LAST EDITED ON Dec-22-10 AT 08:20AM (MST)[p]
I will chime in here a bit just for FYI purposes.
For those of you (TRAVIS et al) who feel so strongly about making cuts to the CWMU program here are a few things to consider.
1--first CWMUs are 90/10 split for elk and deer (bucks and bulls) and a 60/40 split for moose and pronghorn. IF there are public lands (landlocked lands or lands for boundary purposes) the split will be greater to the public based on the proportion/percentage of public lands included. I would hope that satisfies you guys who feel the split should be greater, it is if they have public lands. Park Valley Herford is a great one to look at, look at their on line management plan.
2--Our surveys have shown that if the rules were chanced to the split for more tags to the public most of the CWMUs would drop out of the program. And once again wildlife would be a liability not an asset to most landowners and likely we would see more 40 acre cabin lots, depredation calls to the UDWR would increase significantly and we would kill a bunch more does. I would hope that everyone realizes that these guys don't have to put their property in a CWMU, they could just get landowner tags and close it off completely to the public.
3--I have asked this question before and never received a good answer so i will ask it again. Before I do, I will completely agree that some CWMUs ought to take a cut in tags I have said it before some ought to be out of the program entirely, however, if a CWMU has a higher buck to doe ratio than surrounding public lands (based on actual counts and classifications), if the CWMU has a higher density of deer per area (based on counts)than that of adjacent public lands, if on average the CWMU is harvesting 3+ year or older deer (on average), if hunter satisfaction indexes are higher than on limited entry units why would you want to cut their tags and essentially force them out of the program or force them to shut their doors completely to the public?
4--know that all CWMUS have a 3 year signed contract right now which most run through 2011 (this hunting season). Also know that most will be looking what they can do to reduce their permit numbers but also know that this will reduce public hunter even further. For example i know one CWMU that gets 18 deer tags and 2 to the public. They use 6 for themselves or clients and burn the other 12, I already know they are going to reduce their 18 by half 9, leaving one to the public. So there you go, voluntary reduction of tags and one less public hunter.
Consider that....Hope that makes you feel better Travis et al.
Once again, I welcome any emails or phone calls if you would like to discuss and debate it further.
Thanks and Merry Christmas
Todd Black
BTO