I have hunted G or H for 5 of the last 7 years and have seen a huge change in the quality of the units as well. For the 1998-2001 seasons the numbers of mature bucks was very good, so was the number of nice bucks on the winter ranges. 2002 was the first year that the quality dropped off dramatically, then 2003 was similar to 2002. 2004 was the worst year to date for the area. The amount of 180 class bucks on the winter ranges is 10% of what they were 5 years ago.
I believe the major problem lies in that there was an incredible amount of harvest of the older age class deer in the 2000 and 2001 hunting seasons, then a significant die-off of older age class deer in the winter of 2001. Then the pressure kept increasing the next three years so the median buck size has been kept down.
Obviously there is a lot more people hunting the units, but i think there is a lot more people hunting the units well. I would think that people who have hunted the same high country drainages the last 5-7 years would report far more hunters with good optics glassing the basins at first and last light. Yes there still is some good bucks killed in those places ever year, but the number is dropping quick. I am not just talking about places 1-2 miles from the road either. I hunt a ridge 2-5 miles from the road and there is significantly more hunters on it now than 5 years ago. It is now very difficult for a buck to live to 5-7 years old in the open, steep amazing country that is in this area.
I cannot believe that the forest service allows people to bring their ATV's into the Bridger-Teton National Forests. What an amazing place they have, and what a way to reduce the wilderness values it holds. I believe you can now legally drive an ATV into the same basin that Popeye grew old in. Do you think Popeye would have died of old age or do you think he would be shot as a 27 inch 3 year old if he would have been born in 2000? Too many hunters with extremely effective killing tools in the prime buck areas is what is the main problem in G/H, and the legal ATV roads (NOT TRAILS!) in and over the Salt River Range is a huge factor in this. And as people who hunt the areas where there is a legal ATV road know, there is 10 miles of regularly traveled illegal roads for every one recognized route. No I am not saying that people are dumping all the 3 year olds off their ATV, but there is plenty of 3 year olds dying from people hunting areas they shouldnt be and definately areas they wouldnt consider killing a lesser buck unless they have their ATV's to haul it out with.
One last thought...if they made it so all deer hunting in the Wyoming and Salt River Ranges was done with 30-30's and no spotting scopes and kept it general season this year and for years to come, Do you think there would be more 180 bucks killed in 2010 than if they make it limited quota now and into the future? I believe the first scenario would prodcue more mature deer. In the last ten years, we have developed the tools for effectively killing bucks in the open areas of the West. Sure there would be fewer bucks killed in 2005 than there would otherwise be, but after 5 years of limited tachnology there would be many more mature bucks in the spectacular deer country up there, and therefore many more mature bucks to chase around, and therefore more truly big deer killed. I know it would never happen and i am not advocating it, this thought is just to illustrate the point that we are too effective at killing old deer.
There is no way the Game and Fish would or could regulate calibers or optics, but they must do something about the things they can control.
#1: Reduce Motor Vehicle Access.
#2: Reduce the number of permits. Face the fact that the feasibility of general season hunting in G/H for residents is gone. This is very obvious, i really dont understand why there is even really a discussion here.
What i dont want to happen is for them to be easy on access but sharply cut the tags. That is a give-up approach to the problem. They have to be tough on access AND reduce the permits numbers to levels that have more thought behind them than just the number of residents who feel like hunting the area, plus 3000 non's.
SW Wyoming is one of the best mule deer factories in the world, but demand is now much greater than supply. We are now stunting the output of what should be one of the best mule deer regions in the world, and i feel like the Game and Fish should feel troubled by this enough to do something about it.
Sorry for the long post, my ride was late picking me up from work.
Pinenut