Utah Archery vs Rifle

[DaBigBucks]

From the sounds of it, it looks like statewide archery is going to be no more. Alot of rifle guys might be happy with this, as it seems on here they are against each other, and argue alot. However, if utah really does go to pick your unit for archery, how many of these so called archery guys will stick with it, or will they switch to rifle hunting, putting more people in the rifle draw pool, making it harder for the rifle guys to draw their tags.

Just a thought, but, If I was a rifle guy, I would want them to keep statewide archery, to keep some of them from switching to rifle and making it harder for me to draw.

Maybe I am wrong, and none of them will switch.( What do you think?

What about all those who picked up archery hunting or switched because it was statewide, will they go back to rifle? I know there has got be a few. There are alot more archery hunter now than there was 5 years ago.

Just thinking.............

 

[TheElitehornhunter]

What about the rifle guys who switch to archery because it's easier to draw a tag?

 

[Coyote_chaser]

I dont think that would happen, too hard to hunt with a bow!

 

[wymoose]

I expect a lot of archers to keep archery hunting. It sucks that statewide is gone, but a lot of hunters just hunt the same area. I have archery tags most years, but don't hunt close to home very often at all. I typically just go on weekends to my favorite places even though they are a bit of a drive.


WYmoose
highvalleydesign.com

 

[swbuckmaster]

if the seasons lengths are the same length, and the success in drawing tags are equal I would choose to hunt with a rifle anyday of the year.

The only reason I chose to hunt with a bow was because of the perks it had, longer season, extend hunts, better draw odds, ect.
so when the sweatness of the tag is gone i will go with the weapon that allows me the highest success rate.

I want to kill a buck I don't want to take the bow for a hike every 10 years!

The harder you work the luckier you get!!

 

[TheElitehornhunter]

Instead of cutting 13,000 tags why not just add 13,000 more archery tags.

That is basically 1,000 archery tags per unit.

 

[buglinbilly]

My thoughts are as follows. The diehard bow hunters will bowhunt no matter what happens. I know lots of guys who have no interest whatsoever in hunting with a rifle. I happen to be one of them.

But I know lots of guys who bow hunted because of the state wide regulation and the longer season. So I bet a number of those return to rifle ranks since they have to choose an area and most likely will reduce the length of the season.

For the guys who stay with bowhunting, it should be easier to draw a tag, and with less hunters around a bit better hunt. For those in the rifle ranks, who are always against the all the perceived "perks" of bowhunting, I think you will find it harder to draw a tag. You now will get to sleep in the bed you made.

At least that is how I see it. And especially in the first year and/or until those hunters can see how it all shakes out.

Welcome to the selfish world!

Have a good one. BB

 

[DaBigBucks]

>What about the rifle guys who
>switch to archery because it's
>easier to draw a tag?
>

Didn't think about that, I guess that could happen. Probably not so likely for those who havn't archery hunted before, or they may do it once, and figure that it is to hard, and you have to hike to much.........

 

[DaBigBucks]

BB, that is how I see it also.

 

[featherflipper]

I think most die hard archery guys will stay with archery, but you will have a few switch back to rife. The biggest issue will be the Wasatch Front. 5-7 years ago I wouldn't see many guys while hunting the Front. Every year it has got crazy with people hunting it. Guys even hunt it hard in the middle of the week now. On any given saturday in November it's like the opening day of the rifle hunt.

I think archery hunting has more than doubled in Utah in the last few years just because of the Front. When you have a unit that produces the bucks that the Front does year in and year out why wouldn't you want to pick up a bow and hunt in November.

I would bet any of you, if we didn't have the archery only Wasatch Front that archery tags would still be over the counter and not sale out each year.

Many of my family members that live in Wyoming hunt the Front each year. There is no way in h### they would hunt Utah archery with out the Front.

So to answer you question, yes I think a few archery guys will go back to rifle. But if the late hunt on the Front goes away I would bet more than half the archery guys would go back to rifle.

I would also bet if we had more units like the Wasatch front that many of the die hard rifle guys would switch to archey.

I have two little sisters, one little brother that have new bows under the tree this year. All three have rifle hunted ever year they were able. This year I took all of them with me on the Front during November. Can any of you guess why they all wanted bows for christmas!








You can't kill them on the couch!

 

[Night_Trail]

In my opinion the only reason the rifle guys would be happy is "maybe" the deer herds will start to recover from people sticking multiple deer and not being ethical and punching their tag. I am a rifle/smoke pole hunter and came across 3 deer still in velvet that looked like they were hit in the guts. Who is to say that each one of those deer that were killed the hunter didn't punch out, but in all honesty I think Utah is losing a fair number of deer to failed tracking after the hit and archery hunters taking multiple deer. Thinking out loud....

 

[brutus]

Oh boy Night_trail, You just poked the hornets nest!

 

[featherflipper]

>In my opinion the only reason
>the rifle guys would be
>happy is "maybe" the deer
>herds will start to recover
>from people sticking multiple deer
>and not being ethical and
>punching their tag. I
>am a rifle/smoke pole hunter
>and came across 3 deer
>still in velvet that looked
>like they were hit in
>the guts. Who is
>to say that each one
>of those deer that were
>killed the hunter didn't punch
>out, but in all honesty
>I think Utah is losing
>a fair number of deer
>to failed tracking after the
>hit and archery hunters taking
>multiple deer. Thinking out
>loud....

Night_Trail To bad thousands and thousadts of people hunt the Wasatch Front for 4 months and in the RUT!!! And year in and year out the bucks are there and lots of them. Oh but wait all those thousands of archery hunters wounded 3 deer! How on earth is there still lots of bucks?

Look I love to rifle hunt also. I rifle hunt in Wyoming and sometimes in Utah. But when you have proven facts and picture after picture of big bucks takin off the Front. Why can't some of you rifle guys admit what a great tool archery hunting can bring?

-Pressure for 4+ months (Hunters, hiker, skiiers)
-Tons of predators
-Little winter range
-Tons of road kill
-Thousands of hunters in November!
And it's just as good as many of the LE units. How many times does someone have to point out these facts to you die hard riffle guys that archery works.
Times have changed, we cant hunt have 100,000+ people rifle hunting every year. I wish we could but we can't. I'm not writing this to throw a punch at any rilfe guy. I too hunt with a rifle, I guess I have just accepted the facts.

You can't kill them on the couch!

 

[D3006W]

I'm glad they did what they did!! Shouldnt be any hunting after Oct 31st in my opinion regardless of weapon!!

 

[DaBigBucks]

>In my opinion the only reason
>the rifle guys would be
>happy is "maybe" the deer
>herds will start to recover
>from people sticking multiple deer
>and not being ethical and
>punching their tag. I
>am a rifle/smoke pole hunter
>and came across 3 deer
>still in velvet that looked
>like they were hit in
>the guts. Who is
>to say that each one
>of those deer that were
>killed the hunter didn't punch
>out, but in all honesty
>I think Utah is losing
>a fair number of deer
>to failed tracking after the
>hit and archery hunters taking
>multiple deer. Thinking out
>loud....

Sure archery hunters hit and cant find their deer, but so do rifle guys. Many rifle hunters will shoot long range shots, and if they dont appear to be hit, they dont go and check for blood.
Now add in how many rifle hunters there are compared to archery. Who does more damage?

 

[MBM]

I think that there are going to be few people switch to rifle. I think with the changes a rifle tag will get even harder to draw but archery maybe not so much. What I am wondering is how the possible changes to the DH program is going to change any draw odds. What i have heard proposed is that the state will go to a 1 year DH program. You have to draw your tag first then you can join the program. So if a person wants to get in the DH program he is goingto put in for the easier tag to draw and that will be an Archery tag. So Archery tags could be harder to draw due to the DH program. i like the DH program and have been in it for years but i don't like the idea of the one year program.

Mark

 

[HUNTINFORLIFE]

MBM you need to keep quiet about those things. there are some that will figure it out. but most it will take a few years before they figure out the DH game.

 

[TheElitehornhunter]

I don't believe you can apply for the DH program if you draw an archery tag. I believe you need to draw ML or Rifle tags.

 

[travishunter3006]

PLEASE STOP IT HURTS!!

 

[Night_Trail]

Like I said in the beginning. It's my opinion. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing... The bucks I found were not on the Wasatch front.

 

[Night_Trail]

That's also assuming that most rifle hunters are "Snipers" Just like the "wack" of an arrow smacking a deer you can usually tell a hit from a miss with a rifle. I am not a long range hunter. It all comes down to being ethical and doing the right thing. I admire some of the stories on Monster Muleys of archery hunters doing everything in their power to find a downed or wounded animal, what's the right thing to do if you know you hit one and can't find it? Tag out! Archery hunters also have slider sights, how many archery hunters are taking 95 to 100 yard shots with a bow?

 

[MBM]

That is the way it is now because of Statewide Archery but is that going to change in 2012 when archers have to pick there unit just like everyone else?

Mark

 

[HUNTINFORLIFE]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-14-10 AT 02:58PM (MST)[p]I think shooting 90 plus yards with a bow is no different then shooting 500 yards with a rifle. Its all about what you've practiced and how far you feel confident in. there is always room for err with either shot in a real live situation but thats huntin.

 

[BIG]

I would hope that with having more units it would open the door so that the state could offer more perks for archers and have some late season archery units. Heck I would even be for having an extended type archery only unit in several areas across the state.

 

[DaBigBucks]

Big, that is kind of my thoughts here. I think they need to do something to keep some archery hunters interested. If not the rifle hunt will be harder to draw, not a whole lot, but harder.
Especially if they cut the days for the archery hunt, then I could see a bunch of archery hunter switching.

I think it is something the rifle guys need to think about before they keep complaining about the archery hunters, and how they kill/wound to many deer, they get to hunt longer, etc.

Again, just thinking outloud..............

 

[brutus]

Dont know about "all the rifle hunters" complaining about archers, i,m pretty sure most of the "rifle guys" were responding to the overwhelming outcry from "the archery guys" to cut the 13000 solely from rifle tags and some went so far as to call for archery only to fix the deer herd. If they're are some archers that would simply switch cause they didnt have 5 weeks to hunt or statewide hunting or rut hunts i'm pretty sure they're the ones that need to switch to something else cause they dont see the real advantages to bow hunting.