Utah DWR Deer Changes - It's all about the $$$!!!

[minerute21]

I wanted to make a couple comments: Not new to the site but new to posting.

1. I found it interesting that on every option the cost to hunt deer in Utah is going up. "That sounds like Utah" they don't care about deer population, they just care about making money.

2. They want to cut tags - They say we have too many people hunting then why did we lower the age limit to hunt? I know it was supposed to get youth interested in hunting... Honestly - they just want more money. Youth would probably be more interested if they saw more deer and less orange.

3. I like the idea of smaller units but I never see a law enforcement on the general hunts how are they going to patrol all these units? I would love to see more DWR officers in the field and less in the offices...

4. Mainly I hope the DWR listens to the public and common people and not the all mighty dollar which seems to trump everything these days. I love to hunt and hope my kids someday will hunt but it seems if you have money you can hunt whenever and whatever you want.

I don't have the all the answers. I just hope we get it right with this issue because I enjoy hunting mule deer with my family...

 

[littlejoe]

Life is about money. Everything is based on the all might dollar. I don't see the costs of anything decreasing; it always goes up and will continue to do so. Even in a bad economy things are holding or increasing, very few decreases. Hunting is getting more and more expensive it is a fact; either play the game or stay home. Unfortunate but that is how it is. Life is not fair and no matter what the DWR does 99% of the people will disagree. We all have an opinion.

 

[Founder]

I fear that one day, your opportunity to hunt deer in Utah will be just like hunting elk in Utah. Elk hunting in Utah is viewed as a success, the only problem, it's a once every 15 year or so deal for most people....at best. But, LOTS of people all over the country jump at the opportunity to apply for a tag, huge bulls make Utah THE place to dream of.

I think UDWR and others will, over time, gradually transition our deer hunting into what our elk hunting is. Very few people will get to do it each year, but there will be big bucks in the hills. Conservation tags for these awesome deer units will pay the bills. Why sell a 1,000 tags to us when they can generate the same amount of money from one or two guys by selling conservation tags.

If you look at the business side of hunting, and that is what the UDWR does, it makes better sense to manage deer like they do elk.....few hunters, high success rates, huge animals taken each year, etc. Utah is probably the best place in the world to hunt big bulls, why wouldn't they want that same reputation when it comes to deer?

It's like I was telling a taxidermist friend yesterday, big animals help my business (this website), his business, all the magazines and hunting services, it helps the guides and outfitters, MDF, SFW, and UDWR.....big trophy animals are great for those of us who make a living off hunting.
HOWEVER, it's the sportsmen who suffer, because like the elk hunting in Utah, you'll only get to do it a few times in a lifetime. Well, I'm sure like Utah, there will be a small area set aside where you'll be able to go hunt deer, but like the general elk areas, it'll be really tough to ever find anything except lots of other guys enjoying a camping trip.
I guess there could be spike buck hunts too.

Anyway, that's where I think things could be headed. I have no idea if there's anyway to stop it.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com

 

[MBM]

Nice post and I agree 100%

Mark

 

[archery01]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-29-10 AT 09:53PM (MST)[p]It dont matter if the DWR listens because the wildlife board dont, and they are the ones who ultimatly make the decisions.

 

[Elliston]

The sadder fact here.... Is that you have wolves on your Northern Boarder. If you think a 15 year wait time for tags is long.... Wait until you have nothing left to hunt.

Our animals here in Montana are decimated. We had units that you couldn't kill enough elk in. Those are gone now. Once the Canadian wolves they introduced into the Rockies are done with our area.... They will move into your area. Like it or not... it's a Federal thing. The big bucks of you areas will go away.

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

I'd like to place a bet that Wolves won't do as well in Utah,any takers?



God is Great!
Life is Good!
And People are Crazy!

I love not acting my age,
Damn I love my NASCAR race,
And Hell yes I love my Truck!

 

[kawboy]

+1 B-Bop, and I will do my part to see that it happens, anyone want to come hunt ginormous coyotes with me?

I hope the deer hunt doesn't turn into the same as elk, I am 28 years old, I have hunted every chance I have had. I have never had a limited entry tag in my life. I don't like the utah ideas of success.

They need to take tags away from 12 year old kids. I couldn't hunt till I was 14 and I don't think the other two years of carrying a rifle would have changed a thing. If parents want their kids excited about hunting, Start small. I can remember riding in my car seat up the mountain to hunt with my dad.


I'll tell you who it was . . . it was that D@MN Sasquatch!

 

[smashngrab]

I dont mind the younger age hunting we were a little behind in times to the surronding states they all allowed 12 yr olds to hunt but we need to have some seious changes. The smaller herd units are a good start. Now lets keep building on what they start and limit tag numbers and count deer after the winter is over and draw later in the year so we dont over hunt areas with bad winter kill. My worry is that they will go to smaller herd units but still give out way to many tags. If you or I were to sell someone a product that we never even had from the start we would go to jail. The DWR in Utah sells way more buck tags than the have bucks how can the sell a product the dont even have, they need to get a big reality check in that office I hope our new Governer steps up and gets rid of a few of the higher ups.

 

[woodruffhunter]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-10 AT 11:50AM (MST)[p]Founder: X10000!!!

When Don says he wanted elk managed for
100% success, I knew we were in trouble.

I do not want to hunt every 15 years for a trophy. If my kids have to wait that long, they will lose all interest.

 

[hossblur]

Good post founder. We should have 12 year olds hunting, they aren't the issue. Plain and simple the DWR is the issue. The DWR has failed for at least 18 years(winter kill of 92') yet they are still in buisness. How did your 3 day hunt go? The DWR doesn't know either, they won't have their data in for months, but the bucks and bulls RAC is in days. How do they make proposals? They guess. Did you see a DWR officer this season? I didn't. I hunted deer in Manti, camped right off the main canyon road, and covered from Epraim to six mile. Never saw them. Hunted elk on the North Slope, didn't see anyone. Never passed a game check either. Where the hell were the new brown truck brigade? How do you plan on micromanaging units if your never on the freaking mountain?? The DWR should know more about deer on the range than everyone other than maybe the sheep herder. Do they? Nope. But they know how to drive new trucks. They know how to back up DUI's. They have sweet sidearms. Why are we the home to roughly 300,000 deer year after year? Because that is the number pulled out of there butts. Year after year we listen to these clowns offer every excuse they can think of. As if in the 60's and 70's there weren't any winters. No Coyotes, no cats, for sure there was no over grazing of ranges, while I know the wasatch front has expanded, has Beaver? Manti? Fairview? NOPE!! What we do know is there were over 250,000 hunters, two weeks, and deer everywhere. What we know now is we cut hunter numbers, played with the seasons, charged more, etc. and year after year there is no improvement. If you failed at your job for the last 18 years would anyone listen to you? WOuld you still have a job? This year we learned all we needed to know about this agency, its director had to cite himself for not knowing his hunt boundary. You want to improve the deer, you stop hiring POST GRADS!! If you don't have a degree in biology what are you doing in wildlife managment. Second, you GPS the trucks. If they don't spend a min. of 4 days per week averaged in the mountain they are fired. Third, you tie cost of living raises to hunter suceess, 30% sucess= a 3% raise and so on. Forth, all proposals are 5 year proposals and each must have 4 years of hard data to back it up, NO MORE GUESSING!!!! Finally, the DWR should have a board of directors, a seat with a rep from each species hunted. Each seat holder MUST posses a degree in biology or related field, or related work experience. Like any other publicly held company each stockholder(license buyer) has a vote in who sits on the board and ultimately who is the Director. Without acountability in the agency that WE pay to manage OUR animals, we get what we get from most government agencies, non accountable, lifelong employees who climb the chain not due to anything other than seniority, not knowledge, not contributions, not success. We can do all we want, but if the managers are utter failures, it all goes for not!!!!!

 

[bigmikea]

The question I have is why the HECK isnt there manditory reporting via internet for every tag isued deer, elk, turky, limited entry or not. It doesnt need to be as dificult as they make it what unit were you in and what did you kill. If you can't go online and fill out your report no tag next year. we would have real hard data within two weeks of the hunt and plenty of time for the racks and the draw. Its a no brainer in my book. I understand if over time tag prices go up a little. Lets stop killing does to bring the buck to doe numbers in check. Preditor control including wolves even if we have to take that one into our oun hands. WITHOUT COMMON SENSE NOTHING WILL WORK. The down side is with the DWR sense isn't so common

 

[Verticalslope]

+1 bigmikea. There should be mandatory reporting from each tag holder. It takes only a couple minutes to go online and enter your data. Anyone who has hunted a limited entry tag has had to fulfill this requirement. It would provide more accurate data. My family has done this on the turkeys. The data could request number of days afield, number of deer seen, number of mature bucks (4 pt or better) observed and number of yearling bucks (spike or small 2 pt). Which units and drainages were hunted. A small survey by each tag holder could provide great and what I believe to be helpful data, to manage deer in Utah.