Solution for decline of deer herds

[pumaguy]

This may sound off the wall, but hear it through, let it absorb and just maybe you'll agree. Utah's decline of deer herds went closely with the outlawing of poisons and spotlighting of coyotes from within a vehicle. I'd propose this to entice hunters to harvest coyotes like never before. The DWR is not in charge of managing coyotes, being they are not a protected species. The DWR does have the ability however to make coyote hunters grow. Enact a policy that for every twenty coyotes a hunter harvests an additional bonus point would be added to the big game species draw of their choice. The DWR could have hunters bring sets of ears in and redeem them for the bonus point. Twenty dead coyotes would make up for one deer in my un-humble opinion. I may be off the wall with this idea, but if you figure the giving of only one bonus point to 100 different applicants would result in a decline of coyotes by 2000 animals you may see where I'm going with this. Let the opinions rip!

 

[Rizzy]

I like the idea, but how will the DWR know the coyotes are harvested from Utah.

 

[couesbitten]

We have something here in WA that is similar to this in regards to salmon. You register, and then any Squawfish, (a known salmon smolt predator), that you catch, above 9" are turned in to a check station and the state pays you $4 per fish. Some guys are making better than $20,000 per year under this program.

So yes, Utah, or any state, ought to be able to come up with a program such as this in regards to deer and coyotes if they really wanted to see something done.

Grouse

 

[RiverPig]

Sounds great to me, but "dem darn doggies ar a hole lot smarter than me. I dunno if'n i could bag twenty of those trickster"s in a yaer!"

RiverPig (oink,oink)

 

[bobcatbess]

couesbitten

I WORKED ON A JOB NEAR REPUBLIC AROUND 91 CLOSE TO THE CANADIAN BORDER!!!

I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT DAMN MANY SQUAW FISH IN MY LIFE!!!

SO MANY THAT YOU COULDN'T HARDLY CATCH ANYTHING ELSE!!!

ON A CALM CLEAR DAY I COULD SEE BROWN TROUT 15-20 LBER'S WITH THOUSANDS OF SQUAW FISH JUST SWORMING,ALL THEY HAD TO DO TO EAT WAS JUST OPEN AND CLOSE THEIR MOUTH ONCE IN A WHILE!!!

IF THE LOCALS SEEN YOU CATCH A SQUAW FISH THEY WANTED TO SEE YOU PUT A GASH IN IT'S SIDE AND THROW IT 25 YARDS UP ON THE BANK!!!

DOWN HERE WHERE I LIVE CAN YOU BELIEVE THE SQUAW FISH IS FLAT PROTECTED???IF YOU HOOK ONE HERE YOU GIVE IT CPR AND SEND HIM BACK INTO THE WATER,CAN YOU BELIEVE UTAH IS PROTECTING THEM???(NO OFFENSE,BUT IT'S LIKE PROTECTING COYOTES!!!)

IF YOU'RE USING NIGHT CRAWLERS IN WASHINGTON,THE SECOND THEY HIT THE WATER I'LL GUARANTEE YOU 99% OF THE TIME IT WILL BE A SQUAW FISH!!!

IF I NEVER CATCH ANOTHER ONE THAT WILL BE O.K.!!!

THE ONLY bobcat WONDERING WHY SQUAWFISH ARE PROTECTED IN ONE STATE AND TRASH FISH IN ANOTHER???

 

[ColoradoOak]

Hey Bobcatbess, I think I can answer your question. There's actually more than one species of squawfish. The one up north that has the bounty on it is the Northern Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis, formerly known as Northern Squawfish). The one down south, in UT, AZ, and CO is the Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius, formerly known as the Colorado Squawfish). The northern species is out of control and has a pretty serious affect on salmon smolt. The southern species is fairly rare. They look somewhat similar, but they're as different as whitetails and muleys.

Sorry, this has nothing to do with the original post...

Oak

 

[deerhuntr4885]

Yeah, 20 sounds like too many for me too. I can't SEE 20 in a year let alone kill em.

Mike Henne

 

[hedges]

Most counties in Utah already have a bounty on coyotes ears. I get $30 for each ear down south.

Plus they do have the use of one poison to control coyotes. A couple area's around Cedar has been poisoned. Many farmers and ranchers are given this with our tax dollars. I know many places have a big problem with yotes and this will affect the deer numbers. The main problem with using poison is getting the okay from all the different agencies and that means hours of surveys and research. Most of the time USFG will have government trappers shoot coyotes from helicopters. This and poison are the best and most effective way to remove over populated coyotes.

I don't think giving out points will do much to entice hunters to kill coyotes. They are hard to hunt and get smart to calls, traps, scents and baits quick. They would have better luck teaching people how to hunt or trap coyotes then offer bonus points.

 

[ICMDEER]

What about lions??? Coyotes are a problem, but lions can be as much or more trouble than them. I"d like to see more lions taken and longer seasons with higher quotas in many areas, too. We have a coyote bounty in some counties here in southeast Wyoming. There are ususally 500-700 coyotes bountied in the county I know best each year. That's a good start, but it has been going on for years and has not slowed down the coyotes yet. And the bounty is paid by livestock owners through a fee when each head of cattle or sheep is sold.

Anyhow, I'd like to see more lions taken, too.