It's interesting to see the diverse set of opinions expressed on this site about the book cliffs. I believe that most people who hunt the book cliffs enjoy the opportunity to see some pretty unique country while spending quality time with family and friends. Getting a fair buck in the process puts a nice exclamation on a truly enjoyable experience.
For over 35 years, I have spent an incredible amount of time trapping, hunting, and getting pinion wood with its amazing pitch to burn in my fireplace at home during the long winter months. I actually LIVED those early years when big ole grey mossbacks roamed the shell laced hogbacks and sage ravines and dusty flats. It wasn?t uncommon to see 30 inch plus bucks with heavy horns and ghostly behavior each day I was out there?for whatever reason in years past.
I also witnessed the decimation of a magnificent deer population due to poor management and over hunting. It was sad to see hundreds of does with no fawns. Not more than a decade ago, one was incredibly lucky to see a buck at all, let alone one that survived beyond 2 ? years.
Today, the book cliffs has become a great unit for people who want a chance to spend quality time with family and bag a fair buck?a fair buck in terms of shooting something in the 150 to 160 class range. However, for the last 5 years, the quality in terms of available mature bucks that survive past 4 ? years has diminished fast, and will continue to diminish each year. Large mature bucks just can't survive out there anymore due to the hunting pressure, albeit the few bruisers left.
The high buck-to-doe ratio is not in any danger, just the opportunity to find and harvest something in the mid range in terms of trophy quality. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a strategy of less quality and more availability?it appears that this current strategy is what most people want. It certainly provides an awesome experience for families and young people. The book cliffs can be more appropriately defined as a great ?young people?s? place to hunt?and that's still pretty good given the limited opportunities for hunting these days.
However, there are still some of us who would like just a few less tags, not a lot less, but just a few in order to help some of those young bucks get a bit older. Maybe we are just pissing in the wind and trying too hard to relive the good ole days when it's just not possible anymore.
Perhaps I should just leave those good memories behind and accept the fact that change has indeed come. It's not my place anymore, and perhaps it never was. It's indeed not fair for me to expect anything more?I had my time. After all, the book cliffs meet a new need now?one that is entirely appropriate?the chance for regular Joes and great kids to get a young buck without having to fight the crowd in REAL general season pumpkin patch.
