Thanks Deer Hunter, keep it coming.
First....
Outfitter General allocations (Class O) CAN be used in the Archery Season. If and only If the new Outfitter Allocation agreement includes a reduction in Total allocation will this have any effect.
Second....
If the proposal goes ahead as stated, AF&W will have effectively sold out the Archery 15% agreement!
For starters, non-archery hunters will now be able to use the archery allocation in the general season, effectively transferring the allocation use to General.
Creating an Archery/General MD Draw effectively eliminates the Archery Only allocation!
Now let's consider a Archery hunter opportunity LOST in a WMU with an allocation for 15 Archery MD and 85 General MD.
In A separate Archery Draw ( 15 animals on allocation), Archery success rates of 20% allow for 75 Licences.
The corresponding General Draw (85 animals on allocation), Rifle success rates of 75% allow for 113 Licences.
In a Combined Archery/General Draw ( 100 animals on allocation), the success rates of 75% (rifle success rates) would have to be used, which allows for 133 Licences, all of which can be used during the rifle season.
Summarized- 100 Animal allocation
Archery Only Draw - 75 Licences
General Weapon Draw - 113 Licences
Total- 188 Licences
Or
Combined Archery/General Weapon Draw - 133 Licences
This is a 30% reduction in Resident Hunter Opportunity! And it is potentially a 100% loss of Archery Only Hunter Opportunity!
This issue is NOT a Mule Deer Conservation Concern!
There is no conservation concern need to apply a combined Archery/General weapon Draw just because of issues with IBM.
AF&W needs to consider holdling off on an Archery Draw until it can provide it as a separate Draw season! If that means waiting two years, then so be it. That's what we do with outfitter allocation, we wait until the appropraite change is possible when there is No Conservation Concern!