3 point or better

houstonhorns · Mar 15, 2013

Im new to MM, and Im sure this topic has been discussed before, but who can give me information on whether or not the buck to doe ratio would improve if Utah went to 3 point of better harvest each year?
I remember when they went to a spike only hunt for elk and we saw vast improvements in the number of bigger bulls. My thinking is that the same thing would happen to the population of bucks, if the young ones were allowed a chance to mature.
Am I off? Or is there information that could convince me otherwise?

Thanks for your thoughts

mntman · Mar 15, 2013

I just finished off my last batch of popcorn/beer, Guess I will have to run to the store and get some more...

Maybe I should start a delievery service to MM members so we are stocked up at all times...

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?

BrowningRage · Mar 15, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-13 AT 03:19PM (MST)[p]Well, to start off... You ask about 3 point or better for deer and then compare it to spike only elk..? If there were vast improvements to the elk maturity with spike only, then we should be doing spike only deer, not 3 point or better, right..?

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

houstonhorns · Mar 15, 2013

Thats an even better idea. Go to spike only hunts for deer. That would save thousands of bucks a year. And upset many hunters.

To manage them effectively you still need to draw interest for the hunters and make improvements in what you are trying to accomplish. So yes, I compared the two. Obviously it was still attractive for hunters to go after spike elk. So that worked for the DWR. I highly doubt a spike only hunt for deer would be very enticing to very many hunters. I would be more than happy to spend the money on a tag if I had to shoot a 3 point or better for deer. I wouldnt waste my time if all I could harvest was a spike. Im sure many hunters would agree.

And I drive a 2011 Nissna Titan, 6 inch lift. No extras other than some sweet rims. But feel free to drop off a beer at my place on your way back.

What ideas do you have? Im game for anything that would improve the buck to doe ratio.
Touchy crowd. I didnt think I would get blasted on my first legitimate post.

utahbigbull · Mar 15, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-13 AT 04:54PM (MST)[p]>Touchy crowd. I didnt think I
>would get blasted on my
>first legitimate post.

Welcome to MM. Havent been lurking around much before joining have ya. If you had been, you would have known this was not one of the topics to introduce yourself and have everyone welcome you with open arms. ;-)

mntman · Mar 15, 2013

Nothing against you houstonoutdoors, like UBB stated, many topics make their rounds each year and get people all wound up, this is one of them. Welcome to MM's

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?

houstonhorns · Mar 15, 2013

No worries. I dont get offend easily. Thanks for the heads up.

I understand, if the same topics get brought up year after year, that has to get old.

houstonhorns · Mar 15, 2013

So should my next topic be about ethical hunting? Or how about shed hunting before the season opens? maybe politics?

travishunter3006 · Mar 15, 2013

The reason nobody is willing to discuss this topic is because most are close minded to it.

They all say the same thing.... It won't work.... It has been tried...... People just poach a bunch of little bucks....

A ton of people will say "When Utah had an antler point restriction I found hundreds of dead two points and little bucks.

I think it would work in some areas. Wyoming has multiple areas with restictions. It works there. Why wouldn't it work here???

Darkcloud · Mar 15, 2013

Leave it the way it is. It didnt work years ago, and its not going to work now. Besides, I like everybody chasing 2 points at the first of the hunt. Where I have been hunting the last few years, I dont see anybody on the second weekend. I have the whole mountain to hunt by myself, because everybody has filled there tag on the 2 points, and there is still plenty of good deer to hunt. But then again, I get off the road and hunt.

BrowningRage · Mar 16, 2013

I'm glad you recognized that I was just bein snarky in my earlier post HH...

I think if a unit was put into 3 point or better AND reduced tags, that the ratios and buck quality would go up. After a couple years, there'd be a lot of 3's get shot, and you'd basically start over, but there's a better chance of some more mature bucks making it through... IMO

I think with shortened hunt dates the argument that more people will wait it out for bigger bucks may be moot. While I agree some guys get lucky on day one (if you consider a dink on day one lucky), I think a lot of people are hunting for the full 5 days and on day 4 and 5 they start shootin 2 points so they dont go home empty handed. Most people can't hunt 9 days due to work and such. But I think the same would be true, that little one's get shot out of desperation towards the end. IMO

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

accubond · Mar 17, 2013

It seems like Wyoming does this in certain units to improve b/d ratios but only for a couple years at a time to reduce some of the ill affects. Maybe some kind of a rotation as needed is the answer?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never has and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson