DWR keeps taking away that gray area

[hossblur]

Bait, cams, sheds, now this. Same guys that ***** about "freedom" and "gov overreach", are the same dudes dropping apples by accident, walking their dogs in 3ft of snow, and shooting trumps "cause they ain't illegal".

Keep playing stupid games, then pretend there's overreach.

DWR recommends prohibiting trumpeter swan hunting, proposes changes to upland game and turkey hunting

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is recommending a few changes to upland game hunting and waterfowl hunting — including making it illegal to harvest trumpeter swans — as well as changes to a few other items. The DWR is seeking the public's feedback on the proposals online and at the...

wildlife.utah.gov

 

[elkassassin]

Well hossy!

How Long Do You Wanna Legally Keep Shooting Illegal Birds?

 

[scopenstalk]

It weren’t illegal Bess, it was frowned upon. And really stupid. Not illegal. The guys targeting them and bragging are getting what they asked for.

 

[elkassassin]

But Once Again:

Who Pays?

It weren’t illegal Bess, it was frowned upon. And really stupid. Not illegal. The guys targeting them and bragging are getting what they asked for.

 

[elkassassin]

How Many You Got Under your Belt hossy by accident?

 

[elkassassin]

Oh My GOOD GAWD!

A CLOSURE Coming Your Way!

Why Utah wildlife officials seeking to drop trumpeter swan hunting

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is recommending an end to hunting trumpeter swans as the swan hunting season has ended prematurely the last four years.

www.ksl.com

 

[scopenstalk]

But Once Again:

Who Pays?

Rhetorical question. But I don’t disagree

 

[Silentstalker]

It wasn’t illegal. Never was. There was a quota. You guys are as bad as the animal rights activists.

Celebrating shutting down a hunt opportunity that isn’t even impacting the trump population. If I’m not mistaken you can legally hunt them in Montana, Nevada, and up until possibly this year, Utah.

 

[elkantlers]

The Trumpeter population is increasing every year. They are not endangered.
There are more Trumpeter Swans that come through Utah than Utah has Elk. Killing 20 is not hurting the population one bit.

I submitted a comment that said I was against making shooting Trumpeter Swans illegal and would rather see a harsher penalty such as a 10 year Swan hunting ban if someone shoots one.

This should address those that target Trumpeter Swans by putting some real consequences in place as well as allowing someone that shoots one accidentally to keep the swan.

 

[hossblur]

How Many You Got Under your Belt hossy by accident?

None. Not a single one. And I hunt Harold Crane, and have done so since 1991

This was the ultimate of the gray area exploiters.

It is possible to make an honest mistake and shoot a trump, absolutely.

So, understanding that the DWR, while not wanting to punish honest mistakes didn't put penalties on it, they by no means were setting g up a quasi trump season.

But, as is the case in tardland, a small group, of the same type mentality guys, decided in fact, it was a limited quota season.

They got so brazen, they were all over social media and a couple forums, bragging about it, complete with pics.

I liked the idea of 2 swan units. Harold Crane north, Rainbow unit south. Let the Trump hunters run up to PSG, gun down 10 trumps in a week, shutdown that unit, while the rest of us enjoy a swan season.

But, as a dad with 2 hunting boys, who live in tardland, I actually like this new plan much better. It reinforces SPORTSMANSHIP, while not endorsing exploitation.

The real question, how much longer until tards learn the DWR actually reads forums and watches social media?

Dudes shooting themselves in the foot, is actually pretty funny

 

[hossblur]

But Once Again:

Who Pays?

I paid last season. Deer hunt ended end of October, pheasant hunt follows.

The season closed just as the swans started coming out of PSG, and Bear River into Rainbow, Ogden, Harold's.

I paid, I lost a month of swan hunting to these fools. Both my boys paid last year, same reason.

 

[Bux n Dux]

I’ve seen several killed over my decoys through the years. 2 by me, 1 was a friend. I shot one on accident, didn’t know what it was until I picked it up. Came in silent, alone. No noise or anything to compare its size to. My 2nd one, I did know what it was when I pulled the trigger. But that was back when only 1 or 2 were getting shot a year. Both were killed at Farmington bay, week of thanksgiving. The one my friend shot, again, came in silent, solo. Looked like a big white bird, which is what we were after, so he shot it. That one was killed at Harold Crane.

I don’t feel sorry for the guys who still had tags in their pockets when the season closed. We all knew a closure was likely given the history of the last few years. We all had the same season length and time to go hunt them. If someone put it off, “hoping” to hunt them later, that was your decision and a risk that you knowingly took. We all have work, family and other obligations. If you couldn’t find the time to go before it closed, that’s on you. Not the guys who killed birds that they were legally allowed to kill. I ate a tag in ‘21. I simply didn’t have the time to go until it was closed. Oh well. It’s not a OIL hunt. You can go again in a couple years. It’s not the end of the world.

I do know trumpeter numbers are increasing every year and that part of the reason we are seeing more killed every year. To me, that’s something to be celebrated. Not something we should penalize people for. Hunters are a HUGE reason the numbers have increased. Yet we are the ones getting the black eye for a few more being harvested annually than what was ‘normal’ 20 years ago. If their population was such a concern, no way would the feds have increased the quota from 10 to 20 and no way would they authorize 750 more tags to be given out on top of the 2k that they were already giving out in prior seasons.

There’s times you can definitely tell what it is, and there’s times when you can’t. I don’t know what the right answer is, but I certainly don’t believe it’s right to make criminals out of people who have pure intentions and just want to go swan hunting. I predict you’re still going to have 10+ trumps shot every season, even if they aren’t legally anymore. You just won’t ever hear about it because they will be planted in the ecosystem for future generations of swans to benefit from. I don’t know too many guys that will willingly call themselves in for a minimum of a class B over a migratory bird that can and will result in fines and loss of hunting rights. And it could get worse from there! As a wise ex fish cop once told me “it’s better for you to get out of there and try not getting caught, than it is to ‘do the right thing’ and call to turn yourself in.” I’m not saying it’s right. I’m saying there’s going to be a few “couldn’t find it” scenarios moving forward each year. Which is too bad all the way around. For the hunters, for the birds, for the bird lovers and for the fish and game who have to deal with this now.