Utah Deer Hunt Options
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MuleyMadness
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Re: Utah Deer Hunt Options
Oakbrush,
I like your passion also and thanks for the feedback your SPOT ON with many things. I can't understand why EVERY SINGLE TAG IN THE STATE isn't reported on every year. Makes ZERO sense to me. This is SO EASY TO DO, crap I could create it myself and I'm not a computer programmer.
It COULD be done and SHOULD be done IMO. All it would take is seconds to complete and an internet connection. If it's not completed you can't apply of a point or tag the following year, it's really that simple. Or something similar to this.
The random phone calls, and emails polling certain folks are nice but NOT ENOUGH. We need accountability from all IMO.
Agreed the 29 units would give better data like you mentioned, however that's the only real value I see coming from them. Worse odds of drawing, LE type units because of difficulty of drawing. I all for improvement and change as long as that's the end result, I just don't want to see things get worse or shoot ourselves in the foot and 'fly off the cuff' because everyone is complaining. Hope these decisions are SOUND is all I'm after.
Why not have the Mandatory online POLL ask what sub-unit (29) the deer was taken from, although the state is still 5 Regions hunted. Just show them the map in the poll and ask them to select the area the harvest was made.
I like your passion also and thanks for the feedback your SPOT ON with many things. I can't understand why EVERY SINGLE TAG IN THE STATE isn't reported on every year. Makes ZERO sense to me. This is SO EASY TO DO, crap I could create it myself and I'm not a computer programmer.
It COULD be done and SHOULD be done IMO. All it would take is seconds to complete and an internet connection. If it's not completed you can't apply of a point or tag the following year, it's really that simple. Or something similar to this.
The random phone calls, and emails polling certain folks are nice but NOT ENOUGH. We need accountability from all IMO.
Agreed the 29 units would give better data like you mentioned, however that's the only real value I see coming from them. Worse odds of drawing, LE type units because of difficulty of drawing. I all for improvement and change as long as that's the end result, I just don't want to see things get worse or shoot ourselves in the foot and 'fly off the cuff' because everyone is complaining. Hope these decisions are SOUND is all I'm after.
Why not have the Mandatory online POLL ask what sub-unit (29) the deer was taken from, although the state is still 5 Regions hunted. Just show them the map in the poll and ask them to select the area the harvest was made.
Agreed makes sense to me, never hunted anywhere but the Southern Region myself.Never understood why people want to roam far and wide. You are actually more successful if you concentrate on one area and learn it well, but whatever.
Re: Utah Deer Hunt Options
To all who have posted here...I appreciate your sentiments and share many of the same opinions already expressed. As a point of interest, let me first establish that I am a trophy hunter. Here are my thoughts...
First and foremost, none of these plans address the primary issue...a struggling and under objective deer herd. The DWR states this fact with the three proposals:
"With the board's input, the DWR has identified three options that could increase the number of buck deer in Utah. These options address hunters' concerns about not seeing enough bucks, but they will not produce larger deer herds. Other aspects of Utah's deer management program are focused on increasing the deer population."
So the point of all of this? To increase buck numbers. None of these proposals serves any other purpose. They are designed solely to appease a loud minority of trophy hunters.
In my discussion with friends and associates, I have found that most who are hardcore trophy hunters support option 2, while those who tend to fall more in the category of opportunist support option 3. I find the only truely valuable tool that can be derived from option 2 is that better and more complete data can be collected...other than that it fails on every level and serves only to reduce hunting opporunity and discourage hunting heritage. As has pointed out by others it will ultimately lead to statewide limited entry hunting. No hunting unit, deer or elk, in Utah has ever become less restricted once opportunity has been reduced. The track record for the state firmly establishes this and I see no reason to believe this time will be any different. Also, for those who state that this will have little impact for those who hunt one or two areas...the proposed units would split and area I have regularly hunted right down the middle of the ridge we hunt on.
The deer herds in Utah have gone from 310,000 in 2001 to 268,905 in 2004, back to 318,451 in 2006 and back down to 273,100 post hunt in 2008. The two declines coincide with drought and hard winters and the deer have shown reasonable recovery in many areas. Interestingly, enough the herds have improved most dramatically in areas where a large focus has been made in terms of habitat. Perhaps no unit has seen more money expended towards habitat than the Henrys and deer herds have soared from 570 in 2001 to 1500 in 2008. Conversly, it seems the units that have suffered the worst are those that have had late doe hunts. For example the Currant Creek area has fallen from 15,000 deer in 2001 to 8,100 in 2008. This unit has had several late season doe hunts designed primarily to raise buck to doe ratios. This is idiocy at its best (or worst) however you want to look at it.
If trophy hunters want that opportunity I believe they should have it and in fact they do. If the state want to address the divide between those who seek opportunity and those who seek horns they can institute one concept that will begin to address the issue. Stop being the only state in the country that runs to different draw systems. Eliminate either the preference point system or the bonus point system for deer and allow hunters to choose for themselves how they want to hunt and how long they are willing to wait to do it.
If the state is serious about improving deer herds then protect the does which are the lifeblood of the herds and protect the fawn which are the future of the herds. This can best be done via habitat improvement and protection, predator management, and highway fencing. Furthermore, as hunters we can do our part by viewing deer from a distance during the difficult winter and early spring months. Please leave the deer alone and give them the best chance we can to survive.
Anyway, sorry for the long rant...these are my thoughts.
First and foremost, none of these plans address the primary issue...a struggling and under objective deer herd. The DWR states this fact with the three proposals:
"With the board's input, the DWR has identified three options that could increase the number of buck deer in Utah. These options address hunters' concerns about not seeing enough bucks, but they will not produce larger deer herds. Other aspects of Utah's deer management program are focused on increasing the deer population."
So the point of all of this? To increase buck numbers. None of these proposals serves any other purpose. They are designed solely to appease a loud minority of trophy hunters.
In my discussion with friends and associates, I have found that most who are hardcore trophy hunters support option 2, while those who tend to fall more in the category of opportunist support option 3. I find the only truely valuable tool that can be derived from option 2 is that better and more complete data can be collected...other than that it fails on every level and serves only to reduce hunting opporunity and discourage hunting heritage. As has pointed out by others it will ultimately lead to statewide limited entry hunting. No hunting unit, deer or elk, in Utah has ever become less restricted once opportunity has been reduced. The track record for the state firmly establishes this and I see no reason to believe this time will be any different. Also, for those who state that this will have little impact for those who hunt one or two areas...the proposed units would split and area I have regularly hunted right down the middle of the ridge we hunt on.
The deer herds in Utah have gone from 310,000 in 2001 to 268,905 in 2004, back to 318,451 in 2006 and back down to 273,100 post hunt in 2008. The two declines coincide with drought and hard winters and the deer have shown reasonable recovery in many areas. Interestingly, enough the herds have improved most dramatically in areas where a large focus has been made in terms of habitat. Perhaps no unit has seen more money expended towards habitat than the Henrys and deer herds have soared from 570 in 2001 to 1500 in 2008. Conversly, it seems the units that have suffered the worst are those that have had late doe hunts. For example the Currant Creek area has fallen from 15,000 deer in 2001 to 8,100 in 2008. This unit has had several late season doe hunts designed primarily to raise buck to doe ratios. This is idiocy at its best (or worst) however you want to look at it.
If trophy hunters want that opportunity I believe they should have it and in fact they do. If the state want to address the divide between those who seek opportunity and those who seek horns they can institute one concept that will begin to address the issue. Stop being the only state in the country that runs to different draw systems. Eliminate either the preference point system or the bonus point system for deer and allow hunters to choose for themselves how they want to hunt and how long they are willing to wait to do it.
If the state is serious about improving deer herds then protect the does which are the lifeblood of the herds and protect the fawn which are the future of the herds. This can best be done via habitat improvement and protection, predator management, and highway fencing. Furthermore, as hunters we can do our part by viewing deer from a distance during the difficult winter and early spring months. Please leave the deer alone and give them the best chance we can to survive.
Anyway, sorry for the long rant...these are my thoughts.
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stillhunterman
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- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:15 pm
- Location: SLC, Utah
Re: Utah Deer Hunt Options
There is already a 5 year plan in place, and in only a year, the special interest group(s) bent the ears that listen to have it (the plan) changed to their benefit! There has NEVER been a more important time for ALL hunters to band together in Utah and let their voices be heard loud and clear. Keep the dang plan in place, and we can tweak it down the road. It really ticks me off that 20 or so voices have enough power to dictate the hunting *rules* of 100,000 hunters!
We can't be apathetic any longer. Can you imagin what it would be like if a couple thousand hunters showed up at the WB meeting?? One loud clear voice...that's what we need right now... This foolishness of managing for hunters and NOT the health of the deer herd will be the end for us all. PLEASE SHOW UP AT THE RAC'S AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AT THE WB MEETING!
We can't be apathetic any longer. Can you imagin what it would be like if a couple thousand hunters showed up at the WB meeting?? One loud clear voice...that's what we need right now... This foolishness of managing for hunters and NOT the health of the deer herd will be the end for us all. PLEASE SHOW UP AT THE RAC'S AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AT THE WB MEETING!