I don't think there are very many hunters out there that wouldn't want to kill a mature buck if presented with the chance to do so. I also believe that killing a mature buck is not the focal point of a great many hunters and why they are in the field. That being said, I'm sure most of us understand that we hunters are a greatly diversified group, with individual needs and wants. Long range hunters, bow hunters, muzzy hunters, solo hunters, trophy hunters, family and friends hunters, rifle hunters, meat hunters, etc.
Our heritage has run the gamut, as has our wildlife. Our mule deer have historically gone from very modest numbers during the settlement times of the west, to artificially inflated numbers post settlement years, to once again much lower numbers. Our weaponry and equipment to hunt these critters has vastly improved and is still doing so.
In all the fray, we hunters seem to get bogged down on finding ways to reduce our numbers, reduce the numbers of animals killed by us, to find a solution to the mule deers' decline and growing older, bigger bucks. I suppose that is fine if what we all wanted was to have the ability to kill bigger more mature bucks on a less and less frequent basis, and reduce the hunter population. If that's not what most hunters want, and they instead want to increase the existing herds to a viable number whereby we can all have the chance to hunt deer; big bucks, old bucks, young bucks, any bucks; other options need to be not only considered, but demanded of our western wildlife agencies and wildlife conservation groups.
I can't imagine that should the western mule deer states-by hunter decree-would focus the majority of their efforts on finding what is truly the cause of mule deer declines and stagnant populations, some sort of "fix" that benefits all hunters could be agreed upon. Most of us know there are many factors involved, and way down that list is hunters killing the critters. Sure there has been progress, but it is too slow and too little on a wide spread basis. Do any of you know of a state by state joined effort to solve this decline issue? I'm not aware of one, other than what WAFWA provides, and that hasn't seem to have worked as of yet.
I guess we can continue to figure out ways to manage hunters while our deer herds stagnate or decline, but I'm not convinced that is the best approach at this time, or we can start pushing back hard and demanding the various agencies try harder to find a more viable solution. I dunno...just thinking out loud.
www.unitedwildlifecooperative.org
