early late utah archery

jbigb30 · Apr 6, 2012

So here is a random thought i have been thinking about the utah archery hunt (deer) and how long it is, i realize this is one of the longest hunts in the state and part of me thinks its due to the want of some guys killing their buck in the velvet and other guys wanting a hard horned buck, (couyld be right or wrong agian me thinking aloud) so my reasoning behind all this is: what if we shortened the early hunt and added a late hunt say nov rut, that way guys could who wanted a velvet buck could hunt the early hunt and still have a chance at a hard horned buck once sept rolled around (say mid aug to labor day weekend) and guys who wanted a hard horned buck could hunt the late hunt ( first of Nov. to say thanksgiving) or shorter for both hunts just food for thought and yes i am aware of guys wanting either or. i am acutally thinking of emailing the dwr just wanted to see what other fellow archers had to say. this would be 2 different hunts to apply for as well

littlebighorn · Apr 6, 2012

Are you joking me? Getting the most liberal hunt in the state and then asking to hunt bucks when they are most vulnerable?
I am an archer as well, but I am also a realist.
I would love to hunt rutting bucks, but so would every gun and muzzy hunter!
Ultimately our deer get way too much pressure as is, much less putting pressure on them when they are trying to regenerate the herd. In my way of thinking, that would be a very bad idea.

COLO3D · Apr 6, 2012

Isn't that what the late Wasatch hunt provides? Archery deer opportunities in November.

EROCK1313 · Apr 6, 2012

The longer hunt is due to a less sucessfull weapon, IMHO. If you want a rut buck, better get in shape for the Wasatch or draw either a CWMU or an "Any Weapon" tag...

**Note, Utah does not have a "Rifle" season.**

?-ERock-> ?

desertbonehunter · Apr 6, 2012

ya that would be a good idea, then ya could kill off all the good deer in a few short years just like the elk quality. Hunting them right in the middle of the rut with a rifle.

swbuckmaster · Apr 6, 2012

As an avid and outspoken bowhunter in Utah I think this is a bad Idea. If you want a hard horn buck with your bow just hunt later in the hunt. Most of the bucks have stripped their velvet the last two weeks of your hunt or just pick up a rifle or muzzy.

SMELLYBUCK · Apr 7, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Apr-07-12 AT 11:11PM (MST)[p]Once upon a time the muzzleloader hunt was during the rut. Hunting during the rut ruined the deer herd. The muzz hunt was moved to September. Come to find out, coyotes were the actual cause of the declining numbers.

I doubt there will ever be a general hunt during the rut. Rut hunting is an easy blame when numbers are down. I admit I was convinced the rut hunt had a major impact. I used to believe a lot of things. Even with my doubts about the past impact, I prefer the deer be given a rest at breeding time.

Its now part of the big game management plan to leave mule deer alone during the rut. Good luck convicing the DWR and the sportsmen of the state that its worth changing; however, if you can get Don Peay on board, your wish will be granted. Don't bother contacting the DWR, they have little say in the matter, just contact SFW.

cannonball · Apr 7, 2012

Here's an idea: Whereas there are many more deer wounded on the archery hunt how about we just reduce the time the archers hunt.

velvetfvr · Apr 8, 2012

I only like velvet bucks so I wouldn't hunt the rut. And for more wounded deer with archery equipment I find that not true. I find rifle hunters wound more deer and have seen that will pronghorn. For the OP you will have the best chance at harvesting any size buck you want earlier in the season versuses after you have all the people go around and kill and run everything around.

cannonball · Apr 8, 2012

I don't think it is even a close contest on Archery vs Rifle for wounded animals. From my years in the mountains on the different hunts, I'll bet 30 to 40 percent of archers wound an un-retrieved deer as compared to 10 percent with a rifle.

When they do surveys they get a complete different number when they call on the phone rather than send the survey in the mail. The first liar never stands a chance I guess. Over the years I have hunted deer with a bow a lot and I definitely think the hunt should be shortened. I love to visit with the bow hunters on the mountain and you would hard pressed to find a camp of any size who didn't have at least on hunter who had not wounded an animal. This is also just the opening week. If they are out there a month just think of the wounded animals. All of those stories of arrows sticking out of the deer from the cattlemen and sheep herders are not lies. I've done it and seen it - what else do I say!

swbuckmaster · Apr 8, 2012

I love to visit with the rifle hunters on the mountain and you would hard pressed to find a camp of any size who didn't have at least on hunter who had not wounded an animal. This is also just the opening week. If they are out there a week just think of the wounded animals. All of those stories of crippled and sick gut shot deer from the cattlemen and sheep herders are not lies. I've done it and seen it - what else do I say!

6x7 · Apr 8, 2012

Still comes out to way more deer lost to rifel hunters because of giveing them way more tags, even though the percentage of deer lost is less,if those were true numbers.

progono · Apr 9, 2012

I would agree that the number of deer wounded or even just harassed by rifle hunters would be higher if there was really a way to get a true statistic. Back to the original post, selfishly I would love to be able to hunt the rut state wide with my bow, but realistically I hunt the extended and see the pressure these rutting bucks get If that was allowed state wide I would agree that the damage it might cause would be to high. unfortunately my vote has to go with bad Idea. We have the extended areas for those of us who love the relaxed ability to hunt whenever we want. As for those out there wounding deer. Practice Practice Practice! and Don't take shots you are not 100% sure about. Lets be ethical here. If I hit a deer and don't retrieve it my season is over. I would hope we could all have that same attitude.

jbigb30 · Apr 9, 2012

cannonball you bring up my next topic of what i was going to add with this feed, i would be all for a shorter bowhunt i wouldnt exactly say all of us bowhunters are hitting deer and not retrieving them but im sure most of us if not all of us have heard of someone hitting a deer and not finding hit and then killing another one, not just on the bow hunt but on the muzzy and rifle hunts. thats my biggest issue here i hate when i get on here and see hunters "hitting" bucks and not finding them come to find out they were shooting way out of there comfort zone however i am aware most of us put forth a very good effort to retrive any buck we have hit and sometimes crap happens and we dont find it. obviously shorting or adding a hunt wont help a hunter hit farther. id just like to see the heards rebound, after reading all your threads i understand more not having a rut hunt, but would be all over shorting the bowhunt and allowing fewer bucks to be hit and not be recovered. thanks for the replys

MTQuivers · Apr 15, 2012

The only difference is bowhunters know when they hit a buck because they follow up on all shots and MANY rifle hunters do not follow up and do not even know they wounded the animal. Especially on cross canyon long shots VERY few rifle hunters are willing to follow up on the shot unless they are confident of a hit. That is just a fact.

As far as the idea to split up the season if I understand correctly I think he was asking for 2 separate ARCHERY SEASONS on the front. As an avid Wasatch Front Hunter I am not sure this is a bad idea. I at least want to play devils advocate. If there was a late archery hunt and an early archery hunt that would take pressure off of the deer. Only half as many hunters on the early portion and half as many on the late hunt. I love hunting from aug to nov as much as the next guy but the quality has slipped the last few years and that might take pressure off the bucks by forcing a guy to choose early or late hunt. Maybe just split the long season in 2 and choose early or late.

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swbuckmaster · Apr 16, 2012

I would also rather close it down to the guys that draw this area. Its no different then any other area. Meaning if 18,000 archers can't hunt a southern unit 18,000 can't hunt the front in the rut.

Its called being smart. The state and several of our own bow hunters would rather hunt the deer to extinction all in the name of depredation.