LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-10 AT 06:16PM (MST)[p]Here's what I remember. I hunted there every year since I started hunting, untill it was closed. It used to be that it took 3 good hours (2+ hours of rough road) to get to where we hunted. The paved road ended at Bonanza. There were some roads throughout the area for access. Not a lot and they weren't great. We would camp for a week+, seeing good bucks every day, and between 3 or 4 of us, at least 1 of us saw a 30"+ buck each year. We usually saw only a couple other camps all season. Then there was a little road construction done. That cut the drive from 3 rough hours to 1 not-so-bad hour. There were roads built, on and off, eventually giving access by vehicle to nearly every ridge (mostly oil field). Each year we saw more people & fewer deer, but we still saw good bucks. I don't remember EVER seeing an elk out there until the late-80's/early 90's. Then the decline really began. It was apparent that each year was worse than the one before. The DWR decided to make the area 3-point or better. That was the year that almost everybody and their dogs showed up. I guess they thought there would be big bucks behind every tree. It was something to behold. The decline accelerated, with mature, less-than-4-point bucks showing up and becoming more common each year, with a few REALLY big 2-points having their run of the place. The DWR decided 3-point or better was a bust, so they opened it up to any buck. Then EVERYBODY and their dogs showed up. I guess they figured there would be bucks behind every tree. Each year declined until there wasn't a buck to be found. There were those in denial who said "there's nothing wrong. You just have to hunt harder". The Book Cliffs was closed. The elk hunt was better than ever before.
So, changes I saw leading up to the crash were easier access, hunter pressure and a growing elk herd.
Mother nature? I don't know. I remember chasing deer in Oct. in a foot of snow when there were deer everywhere in the '70's and early '80's. After that, until the crash, I don't think there was a winter that hard. In fact, in the late 80's I remember muzzleloader hunting in a t-shirt in November.
Predators? I don't think so. I'd bet there are 10 times more predator hunters out there now days than there used to be. I can't imagine anyone driving 3 hours on that old road to shoot a coyote or chase a lion.
So, changes I saw leading up to the crash were easier access, hunter pressure and a growing elk herd.
Mother nature? I don't know. I remember chasing deer in Oct. in a foot of snow when there were deer everywhere in the '70's and early '80's. After that, until the crash, I don't think there was a winter that hard. In fact, in the late 80's I remember muzzleloader hunting in a t-shirt in November.
Predators? I don't think so. I'd bet there are 10 times more predator hunters out there now days than there used to be. I can't imagine anyone driving 3 hours on that old road to shoot a coyote or chase a lion.
