Real Numbers for Utah?

[cantkillathing]

My question is....what do you guys think the real deer herd number is in Utah?

Let me tell you what I think in San Juan. The numbers are fabricated so bad that I am sure state wide is just as bad.

Abajo Unit was said to have over 13,500 deer. My guess would probably be more accurate and my guess is the Abajo Unit has between 3,000-4,000.

So if the DWR is over estimating the deer by 9,000-10,000 in one unit what would be the state wide numbers really be like?

So how bad is your area and what is your estimate on deer numbers.

 

[nebo12000]

I believe the real numbers overall are way above the actual numbers. The big game biologist for the state, stated at the Central RAC last Weds. that we are a carrying capacity and that the management objectives are not achievable given the current habitat. They say there are just over 300,000 deer in the state. If you look at it unit by unit and ask the hunters who know and have hunted a particular unit for years, understand that the true numbers are considerably less than the published numbers. If we are truly at carrying capacity, then we should not expect deer hunting and deer populations to improve any time soon.

 

[cantkillathing]

So you believe that garbage, that we have those numbers.

I know what the DWR says, I want to know what people out in the field believe.

I for one do not believe the numbers, they are not even close to what they should be. I would bet that deer numbers are about 180,000 deer state wide. They do not want to admit the numbers.

 

[BrowningRage]

I'm with you on this one Cantkillathing... If the DWR says there are 300,000 deer, I wager it's closer to 175,000 but honestly I'd like to say its 125,000... I grew up hunting the North Slope Uintahs with my grandpa, uncles and dad. We used to see over 100 deer a day, with a dozen or so bucks, including nice bucks... Whenever we hunt out there these days, if we see 20 deer we've had a good day, and ANY buck is a rare sighting.
I have seen Boulder take a dive since starting to hunt there 5 years ago also. Less deer, less bucks...


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

 

[cantkillathing]

Well BrowningRage you are probably closer on the numbers than I am, because if you go off of the logic on the Abajo unit of them being 3 times the actual number then the deer herd in the whole state is probably a third of what they say. So I agree it is probably closer to 125,000 deer state wide.

 

[walleye1121]

I have hunted just two areas for my whole life. One in the South that I hunt for deer, the other is in the North East that I used to hunt for deer and now I hunt it during the muzzleloader elk.

I have spent a lot of time in both of these areas and they are both way down on deer. The one in the South probably doesn't have half of the deer it had six years ago. The Northeastern one has been struggling for the past several years but there are obvious fluctuations from season to season. The DWR counts never seem to show any fluctuations.

I would bet everything that there is nowhere near 300,000 deer in Utah.

 

[nebo12000]

I need to correct what I meant in my earlier post-- What I meant is that the numbers that the DWR publishes are way above the actual numbers on the ground.
My biggest concern is that some of them believe their is really no room for growth given the current habitat-- which should include the impact of predator kill numbers-- not just available winter habitat.

 

[dillon]

Remember that those numbers are post hunt. So the they count them in November/December. Also they only count a few deer and plug it into an equation. A hard winter can make any estimate look bad. But I agree that some areas are overestimated.

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

Well!
We know one thing for sure!
Deer Numbers are way down this year from the past 2 years(Ya,I know it's hard to believe but it's true!)

So?
Let's see what the DWR posts for Deer Numbers this year and see if they come up with less Deer or are they gonna lie to us again & some more?



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