WHAT IS GOING ON???

[utelkhntr]

Does anybody know why the DWR have decided to
move season dates back a week in utah? It really does
not make any sence and cant figure out the reasoning for
it. Now with the general season elk hunt, the elk will
be way more out of the rut. Nothing adds up.

 

[c3]

It's on the same plan as forever. The archery deer hunt starts the 3rd Sat. in August. By starting on a day of the week rather than a date, we get the opener rolling over every 6 years or so depending on now leap year effects it.

Last year the 15th was the third Sat. This year the 21st is the third Sat. in August. Then run all the hunts from there and we see they all move back 6 days this year.

While you are complaining all the archers are pretty excited. The bottom line is the DWR can never win no matter what they do

Cheers,
Pete

 

[AWHOLELOTTABULL]

GREAT!!!! Get that damn rifle hunt out of the rut. Utah is the only state that hunts elk with a rifle during the rut. If a person needs elk in the rut to kill one then he must not be much of a hunter. Sure it's fun to get out with those screaming bulls but hunting them in the rut with a rifle is overkill.....literally.


It's always an adventure!!!
www.awholelottabull.com

 

[hoytme]

>GREAT!!!! Get that damn rifle
>hunt out of the rut.
> Utah is the only
>state that hunts elk with
>a rifle during the rut.
> If a person needs
>elk in the rut to
>kill one then he must
>not be much of a
>hunter. Sure it's fun
>to get out with those
>screaming bulls but hunting them
>in the rut with a
>rifle is overkill.....literally.

Now if I said that, KTC would come out of hiding and go postal.

 

[utelkhntr]

When i hunt i still will take my bow for the first few days cause i still hear bulls bugling for a couple of days. archery is by far the best but with it being out of the rut even more i wont be able to do any cow chirping or anything. So it kind of threw that off.

 

[npaden]

>GREAT!!!! Get that damn rifle
>hunt out of the rut.
> Utah is the only
>state that hunts elk with
>a rifle during the rut.
> If a person needs
>elk in the rut to
>kill one then he must
>not be much of a
>hunter. Sure it's fun
>to get out with those
>screaming bulls but hunting them
>in the rut with a
>rifle is overkill.....literally.
>
>
>It's always an adventure!!!
>www.awholelottabull.com

Utah isn't the only state that allows rifle hunting during the elk rut. I know Montana and Wyoming both do in designated wilderness areas, not sure if other states have seasons during the rut or not.

 

[RandallT]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-10 AT 10:34PM (MST)[p]I say it's about d##m time. As previously stated you don't need a rifle to kill a bull during the peak of the rut. Archery hunters have endured 30% success rates for years because of the hunt being too early. While rifles hunters have enjoyed 85% plus success rates. In my opinion they should push it back another 5 days beyond what they have already done. I hunted spike bulls for years with my rifle as a kid in early October, and not once did I go an opener without seeing multiple big bulls. Archery hunters deserve the chance to chase these bulls during the peak, not rifle hunters. I'm speaking on LE units of course. Just my .02. I mean no disrespect to rifle hunters.

 

[tstewy]

I agree and dis agree with the above statements i think the rife hin should be the first week of october still giving a little rut simmlar to the season colorado runs. I love to hunt with my muzzy but the dates on the muzzy elk are the worst. So i hunt with my rifle on gs units. But why is it that bow hunters seem to complain that they are getting screwed. you have the best gs deer time you get to hunt the whole state for deer you get to hunt the rut on the extended hunt and you get a month. Granted i give all archarey guy credit you hunt hard and are dedicated to the sport. But every time season dates come up you complain and coem across condesending of any one who hunts with a gun which i think does a diservice to those that hunt with a gun and yourselves just because you hunt with a bow does not entitle you to have the best season the longest seasons etc. Be thankful that those rifle hunters and muzzy guys dont switch to bows it is why you can draw any elk tag in the state with 12pts if they all switched you guys would be scewed and it would take you a hell of alot longer to draw. Once again every one that hunts choosed which method to use because one chooses something differnt than you does not make you better.
ps i took to archarey guy i met on mm last year to the book and helped them out time of my life.

 

[BradN]

RandallT said, "Archery hunters deserve the chance to chase these bulls during the peak, not rifle hunters." ... and then also said, "I mean no disrespect to rifle hunters."

Randall, your statement is disrespectful to rifle hunters. Perhaps "deserve" was the wrong word choice. I recognize the argument that there would be more opportunity for all hunters if more primitive weapon hunts were moved into the rut. However, that is a different thing than saying that bowhunters "deserve" to hunt in the rut. What is it about a weapon choice that makes you more deserving of hunting in the rut than a rifle hunter? Your statement smacks of elitism pure and simple. Would you have a problem if I said that I deserve to hunt in the rut because I'm black and you're white? What if I said that I deserve to hunt in the rut because I'm 50 years old but you're only 30.

If it's the biologists saying that we can create more opportunity by adjusting sesaons by weapons choice then that's a pill I can swallow. But, if seasons and opportunity to hunt in the rut are determined by special interest groups and hunters merely looking out for themselves (whether rifle, muzzy or bowhunters), then there is something wrong with the system.

 

[critterstalker]

BradN being a rifle hunter who just started archery hunting last year that always thought the archery guys had it so good (longer seasons,hunts in the rut,etc..)I found it takes WAY more time, patience,skill,and time,time,time.You generally have to make multiple stalks daily after watching and patterning them for a few days.I hunted the late hunt in Nov. here in Idaho lucky for me I didn't have a job then so I had plenty of time. it took the whole season (20 days)to get it done where rifle hunting the first day it would have been over.I was close to elk all most every day getting with in 100 yards was pretty easy but that next 50 is so hard!Rifle hunting I never had to pay attention to the wind all that much you know stay down wind kind of as long as it wasn't blowing straight at them you where ok 300-400 yards and boom steaks for everyone.Archery I started to notice the wind blows different at the bottom of the canyon then say 50yards up the side or even 10 yards could make a difference where your scent is blowing.This is just a tiny reason why archery hunters deserve to hunt the rut but that's just my opinion.Rifle hunting during the rut now seems to me like hunting a high fenced ranch

 

[utelkhntr]

With utah how it was last year and on back you got just the opener to hear some bulls sounding off. When you get to hear the elk it makes the hunt right away. So it really wasnt in the rut anymore just a few bugles and thats it.

 

[BradN]

CritterStalker,

I understand that the hunt is much more difficult for an archery hunter. But, that is a choice the archer makes and I think it is why many hunters choose to hunt archery hunts. I respect their skills and determination. I choose not to hunt the archery hunts because I do not have the time to spend practicing and time in the field due to church commitments, coaching my kids in sports, boy scouting, and other family commitments. I don't think that makes me any less deserving of hunting the rut.

I also don't think that rifle hunters should be the ones that have exclusive rights to hunt the rut. Perhaps a rotating system would be fair (but maybe a nightmare to administer). I don't, however, see a whole lot of difference between rifle hunters and MLers given the quality of ML weapons. Now days it is hardly a primitive weapon.

While I've personally never had the opportunity to hunt the rut, I did help my dad out last year on a rifle hunt during the rut. It was an incredible experience to have bulls bugling all around, an experience that should not just be limited to bow hunters.

Further, given that archery spike hunting had been going on for several weeks prior to the hunt, the elk were hunkered down and not presenting themselves for 300 yard shots. So, the perception that the rifle hunt is like shooting ducks on the pond is not accurate from my perspective.

I think the reward for archery hunting, at least in Utah, is that you are likely to draw a tag one or two more times during your lifetime.

 

[elkantlers]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-23-10 AT 05:22PM (MST)[p]If you listened to all the B!t(hing that the archery hunters did the last few years about getting to hunt an extra week later we should expect 100% success from the archers. They have no excuses now!

P.S, I love to hunt with my bow and have taken elk in the past. I just thought that it was much more fair to have the ANY WEAPON hunt during the best part of the rut that way a person could choose what they wanted to hunt with. It took alot more points to draw the ANY WEAPON hunt and I think they deserved to have a weapon choice.

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

Proytme will jump all over that plan,now He'll want the Rut for the stick flippers!

 

[RandallT]

Sorry guys I've been out of the loop for the last while and just had a chance to read your responses. And to start I can't say I disagree with whats being said, archers do make the choice to hunt with a more primitive weapon and that's the trade off you get. Sorry if I came off strong before, deserve probably is the wrong word, maybe I should say archers would also like the chance to chase bulls in the peak of the rut. no matter what, there are trade offs any way you slice it, all of just want a fair shake at chasing a big bull during the bugling season. Good luck this year on drawing a tag guys, I'm definitely excited.

 

[knoxville471]

Follow the new moon boys last week in september and first of oct are going to be a hoot not sure utah's seasons but for wy n idaho it's game on archers. When i close in on a big bull and it's thats last hundred yards i always think to myself how would all other hunters have approached this bull and then do the complete opposite seems to be pretty affective for me just my 2 sense. OH that and just hunt and make the best of it..

 

[BradN]

I think we all agree that every hunter would like at least one chance to hunt bulls during the rut. With the length of time needed to draw a tag, particularly for young hutners, maybe that's not (regretfully) possible.

Good luck, RandallT, on drawing a tag and I hope you are able to hunt, at least once, during the rut.