Lets try this Deer plan

[hogg_65]

All deer hunters in utah put in for a drawing of a random number, split the numbers into 2 groups, ODD and EVEN numbers. Whatever number you draw is yours for 2 years and then repeat the drawing process. Those that dont put in for the draw wont hunt untill the next draw. Youth may hunt every year age 12-18 no matter what. This cuts hunter numbers in half. DWR can open back up the rifle hunt back up to 9 days and keep the archery state wide with the muzz the same as it is now. Doe hunts can still continue as a herd management tool, and that will also be more opportunity for hunters. Most all people will hunt every other year and hunting would be great in a few years. What do you guys think of this option?

 

[justr_86]

No.

 

[Aaron84]

Sorry but no as well from me.

 

[grizzly]

Fine with me, though I would rather go Colorado-style with all-LE in micro-units. Some units would still guarantee a tag every year, you could hunt others every other year and so-forth. Basically a supply-demand system would give hunters the ultimate choice and stop the point creep in all units except the very top-end.

With your plan, I would raise resident deer tag fees to $70 so DWR still gets the $$$ they need. Still pretty cheap, especially if the hunting is significantly better. I would rather pay $70 for a good tag than $35 for a permit to wear orange and hike through a pumpkin patch.

Grizzly

 

[littlejoe]

No to Hogg65, absolutely to grizzly. Colorado is doing something right. Look at the big bucks that are killed there year after year after year and they have a significant amount of elk as well.

 

[spotit1st]

No for me also not being ignorant but are you from the Basin?

 

[dillon]

I vote no as well. As a bow hunter I half expect to hunt every year.

 

[Founder]

No way! I want to hunt every year, not every other year. And, you can't compare Utah to Colorado. Colorado has the same number of deer hunters and 2-1/2+ times the number of deer. They have far more deer because they have far more habitat that can support deer....and elk. Half of Utah is a salt covered desert!

And, take a look at how tough it's getting to get tags in Colorado. Every year, more and more people go without deer tags. Why? Because the deer quality improved and hunters come out of the woodwork wanting a piece of the action. No different with Utah elk. Do you think all those people who apply for elk tags in Utah were interested in elk 20 years ago when it sucked? No way! Hunters come out of the woodwork when quality gets better. There are many thousands of people who have no desire to hunt hard for an animal, but when you make it easy like some elk hunts and deer hunts, then they will want to participate.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com