What would you rather hunt

[coyoteslayer]

With the state wide spike hunt possibly coming to Utah, or the I400, I have a question for all of you. What would be your personal choice.

1- Be able to hunt spikes every year, and draw a great unit once or twice in your lifetime where you had a really good shot at a 350+ bull.

2- Be able to hunt 280-320 class 6 points but only be able to hunt every 6-10 years or so??

I read one of KTC post, that really got me thinking. He at least knows his 13-14 year old daughter will be hunting elk this year. I personnally would rather hunt spikes every year, with that chance of a truely huge bull when I do draw with little to no hunting pressure. that is my personnal choice, what are yours?? If opportunity to hunt is in the equation, the spike hunt is the way to go. You take the spike tag away, and there are 10,000+ opportunities to hunt taken away. By the way, I in know way want to take away the huge bulls we have now. I think the limited entry tags need to be protected the best they can to keep the quality. I hope my 11 year old boy can hunt elk next year.

 

[huntin100]

Good question coyote. I would like a chance for my 14 and 9 yr old boys to hunt spikes every 2-3 yrs. Maybe the DWR will have a late muzzle tag that they can hunt every year. Success rate in the past was about 11-12%. They also have cow tags. Available every couple years.
Hunt bulls in the I400 areas 280 to 400 inch bulls, every 10-15 years (with the 5 year waiting period.)

Hold out for a rifle rut hunt once in your life is another option.

Now you have one more option, with I400. imo.

 

[bingo]

I agree with this logic. Sometimes people under estimate how fun it can be to hunt cows and spikes. That being said, I am in favor of I400 as long as it does not spread to all LE units. As it is proposed, it makes alot of sense to me. As for me though, I will wait my turn to hunt in the rut with a rifle or Muzzleloader.

 

[WYhunter]

Afraid I have to say that I am glad I live in WY and not UT. We get to hunt every year with our family and friends and have a chance at a 280 to 320 bull every year if we hunt hard. (we killed two bulls over 300 and two other bulls 260-280 size for four of us this year and saw several spikes and rag horns). We put in for the limited WY areas each year and have about a 10 to 15% chance to draw a unit with bigger bulls then go general if we do not draw. Then we can put in for UT as a nonresident and have a long odds chance at the 400 bull once in a life time.

 

[blazingsaddle]

Spikes and cows are fun to hunt, hunting is hunting. But as for me, I would rather hunt big bulls every 5-6 years and see the Utah quality come down a little. Just a little meaning, if you hunt hard, spend the time (more than 4.5 days/year) do your homework, and with some luck you could pull a 340-350+ bull. I think there is room for the quality to come down. And still have monsters out there. Just my 2 pennies.

Spikes and cows are great for young hunters, and we should keep some of these hunts, but I can't help but think that some day those beginer hunters will want to move on to the big bulls. And when they do, if it all stays on the same table, they will only be able to do it once/twice, if they are lucky.

 

[slamdunk]

I second Bingo!
Great post coyoteslayer!!

I's sure like to draw at least one good elk tag before i die, but i'd sure like to see my son get a few chances in his!









Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"

 

[shedcarver]

You are right I am not wanting to see spike hunts on all limited entry units. I am trying to show how we have had both opportunity and trophy hunting on the Beaver. After you kill a few elk, killing a spike or even a 300 class 6 point is not a great challenge. Although it fills the freezer. No we cannot compare the Beaver and the Dutton with the overall kill numbers. We can compare Beaver and the Pahvant or the Beaver and the Southwest Desert where only 15 early rifle bulls are killed and no spikes are harvested. Resulting in the management hunts and the bull cow ratios completely out of whack! What I would like to see done is end all spike hunting and in place of the spike hunt have a very limited 5 point or less hunt. This will do two things it will balance out the bull cow ratios and provide a hunting opportunity for those that want to hunt more than once in their life. An added bonus is implementing this in the regular bonus point draw and for those choosing the {opportunity} 5 point or less hunt they will only have to sit out the drawing process for 2 years before being able to apply again. The hunters willing to wait out the bonus point process will have their once in a lifetime shot at a big bull. With 11,000 spike tags issued every year if we change that to 5 point or less and cut the number of permits back and spread it evenly on all units we could help balance the bull cow ratios and not affect the trophy quality that so many have waited their entire life for. There were 30,367 people that applied with one bonus point last year for the elk draws. If we don't find some way soon without affecting the the trophy quality it is going to be pointless with the rising fees to ever apply for elk in Utah.

Please don't crucify me I am just trying to throw another idea out there.

 

[shedcarver]

Please forgive me for my post above it was intended for another thread and i thought i could modify it for this topic.
Being able to hunt every year for me is not as big a deal as who i hunt with. Three years ago i watched my boy shoot his first big game animal (a fat spike bull). That hunt ranks as one i will never forget. This year i helped a 22 year old guy shoot his first elk another spike bull. What an awesome experience seeing these 1st. timers overjoyed with a little old spike bull, compared to people i have hunted with on the premium big bull hunts are disappointed in anything less than a 350 bull. I think we need a balance so when hunters decide what they want to hunt spikes or giants we will have that opportunity.

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

I'd rather hunt spike and cows and buy magazines with all the monster bulls.I live in NM so I can hunt bulls more often than you UT guys and have shot more cows than anything anyhow. I feel pretty bad for yoy and AZ guys.Have a chance at a 400 inch bull every 10 years or so vs. hunting every year....mmmmmm I'll take the hunt....

 

[257Tony]

I don't want to hunt spikes EVER! Whats the point? If you want meat get Cow tag. Tell me again why we need to mess with the system we have? Is our Elk herd not doing well statewide? Seems fine to me.....

 

[cantkillathing]

you will never be able to hunt elk every 5 to 6 years in utah, it will take you 5-6 years to draw a I400 tag then wait 5 years to put in again, so every 10 to 11 yrs you might get to hunt elk in utah.

 

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

>you will never be able to
>hunt elk every 5 to
>6 years in utah,
>it will take you 5-6
>years to draw a I400
>tag then wait 5 years
>to put in again, so
>every 10 to 11 yrs
>you might get to hunt
>elk in utah.


In oregon you can hunt spikes every year as well some general hunts. I personally think spike hunts suck in general. (atleast in Oregon) We don't utah's opportunities though and the Spike hunts run concurrent with the only good elk hunts Oregon has to offer. For example in wehaha, if you wait the 15+ years to draw a tag there are still going to be 300+ spike hunters in there while your trying to fill your once in a lifetime elk tag for oregon.

 

[MulePacker]

I'd rather be able to go hunting, then let my skill, desire and attitude determine my harvest. Many Utahn's may not be able to understand the satisfaction that comes from such a hunt as Utah provides very few areas with this opportunity. I believe it is more than spike versus 400'ers. I see the difference between shooting a spike and cow as huge. In one case you remove an animal with a high chance of making a difference in the herd. In the other case you are removing an animal with very little chance to make a difference. Which one is which?
I400 should provide an opprotunity such as described above.

 

[blazingsaddle]

If given the choice of 25 spikes under my belt, 7 or so 280-350 bulls on my wall, or 1 400" bull on my wall. I'll take the second choice.
Maybe it is impossible to hunt mature bulls every 5-7 years in Utah. No matter what plan is implemented. I don't know.

 

[3Toes]

I have no interest in hunting spikes. Give me 3 or 4 chances in my lifetime at good representative 5 or 6 point bulls and I'm happy.

There needs to be units where those that really need a 400 inch bull can go and at least have that chance. But I don't think everyone is looking for that.

I400 gives us hunters that are looking for just a good bull, a chance to hunt, which stops us from clogging up the "quality" units draw. I would think anyone who is putting in for the top units would be happy to see thousands of us move to another unit.

I have heard people talk about some hapless hunters "wasting" a "quality" tag on a bull the did not live up to the units billing. Why not get those guys, like me, out of your way so you can get the tag and take that 400 inch bull.

 

[bragabit]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-08 AT 07:53PM (MST)[p]3toes,
I see it the other way . I feel that the people who have been putting in for the i400 units with 8 plus points will flood the other units making them tougher to draw.

I really don't think the I400 units will provide the opportunity you guys are hoping for. The units are still going to be managed to the same age objective. I don't see how these units can have more than 20-30 more bulls harvested each year. Then when they hit their age objective they will have to drop tags back to where they are now.

I am all for trying it lets see how it works I hope that I am wrong about the I400.

 

[BeanMan]

They way I'm doing it in Colorado allows me to hunt elk twice every year. I put in for LE unit to build points, use second choice for a private land public draw cow tag which I will draw, and hunt a OTC bull or a OTC archery either sex. Do I wish Colorado had more LE units? Yes.Do I wnat to hunt every year? Yes, I'm not getting any younger.

Beanman

 

[3Toes]

bragabit,

You are correct that some of the high point hunters would move to new units. But for every person with 8 or more points that might move, there are almost 9 hunters with less than 8 points that could move. And right now are clogging up the "quality" unit draws. It is anyones guess and personal perspective enters in, but at least mathmatically it is 9 to 1.

 

[BLooDTRaCKeR]

Either system sucks. I like things the way they are because I can hunt every year and have a chance at a big bull on public ground. Between my dad and I we have shot a bull every year for the past 6 years (on public ground) and have had some close calls with some monsters. Take away my opportunity to hunt what I want every year and I'll just find a new state to hunt in. I really don't care about opportunity to hunt a "big bull" that the I400 crap presents. If I see a bull on public ground, I want to be able to shoot it no matter what the size is because I don't eat the anlters. I don't like the spike only statewide thing because I don't want to see a bull that I can't shoot. We've already got limited entry tags, lets not get too greedy with the head gear thing. The way things are now, if you do your home work, you can get into some really nice bulls on public land. Hunting is supposed to be hard work, instead people would rather have a 300-400" bull fall into their lap. Where has the respect gone for the animals life?

 

[slcmuley]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-26-08 AT 08:41PM (MST)[p]YEAH!JUST DONT TAKE AWAY MY GENERAL ANY BULL ELK.THIS IS THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS HUNT.I DONT WANT TO SEE A BULL I CANT SHOOT.THIS IS WHY I STOPPED HUNTING SPIKES ON THE LA SALS.

 

[BLooDTRaCKeR]

slcmuley,
My thoughts exactly. Lets not take opportuntiy away to hunt with friends and family each year! Thats why the majority of people hunt each year. Too much of the wrong publicity has gone to the bigger bulls harvested in this state and it's turning hunters into "antler/inches addicts" thus evolving the sport into a money market game for the ignorant rich man who just wants to kill for publicity!