Watch today's Wildlife Board meeting

Amy · Dec 9, 2016

The Utah Wildlife Board will meet at 9 a.m. this morning to set big game hunts and season dates for 2017. There are also a variety of other topics on the agenda, including elk unit management plans, preference points and CWMUs.

We are streaming the meeting online via YouTube, and the meeting video will be available after the broadcast for those who can't watch it live.

Thanks,
Amy

Amy Canning
Communications Specialist
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

PSEbackcountry · Dec 9, 2016

What was the results of this meeting?

BIGJOHNT · Dec 10, 2016

If you like Archery like your handle. You will like a few of the changes. The meeting was recorded I believe you can find it on YouTube.

PSEbackcountry · Dec 10, 2016

Yup just seen that. I will watch it later today. Thanks

bowedark · Dec 10, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Dec-10-16 AT 10:22AM (MST)[p]Cattle is king, elk are ok if I can man money on them, one said shoot the horses ??? This is the board that control the game & fish????

desertpointbrian · Dec 10, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Dec-10-16 AT 11:08AM (MST)[p]Yup cattle guys wanting to kill off alot elk.
The shooting horses comment was talking about the problem of wild horses in the southwest desert.

Elk increase objective passed.

Two new oil archery hunts.

The general deer loop hole will be gone preferance points agenda passed.

Baiting big game in utah is going to be looked at as far as banning it.

Kudos to sfw,rmef strawberry bay outfitters utah bowmans association to showing up and helping the sportsman's voice to be heard. The cattle guys were pretty aggressive as far as getting elk killed off. the mountain belongs to cattle not wildlife in their eyes

goofyelk · Dec 10, 2016

100% agree with DPB post,.^^^^^^^^

Thanks to those at the board meeting supporting the sportsman!

dillon · Dec 10, 2016

Let me see if I got this right.

New archery mountain goat hunt on Unitas central and bison on the book cliffs.

No 7 day archery extension on OIL tags.

And, if you draw any choice for general deer you lose all your preference points.

Does that sound about right?

Dillon
Www.dillonhoyt.com

desertpointbrian · Dec 10, 2016

Yup that's about it.oh yeah and the 10% elk increase in northern utah

340Wby · Dec 11, 2016

When and What OIL units are we going to open for muzzleloaders? It already says any weapon!!! Terrible decision IMO.

Was very disappointed in the conversation or really lack of conversation on preference points. It is not nor ever was a loophole, it is a lack of understanding (and for the record I never have listed more than 1 choice). For example in Arizona we'll over a 1/3 of the Desert Bighorn tags are issued in the second pass, why? Because most don't understand the draw, just like the great state of Utah only in this case we try and fix a lack of knowledge.

The willingness to just go along with what the chairman of the board asked was stunning not only at this board meeting but at the RACs. There were other options that could have been at least looked into. Those models work well in Wyoming and Colorado.

We as sportspersons as well as the DWR regardless of the amount of time money , passion we have for the sport of hunting have a responsibility to educate ourselves and the public, particularly those that hunt in other states and countries or sit on RAC, WB.

I am gonna play Madame Chloe here for a minute and predict we will be revisiting OIL tag allocations by weapon and preference points in the next 5 years. However, at the end of the day it is what it is and something that we must learn and live with. Rant over........

BillyBoB · Dec 11, 2016

I watched the You tube video and the outcome is what I expected.
I too think that other options could have been explored concerning Preference points. But the result is sufficient enough.

340Wby posts
"We as sportspersons as well as the DWR regardless of the amount of time money , passion we have for the sport of hunting have a responsibility to educate ourselves and the public, particularly those that hunt in other states and countries or sit on RAC, WB."

I agree with this statement and I'm alittle frustrated that we have board members such as DR KING from Price representing the south eastern who most of the time seems clueless and even claims that he doesn't ever remember what day it is let alone keep up with most regulations that our state currently has. He admitted it. I know there are alot of changes happening (sometimes I think too many too fast) but that's another topic, but I expect at least these board members to stay current and up to date considering their position.

Other than that, I did hear some good ideas that came out of the RAC's such as the CWMU 2 tags every other year to help with point creep instead of one tag each year.
What I saw regarding population objectives was expected.

"Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So
we must and we will."
Theadore Roosevelt

300WBYMULES · Dec 11, 2016

I viewed the majority of the meeting and thought it was good. I like the direction Utah is going. I too liked the cwmu idea regarding the single tag issue.

desertpointbrian · Dec 11, 2016

>I viewed the majority of the
>meeting and thought it was
>good. I like the
>direction Utah is going.
>I too liked the cwmu
>idea regarding the single tag
>issue.

I also like the results more elk in northern utah. Whooo hooo

3blade · Dec 11, 2016

Guys, what was decided on the elk population on the panguitch unit? I know they proposed to raise numbers going in but didn't see what was decided?

JakeH · Dec 11, 2016

3blade, I believe the proposal to raise the population was taken out before it got to the board, the division decided against it and never offered it to the board for proposal.

I was rather disappointed in the preference point decision, while I agreed that they need to look at everyone's first choice first, I did not agree with losing your points for drawing a 2nd-5th choice.

I believe this will just cause an overabundance of leftover permits to be sold over the counter. Why not let people get a tag as a 2nd choice and still earn towards the tag you want.

They turned a simple fix into a very complicated one.

Jake H. BIG BONE HUNTING Page on Facebook.

BillyBoB · Dec 12, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Dec-12-16 AT 01:29PM (MST)[p]I agree JakeH
I liked the idea of looking at everyone's first choice first while considering preference points and if you draw, you lose your points. But the 2nd through 5th choices would be a complete random draw WITHOUT points considered. If you are randomly selected, you still keep your points. I would bet now with what it was changed to, there will be nearly 7k over the counter tags available come July.
I also would like to see Youth any bull points for kids who cant seem to get lucky and draw. The current odds of drawing are around 10%.
I know the board had discussed raising the youth any bull tag numbers before but I think it got shot down awhile ago.
I do like the idea of allowing youth any bull tag holders who don't tag out be allowed to continue to hunt during the regular any bull hunt. Which was discussed.

It will be interesting to see how things pan out. Application strategies will definitely have to change. But I guess it all depends if you want to hunt each year or do you want to hunt a specific unit every now and then and build points.
I personally want to hunt every year. So preference points won't be much of a factor for me after this next draw. But that means I will probably have to consider different units and different weapons as options. (But it's not like I don't already do that now)

"Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So
we must and we will."
Theadore Roosevelt

JakeH · Dec 12, 2016

Billy, I agree, I do the same, and actually the new set up will likely benefit me personally as I mainly archery hunt, or dedicated. But most of my family are rifle hunters, they are the ones that are going to have to wait 2-4 years between tags. a lot would apply for a muzzy tag, or another unit just to get to hunt but not now.

Its just stupid that they took two different solution's for one problem and used both to fix the problem. Instead of picking one or the other.

Jake H. BIG BONE HUNTING Page on Facebook.

muleyhunter413 · Dec 14, 2016

I already miss the old draw system. I really liked it the way it was. My son has had a general deer tag every year. He has drawn his second choice every other year and the with 1 point been able to draw his first choice. That is over now. My daughters will only be able to hunt every other year at best. This new system hurts hunting together. This should have been looked at more.

huntin50 · Dec 15, 2016

More people hunting and the same number of deer equals fewer hunting opportunity.

Then with more technology high power scopes on muzzle loaders bows shooting 80-100 yards, and rifles shooting 1000 yards all equals fewer permits and higher success on a limited resource.

Packout · Dec 15, 2016

Well if they managed the units to the buck to doe objective then you wouldn't have to wait as long between hunts. Just sayin......

I also would have rather seen them use points on the 1st choice and then random (no points considered) on 2-5 choices. Like Colorado does.