Elk Survey the good and the bad!!

[tstewy]

So I just got done doing the survey that the dwr sent out on the elk management plan. I must say they had a few good ideas on there. But for the most part it seemed like they were trying to increase opputunity which is great except. That those of us that have alot of pts want to use them on a great hunt!! So here are a few things that I think they should do. In General I think that the current way they have the seasons set up is ok if you move the rifle away from the rut and put say the muzzle where the rifle is now you will have the same thing that colorado has it takes longer for you to draw a muzzy tag than a rifle . BOw hunters you get a month so i think that is enough time for you to punch ur tag if your serious, unless you want to drop the month thing and go for week during the rut than thats ok by me.The simplest way to cut the wait time down is to quit giving out tags to people with out max pts for the unit that would cut the wait time way down sorry to those of you with no pts but those of us with pts would apprciate that one. Than make every attempt to that they can to kick people out of the system. Like if you miss 1 year of putting in than your out and loose your pts. That would cut out a few and than only let people use the bounus pt 3 times after that they have to draw. Again taking a few out of the system. I did like where they said that if you put in for a le tag you cant hunt the general season I love that one. It would make it alot better hunting for those who want to hunt every year and would take less time for those who want to go after the big kahuna. Good job on that one dwr 2 thumbs up. Spike hunting they say if for the youth and for families to get out well than make it youth hunt only. No one over 18.And make them use a bow or a muzzy that would provide oppurtunity and not ding the herds to bad i assume that the rifle spike hunt on LE unit is going to be a slaughter this year. I think that by doing a few things the state could increase hunter satifaction all around the board. let those who want a big bull hunt and those who want to go every year have a better hunt by cutting the amount of hunters in the feild. so maybe you could have higher than a 13% success rate on open bull units. Just my 2 cents fill one out if you get one

Good Luck and Good Hunting.
tstewy

 

[rotorhead]

tstewy, I just got done doing the survey also! I agree with you, I think the DWR is leaning toward more oppertunity. For guys like you, and myself who have a lot of points, I think we all agree that most of us would like to hunt bigger bulls! I also think like you said that tags should be given out to those with the most points. This would cut down the time it takes to draw a tag. The DWR should move the any weapon hunt to at least the last hunt out of the archery, muzzleloader, and any weapon!
But thats just my .02 also!

 

[Hooner]

I just took the survey also. I am sitting on 10 points right now. The survey had some pretty one sided questions. all leaning to more tags and smaller elk. I hope that that I am wrong but I am afraid I am not.
One thing that ahs me very conserned is the target audience. In my e-mail it said I was chosen becase I didn't draw a LE tag and i bought a general season tag. If they are targeting guys like me it is going to be a lop sided survey leaning twords opportunity. I hope they reach out to some of the guys that have LE tags and killed big old (6-7 year old bulls) also.
In the end i am very nervous as to what the DWR has up there sleeves. Big bull hunting in Utah could be in some serious trouble as we can already see with all the spike tags.