5 day hunt survives

[thebuckstopshere]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-07 AT 01:32PM (MST)[p]Although the Southern Utah RAC proposed going back to nine days, the DWR decided TO KEEP THE HUNT 5 DAYS in Southern and South Eastern Utah.

While I have stated before I would like to see it go back to nine days, I have reversed course. Call me a flip flopper.

 

[Castnshoot]

I was like you against the 5 day hunt at first but now I'm for it. Funny I just talked to the Game warden up on the hill and he told me that they were going back to the 9 day. He said all there studies showed that more deer were being taken in the 5 day than the 9 day.

I know there are a lot of variables like all the huge fires this summer, and a hot dry deer season this year. But I'm seeing 20 bucks or better per 100 deer in most of the herds I've
looked at.

And it seem like a lot more 2&3 year old bucks too. Things do seem to be improving. Most people I have talked to seem to think along the same lines If it has anything to do with the 5 day season I don't know.

By the way I see that they have the drag chain laid out up there in that burn I ran into you in the other day, so it looks like they are going to reseed some of that country. Those fires have really opened up a ton of great area.

 

[fullcurl74]

I wish they'd go back to a 9 day hunt, but cut the tag numbers by about 40%. Let some bucks grow for a year or two before killing them.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[pushin_30]

5 day hunt is a good thing. I am sure it is only a matter of time before it will be back to a nine day hunt. I am all for the 5 day hunt and cutting the number of tags issued. Just my .02

 

[Hornhog2]

It's a darn good thing they didn't go back to a 9 day hunt! Why would they want the buck to doe ratio to go back to what it was in the '90s? It would take two years for that to happen. Now they just need to work on micro-managing the individual deer herds and Utah will once again be a good state to hunt deer.

 

[Gator]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-07 AT 07:38PM (MST)[p]It's hard to see how more deer are taken on a 5 day hunt VS a nine day hunt, Maybe more people are shooting the first buck they see, or more people are checking their deer to be counted or Fish and Game is doing a better job of checking hunters for deer numbers and keeping better records due to CWD.

100% behind the 5 day hunts Have seen the number of bucks rise and are seeing bigger buck already.

 

[RACKMASTER]

As a non resi's hunter I am still prefering the 5 day hunt...I know its going to help harvest bigger Bucks.
Glad to see the RAC do the right thing.

rm

 

[thebuckstopshere]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-07 AT 08:59AM (MST)[p]>As a non resi's hunter I
>am still prefering the 5
>day hunt...I know its going
>to help harvest bigger Bucks.
>
>Glad to see the RAC do
>the right thing.
>
>rm


I wasn't at the Southern RAC, but from what I hear it was a tie vote and the chair cast a vote in favor of a nine day hunt. The people I have talked with said it had nothing to do with buck-doe ratios and more to do with a few people being bent out of shape that they only have one Saturday to hunt because they don't hunt on Sunday.

It was the State Wildlife Board that decided to nix the nine days.

http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/news/07-11/board_meeting.php

Regardless, I am glad that the State is going to see how it goes another year with a five day hunt. From what I and others have seen this year it appears that more young bucks are making it through the hunt, for whatever reason, and some of these young bucks have turned into 3-5 year olds now.

 

[NvrEnuf]

At the Central RAC meeting the DWR stated that their survey showed that by reducing the hunt to 5 days only cut the actual number of days hunted by approximately 1/2 a day. I guess maybe people just decided to stick around and hunt longer rather than come back the next weekend? Maybe the survey is inaccurate? Either way it sounded to me like the DWR was trying to open things back up to a 9 day season by saying that we didn't really gain much by shortening the season by a few days. Myself and 3 or 4 other guys stood up and asked that they keep it a 5 day season for another year. When the RAC voted on the presentation they said that the 5 day southern hunt would be reviewed. I'm glad to hear that they'll keep it in effect for another year. Even if it is only 1/2 a day reduction in hunting pressure that has to mean 100's, maybe even thousands of bucks that are going to survive until next year. It has to help, even if it is only a little bit. There are only so many things that we can control and this just happens to be one of them.

NvrEnuf

 

[proutdoors]

I believe the biggest factor in the Wildlife Board leaving it a 5 day hunt as opposed to a 9 day hunt was they know the mule deer committee will be meeting next year and redrafting the Deer Management Plan, and THAT is where it should be addressed. I also believe that the public input at ALL 5 RAC's showed a preference by the public for a 5 day hunt.

PRO

 

[cabinfever]

I have always been in favor of the 5 day hunt but if the dwr actually has factual data that as many deer are being harvested on the 5 day as the 9 day, i'm kind leaning back to the 9 day.....heck lets just wait for the redraft...thats what I'm really excited for.

Mike

 

[bambykiller]

I can see some of the thought process behind what the DWR is thinking. How many non-trophy hunters out there only hunt the Saturday on a five day hunt. The first thing they put antlers on is getting shot at. If it is the 9 day hunt, they now have two Saturdays to hunt. They are more likely to pass on the small opening morning bucks and hold out for the bigger ones realizing that they have at least 1 more day to hunt. We all know that the average hunter driving the roads or watching a hill side is not going to see many bucks the second weekend because they are scared s#!*less hiding in the darkest nastiest whole they can find. That could very well balance the number of deer taken on a 9 day hunt vs. the 5 day hunt. Thats my take.

 

[400bull]

I have not realy thought this through yet but what would you think about doing a six day split hunt (Sat, Sun, Mon, Fri, Sat, and Sun). Like I said I have not realy thought it through yet, I can see both pro and cons about splitting the hunt up. But do you think something like this would work. Maybe we would get the best of both worlds.

400bull

 

[thebuckstopshere]

400 bull, I mentioned something similar after the hunt this year, and I really hadn't thought it through much either. The responses were pretty good, all negative. After thinking about it, it really should either be a 5 day hunt, or an eight or nine day hunt, not a split hunt.

It seems many are concerned that the nine day hunt allow a lot of bigger bucks to be killed on the second weekend, which is closer to the rut and which may be hunted much harder than the weekdays if everyone knows they have another weekend.

Also - I am not buying the young buck slaughter theory of a five day hunt. My scouting trips this fall have shown me that the young bucks are not having any trouble at all making it through the five day hunt. Just my .02. If it goes back to nine days, I will still likely hunt 4 or 5, and yes they will be different days than they are now.