How accurate

Muleyslayer

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How accurate do you think the numbers by our Fish and Game governing bodies are?.... I am a numbers cruncher by profession and I have studied the numbers and done plenty of homework over the years in AZ, Ca, Utah, and Colorado. I know there is nothing like putting in scouting time, but time and $$$ doesn't make it possible. My questions are to you all...... What has been your experience with the numbers?....Do you rely on these numbers to choose your new hunting area? Do you think they are fairly accurate or just throwing darts? What you read in the forecasts translate to what you see in the field? (ie success rates, maturity, buck to doe ratio?s etc). Does anybody else see higher success rates on paper than what you see in the field?
 
I think that there buck/doe ratio is screwed up, and that there herd # have a multiplication of 3 or 4..They do a herd count on the winter range or on a helicopter count and multiply that.

Harvest rates depend on just where they set up the game check stations and how long they are opened for.. a Prime example is from the Monte Cristo area in N. Utah, the check station is set up for those going down Ogden canyon, but they miss folks going over Trappers Loop or over N. Ogden Pass...so do they multiply there check station number by 3?
 
i feel that they are in the ballpark on the buck ratio and herd #'s but off more than they think on the harvest. would like to see mandatory reporting. and more gps collars on does to know which wintering areas to fly over. just my 2 cents
 
All I know is my best hunt ever was a UT 2000 muzzleloader deer hunt on the Boulder Mts. There were mature bucks everywhere. The DWR reported over a 50% success rate after the hunt. That hunt kept me coming back. It hasn't been as good for me and the DWR reports show the same conclusion for the masses.

They also typically report the Cache unit as the rotten part of the state for deer. I don't think that's too far off.

I doubt they are far from 100% reliable; however, I can't think of a better source for ballpark figures.
 
I use the numbers as a guide a sort of starting point and I go from there.You cand almost throw out harvest % becouse most hunters do not hunt as hard as is needed to harvest a buck.Hunts that say there is a 25 % success rate I may pass on more than 20 bucks threw out the year. My opinion is use them as another reasource in your arsignal
 

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