january 27, 2016
Rule change to affect non-residents applying for hunt permit-tags
Upcoming pronghorn, elk draw to operate under adjustment
PHOENIX — The five-member Arizona Game and Fish Commission recently changed how and when hunt permit-tags may be issued to non-resident applicants through the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s random computer draw. The specific rule - R12-4-114. Issuance of Nonpermit-tags and Hunt Permit-tags – can be found on page 41 of the Arizona Game and Fish Laws and Rules 2013-2014 Supplement.
The rule states that up to 10 percent of the hunt permit-tags are available to non-resident applicants, but no more than half of those hunt permit-tags may be issued in the bonus point pass of the draw. The remaining hunt permit-tags, not to exceed 10 percent, will be available in the remaining two passes of the draw. This change went into effect Jan. 3. The 2016 pronghorn and elk draw will operate under these changes.
The rule change was implemented to address hunts where the 10 percent non-resident cap is met in the bonus point pass of the draw. In these hunts, non-residents in lower bonus point categories have no chance of drawing a hunt permit-tag. Since the accrual of bonus points was added to Arizona’s draw process in the early 1990s, the Commission’s intent has been to allow every applicant, resident and non-resident, an opportunity to draw a hunt permit-tag in the hunt of their choice. While odds may be low because of demand for a given hunt, every hunter would at least have a chance in the draw.
Some frequently asked questions (FAQ): How does the change affect the 10 percent cap for non-residents?
The 10 percent cap still applies to deer, pronghorn, elk, turkey, bighorn sheep, bison and bear, but the Commission removed javelina from the cap. Nothing in the draw is a “guarantee.” All phases of the draw are randomized, with residents and non-residents in the same randomized pool of applicants. The rule allows for up to 10 percent of the hunt permit-tags by hunt number (or by genus for bighorn sheep and bison) to go to non-residents, but it does not guarantee that 10 percent actually will be issued; it depends on each applicant’s random number. There is no change to this 10 percent non-resident restriction. Residents and non-residents always are competing together in each phase of the draw until the 10 percent non-resident cap is reached.
How does the draw work?
The draw features three phases, or “passes.”
First pass (bonus point pass): In this pass, 20 percent of hunt permit-tags are issued starting with maximum bonus point holders (looks at both first and second choices on application). Top down for bonus points; acts like a preference point system.
Second pass: In this pass, the remaining 80 percent of hunt permit-tags are issued (looks at both first and second choices on application). An applicant’s bonus points give them more chances at being issued a low random number. Even hunters without bonus points can draw hunt permit-tags.
Third pass: For all hunt permit-tags not yet issued, this pass looks at third, fourth and fifth choices on an application. How does the change affect the hunt permit-tags available for non-residents in the bonus point pass of the draw?
The rule now states that only half of the hunt permit-tags available to non-residents may be issued during the bonus point pass. In the past, if there were 10 hunt permit-tags available to non-residents, all of them would be available during the bonus point pass. Now only five of these would be available in the bonus point pass. If all five are issued, then the other five would be available during the remaining two passes. There is no guarantee that all 10 hunt permit-tags would be issued to non-residents; it depends on each applicant’s random number.
Here is an example for an elk hunt with 100 hunt permit-tags allocated:
• Up to 10 hunt permit-tags may be issued to non-residents for this hunt.
• Twenty hunt permit-tags will be issued during the bonus point pass of the draw.
• The remaining hunt permit-tags may be issued during the remaining two passes of the draw.
• During the bonus point pass of the draw, five of the 10 hunt permit-tags available to non-residents may be issued.
• If there are five non-residents within the lowest 20 random numbers, then five hunt permit-tags will be issued to non-residents in the bonus point pass; the other five hunt permit-tags will be available in the second or third pass of the draw.
• If only three non-residents have low enough random numbers in the bonus point pass of the draw, then three hunt-permit tags are issued to non-residents and the remaining seven hunt permit-tags become available in the second or third pass of the draw.
How will you round the number of hunt permit-tags when calculating 10 percent and the half for the bonus point pass?
The number of hunt permit-tags available will be rounded down as to not exceed 10 percent, or half. For example, an elk hunt number with 75 hunt permit-tags would have up to seven hunt permit-tags available for non-residents and only three hunt permit-tags would be available during the bonus point pass.
What if there is only one hunt permit-tag available for non-residents to draw in a hunt?
Since half of one is 0.5 – in other words, not a complete hunt permit-tag – the draw will round to 0 hunt permit-tags available in the bonus point pass of the draw, and the single hunt permit-tag will be available to non-residents in the two remaining passes.
How many hunt permit-tags must be in a hunt before there are hunt permit-tags available to non-residents in the bonus point pass?
There must be 20 hunt permit-tags in a hunt for elk, pronghorn, deer, turkey or bear before a hunt permit-tag is available for non-residents in the bonus point pass. The same does not hold true for bighorn sheep or bison, as these are issued by genus.
For more information, e-mail [email protected].
