Shed Season....

[huntsonora]

There is obviously a problem with deer getting to much pressure on the wintering ground.

If a shed season is not the answer then what is? I am all ears...

Drum

 

[BuckSnort]

Enforce existing laws..

 

[Bambistew]

12ga shotgun loaded with rubber pellets.

 

[woodruffhunter]

"Enforce existing laws.."

X10000000000000

 

[sonofthesouth]

This is such a non issue here in NM, at least where we are are at. We just don't have the snow and the problems that come with it.

Hats off to everyone trying to do what they can to help-the individuals have the biggest impacts here it seems. Make the right choice and leave em be! JMO.

Son

 

[HiMtnHntr]

In areas of critical winter range, it seems the most logical course to close those areas entirely to all recreation. Otherwise, what are you protecting? Closing areas just to shed hunters is senseless to me because there are many other activities that have adverse effects on deer. It's unfortunate that the world is chuck full of stupid people and it appears that a few of those people are shed hunters that can't wait for fair weather. It also appears that a few of those not so gifted and talented believe shed seasons would actually work. I'm am 100% for the closure of critical areas. The idea of protecting the resource and watching it flourish because of those efforts is much more enjoyable that picking up a dang shed.

 

[everbrownshed]

HiMtnHntr, agree with ya 100%

 

[timberline_shedfreak24]

If people would juse use their heads once in a while it wouldnt be to bad but some people are idiots and ruin it for everyone and the deer as well.

Timberline

"Live for somethin' or die for nothin'"

 

[bragabit]

HIMTNHNTR,
Great post I agree 100%. What good does it do to put a shed season on if you still have Coyote, lion, rabbit hunters, photographer, and anyone else that "feels" like it running up and down every road possible? If we are going to restrict access to one group of people we need to restrict it to all. There is no valid reason for anyone to be on the public wintering range of the deer right now.

 

[rifle666]

everyone says enforce existing laws

so i say WHAT SHED HUNTING LAWS EXIST?

other than the northern region last year.
is the northern unit restricted again this year?

what other laws are there?

NONE!

april 1st state wide! call,email, do whatever LETS GET THIS ON THE RAC AGENDA!

 

[HNTBIGBULLS]

There are laws in place, they are
called "WILDLIFE HARASSMENT" and
some people don't know what that
means.

To me I know if I am parked on a
main road, with my binos, and spotter
looking from a mile away I am not
bothering the animals, or if I am
close and not bothering them, I know
I am ok, people should treat animals
on winter ranges just like they do
during hunting or scouting seasons.

While hunting or scouting, you don't
want to push the animals either.

It comes down to common sense.
Everyone should just use there heads.

 

[BuckSnort]

>There are laws in place, they
>are
>called "WILDLIFE HARASSMENT" and
>some people don't know what that
>
>means.
>
>To me I know if I
>am parked on a
>main road, with my binos, and
>spotter
>looking from a mile away I
>am not
>bothering the animals, or if I
>am
>close and not bothering them, I
>know
>I am ok, people should treat
>animals
>on winter ranges just like they
>do
>during hunting or scouting seasons.
>
>While hunting or scouting, you don't
>
>want to push the animals either.
>
>
>It comes down to common sense.
>
>Everyone should just use there heads.
>

That is exactly right...I couldnt agree more..

 

[rifle666]

wildlife harassment? you kidding me?

ask ANY DWR officer,fishcop,sheriff what you have to be doing to actually get cited for that!

They would NEVER NEVER NEVER write a ticket for a shed hunter/hiker/trapper/snowshoer walking near wintering deer in utah

it has never happened because they would fight it and win 100% of the time.

the wildlife harassment "law" does not get enforced because it is way to vague. if a guides helicopter does not count as wildlife harassment then joe shed hunter does not either.

utah needs to DEFINE the law and then ENFORCE IT.

wildlife harassment thats it?

 

[NvrEnuf]

I swear I hate to say this but rifle666 is right about one thing... NOT about us needing a freaking state wide shed season. More shed laws is the LAST thing we need since the idiots causing the problems don't obey the existing laws anyway. He is right about wildlife harassment laws being a joke though.

I've called the DWR here in UT a couple of times in the past few years as well as the Game and Fish in WY and they both basically said the same thing. There's not a thing we can do.

One time a guy was busting through the snowy brush on his 4 wheeler here in UT and deer were running everywhere. They asked if he was chasing the deer. I said it didn't look like he was actually "chasing" them but they were dang sure running from him! All he said was, "I'm Sorry Sir there's nothing we can do." Same exact thing a few weeks ago in Wyoming only this time it was 7 guys on snowmobiles! They were spread out about 100yds apart and just driving around right through the sage and snow where lots of deer are wintering. The deer were running EVERYWHERE!!! I called the Game and Fish. He asked me if they were chasing the deer and I said no but the deer are running as if they are being chased. They don't just stop at the top of the ridge either, they're running until I can hardly see them! He said he could come out and talk with the guys but there's really nothing else he could do. He asked where I was and when I told him he said that they'd probably just be gone anyway by the time he could drive out there. I was probably only about 20 minutes from his place... What a joke...

I 100% agree that something needs to be done but I don't think a shed season or shed laws are the way to solve the problem. The idiot on the 4 wheeler didn't even know what a freaking shed horn was. When I caught him and yelled at him he just looked at me all confused. I told him I was going to whoop his a$$ if he didn't stop harassing the deer and he just said, "sorry man, I just wanted to see how close I could get to those bucks. I didn't realize they were so fragile."

I couldn't catch up to the guys on snowmobiles but I don't believe they were out shed hunting either. At the time the deer were weeks from even dropping their antlers. I'm sure they were just out for a zip and ended up going through an area and looking at big bucks for a bit while they were at it. Once they saw them they probably just had to try to see how close they could get and then they moved on...

As much as I don't want to see it happen something does need to be done. Maybe we need to re-define what wildlife harassment is? Heck here at work if a person looks at his female co-worker funny it's considered harassment! It seems like the G&F won't consider it wildlife harassment until an animal is actually dead! I think if the law was more stringent then the officers could actually site those harassing and the tickets would stick instead of just being dropped once they get to court.

I do have to admit that WY has at least done some things to help their herds. They've marked off critical wintering areas and closed them to motorized vehicles from Dec 31 until May 1. That's a good start and I'm sure it reduces the pressure substantially. Maybe that would be enough here also? If not maybe take it one step further and close the critical wintering areas to human presence period like they did in Gunnison CO this year! At least that law could be enforced. You're either in there or your not. It's that simple.

Just don't close things off to shed hunters and let every other idiot go "hiking" or whatever and kill the deer off accidentally though!

NvrEnuf

 

[DBG3285]

I am sorry to hear about yours a rifles problems. but i have never had any such problem. I have called the division 4 times and all four times they have issued a citation. I am not saying that they are not strict enough but in order for those fish cops to not right a ticket you must have said something wrong or the more often occurance is that they are to damn lazy to go after the people.

But I do agree with your logic. we need to shut it all down, not just shed hunters. snowmobilers, hikers, DOGS. and all else that may chase and harrass deer.

 

[NvrEnuf]

DBG3285, both times that I speak of I was talking with officers that I know personally and the conversations were very mellow. Both officers also basically told me that if they were to come out and write a citation then chances are the guilty party(s) would take it to court and it would be dropped. The officer in WY said that without rock solid proof, like a video of them chasing deer. Not just driving through an area where deer were running away but actually singling out a deer or group of deer and chasing them then it wouldn't hold up in court. Both officers also said that they disagreed with what was going on but the way the law is written they simply couldn't really do much... So what do we do here in Utard? Rather than modify an existing law that obviously does nothing to protect the wildlife we just create a few new laws that do exactly the same thing. Nothing! No picking up sheds in Northern UT? Oh that's really going to save the deer and elk now isn't it... What a joke...

I'm not saying that shed hunters don't put pressure on the animals at times. I know that they do but to me this shed hunting law seems like pissing on a house fire. Sure you might save a small area of the place but it still won't be worth having when it's all said and done. People need to think before they knee jerk react and make laws that won't solve the problems.

NvrEnuf