Yearling-Only Deer Hunt

SureShot · Mar 31, 2022

Listening to the wildlife board discussion on this yearling-only hunt idea, I could get behind a system where 12-17 year-olds (or first-time hunters) could choose for one year only to either get a guaranteed yearling-only tag or they could put in for the regular draw and if they draw, they could shoot any buck.

If the state went this way, I would expect them to do away with the set-aside for youth applicants in the regular draw.

elknr · Mar 31, 2022

I do agree…. For youth hunters.

Founder · Apr 1, 2022

Yearling only?!?! Where is this being proposed?
We shouldn’t be killing yearlings or does at all in my opinion. I’m just curious what unit we have such an over population of yearling bucks that we need to hunt them exclusively.

middlefork · Apr 1, 2022

Discussed here along with a lot of other things.

RAC, Board meeting agendas, materials & minutes

Action items on the agenda are voted on by the RACs and the Board. Wildlife Board meetings usually occur a few weeks after the Northern, Central, Northeastern, Southeastern and Southern RAC meetings.

wildlife.utah.gov

quest · Apr 1, 2022

That doesn’t sound good

elkassassin · Apr 1, 2022

Don't Tell Founder Where You Seen it!

I'm Perty Sure He's Gonna Apply!

!

BrowningRage · Apr 2, 2022

I guess I'd be okay with it, if all other tags in the unit had some antler restrictions the other way... like 3-point-or-better or 4-point-or-better... I don't see how targeting the youngest bucks is beneficial. I don't know anybody that touts the spike-only elk hunts as beneficial to elk herds... Isn't this like that.?

middlefork · Apr 2, 2022

If you watch the work session video section that pertains to this discussion and why it is being discussed it may be enlightening or not. That particular discussion also briefly hits on the elk problem.

This is not a proposal or a direction by the board. It was merely an item on the meeting agenda being discussed.

Tikka · Apr 3, 2022

Founder said:
Yearling only?!?! Where is this being proposed?
We shouldn’t be killing yearlings or does at all in my opinion. I’m just curious what unit we have such an over population of yearling bucks that we need to hunt them exclusively.

They’re hunted exclusively in every unit every year… “I got to get that organic backstrap pic for IG”

Vanilla · Apr 3, 2022

BrowningRage said:
I don't know anybody that touts the spike-only elk hunts as beneficial to elk herds...

Lots of people do, actually. I’m not a biologist, but the research and information gathering I’ve done on the topic leads me to believe that in Utah, it helps our elk herds. It may not help people see more 400 inch bulls, but herd health isn’t measured in inches. Excess males on the landscape is not healthy for the elk herd. Spike hunts are a way to help control that.

Did you see the bull:cow ratio estimate after flying the Beaver recently? Tell me how a 1:1 ratio is healthy for a herd.

For the record, I am not of the same belief for deer on this as I think there are very few units where we have excess bucks on the landscape, whereas most of our LE elk units have excess bulls. But for units where that is the case, a yearling hunt might be very beneficial to the herd.

elkassassin · Apr 3, 2022

JUDAS Niller!

You Ever Heard Of Over Hunting The Cows?

Vanilla said:
Lots of people do, actually. I’m not a biologist, but the research and information gathering I’ve done on the topic leads me to believe that in Utah, it helps our elk herds. It may not help people see more 400 inch bulls, but herd health isn’t measured in inches. Excess males on the landscape is not healthy for the elk herd. Spike hunts are a way to help control that.

Did you see the bull:cow ratio estimate after flying the Beaver recently? Tell me how a 1:1 ratio is healthy for a herd.

For the record, I am not of the same belief for deer on this as I think there are very few units where we have excess bucks on the landscape, whereas most of our LE elk units have excess bulls. But for units where that is the case, a yearling hunt might be very beneficial to the herd.

Vanilla · Apr 3, 2022

elkassassin said:
JUDAS Niller!

You Ever Heard Of Over Hunting The Cows?

Yep, but we’re not talking about hunting cows right now. We’re talking about hunting bulls. And to correct myself, we’re talking about hunting deer in this thread…

BillyBoB · Apr 3, 2022

Linda shared MULTIPLE SLIDES of youth opportunities in Utah. If your youth isn’t hunting because they didn’t get a tag, it’s the parents fault. Plain and simple