Richfield SFW Mting Report

2lumpy

Long Time Member
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Here are a few details regarding the SFW meeting in Richfield, Utah this evening.

Meeting started at 7:00 p.m. ended at 9:15 p.m.

53 people in attendance.

Besides local sportsmen and women that attended:

U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch's aid.
Utah State Senator Ralph Okerlund
Sevier County Commissioner Gary Mason
Sevier County Commissioner Gordan Topham
Utah Wildlife Board Member - Jake Albrecht
Pass Chairman - Utah Wildlife Board - Paul Niemeyer
United States Forest Service - Kraig Rasmusson
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources - Vance Munford
Retired Regional BLM Manager - Don Pendleton
Local News Reporter - didn't get his name
Five local business men and women

Sportsmen from 20 to 75 years of age were represented. There as many 60 year olds as there were 30 year olds, a good mix of the age strata.

SFW leadership in attendance:
Don Peay
Byron Bateman
Ryan Fowtz
Troy Justensen

Ryan Benson with Big Game Forever

Discussion included:
SFW believes what they have done and what others have done for mule deer has not been enough because deer populations continue to decline at an alarming rate.

SFW wants to try one last time to focus their efforts and resources on mule deer recovery in Utah.

SFW want to continue to help fund habitat restoration but put much more effort into predator reduction, specifically coyotes and watchful management of bear and cougar populations.

SFW wants to encourage State agencies and the State Legislature to redirect existing budgets and revenues toward mule deer recovery and less on non-mule deer species.

SFW wants all doe hunts stopped immediately.

SFW want to grow the Utah mule deer population to a viable 400,000 head.

SFW has committed a focus 3 to 5 year effort to restore mule deer populations, starting immediately, with this years Legislature.

SFW discussed and took input on from those in attendance on specific things they plan to do, starting immediately, to start mule deer recovery.

When I say, SFW wants to, what I mean is they intend to

SFW will continue to meet with other sportsmen at different locations across the State. Tomorrow (Weds. January 4th, 2012) in Spanish Fork at the High Chaparral Room, County Fairgrounds, 475 South Main, Spanish Fork.

And again on Jan. 17. Cedar City Middle School, 2215 Royal Hunt Drive.

I would encourage everyone interested in re-storing mule deer numbers in Utah to try to attend one of these gatherings. I don't know if SFW's current efforts will get us where we need to b but I hope they do and I hope we can all get together, in some way or another to support their current plan.

DC
 
"SFW wants to encourage State agencies and the State Legislature to redirect existing budgets and revenues toward mule deer recovery and less on non-mule deer species."

Uh, NO!!! As has been asked before until every penny from the Expo goes back to wildlife SFW can kiss my ass in asking to take allocations from other species, youth programs, non big game habitat projects or asking for a license fee increase of any kind.

"SFW has committed a focus 3 to 5 year effort to restore mule deer populations, starting immediately, with this years Legislature."

So in 3 - 5 five years will we be SFW free???

Don't trust SFW as far as I can throw them. More of the same B.S.
















2010 TOTALS
P.E.T.A. = 0 HUNTERS GONE
UTAH WILDLIFE BOARD = 13,000 HUNTERS GONE
 
Easy wiley!

JUDAS!

The people you work with are gonna be in misery all damn day!:D

Just think wiley:

If the SFW brings the Deer Herd back within a few years!

I'll have no other Choice than to become a 'SREAMING OPPORTUNIST'!

I have 0 Deer Points wiley!

My Elk Points ain't what they once were wiley!

The time I draw that Elk Tag wiley I'll be lucky to see an old Management PISSCUTTER Bull!

But Hey,a bunch of Opportunists jumped in there & got their piece of the Pie!

Think I'll do the same on the Deer since I ain't got no Deer Points!

Should I start Bawling & Whining now wiley or should I wait till the SFW brings the 180" Bucks back?


Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
 
Wiley,

No you will not be free of SFW in 5 years if they are successful. One guy in the meeting asked if they will continue the 30 regions if they are successful. I didn't know the questioner, but Don seemed to, he gave the guy a round of applause for getting the 30 units through. He told the guy if everything they have done works (increases the herd?), then the they should be listened to more in the future than other people.

That makes some sense to a degree, but does that mean SFW should not be listened to now? They have been given everything on a silver platter for 2 decades. The herd has shrunk.

It also makes sense until you consider the state should be managing the herd for the general population of the state, not exclusively for SFW.

The more important question is: Will SFW be gone in 5 years if it doesn't work?

My Take: SFW is in panic mode. They have been given their conservation tags, they have cut general tags in return. They have spent a lot of money on habitat. Time has been on their side. Now they have been given their 30 units and another set of tag cuts. They know their credibility is at stake if they don't deliver.

The meeting was interesting. Don started out sounding really inclusive. He said something like "If we get the herd to 400,000 deer, then the general hunt and everyone will be happy." There were a lot of great things said. I gathered that their primary focus was killing coyotes in the future.

By the end of the night, Don said SFW consists of "hard core" hunters. He also said the other 65% who want to hunt every year don't understand data. They are like the Occupy Movement.

I half way wanted to join SFW in the first 15 minutes. By the end of the night, I felt like a worthless Wall Street Occupier.

In short, they are going to get the state to allocate a bunch of money to coyote control. There was some concern raised in the crowd regarding cougars. Unfortunately, that didn't get any traction. Part of me hopes they succeed as I'd like to see a bigger herd, part of me hopes they fail as they are opposed to hunters like me.
 
In short, they are going to get the state to allocate a bunch of money to coyote control.

Talk about a waste of money, effort, and time. SFW thinks this kind of BS will get the UT deer herd to 400,000 in 3-5 years?

You'd be better off spending that money buying mule deer fawns pajamas to keep them warm...

What a joke.
 
We will focus on Coyotes but not lions, bear, or bobcats, It is a damn shame that bear and lions are the golden child and mule deer is the red headed step child. It takes you 8-10 years to draw and dang predator tag. Start making them over the freekin counter, you will never kill all the bear or loins regardless of what we do. but atleast you can hunt them and help mule deer.

5 years down the road when coyotes have been targeted hard and everyone is scratching their head because we cant figure out why the herds havent increased then I am sure we will do something stupid and blame elk, then when we kill all the elk and nothing, we will maybe see that bear and cougars and bobcats have and impact.

Again history has shown that there were no deer in the 40's, predators were targeted, all predators and the mule deer came back.

SFW has Houndsman as some of the presidents and dont want to mess with the lions or bear.
 
Here's and idea. Before you ask the sportsmen and sportswomen that hunt Utah for one penny I'd suggest that every fricken penny that comes from public tags sold, auctioned or drawn at the WHCE go back in to this apparent money pit they want to keep feeding. I'd further suggest that before sportsmen pay one extra penny that the 10% Conservation Tag fee go back in to the deer money pit.

You've already cut public buck hunters out of the equation and tied Division funding to your pie in the sky 18 - 25 buck to doe ratio's and now you want to cut more programs for this fiasco?? B.S.






2010 TOTALS
P.E.T.A. = 0 HUNTERS GONE
UTAH WILDLIFE BOARD = 13,000 HUNTERS GONE
 
Houndsmen at the top levels of SFW? That explains a lot. One guy made a heartfelt comment about how much trouble they have with cougars and their livestock. He pleaded to Don not to gloss over cougars. The lack of response was deafening.
 
The dozen of so times we heard "we just met or we've had meetings with so and so".

We already have enough wildlife habitat, but we don't have enough animals using it.

"The hunters that fixed this (30 units) ought to be able to tell us how to hunt in the future" (Don Peay) That remark got lots of applause.

"If they (other hunters) don't like it ($40 raise in tags), tough" (I don't remember his name) Also lots of applause.

AFTER we reach deer population goals, THEN we'll decide how to harvest bucks.

Per some survey or surveys, 35% of hunters would rather hunt less, every 5-7 years, and take a trophy while 65% would rather hunt every year. (See above)

We don't believe the DWR's numbers. (See SFW's population goal of 400,000.)

In order:
1- $2M coyote control
2- $50 county bounty on coyotes
3- $1M professional coyote control
4- Law Enforcement for trappers
5- Change trapping law
6- Bear and lion management
7- No doe hunts, transplants instead
8- Winter feeding
9- Goal of 400,000 deer
10- Continue habitat projects

New bill next year (2013) to increase license fees $3 to $5 for predator control.

Bottom line - New funds for deer or shift funds from fish hatcheries

Meeting with governor, Jan 18, Wellsville (Elementary?), Cache County

From Big Game Forever a discussion and video about wolves coming to Utah. Grey wolves naturally from the north and Mexican wolves (250) transplanted from the south. Sign petition online biggameforever.org. Free (IMHO, a good project) What I thought was ironic about the wolf presentation was Don and Ryan kept talking about how awful it was that the vocal minority was controlling things for the majority. Duh!!!

In general, I found the meeting interesting, but rather arrogant. And it reminded me of an info-mmercial. Almost everyone there knew each other, except me and a couple of young kids who appeared to be Native American. And most of the private conversations were about big bucks per a couple of Henry Mountain hunters.

SFW believes that the amended deer management plan is the only way to go and since they are the ones who pushed Option #2, they're more than willing to take the credit for saving our deer herds. Also, they believe they are speaking for the public, and unfortunately, they are about the only ones the legislature and government officials see, so as far as they are concerned, SFW is the public.
 

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