Utah RAC Proposals
derekp1999
11/3/11 11:18am
Hey all, I was perusing the Utah DWR website and stumbled across the big game proposals for next year that will be presented in the November RACs. Looks like, aside from the new general deer hunt, they are looking at making several changes. There is one in particular that would effect myself as a muzzleloader hunter. The proposal is to remove the split in the bull moose hunt, increasing the hunt length by 9 days. That's great for those guys that draw moose tags, for a Once-in-a-Lifetime hunt you deserve as many days as you can get. However, the bull moose hunt would now run through the general & LE muzzleloader deer as well as the LE elk muzzleloader seasons. State law requires hunters to wear a minimum of 400 cubic inches of hunter orange on their head, chest and back when a centerfire rifle hunt is ongoing in the same unit.
Unless there is a provision to allow camo to still be worn, if you hunt much the "old Northern Region," the South Slope or Wasatch units, or are lucky enough to draw a LE muzzy elk tag for either of the Cache units or the Wasatch, there is a chance we could be saying goodbye to being able to hunt in full camo. I've emailed the DWR for clarification on that point (whether or not orange would be required if the proposal is passed) and will pass on how they respond.
Here's a link to the proposals:http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/2011-11_packet.pdf
Unless there is a provision to allow camo to still be worn, if you hunt much the "old Northern Region," the South Slope or Wasatch units, or are lucky enough to draw a LE muzzy elk tag for either of the Cache units or the Wasatch, there is a chance we could be saying goodbye to being able to hunt in full camo. I've emailed the DWR for clarification on that point (whether or not orange would be required if the proposal is passed) and will pass on how they respond.
Here's a link to the proposals:
2,623
"This change does not require muzzleloader hunters to wear orange. A new law was passed 2 years ago to exempt once in a lifetime species from wearing hunter orange even though it is an any weapon hunt. Since there are so few moose hunters we are not requiring muzzleloaders to wear orange either."
I hadn't heard of the law exempting OIAL tag holders from wearing orange... anywho, good news for those of us that muzzleloader hunt much of northern Utah, and good for me because I just dropped a good chunk of coin on some camo a year ago.
I'm hoping that we'll have tag numbers before the application period, but I'm not counting on it. It would be nice to not go into this completely blind.
I find it "interesting" that the DWR is recommending to those that want to hunt w/ a large group of friends or family to apply to those units offering the most tags, yet the number of tags won't be set until after the drawing (???).