elks96
Long Time Member
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So I along with several others have spent the last several years working with the CPW.During that time All we have heard about is the dire situation for Mule Deer numbers in the state and how they need more money. While I personally like many of the employees, they are morons.
In the Northwest section of the state from I-70 north they are reporting higher than normal winter kills. In the northern most units, from the White River North, the regional director said that this winter wiped out an entire generation of deer. Citing that final numbers will be 30% or more higher than "normal" winter kills.
So through all of this they have created a Mule Deer Strategy, spent countless hours in meetings etc. Had many hunters and outfitters sit around and discus the issue and all in all acted as if they were going to make some significant efforts to really improve the herds and mule deer hunting in the state.
Today I had a chance to look at many of the numbers proposed for deer and also some elk. Of course in nearly every single hunt code in the NW we have increased tag numbers for the up coming season. As an example I will use Unit 22...
Here are the changes:
Archery Stayed the same.... Muzzy Stayed the same... Doe tag Stayed the same...
Rifle deer 2nd Season increased from 275 to 300 9% increase
Rifle deer 3rd Season increased from 250 to 275 10% increase
Rifle Deer 4th Season increased from 10 to 15 50% increase
Increase of 55 tags which is just over 10% total increase.
Other Units see similar increases....
Unit 11 and 211 total increase of 130 tags for rifle seasons
Unit 3/301 a total increase of 105 tags for rifle seasons
Units 4 80 tag increase....
Virtually all units are seeing the same 50% jump in 4th season tags when the bucks are the most vulnerable especially given the late start dates this fall.
As a brief history lesson. In 2008 and 2009 they did the same crap in these units. The hunting those next 2 years were horrible. After 2 years of everyone complaining and horrible buck age class they finally cut some tags back, but we are no where near recovered.
Most of the units listed in my rant here are considered more that 10% below the population objective they have set.
What sense does it make to increase tag allocations if we are considered significantly below the herd populations?
In the Northwest section of the state from I-70 north they are reporting higher than normal winter kills. In the northern most units, from the White River North, the regional director said that this winter wiped out an entire generation of deer. Citing that final numbers will be 30% or more higher than "normal" winter kills.
So through all of this they have created a Mule Deer Strategy, spent countless hours in meetings etc. Had many hunters and outfitters sit around and discus the issue and all in all acted as if they were going to make some significant efforts to really improve the herds and mule deer hunting in the state.
Today I had a chance to look at many of the numbers proposed for deer and also some elk. Of course in nearly every single hunt code in the NW we have increased tag numbers for the up coming season. As an example I will use Unit 22...
Here are the changes:
Archery Stayed the same.... Muzzy Stayed the same... Doe tag Stayed the same...
Rifle deer 2nd Season increased from 275 to 300 9% increase
Rifle deer 3rd Season increased from 250 to 275 10% increase
Rifle Deer 4th Season increased from 10 to 15 50% increase
Increase of 55 tags which is just over 10% total increase.
Other Units see similar increases....
Unit 11 and 211 total increase of 130 tags for rifle seasons
Unit 3/301 a total increase of 105 tags for rifle seasons
Units 4 80 tag increase....
Virtually all units are seeing the same 50% jump in 4th season tags when the bucks are the most vulnerable especially given the late start dates this fall.
As a brief history lesson. In 2008 and 2009 they did the same crap in these units. The hunting those next 2 years were horrible. After 2 years of everyone complaining and horrible buck age class they finally cut some tags back, but we are no where near recovered.
Most of the units listed in my rant here are considered more that 10% below the population objective they have set.
What sense does it make to increase tag allocations if we are considered significantly below the herd populations?