WF Extended Elk

[GoatT]

I noticed this year in the proclamation that you cannot take an any bull within the extended area until Sept. 13th to Nov. 30th. From Aug 16th until Sept. 13th you can only take a spike if I am reading it correctly. This has changed from years prior. It looks like if you are hunting the extended area on the opener it will be spike only.

Bummer!

 

[bowhunt3r4l1f3]

The extended front elk areas have always been spike only for the opener. This is nothing new. Take a look at previous proclamations. Only areas you can take anybull on the opener is designated anybull areas.

www.utahscoutingservices.com

 

[kreaton]

>The extended front elk areas have
>always been spike only for
>the opener. This is nothing
>new. Take a look at
>previous proclamations. Only areas you
>can take anybull on the
>opener is designated anybull areas.
>
>
>www.utahscoutingservices.com


+1!

 

[GoatT]

looking over the last two years proc's from the DWR site and this years it looks like that is not the case. Am I mistaken?

The 2012 proclamation states that the General Season Bull started on the 18th of Aug. and says that a hunter can take either any bull or cow on the WF extended archery areas beginning Aug. 18th. In the 2013 proc., it states the same just starting on the 17th of Aug. In this years proclamation is states that you cannot take an any bull or cow on the WF extended area until Sept. 13th, not starting on the Aug. opening day as in other years. I have seen guys in previous years take elk off the WF on the opener that were not spikes or cows. They were legitimate 5 and 6 point bulls.

 

[bayside]

It's not in the application guidebook, it's in the Utah Big Game Field Regulations and the online maps.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2013_pdfs/2013_field_regs_low.pdf

http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/huntereducation/1063-extended-archery-ethics-course.html

 

[bayside]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-30-14 AT 09:58AM (MST)[p]Looks like it's changed

 

[bayside]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-30-14 AT 09:58AM (MST)[p]http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2014_pdfs/2014_field_regs.pdf

There is the 2014 guidebook where it looks like it has changed since last year. It does NOT state that you can hunt any bull in the wasatch front before September 13, but last year you were able to.
Good catch, that could've been a costly mistake

 

[Robiland]

I will bet that the only ones that know of the rule change will be the ones that just read this post. I had no idea and did not catch that change when reading through the proc.

 

[TheFever]

They've posted these up recently at some trail heads as well to make hunters aware...

>>>---->
For the love of the game

 

[Buglelk]

Another reason our Fish and Game SUCK.
Now you can't hunt any bull on WF until after the regular season.

What is the reason for this blunder? More and more they are taking away from Archery hunters.

I thought the point of the archery hunt on WF was to help with the herd population how does limiting hunting any bull until regular season help.

I like to go on WF at that time because most people are out hunting other areas and not much competition at that time.

I wish I could move.

 

[deerslayer88]

Poor stick flippers lost a month of hunting so now they get 3 months to hunt instead of 4 boo hoo.

?If men were angels, no government would be
necessary.? John Adams

 

[jr8fish]

I actually caught this change back in the beginning of June. I was going to the proclamation to show a coworker that the Wasatch Front extended area is actually an open bull unit during the general hunt. When I looked at the proclamation I couldnt believe my eyes that they had actually changed the dates. In essence removing the Wasatch Front from the General any bull unit. I thought it was a typo and I worked to get a hold of the right person at the DWR to get it fixed. I literally called the DWR three to five times a week for over a month and a half to try and see if they had looked into it. Finally the lady I was continually talking with got feed up with me continually calling and she just gave me the cell number of her superior, whom she had been trying to get the information from. I called him and left a blunt voicemail asking about the change and I was contacted shortly there after.

I explained the typo/mistake in the Proclamation and how it was different than the previous three proclamations. He had no idea it was written like that and continually called it a loop hole. He said I had found a loop hole in the proclamation the previous years and that the way it was written this year is how it should be. He was saying that from the stand point that since it is part of the Wasatch LE Unit, general guys shouldnt be able to hunt it. I argued that 98% percent of the guys with Wasatch Archery LE tags would not step foot in the portion of the unit that is in the Extended region. He agreed with me and said none the less it was part of the LE unit so we shouldnt let general guys hunt an le unit. He did say that if there was any hope of getting the Wasatch Front Extended back on the general any bull archery unit that it would essentially need to be voted on in the RAC and wildlife board meeting. They would essentially remove that portion from the Wasatch LE hunt and just make it general. Which is not a far fetched idea considering that 98 to 99 percent of archers with that LE tag dont hunt the Extended area.

After much discussion with the DWR (most especially the wildlife manager) we determined a path forward. I had informed them that a change of this caliber should have been listed in the changes/highlights section of the guide book. I also told them that several my friends were oblivious to the change and I told them that there are lots of other people who hunt this area that will likely not see the date change. He also confirmed with me that if a general season hunter were to take a branched bull in this unit before the extended dates that it would be considered poaching. I insisted with him that he post signs to the trailheads in this area and that they should issue a statement of some sort on the division website alerting hunters to the change. We had a three way call between myself the manager and law enforcement and we decided on the signs that theFEVER posted to this thread. I haven't looked yet but I was told they have posted something to the website as well.

There is still hope in getting this back to the way it was where it was a general any bull unit. The path to accomplish this is through the RAC meetings held on November 5-13 of this year with the Board meeting being held on Monday December 1. I have never attended one so anybody with experience please speak up. Is this something where we could sign a petition and take it to the board and this petition would give us more fighting power to make it the way it was?

 

[alpinebowman]

>Poor stick flippers lost a month
>of hunting so now they
>get 3 months to hunt
>instead of 4 boo hoo.
>
>
>?If men were angels, no government
>would be
>necessary.? John Adams

It always pains me to see hunters happy with the loose of opportunity because of their own jealousy.

alpinebowman

>>>---shots that are true pass right through--->

 

[deerslayer88]

Alpine,

Not jealous at all actually as I do bow hunt. I have just never been able to get why archery hunters could hunt on a general season tag LE bulls. I know some say the areas on the Wasatch are not the same areas the LE tag holders go and partially this is true. However at the same time I don't see why it should be open for them during the season. With that being said I do feel that pushing the hunt end date into January makes sense as the reason for the extended is to prevent animals destroying property, and or car accidents with the animals. Needless to say I am for the expanding of this season into January but feel they made the right choice in stopping the hunt during the LE rifle.

?If men were angels, no government would be
necessary.? John Adams

 

[kzkammo]

Here is what I just saw on the DNR site.