the primary reasons night hunting of predators is not legal in Arizona. We do offer night hunting of raccoons and snakes with a light source detached from a vehicle. I did a comparative analysis of all 50 states and a majority do not allow night hunting for safety reasons. I am sure you are aware of the western states that do and some of the Midwestern states that allow it. The states that did allow it stated that it is a constant source of night time law enforcement calls from the public. Some states require the hunter to obtain a permit for a specified area and to notify the agency’s dispatch prior to hunting. Some required the use of a shotgun shooting shot. Officer safety was very high on the list of concerns. Imagine if you were a game warden and you h ave gone from attempting to catch night time deer poachers to checking legal night time predator hunters. The approach by the officer will be the same, always from a safety view point. Arizona is fortunate and unique in that we have the largest number of carnivores than almost any other state (NM has more). At the time we reviewed night time hunting we were in the middle of, and still are, reintroduction programs for two endangered species-the Mexican gray wolf and the black-footed ferret, both a primarily nocturnal animal with an eye shine. Oh, and then there is the jaguar in the southeast part of our state. Finally, we looked at the biology of the predators that would be hunted for the purpose of reducing predators to benefit prey, such as fawning antelope. There is no science-based information that has shown that lawful hunters have effectively reduced a predator population through night hunting to a degree to have a positive impact on prey. A removal of 75% of the estimated population of a predator species is required to have a positive impact on large prey. In fact, coyotes actually increase their litter sizes in a response to moderate or heavy removal, and all during the antelope fawning season. The past team’s analysis finally looked at how permitted night hunting would increase additional hunter opportunity. As Arizona has a huge resource of foxes and coyotes that are not currently being hunted to a significant level (supply over demand) the past decision was to not20legalize it. I hope this gives you some idea of what will be considered by the Department upon receipt of your petition. Please feel free to call me and discuss this and any hunting topic you may want to as I am an avid predator hunter.
Ron Thompson
Big Game Habitat and Large Carnivore Specialist
And my reply to Ron Thompson:
Hello Ron,
Thank you for your response. I appreciate your getting back to me, and I'm sure you guys have your hands full with quite a bit of other tings beside answering emails.
I began this petition about 3 years ago. I started it to see if there would in fact be any interest on the issue. As it turns out, there was quite a bit of interest. I also belonged to the Phoenix Varmint Callers group in Phoenix, and as you probably well know being a predator hunter yourself, the subject of night hunting comes up quite often, especially around the camp fire with those guys from Texas. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Anyway, this petition, my own, resurfaced a couple of days ago, and has had about 100 more signatures added overnight. Well, this got me to thinking about the subject again.
Before I begin addressing some of your points, I would also like to tell you that I do have 9 years Law Enforcement experience. I was a Military Policeman in the Army, and while in the Army, I was assigned to the Military Police Company down in Fort Huachuca. Shortly after arriving, I was selected to be the Post Game Warden. I worked with the Post wildlife biologists, did game counts and enforced this states hunting and fighing regulations.
Now having been predator hunting for a few years, I can honestly say, predator hunters are some of the most responsible hunters I have ever encountered, and due to the very controversial nature of our sport, we really go the extra mile "leaving it like we found it". We are also extremely concerned with our game animal species as well. The reason's for attempting to have the law changed are as numerous as the people that want it changed. I do not believe that there is just one magic reason for the change, but many.
The reasons for leaving it the way it is, are, in my opinion, just one. This reason centers around the officer's safety in the field. I do not for one second discount this reason, as I also feel that it is a very valid concern. I can say; however, that in all honesty, the reason given with regards to the fear that "poaching" will occur simply do not hold water. That is like saying that a group of flies will draw a pile of garbage. We both know that poachers will poach WHENEVER poachers want to poach. Predator hunters utilize red lights and are stationary, not "jack lighting" with a Q-beam spotlight from a moving vehicle.
At the risk of sounding negative, I have been predator hunting in the State of Arizona, during daylight hours, for over 20 years, and I have never been approached by a game warden in all that time. About the only law enforcement I have seen is the occasional Border Patrolman. They are always very friendly, but I have never had my hunting license checked, or my lion tag checked. If this is not occurring during daylight hours, I certainly don't think it will start happening at night.
The eye shine of the gray wolf, or that of a jaguar or black footed ferret should also be of no concern. I know there are Jaguars in southern Arizona, remember, I was the game warden on Fort huachuca, and I also know that their locations are kept extremely quiet. Their numbers are so few, this shouldn't even enter into the equation. Wolf's are pretty much the same story, although their numbers are obviously more than than the Jaguars. Again, you know as many predator hunters as I do, and I think that we can both agree, that if a target is not 100% identified, then the shot doesn't get taken.
As far as a significant impact on the coyote population with regards to their predation on the Antelope, we both know that this is almost negligible. There are those predator hunters that would have you believe that they would be saving the state money in areas that require aerial gunning, but the real impact would actually be quite small.
I do believe; however, that the areas where deer and elk herds are declining, can be directly attributed to the coyote population, and in this area, we can make a small impact. I know, coyotes don't kill full grown deer and elk, but the lions certainly do. The lions eat what they can, and bury the rest. They stick around for a bit, but they wander off, patrolling their territories. When they return, they find that the local coyote population, we'll call them "Eatibus anythingus in sightubis", has all but devoured their kill. The lion must then kill another deer or elk, and they cycle continues. I have seen significant population drops occur in game herds for this very reason. The ONLY real check and balance system the coyotes have are in fact the wolves, who's numbers are presently so few, that it is no longer a balanced system.
I am all for new rules if this law is passed. I believe that if such a law were changed, you would HAVE to put laws into place to control it. South Eastern Arizona, for example, could be put off limits after the hours of darkness. You could also initially, allow night hunting in certain established hunting areas. Then over time, as everyone warms to the idea, broaden the legal area's.
I know if I were still a game warden in this day and age, I would most certainly want more responsible eye's and ear's in the field, only a cell phone call away to report any illegal activity they may come across.
I know I'm typing a book here, but at least give it a chance. Start small if necessary, but let's start. Heck, if California, the most Liberal place on the planet, is allowing it, then Arizona should at least give it real consideration. I know the idea has been brought up in the past, and the reason it was shot down was largely in part due to the last commissioner being so against it. We just want your agency to give this real consideration. We will follow all legal path's and requirements to get there I can assure you. We respect your agency, your field agents, and the laws they support.
I will be calling you if I haven't bored you to death with my writing here, but as you have probably already figured out, this is a subject that I, and many, many others are very passionate about.
Respectfully,
Jeff Mock
Tucson Arizona