URGENT INFO FOR WASATCH FRONT ELK HUNTERS

alpinebowman · Aug 1, 2014

i know this is not the UTAH section but we need everyone to see this to spread the word so our friends and buddies don't get burned.

I need you guys to get some info out to anyone that may be chasing elk on the Wasatch Front extended. Last fall the division changed the hunt on the portion of the unit south of I-80. Being part of the Wasatch limited entry bull hunt this year you are only allowed to kill a spike or a cow from August 16th - Sept 5th. You can then not hunt elk from Sept 6th - Sept 12th. It then opens up to an any elk unit from Sept 13th - Dec 15th.

This change was unknown to even Ben Lowder and We were all sure it was a typo. He has communicated with a couple division people in the know that verified this change. So again please pass this on, the DWR has placed signs at the trail heads but I am sure not many stop and read them. We truly don't want to see anybody get caught with a great bull only to lose it because of this change.

Be assured UBA is already working to figure out a way to fix this issue and find out how many outside of the division even realized this was changed including the wildlife board and RAC's.

alpinebowman

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

Robiland · Aug 1, 2014

Thanks. I saw this the other day. I didnt even realize that there was those few days closed to hunt elk. That could have been bad news for a few folks.

alpinebowman · Aug 1, 2014

Robiland,

Till yesterday I was fully planning on sitting a place for the first few days to kill a big bull on the front. I can't imagine the consequence. As I stated, for how involved Ben and I are being surprised at this point in the year is scary.

alpinebowman

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

jr8fish · Aug 1, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Aug-01-14 AT 11:06AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Aug-01-14 AT 11:04?AM (MST)

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 are pictured below. THese signs should be posted at the trailheads throughout the area. 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 · Aug 1, 2014

Like you stated UBA will be working with the division to look at the solution of carving out that area from the wasatch unit. It sounds like you may have talked to one of the guys Ben chatted with. We are hoping our collaboration with the division will result in a division proposal. If not we will certainly need a grass roots effort from the general hunters at the RAC's to get something voted through there.
I was with you on the information as well. I went and looked at the important new updates at the beginning of the proc and fully expected to see it there. Like you say very few know of the change and those that saw it probably thought it was a typo as well. So jr please keep up with this and if needed join with UBA to work out a solution that works for all sides.

alpinebowman

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

alpinebowman · Aug 1, 2014

I wish they would have put more info on that sign. They could have informed that a cow or spike is still an option for the first 3 weeks and then closed for the last week of the general hunt.

alpinebowman

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

jr8fish · Aug 1, 2014

I completely agree. The sign is definitely lacking in information. I wish it would have said something about this being a change from previous years. I have literally busted my balls to try and get this resolved since the beginning of June and I have been very frustrated at how the DWR has dealt with me and the situation in general. I truly feel that it was a typo and that they are now saying that it was written how it was intended to cover their tracks. I say this because every single person I have talked to at the DWR had no idea what I was talking about and I had to explain the situation to them in detail. If it was indeed a proposed change and not just a typo more people at the DWR would have been familiar with it and it would have made it into the highlights section at the beginning of the proclamation.

It is what it is... its closed to any bull this year... I am just hoping that we can unit and get it resolved and back to the way it was. I have literally had to change my hunt plans because of this. Oh well... it doesnt hurt to scout and learn a new area!

alpinebowman · Aug 1, 2014

I am right there with you as till yesterday I was planning on hunting a water hole to kill a big bull the first couple weeks if things worked out. My other friends are trying to figure out their audibles as well.
alpinebowman

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

fullthrottle · Aug 1, 2014

This is absolute BS the fish and game need to get there act together. The portion of the front that is archery only should be open bull full time end of story. And not only that it should be its own unit for the general units and not included in their buck to do ratios for a portion of the the wasatch. We all could go on and on but their unit breakdown and numbers in the units north of Spanish is a joke. Sorry just ranting now.

Robiland · Aug 1, 2014

The other part of this is: Is there any LE elk hunters that would hunt this area for the archery hunt? If so, they have never scouted and know nothing about the wasatch unit. Anyone with that LE wasatch elk tag should never hunt this area EVER!!! The elk numbers are NOT THERE, QUALITY is not there, they dont bugle very often if even at all.
Also, with regards to the sanpete area, if 90% of that extended unit wasnt private property and all of the LO wanting $$$ trespass fees, then we would have the same issue, but these areas are completely opposite and different.

ArcherBen55 · Aug 1, 2014

URGENT WASATCH FRONT ARCHERY ELK INFO ? UPDATE

Over the past two days, I have been working with the DWR Big Game Coordinator, Justin Shannon, to understand how this change happened without being discussed at the RACs and Wildlife Board. The simple fact is that this change was not presented to the RACs, and was presented to the Wildlife Board simply as a housekeeping item concerning season dates. Justin has told me that this was never meant to be deceptively presented without notice. Rather, it simply got overlooked amidst other controversial proposals. Justin is a very honest person, and as such, I believe him completely.

My biggest concern since learning of this change is a concern of the legal ramifications for the uninformed archery elk hunter who in the past would otherwise be a lawful hunter. Fortunately, Justin has taken action to correct and make right this issue. He contacted me this afternoon to alert me to the fact that the DWR has changed the dates to allow the take of any elk (including branch antlered bulls) on the Wasatch front extended area during both the general season and the extended season. This effectively makes it legal to hunt branch antlered bulls on the Wasatch Front extended area from Aug 16 ? Dec 15 with a general archery elk tag. The signs that were initially placed at trail heads have been taken down, the online 2014 Big Game Field Regulations has been updated, and a correction has been added to 2014 guidebooks webpage.

A big thanks to Justin and the DWR for recognizing the issue and taking action to make right the issue.

ArcherBen55 · Aug 1, 2014

The changes can be seen at:

http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting-in...409-2014-utah-big-game-field-regulations.html

Page 18: There was an error in the dates provided in which a hunter with a general-season archery elk permit may use archery equipment to take a branch-antlered bull on the Wasatch Front extended archery area. Hunters may harvest a branch-antlered bull on the Wasatch Front extended archery area from Aug. 16?Sept. 12, 2014.