When you read the rest of the thread, he can not admit that he and others had a role in the AZ decisions. Simple math says increase in hunter numbers, will increase take. Hopefully him and others will see that they are not doing many of us any favors, but like mentioned in that thread, until it hits their bottom line, it will always be drought, fires, technology etc, not them, because they are the greater good.

Originally Posted by ctsmith
Here's Randy's response to an email posted on his forum. The email (below) was AZGFD's response to a question emailed to them regarding the situation.

Randy asserts that he was contractually obligated to confidentiality. How convenient!

I wish folks would get (keep) a real job and quit exploiting our resources that they pretend to protect.

Don't piss down my back and tell me its raining.

I love that AZGFD threw him under the bus. At least now all you jock sniffers can see Randy for who he is.

Pay special attention to the bold portion of Randy's quote. Not only is he contracted to promote it himself, he is contracted to recruit other social media platforms to do so. Sickening. Its the end of hunting as we know it.


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


Quote:

I’ve been on the road four of the last five days and I now have a few minutes on my lunch break to chime in.

I asked AZ G&F if they were OK with me telling the world that I am the “influencer” their ad agency has chosen to work with for coordinating the hunting part of the AZ G&F communications plan. For confidentiality reasons implied in contracts, they did not want to give my name, nor would their ad agency. I have no concerns about them letting the world know that we are the group coordinating that project, and they have given me permission to tell that we are that group referred to in the email.

So here goes.

We have a contract with the ad agency that does a lot of work for AZ G&F. Our contract is to produce directed video content, hire other media platforms, and use our media production skills and video/podcast platforms to create content that promotes small game hunting, quail and dove hunting, the AZ G&F landowner relations program, help raise awareness of non-resident youth licenses, promote archery javelina opportunity and show table fare of javelina as part of a bigger “hunt for food” effort, OTC archery Coues deer, waterfowl hunting, the conservation work being done by AZ G&F, show the total value of an Arizona non-resident hunting license, explain how AZ G&F policy works as it relates to population management, help raise funds for access and habitat, promote thee AZ Big Game Super Raffle, make non-residents aware of how the AZ draw process works and the deadlines for such, and to give feedback and input of how the department’s UIs (user interface) are functioning from the customer side (mostly web portals and draw systems).

We have implemented a plan that uses our platforms and other key media platforms. When helpful, we contract with other groups to reach their audiences with the same message.

With the changes in mule deer hunts this coming season, a lot of the focus has been on the promotion work we have been hired to do, with some claiming that to be the cause for the changes in archery mule deer hunts. We’ve never promoted archery mule deer hunting while we have been there. Seeing the fluctuations of mule deer in AZ and knowing their policy for season adjustments related to fluctuations, I told them we would not be promoting OTC archery mule deer. They were good with that.

Even though they have mechanisms in place to protect the resource when archery hunts result in more than the “20% by archery” harvest threshold, I feel mule deer are far more susceptible to hunting pressure than Coues deer. Thus, we, and any group hunting with us as part of this contract, only hunted OTC archery Coues deer, in addition to the small game species we hunt.

You will notice that the AZ G&F folks who are in our content are all small game or landowner relations managers. The ad agency instructs us to coordinate with the department to include the personnel who can help deliver the message we have been asked to provide. Which personnel joins us is determined by the agency, which have been the department personnel who are in charge of small game, science, and landowner relations. Which media platforms join us is something I suggest to AZ G&F with them giving final approval to the rotation of those groups.

I’m very proud of the work we have done with AZ G&F and their ad agency. The plan AZ G&F and their agency have crafted is being looked at by other states. Since we started this, other states that are aware of this work have approached us to do the same. I have politely declined those other solicitations.

As I have stated on other recent threads on this forum, it is not a new idea for wildlife and tourism departments to use ad/communication firms to build communication and marketing plans. And to use those agencies to help departments implement those plans. It is done in fishing, hunting, non-game issues, public awareness, you name it. This is how it is done in the business world, with forward-thinking state agencies adopting many of these business tactics.

If you watch many of the TV shows, look to see how many of them are sponsored by tourism and game agencies. I have done this same work for other states at other times. Some shows have made it a huge part of their work. For us, it is less than 5% of our revenue.

The agency used by AZ G&F and the department itself, have a very precise plan for what they want to accomplish. They have done surveys and used other metrics to determine the results they hoped to achieve.

We have been talking over the last six months of whether or not we should promote hunting this fall, due to the impacts of the extended multi-year drought. Last year, we did not hunt rabbits due to the hemorrhagic disease that has hit rabbits hard in the southwest. That was by design, in response to a disease outbreak. We shifted from hunting Mearn’s quail to Gamble’s, due to the moisture patterns of 2020 that helped Gamble’s and hurt Mearn’s. That was by design, in response to drought.

One of the goals when we set out on this project was to see that the hundreds of unsold archery javelina tags got sold rather than a resource going unused. That finally happened last year. With all of that, we have been in discussions as to what degree of promotion is helpful and prudent in a year of extended drought such as this. I have told them I am happy to defer or discontinue the contract if that is what is best in this drought situation. We have agreed to see what the monsoon moisture is for this summer and make a decision in September.

So, with their permission, I am providing this information. I guess the podcast and social media world thinks this is some big mystery that somehow explains the long-standing AZ G&F policy for when they increase/decrease mule opportunity as it relates to population and harvest data. I'll post some details of how the policy guideline works.

I’m happy to have this out there for the world to see. I’m on the road for the next ten days, but I’ll try to chime in when I have a connection.

End quote.