Extended Archery

BUL_KRZY · Jan 28, 2012

What is the story for extended archery in UT this year? I had heard status quo, but that makes little sense to me in terms of micro-managment via the new unit structures.

I would like to see the extended still exist, but the hunter must draw a tag in the unit that is part of the extended archery area. Don't allow the extended to be open to all archery hunters, but limit the hunter to the unit they drew. This would distribute pressure on the front better in the rut (some places are a zoo) and may cause positive distribution of hunters in other units if they are hell bent on hunting the extended.

We all know - the purpose of the extended is all about winter range loss/problem mitigation and helping abate the problems we have produced by building on the winter range. Even so, I think we have some room to increase numbers on the front if managed.

theox · Jan 28, 2012

it still exists they will give out tags for the regular archery hunt then after the regular hunt ends then it starts as extended arechery for all bow tag holders. so you can not hunt it during the general archery dates unless you have the tag that corresponds to the extended unit. i beleive the ending dates are stil the same.

swbuckmaster · Jan 30, 2012

I'm with ya bull

I don't think any body that draws outside that unit should get to hunt it. If you want to hunt it put in for it. What makes anyone believe having 15,000 bowhunters be allowed to hunt it on top of 10,000 dedicated hunters. No wonder its in the tank right now.

I've watched the front go from a high end Le unit to just above a general season unit in less than 3 years. The deer numbers have dropped like a rock and the quality has gone down hill. The division wont stop the doe slaughter and the winter we had in 2011 killed a ton of deer. It simply cannot handle the pressure its been getting!!!

Piss poor management is ruining it!!!!

theox · Jan 30, 2012

i make it up to slc for a few days each year to hunt the front after the archery season. I think its fair allow all bow hunters the opportunity to hunt it after the general dates. I live in the south and its not worth me putting in for the unit to hhunt it for a couple days. The last 2 years i hunted it i maybe ran into 6 hunters in about 9 days of hunting. I seen some decent bucks and one nice buck about 175+ I seen some areas of overcrowding so i went to a different area. The front did well for so long now what happened? I know its not all the hunters cause its been crowded for far to long. must be predators. Or maybe people are just shooting more does. so yes maybe they should cut the amount of does taken.

swbuckmaster · Jan 30, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jan-30-12 AT 12:32PM (MST)[p]They should shut the doe hunt down period for a few years. In the last two years alone they have killed about two hundred does.

It would be fair for you to draw this area because if you want the extra hunting days just put in for the tag.

The front is way over hunted right now. There is half the deer up there now then there was three years ago.
Its not predators! There has always been predators.

Since you don't hunt it that much you haven't seen what I've witnessed first hand from hunting it a least 2 days a week all season long. I also scout it year round shed hunt it and video everything I see. The trend I see is more hunters every year less deer. Its going down the tube! The last thing I want to see is this area shot out like the rest of the state and that's the direction its headed.

I used to be a guy that pimped this area because I didn't want to see it go away. Well the door has swung the opposite direction. I now believe its no different than any other area except you can give out loads more archery tags and still have quality hunt but even managing for archery only has its limits. The limit though is way more tags then if it was managed with rifle tags.

I wish it werent so.

Dont worry Ox Utah will do nothing to steer this sinking boat. It will be shot out in the next two years so you can go back to hunting the southern Units. The reason is SFW would like nothing better then to see this area go down the tubes so they can take over with the management. The other reason is the rest of the bowhunting groups don't see that there is anything wrong with this unit and the division has never had a sniff anyway.

never_catch · Feb 2, 2012

I'm blaming it all on nv_hunter...

SW knows the front better then anyone IMHO...I agree from what I've seen the past few years, it's gone way downhill in quality!! In 2008 I was up there helping my uncle and we saw a ton of bucks, some really damn nice bucks too!! 2009 I saw less deer, but still a few nice ones, but more people. 2010 way less deer, more people. I didn't make it up there in 2011...

~Z~