9 day Utah hunt damaging to the deer herd?

I have read a lot of hunters voicing opinions about whether or not the change to a 9 day hunt in Utah was or will be detrimental to the state's deer herd. Personally, I don't believe it will have any significant impact, but only time will tell. I hunted with my brother on the last weekend of the hunt in a popular area in southern Utah and we hardly saw another hunter. I believe the 9 day hunt served to spread out the pressure for the deer and hunters alike. Also, I am seeing more really good bucks this year during the rut, and small bucks too, than I did in any of the past several years. I know quite a few really good bucks survived the supposed 9 day massacre of the state's deer herds. I would be curious to know if anyone else is seeing more or less good deer than normal. Anyhow, I just wanted to throw out what I have seen and felt, realizing there is nothing scientific about my opinion, just personal observation.

I am attaching a "small" taste of the bucks I have been seeing. :-$
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MuleyMadness
First off, nice photos. I don't think one year will have an impact...but yes I think over time it will have an impact. How many bucks or good bucks did you guys see last weekend. Always nicer and easier to find them in the rut of course.

I personally didn't see many bucks myself, guess I should been with you. lol

Was a decent year though IMO.
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I Personally believe the weather & early season change has a lot to do with the # of Bucks left in the heard when early snows drive the heard down to winter range they are more likely to be seen weather it is opening day or the nineth day this happended 2006 & 2007 two years in a row in the central Utah reagon. The winters have been good for the deer they need manage some areas differently than others in my thought. I would like to see some areas that has poor bucks to doe ratios closed and let them grow the seed is still there. It would bee hard to give up a year or two hunting my old spots but rather give it up and see them dissapper.
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I also think that different regions need to be managed different. I dont like to say this but where i hunt up north the buck to doe ratio is so bad. And the only bucks we do see are really small. I think it would benefit the heard to be a three day hunt. I know that would upset a lot of hunters but it needs to be done or there is never going to be quality bucks up there.
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HUNTIN FOR LIFE
I no of a big rail area were there are alot of deer that spend most of november in during the rut. I have filmed a few 30in bucks in that group of deer for the past 3 years in november. but this year instead of seeing a few hundred herd of deer i seen only 3 deer this year. I sure that they didnt all get killed but the extended pressure i believe, pushed them out of there normal rutting grounds. time will tell now to see if most of those deer will show up in there winter grounds in january. Im just glad that they pulled there head out and pasted the 5 day hunt again for next year.
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