There has been so much discussion about how we manage and kill bucks-unit size-antler restrictions-changing seasons and tag numbers-and on and on. The best way to improve buck hunting is to increase the doe herd. I hunt the Utah south unit where the doe numbers are down and not noticeably increasing even after many years without doe hunts. There are no breeding problems so the only reason the non hunted doe herd is not rapidly increasing is death loss from factors other than hunting foremost of which is predation and winter kill. My field experience is that predation is up considerably but not the only limiting factor in herd increase. Winters have not been severe but winter range quality is down. The south hasn't lost winter range like the north with it's rapidly growing population. Our winter range is lost to heavy cattle grazing. In my area, cattle have eaten the public land winter range before the deer (and elk) get there. I don't advocate eliminating cattle grazing, just cutting it back to more reasonable numbers. I also think the lion population should be reduced via more tags.
Only so many grazers (wild and domestic) can live in an area. Boulder Mountain is a good example of dividing up the grazing. I understand from reliable sources that a deal was cut with cattle and sheep grazers when elk were to be reintroduced to the mountain. The elk herd objective would be held to 1500 even though the unit is huge and comparable to the adjacent Fish Lake unit with an objective of 4500 elk. As the elk herd has grown statewide, cattle grazing has remained about the same which means that elk are eating what used to be winter deer food. I don't think many hunters would advocate reducing the elk herd but many could support reducing domestic grazing. Ranchers constantly complain of poor profits. Why should they be granted the bulk of the available forage?
Only so many grazers (wild and domestic) can live in an area. Boulder Mountain is a good example of dividing up the grazing. I understand from reliable sources that a deal was cut with cattle and sheep grazers when elk were to be reintroduced to the mountain. The elk herd objective would be held to 1500 even though the unit is huge and comparable to the adjacent Fish Lake unit with an objective of 4500 elk. As the elk herd has grown statewide, cattle grazing has remained about the same which means that elk are eating what used to be winter deer food. I don't think many hunters would advocate reducing the elk herd but many could support reducing domestic grazing. Ranchers constantly complain of poor profits. Why should they be granted the bulk of the available forage?
