LAST EDITED ON May-10-16 AT 02:47AM (MST)[p]>>Vanilla, since you basically try to
>>portray me as an ignorant
>>know it all, I would
>>really love for you to
>>come clean and say if
>>you have even been on
>>the unit or if you
>>really do spend 300+ days
>>a year on it (
>>which I would bet good
>>money you don't ).
>>
>>Elkfromabove, I have numerous reasons why
>>I don't like the large
>>tag increase:
>>
>>1. I have lived on the
>>unit my whole life and
>> as I stated previously,
>>I spend every spare day
>>I get away from work
>>and family life on the
>>unit scouting deer. Not just
>>driving around the area, actually
>>hiking. Plain and simple, I
>>don't see the numbers to
>>support such a drastic increase.
>>
>>
>>2. During the time frame the
>>new tag increase proposals were
>>going through, we were still
>>getting pounded with snow. Nothing
>>too serious but I believe
>>it could've been enough weather
>>to finish off any deer
>>that were barely making it
>>through the season.
>>
>>3. The new muzzleloader optics law.
>>None of us know yet
>>if this will have an
>>impact on harvest success but
>>I don't see how it
>>won't. It will definitely help
>>me to now be confident
>>and very effective to 200+
>>yards ( ethically). I'm all
>>for long range shooting but
>>wish the magnification limit would
>>have been set at 4x
>>so we can see what
>>we're shooting at but
>>not think we have rifle
>>capabilities. I worry now
>>that people will be shooting
>>much further than they have
>>any business shooting a muzzy
>>with poor terminal velocity.
>>
>>4. Will the tag numbers ever
>>be decreased now if need
>>be? Wish I could say
>>I trust Utah to do
>>that but I don't. Will
>>the local biologist ever come
>>up with numbers to ever
>>support a decrease? I highly
>>doubt it.
>>
>>I just don't understand why you
>>wouldn't do a small increase
>>the first year and then
>>see how it looks and
>>do another small increase the
>>next year if need be
>>and so on. If not
>>immediately, I believe this large
>>increase in tags is definitely
>>going to have a huge
>>affect on the deer hunt
>>quality within 3 years.
>
>1. Since the unit includes two
>major mountain ranges and several
>smaller "hills", what areas do
>you scout? (or have scouted?)
>Other than just randomly walking
>around, how do you scout?
>What is your purpose for
>"scouting"? Do you keep a
>log?
>
>2. We get pounded by snow
>during the classifications every year
>and "winter" kill doesn't usually
>happen until March/April anyway when
>the deer have lost most
>of their fat, so why
>would it be an issue
>now?
>
>3. The new muzzy/scope law was
>proposed to help prevent the
>lose of wounded deer. If
>there are hunters who will
>ethically abuse the change by
>taking shots longer than they
>should, it will be those
>who were already taking shots
>longer than they should. In
>any case, the change won't
>significantly increase the kill rate.
>And, after all, we're still
>talking about killing bucks which
>won't effect the population enough
>to notice.
>
>4. Where/how did you come to
>the personal conclusion that the
>DWR will not likely reduce
>tags when biologically needed? Do
>you have stats to back
>it up or do you
>think an unverifiable personal view
>is enough to determine how
>the majority of Utah deer
>hunters are allowed to hunt?
>
>
>You are correct that this increase
>will change the General hunts
>on this unit, whether immediately
>or long term, but whether
>that is considered an improvement
>or a detriment depends on
>one's definition of "quality". What's
>yours?
I definitely don't just "randomly" walk around. The majority of the areas I go are where most don't go. As far as your scouting question, why does anyone scout deer? I'm looking for trophy deer. And no I don't keep a log..... Nearly half of the one major mountain is private along with the smaller hills you speak of.
This year we have had more heavy, late snow storms than normal is what I was implying about the possibility of a higher than normal winter kill.
I think you are up in the night if you truly think the muzzy success rate isn't going to change with better optics!
As far as the tag numbers, when have you known this greedy state to cut tags? Ya, once they completely screw up and decimate elk herds etc. they finally cut tags. Hopefully I'm wrong and they'll cut tags if need be next year but I have zero faith in that.
I am definitely a quality over quantity guy. As you can tell, my definition of quality is hunting mature bucks not hunting a population of 1 to 3 year old bucks that are lucky to see maturity due to high hunting pressure. I'll go years without pulling the trigger if it means letting decent and even borderline shooter bucks mature. I'm not in it just for the kill. I love the meat but beef, lamb and pork haven't let me down yet.