This is a rip off

NVdrhntr · Mar 16, 2016

ok, stats are out for last year.
Look at the DELK tags or antlerless elk tags that accompany
the deer tag.
The success is ridiculously low. I know your taking a chance, but hell.
They sold 670 tags for the rubies and 575 for area 6.
3 percent success in the rubies.
I got up at the state quota setting meeting and told them
they were not being honest with the sportsman on this.
there isn't 670 cows in the rubies, or at least there is not
supposed to be.
This is a cash cow (excuse the pun) for the dept.
area six was a little better at 10% success but still
Come on
This is wrong.
15 cows killed on 670 tags sold.
THIS IS A RIP OFF!
I'm gonna be interested to see what they propose this year.

shedneck · Mar 16, 2016

I respectfully disagree. As you pointed out, you are taking a chance, but that's the case with every big game tag. And the goal of offering those cow elk tags along with deer tags is to meet objective levels for the elk population. One of the reasons why wildlife management departments collect harvest success rates is so that the department can account for a low success rate. And that's especially true for unit 10 where the goal is to eliminate or drastically reduce the elk population. But you also mentioned unit 6 which does not have the same objective; however the idea is still the same. The habitat can only support so many elk and to meet the population objective with success rates taken into account, certain numbers of tags have to be given. An extreme example would be that 100 elk need to be harvested. The Department would be missing the mark if they only gave out 100 tags with an estimated success rate of 10% because only 10 cows would be taken instead of 100.

mevertsen · Mar 17, 2016

I disagree with the op as well. These hunts are very clear in their objective. Get as many cow tags in the field as possible with the fewest amount of people and kill all the elk we can. Regardless of the politics as to why, that's what the objective is. And 1/2 the people that hunt just want a week away from the old lady to drink beer and ride four wheelers. It is a cash cow because that comes out to a cheap week and the NDOW gets a little extra money.

NVdrhntr · Mar 17, 2016

My biggest beef with this is they do not tell the sportsman what they are getting. a 3 percent chance for your 120.00 plus the 20 dollar app fee.
With respect to the rubies. They are selling tags for animals that don't exist.
There are not 670 cow elk in the rubies. Right?
What other draw in Nevada do they sell more tags by far
than their are actual animals.
There should be an asterisk by this hunt explaining that your
chance of harvesting is very very very small.
I know this is a depredation area and they want all elk out of there, but how many of those deer hunters thought they had a legitimate chance of harvesting a cow.

shedneck · Mar 17, 2016

Understood, but with very little effort, one would find out very quickly what they were getting themselves into with a unit 10 cow elk tag. And depending on where you live and how involved you are in hunting, that fact about unit 10 is common knowledge.

mevertsen · Mar 17, 2016

There is an asterisk by the rubies cow hunts that the chance of harvesting is very small. Has been there for ever. When the delk hunts came in they explained very clearly in the regulations what they were about. Nothing has been hidden and nobody is being forced to apply for these tags.

NVdrhntr · Mar 17, 2016

Let me ask a question more precise.
Is it wrong to sell tags for animals that don't exist?
Someone from Elko county tell me if there are 670 cow elk
in the rubies. And, if not why are they selling tags for animals that don't exist?

A different but related subject. The "goal" is to have no
elk in the ruby mountains. we all know there are elk there.
If the goal is elimination, why not sell over the counter either sex tags and muck em out. And make it a year round season to boot. Do they really want them eliminated?

takeahike · Mar 17, 2016

There is some clause from way back with the ranchers that there is not supposed to be elk in the rubies. Yes selling over the counter tags and making it a year round season could accomplish removing the elk eventually but then the department would lose money.
It's fairly common knowledge of the low success rate for elk in area 10 so they do have to sell more tags than animals. Everyone I knew that drew the delk tags, even in area 6, didn't even hunt for elk, figuring deer to be their main goals and not wanting to use a day or more taking care of an elk.
In my opinion if they need or want more cows harvested separate the draw again and let the deer hunters concentrate on deer and elk hunters concentrate on elk. More people will be out in the hills but so be it.

mevertsen · Mar 17, 2016

>Let me ask a question more
>precise.
>Is it wrong to sell tags
>for animals that don't exist?
>
>Someone from Elko county tell me
>if there are 670 cow
>elk
>in the rubies. And, if
>not why are they selling
>tags for animals that don't
>exist?
>
>
>A different but related subject.
>The "goal" is to have
>no
>elk in the ruby mountains.
>we all know there are
>elk there.
>If the goal is elimination, why
>not sell over the counter
>either sex tags and muck
>em out. And make
>it a year round season
>to boot. Do
>they really want them eliminated?
>

It is a continuous problem. Elk are going to always venture into the Rubies. The only way to keep them down is to continue to pound them every year so they can not get established. They get hunted from August 1 to January 15 and elk still get killed every year. OTC tags would not further accomplish anything. I have also known people to draw the bull hunt and want to hold out for a 6 point. And like the previous poster said people rarely even give the elk a second thought. I imagine one would have to nearly be standing in the road for most people to shoot it, so with the incredible amount of tags it just increases the chance that someone will bump into an elk and be willing to kill it.

CHWino_1 · Mar 17, 2016

I waited 16 years to hunt elk in NV. NDFG had a resident cow hunt right before my bull hunt began. The elk were scattered and hard to find. Not very happy with my outcome. I have 6 deer points, once I draw that it'll be bye, bye Nevada.

NVMDF · Mar 18, 2016

NVdrhntr,

I agree 100% with what you're saying about the elk numbers in the Ruby's, I'd bet there aren't 200 total elk. However, elk in area 10 is a perfect storm waiting to bust wide open. no or little access, little or no hunting pressure on the elk that are there, and just enough elk to blow up in a few years. I think the Ruby's should be opened up to any elk to anyone who wishes to give it a try. I'd pay $120.00 for a tag to kill any elk. If you know where to look, a cow or small bull could be killed every year. I've killed a few elk, but if you don't know where to look, it's nearly impossible without someone that knows where to look.

On the other hand, I don't feel bad for the guy's that come up from Vegas or over from the west side of the state that don't know what they are in for. Driving the roads in Ruby Valley down by the marshes the opening weekend is like Mc'D's drive up.

NVMDF

lostinOregon · Mar 18, 2016

You wouldn't like Oregon. We give out 4000 deer tags for one unit. There are not 4000 bucks for those tags, or 4000 deer for that matter . If you don't do your research and buy a tag that is on you. NV does a great job of managing their wildlife. I think it is a perspective thing depending on what state you live in.

Rich