Number of deer tags

I had an interesting conversation with a friend a few days back about the Number of deer tags that Utah gives out and I'd like some input from others.

First a little back ground, I have been a muzzle loader hunter for about 25 years now for deer. I haven't hunted deer with a rifle for that long.

My buddy is a rifle hunter and has been his whole life. By the way, he has recently had 2 rifles custom built in 7mm and 6.5 creed with adjustable turrets etc. I've seen him shoot milk jugs at 1000 yards.

He made the comment to me that he felt the muzzle loader tags should be reduced now that the muzzy guys can use a magnified scope on our rifles. He feels it is an unfair advantage and that many of the people he talks to feel the same way.

I pointed out that 10 years ago, 60 yards with a bow was a long shot, now it seems 80 is doable for a lot of hunters.
10 years ago 400 yards was a long shot with a rifle and now 600 plus is doable for a lot of guys. because of things like range finders and phone apps and dialing turrets etc. Also the MZ guys are the only ones who only get 1 weekend to hunt in Utah.

Am I missing something here? is this a common thought of a lot of hunters in Utah?

Yes, these types of equipment have improved, but there are only so many animals that live by roads and most hunters don't hike or get more than a mile from a road.

You didn't even mention baiting. A lot of the big bucks that come out of Utah die with an apple in their mouth.

Utah won't change anything unless the bottom line involves more money for them at the end of the day. I highly doubt they will shuffle tags unless they are creating new hunts, like an early season rifle hunt.

Dillon
Www.dillonhoyt.com

Don't really know enough to say whether tags should be reduced, but if they are, they should be reduced across the board as you suggest.

However, it is pretty hypocritical for him to say muzzy tags should be reduced because we now can maybe shoot 300 yards instead of 200, when he can now shoot 800 instead of 400.

When I finally do draw a Utah muzzy tag, I may well just use my 1x red dot scope. Works well for the distances I feel comfortable shooting with a muzzy.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

Most guys, and when I say most, I'll bet its damn near 85% of rifle hunters, can't hit an animal lethally, or even at all, on the first shot at 300 or more yards. It's insane how many shots people fire at one deer before it either gets out of sight or the finally kill it. I witness it by other hunters every year. And these are the same guys who are worried about muzzy hunters shooting out at 250 yards with a single shot rifle that has worse ballistics than a 45-70. Sure, there's that 15% that are killers, know their weapons and kill what they shoot at the first shot with any weapon. But those were the same guys who could kill the first shot at 200 yards with a 1x scope on their muzzys as well. The numbers of deer killed now since the scope change has not really increased enough to make a difference. People worry about this topic for nothing

Agreed with all of you. I shoot my muzzle loader a fair amount and can tell you I have gone from a 150 yard shooter to 200 tops with mine. I have the Nikon inline with BDC and can hit a target at 300 but i am still inconsistent enough (6" groups off a bench) that I'm not comfortable taking a shot that far with field conditions to give it a go.

It would be interesting to see if success rates went up and wounded/not recovered deer went up or down.

My Utah legal custom Muzzleloader gets me way past 300 yards ;-)

"My Utah legal custom Muzzleloader gets me way past 300 yards"

Maybe so, but you are in the minority. I know a guy in Colorado that can hit an 8" target at 400 yards with his muzzy with open sights! But those guys are few and far between.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

Just my opinion but I think it would be a bit hypocritical for a thousand yard milk jug rifle toting guy (or an archer with an 85% let off bow at 330' per second for that matter) to diss on any muzzleloader advances.