I too would like to review.
Winter:
Put in for bucks/bull
Bought Western Expo chances, of course I am not a member of SFW so I didn't draw.
Spring:
Hunted turkeys but in my draw area the snow was very late in leaving which meant no dead turkey at my house.
Didn't draw anything in bucks/bull drawing
Listened to the dog and pony show that was the Don Peay meeting about SFW accountability. STILL WAITING
Summer:
Did a little fishing, of course this is Utah so the fishing at best was poor.
Started to hear about selling deer to the highest bidder out on Antelope Island, got involved with this debate but AGAIN, not a memeber of SFW so we all lost in that one.
STILL WAITING for SFW to be accountable.
Drew a swan tag
Fall:
Hunted some birds(dove, grouse)
Hunted deer, muzzleloader, didn't kill. Actually saw a few deer, although not a quarter of what we saw just ten years ago.
Hunted elk. Family killed two, so all in all a good year.
Waterfowl. The only hunting in this state that I would rate as good to great, however this year with the weather it was a shaky year.
Killed a swan, had my 5 yr. old with me, this was the highlight of the year by far and away.
Didn't draw the sportsmans tag
Still WAITING FOR SFW.
Winter:
Finished up waterfowl. Average to below average year.
Ice fishing has been slow in coming due to damn Al Gore and his global warming.
Waiting for bucks/bull application period
Western expo coming up
STILL WAITING FOR SFW
Summary:
My 5yr old was laying right next to me when I pounded a swan, the swan hunting, especially at Howard Slough was FANTASTIC. I am really happy to have the oppurtunity. This was the years highlight for me.
All the other non big game seasons were pretty average for Utah, which in comparison to other western states means poor.
Big game hunting in Utah has become a laughing stock. Purchasing a res. elk, or deer tag is basically just buying a camping permit. By the time my 5yr. old is ready to hunt Utah will be a rich man hunting state, where in public hunting will be severly diminished.
SFW. Still waiting for accountability. Oh yeah, and there are wolves in Utah so I guess for all his talk, Don Peay FAILED.
In short, if you hunt in Utah you do so mostly for the experience of family and outdoors. Short of LE/CWMU there isn't much to talk about. Too bad, we are surrounded by some good to great states, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado to name a few. And we have a special interest, lobbying group for the super wealthy(SFW) which helps to undermine us at every turn. All in all it was an average year.
