I live in Eagle County and several bucks are killed in this unit with governors tags, here's the issue I have had with all of the GOV TAG BS, in highschool the unit was an ever other year draw for residents and no body really knew what the unit had, I would draw an archery tag every other year 2nd choice and a 3rd season tag every other year 1st choice. What has happened is the unit became popular ever since Duane Elam killed a huge buck in the unit and put pictures up in MM BIG BUCK CONTEST that was the beginning of the end for the hunting it every year! So the winter of 07-08 knocked our deer herds in the dirt 100% fawn fatality and 30-40% fatality on the rest of the herd, the DOW cut tags 57% and still kept the 4th season sure the draw got tougher because of the tag cut but it was what was best for the deer.
Now I will agree that because of the out of state guides and outfitters the pressure was put on for the locals to do something when the DPW hand's are tied and cant seem to put the culprits in jail or at least fine them enough to not make it worth their while to break as many laws as they were. But honestly regardless of those few the fact still remained that some local's have had an issue with the Governors tag since its inception and I know several of them. BASICALLY ITS LEGALIZED POACHING and we had an issue with that.
Elk96 you said a quota system would have served us better I agree and we did fight for a quota system but it was voted down by the committee, we wanted the season to end when the regular season ended, again voted down by committee, we wanted the Governors tag ended and tag prices across the board raised to cover the lost revenue. Wildlife are the peoples and everyone should have the same opportunity as everyone else right, well then everyone should be responsible for paying for those wildlife, again voted down by committee.
We as a group of sportsmen and women wanted alot of the ideas you said but the final say wasn't up to us it was up to the wildlife commission and because we got our way a little bit doesn't mean that we are happy either, most of everyones issue is the fact that we cut opportunity to all hunters and I would say yes all hunters did lose the opportunity at a guaranteed big buck but in the words of TOMMY BOY if you want me to take a ##### in a box and mark it guaranteed I will I got spare time I really don't think having a guaranteed big buck tag available is the right message to send to the hunting community.
Face it the law's are changed and if you want to change them back get a group of like minded individuals together and argue the DPW and see if you can get them changed back, We pay attention to what meetings are coming up and you will have an opposing voice there I guarantee it, in fact I would love to have this issue become such a bur under the DPW's saddle that they just do away with all the Governors tags and stop the legalized poaching or at least see the BOONE & CROCKETT step up and make these animals in eligible for the record book because really there is no chance for them to evade the hunters.
Like it or not this change was the right change for the local's in the Eagle units and the Gunnison units where 50-75% of the Governors tag bucks are harvested and if its good for us local's then maybe the rest of the state should support our efforts to help the deer herds in our own back yards!
I have 15+ years of video tape of some of the winter range bucks that used to call this unit home and finding a 200" deer was nothing more than a 10-15 minute drive outa town 10 yrs ago, when you say it isn't easy now reiterates our point that our deer herds still haven't recovered and this change will help. I appreciate all the hard work put out by so many sportsmen and women to bring these issues to the DPW and to our DPW officers to present this issue to the wildlife commission and to the Wildlife Commission thanks for taking a small step to end legalized poaching in Colorado. To those that don't agree sorry to upset you sorry to limit your opportunity and I'm sorry I have a different view than you when it comes to hunting and the future of our sport!
"WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW" "REVOLUTION
BECOMES DUTY" unknown
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