Extended Archery?

[deadibob]

There's no mention of any extended archery hunts in the proclamation this year. Did they do away with them or just forget to add it to the guidebook?

 

[dillon]

They are doing two books this year, so it will probably be in the one they put out with rules and regs in May.

 

[swbuckmaster]

SFW and the wildlife board are trying to get rid of it. Mark my words... They will find away to screw it up come 2012

Its a thorn in their back and proves you can have quality with over the counter tags, no winter range, high predators, ect...

The harder you work the luckier you get!!

 

[dryflyelk]

If sure hope they don't mess with the best hunt in utah. Seriously, how many of us spend countless hours, and dollars, hunting that unit? Many. We buy gas, snacks, tags, archery supplies, etc, etc, and we usually only shoot mature deer. It is a huge success story in my book. Every year trophy deer come off of the front. If you're willing to put down some boot leather and some sweat, you can get into them.

If SFW decides to fiddle with a good thing, I'll be beyond pissed. Those of us who care need to keep a close on on this thing.

 

[Hawkeye]

Swbuckmaster has it exactly right. The Wasatch Extended is the one unit where SFW and the other "conservation" organizations have not been able to work their magic and the deer on that Wasatch are actually flourishing in the face of what many would call insourmountable challenges. Numerous automobile fatalities, lots of predators, heavy and extended hunting pressure, little winter range, etc. We see and hunt numerous good bucks every year. Plus, anyone who buys an archery tag can hunt it year after year.

It would be an absolute shame to see the State of Utah and the "conservation" groups mess this up in the name of improving deer hunting in Utah

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

 

[Zeke]

You've all solved the deer decline problem. We should implement the following in all our units.

1-over-hunt the deer
2-kill a bunch with cars
3-have a predator problem
4-have little or no winter range
5-etc.

We all agree it's good for a few trophies every year.

My question would be WHY is it such a good hunt?
What is it about the unit that makes it good?
Archery?
Limited harvest?

Zeke

 

[deadibob]

Dillon I had already thought about the 2 book deal but this book is supposed to have all the dates for planning applications. I think it was either oversight or they are quietly eliminating these hunts. The archery hunt on the south-slope ends sep. 4th this year and that was previously an extended hunt.

 

[theox]

i hunted the front for the first time 2010 i had a blast. i wasnt able to arrow one but i had a few close calls. i must say i am hooked. i hope it doesnt change and anyone witha archery tag in 2012 will be allowed to hunt it still. i dont see a reason to change that. i plan to hunt itr in 2011 if i dont tag out down south, it may be my last opportunity if they change it and i wanna make the best of it.

 

[zrider2]

I'm on board. They mess with the Front, and heads will roll!!!

Athens Archery Field Staff
Wicked1 Bowstring Staff

 

[Ticks N Tines]

>My question would be WHY is
>it such a good hunt?
>
>What is it about the unit
>that makes it good?
>Archery?
>Limited harvest?
>
>Zeke

I get to hunt bucks in my backyard during the rut, that's why it's a good hunt.

 

[Zeke]

Good enough answer for me!

There are enough of us who live and hunt there that I would be SHOCKED if the change it.

Good luck to us all with the new regulations and all. Interesting times for sure.

Zeke

 

[wstrntines]

I sure hope they still do it ive had some good times huntin the front and hate to see it go. Why does SFW even care it doesnt directly affect them not all of us are high dollar denny austad type guys regular joes that cant hunt the henries year after year. So why should we be cheated out of that calliber of bucks.

 

[Zeke]

The SFW has no "dog in this fight". The decision on the Front will be a UDOW issue not a SFW issue. The confusion has been propagated by those with an "axe to grind" with the SFW.

Zeke

 

[swbuckmaster]

BS Zeke!!

The harder you work the luckier you get!!

 

[30plus]

SFW is not going to do anything with the wasatch archery area. There are way to many of us that enjoy that unit as much as anyone else. SW where do you come up with this crap?

 

[Zeke]

>BS Zeke!!
>
>

>
>The harder you work the luckier
>you get!!




Like I said......

Love, Zeke

 

[swbuckmaster]

30 plus do you have your head in the sand?

One thing for sure is my track record speaks for its self when dealing with archery related issues in Utah.

Ill I can say is if you like to hunt the front you better be there when the crap hits the fan because it is going to get messy.

The harder you work the luckier you get!!

 

[dillon]

I am pretty sure the board voted to do away with the Extended Hunt in the December meeting. But they never said in 2011 or 2012 that I can recall. I thought they meant in 2012 because they were discussing hunt changes for 2012, but maybe they meant 2011. They did vote to do away with it however and it did pass like 4-2.

 

[Ticks N Tines]

If the Extended archery is done away with, there will be several SFW and DWR employees with wacems and FMJs in thier hind quarters. I won't put up with that crap!!

 

[predator]

Aren't the minutes posted somewhere, they are public meetings, so I believe they have to publish minutes.

That's annoying to hear, but I am not surprised. The number of complaints on the Front has been going through the roof. We are not doing a good job of policing our own (ok, I guess I shouldn't call any of the idiots I've seen US).

Pred

 

[c3]

I don't believe the board voted to eliminate the Extended hunts. They only voted to eliminate the Statewide archery in 2012 as far as I can remember with my "oldmanitis"

That's not to say they won't work things out differently this year and definitely in 2012.

Archery and expanded archery opportunity is the one thing that stands in the way of increasing value for conservation permit accross the board. A hunt like the Wasatch Front extended unit has ZERO value to the wealth hunter as it stands.

It it were to become a LE unit with the standard 60/25/15 split for weapon types the unit would only support 100 permits a year and would be blown out in 3 years.

Now make it 5 LE any weapon permits, 1 muzzleloader, unlimited archery and you'd see the value of those any weapon permits go through the roof while still affording incredible opportunty.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[hossblur]

>SFW is not going to do
>anything with the wasatch archery
>area. There are way
>to many of us that
>enjoy that unit as much
>as anyone else. SW
>where do you come up
>with this crap?


no one I know who lives out here wants to see our tame deer out on antelope island hunted either, yet somehow there is now a hunt. Yes SFW does have that kind of sway!!!

 

[coondog]

i hope they don't shut it down. love to see dink bucks with arrows sticken out of em on the news. makes hunters look real good.

 

[PleaseDear]

Yo-----'coondog' how the hell ya been doing bud?


The WF should be 100% draw only and divided into atleast 2 maybe 3 seperate draw only units with the 2012 29/34 units LE draw.


I-80 South WF #3

I-80 north to Weber Canyon/I-84/80 WF #2

Weber Canyon I-84/80 North to Sardine Canyon Rt. 39 WF #3

Let's get some control over these WF hunts.

Robb

 

[treedagain]

sounds good to me Robb, might help the draw odds on the rest of LE units

 

[biggameballer]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-30-11 AT 06:28PM (MST)[p]The Extended Archery hunt is the SMARTEST thing the Fish and Game has ever done. I do not imagine them getting rid of it maybee making some changes like making it limited or splitting it into three units or not allowing hunters to hunt within 1 mile of houses. I have hunted it every year for over 10 years and hope they leave it as is.

 

[swbuckmaster]

Robb
I strongly disagree with you on this. This is the same BS that is coming out of SFW. I actually cant believe it is coming from actual archery guys like yourself who hunt it. I have heard it from a few elite archers like Randy Walk but from ordinary guys like you its just plane scary.

I just cant see why anyone with a blue collar budget would want to masticate their hunting opportunity like that. The only thing I can get out of it is guys like you don't know how to get it done or compete with anyone else. Sorry I have to be so blunt with this statement.

The front is an absolute awesome unit where anyone that has an archery tag can hunt it. It has only gotten better in the 10+ years I've hunted it. So id hate to see it changed.

The front was also never created to be a premium Le unit and now that it is people want to screw it up by cutting their opertunity. What a shame!


One

The harder you work the luckier you get!!

 

[PleaseDear]

Sorry Scotty but this is one of the very few topics we see a little differently.

Robb

 

[tacticalbowhunter]

I agree with swbuckmaster 100% Every year i see bigger and bigger bucks. And haveing the wasatch is the only reason I still live in Utah. Growing up I hunted on Timp and over the past 5 years i watched Rifle hunters completley devistate the deer heard. By shooting long range strait up hill and if the buck didnt drop in there tracks they would not make the long steep steep hike up to check for blood. Im worried this will happen up on the steep wasatch MNTs if they change it to an any weapon hunt. Im not saying all rifle hunters do this, but I have personaly seen it happen a couple times each year on opening day up there. I started going up on Timp and watching because of all the bull elk they were finding poached on the opener of the deer hunt. And it went from seeing bachelor groups of 15-16 bucks with 5-6 4 point or better bucks to being lucky to see a three point let alone a bachelor group. The Wasatch is the last place in Utah the deer have a chance to grow. Keep it how it is. Really, what would the benifit for You if they change it? I would like to hear what it would do for you besides if you were lucky enough to draw it to kill a big deer the first year it opened. Like the Vernon unit that was good when it opened but now sucks....

 

[biggameballer]

I Called the Fish and Game and they said that the Extended will be the same in 2011 as it has been in past years, but they were not sure what will happen in 2012.

 

[Prism]

They should leave it as is or give out unlimited archery tags for that area in the draw so guys will have a guaranteed oportunity to hunt somewhere.

 

[slcmuley]

After listening to the WB meeting minutes it seems to me the DWR was instructed by the board to treat all hunters the same regardless of weapon choice.

Having listened to this, it is my opinion this is what will happen:

- statewide archery gone
- archers must apply for their unit the same as all hunters
- the WF will become a unit

These are the uncertanties in the upcoming changes

- will the WF remain an extended area?
- will the WF be split into smaller units or remain the same size
- if all hunters are to be treated the same will other weapon types be able to hunt the whole unit?

I can say the DWR has utilized archers as a huge tool to keep this herd in balance. The DWR would have a lot of critter control to tend to if hunters did not keep the herd size down.

 

[Prism]

I guess I don't understand why they can't leave it as is. If a guy draws one of the new "general" units what's the difference vs drawing one of the 5 "general" units we have now?

The wasatch extended is already one of the most micromanaged units in the state. And in my opinion shows that micromanagement can work- Even without a lot of smoke and mirrors, winter habitat, predator control, etc... It proves if hunters (hunter success rates) are managed, we can have great hunting opportunity-even in marginal habitat areas.

Next best scenario if it becomes a draw is to give unlimited draw tags. That'd give guys a guaranteed opportunity to get a tag each year and generate some revenue for the dwr from potential tag cuts in other areas.

 

[PleaseDear]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-03-11 AT 07:18AM (MST)[p]+1 SLC

Sorry Paul but I see the WF as the most undermanaged area in the state.

At any given time there could be 16,000+ bow hunters on it hunting deer or elk or BOTH---- (in theory).

There already are tons of muzzy and rifle hunters (Northern Region tags) on much of the current WF and only a very small part of the WF that is restricted to bow only by species only. (deer/elk).

Can not moose and Mnt. Goat hunters use Any Legal Weapon in those OIL units overlap of the WF bow only area.........

Having Unlimited tags is what we basically have now.

We have been in the game/go back for way to many years Paul and hunted boo-coo states but I just see this WF issue/topic/unit differently------sorry.

Robb

 

[Prism]

I need to clarify I'm talking about the arcery only portion. I80 south.

 

[Dr_Hunter]

It will always be an archery unit. The SFW has swayed some pretty stupid issues but I don't foresee them being able to take this away from us. The extended archery is the only way that the DWR is able to control the deer herd. Well. . . I take that back. I have heard of them going out and shooting "nuisance deer"- It is always the deer's fault, they are the nuisance. Not the people building on the winter range at 5-6000' wanting the "pretty view" and always trying to out do their neighbor- but that is another story.

"Half of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb about."

 

[tstewy]

I think every unit should be a le unit like co but it should stay and archrey only unit it would take some stress of alot of unit if they did that.

 

[slcmuley]

I like Prism's theory on having unlimited archery tags on the WF south of I-80. I agree this could make up for some of the lost opportunity and revenue that is about to take place.

This is probably the only area in the state that does not bother me being archery only ( because of its close proximity to a big city ).
I wonder if the WB will look at it this way or if they will look at this as special treatment to archers.

 

[predator]

http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/huntin...o-be-a-member-of-the-utah-wildlife-board.html

Here's your chance to put the complaints to rest and become the only part of the process that matters!

Pred