Access Yes ! in Utah ?

[thescottishunit]

Just wondering how many Utahns actually think this program will result in access for Joe Q Public in this great state. It would seem that the current system of CWMU's would really limit the number of landowners who would be interested in opening up their land. If you operate a CWMU you already offer the limited # of tags through a public drawing and if you own a big chunk of private ground what would be the incentive to open up your ground to the public ? Wouldn't you already have done that by starting a CWMU ? I'm all for the walk in program but I really don't see what reason any private land owner in Utah would have to open up the gates if they haven't already. Maybe we ought to scrap the CWMU program and start from scratch in this state. I'm sure there's something I'm not taking into consideration on this program so let me know.

 

[Daxter]

I tend to agree with your arguments regarding big game hunting. I think the CWMU program discourages landowners with quality big game opportunites to enroll in a walk in access program. However, I think that this program might be good for small game hunting opportunities. It is pretty hard to find a place to hunt pheasants, and now with Turkey populations growing and most of them being on private land it could provide some opportunity there. I think that this walk in access program is going to do more small game wise than big game wise.
Dax

 

[huntinco]

I would like to see some of the permit auction money go into leasing private land.
Here is an example:
The Utah governor?s mule deer tag went for $150,000.00. Now if the DWR leased private lands and create their own CWMUs where all the tags went to the resident public that 150 grand would have paid for 30 high quality mule deer, 18 Elk, and 4 Shiras Moose. And that is the conservative side. The not so conservative side would have been 60 deer, 30 elk, & 8 moose.

 

[Flint]

One area it might help is with landowners who do not own enough property to quailify as a CWMU. I think it might also help more with upland game than with big game. Two hundred acres of land in the foothills could produce a lot of upland game.