ID Residents, did the new NR tag quotas make a difference?

[BrianID]

There are two separate problems with Idaho's deer.

#1 - The number of mule deer is lower today than what many of us would like it to be.

#2 - The number of mature bucks as a percentage of the herd is much lower than we want it to be.

Both of these problems need to be addressed separately.

It would be very easy to increase the percentage of mature bucks by limiting hunting opportunities. Regardless of what some residents believe, eliminating all nonresident hunters wouldn't significantly increase the percentage of mature bucks in the herd. Limiting resident hunting opportunity would also have to be done. The F&G has data that proves that time and time again a majority of Idaho hunters are not willing to give up opportunity to have more mature bucks. Until enough hunters push for limited opportunity there will never be as many mature bucks percentage wise in Idaho as other states such as Colorado has. Even if we could double the deer herd there would still be a low percentage of mature mule deer bucks in Idaho. Hunters today put significantly more pressure on mature bucks than they did 60 years ago. Many hunters 60 years ago didn't hunt for antlers and the technology today makes us as hunters so much more effective at killing older bucks than hunters were 60 years ago.

Increasing the number of deer is complicated. Predators (lion, bears and coyotes) have a big impact on the deer herds. Eliminating all the predators would not fix our deer herd problem. Predators do need to be managed. Removal of mountain lion quotas will without a doubt increase mule deer numbers in many areas. Deer killed on roads can hurt some populations but overall isn't one of our biggest problems statewide. It isn't possible to increase the mule deer herd to the same size it was 60 years ago. The problem is the habitat is not the same. Large areas of winter range has been lost forever. We can still improve habitat and protect winter range from further development. Most farmers and ranchers don't have a problem with deer. Farmers and ranchers are not one of the bigger problems Idaho's deer herds face. Elk numbers are suppressed in many areas to appease farmers and ranchers.

Poaching is much more difficult to get away with than it was 20 years ago and much more difficult than 60 years ago. Poaching is a bigger problem than many hunters realize. It mostly impacts the mature bucks that we have so few of.

 

[Weiserbucks]

Poaching is much more difficult to get away with than it was 20 years ago and much more difficult than 60 years ago. Poaching is a bigger problem than many hunters realize. It mostly impacts the mature bucks that we have so few of.

I honestly don't know how F&G ever catches any poachers. 99% of the time they're either sitting along the highway at a check station or checking fishing licenses at the community pond.

 

[hawkbill]

N Corey you can go on and on about all the problems, the bottom line several years ago they put out surveys to the public the people of Idaho had two choices to hunt every year or to have waiting periods after being successful in the draw. So the greedy have to kill a deer every year they can’t wait and then there are the guys who go buy a leftover tag and shoot another Deer and blast it all over face book like there some ultra cool hunter. Two years ago they paid one farmer 1,200,000. 00 because he planted 6 pivots in an Elk migration coridor. The only thing the Fish and Game has to do is protect the private land owner, so they protect the farmers. I live next to 3 great trophy units I have watched them turn to **** in 5 short years from to much pressure. I will say it one more time until we get these farmers off the commission it will only get worse. The last meeting I went to the fish and game decided to not let the public speak, so we sat there and listened to Mike Mcdonald give an hour lecture on Corn And Corn Production. I understand your frustrations, It is a real mess and now throw in CWD which they have said they want know public comments.

 

[BrianID]

I honestly don't know how F&G ever catches any poachers. 99% of the time they're either sitting along the highway at a check station or checking fishing licenses at the community pond.

That is the problem, it is way to easy for poachers to get away with it. Even if every officer spent 40 hours a week in the field looking for poachers it wouldn't make it much more difficult for poachers to get away with it. There are just too many square miles for F&G to monitor. Many poachers get caught because family and friends turn them in. Not many poachers are caught by random monitoring in the field.

 

[BrianID]

Two years ago they paid one farmer 1,200,000. 00 because he planted 6 pivots in an Elk migration coridor.

Can you provide proof of this. Was that 1,200,000 in a single year?
I know of a farmer that was provided with all the fencing material to keep elk out of his fields by the F&G and a year later he still had all the fencing material sitting in the same spot the F&G delivered it.
I agree, sportsman shouldn't be paying farmers even $0.01 for elk damaging their crops. The most the F&G should do is provide depredation hunts in areas elk are causing problems. Paid F&G employees and contractors should not be shooting elk in depredation situations. If a farmer doesn't want elk on his property he can invite hunters on his land and/or build a fence to protect his crops.

 

[Weiserbucks]

Can you provide proof of this. Was that 1,200,000 in a single year?

It was all over the news, $1.2 Mil in one damage claim. They interviewed the farmer and he was upset about the $$$ and thought he should get more. Don't worry, he'll be back for his fair share in the future.

 

[N_Corey]

That right there is a good enough reason not to raise fees for any tags in the state. That is absolutely mismanaging money in my opinion.

 

[Weiserbucks]

That right there is a good enough reason not to raise fees for any tags in the state. That is absolutely mismanaging money in my opinion.

Where else are they going to get the money? Remember, it's Idaho Department of Farm and Game we're talking about.

 

[BrianID]

It was all over the news, $1.2 Mil in one damage claim. They interviewed the farmer and he was upset about the $$$ and thought he should get more. Don't worry, he'll be back for his fair share in the future.

I'm sure if I spent more time I could find more information because it should be available to the public.

https://dfm.idaho.gov/publications/exec/budget/fy2020/perf-rpt/natural-resources/fish-and-game_department-of.pdf

page 2 shows how how many cases the F&G compensated farmers/ranchers. There has been a significant trend of increasing the welfare the F&G is handing out.
Hopefully enough hunters become aware and upset by this practice to end any compensation to landowners. They can fence their property if they don't want elk on it.

 

[Weiserbucks]

I'm sure if I spent more time I could find more information because it should be available to the public.

https://dfm.idaho.gov/publications/exec/budget/fy2020/perf-rpt/natural-resources/fish-and-game_department-of.pdf

page 2 shows how how many cases the F&G compensated farmers/ranchers. There has been a significant trend of increasing the welfare the F&G is handing out.
Hopefully enough hunters become aware and upset by this practice to end any compensation to landowners. They can fence their property if they don't want elk on it.

That's exactly the point, F&G=Farm and Game. With Farm first in line for the $$$. The only thing that irks me about the .Gov in Idaho is that everything is ran by Farmers, top to bottom. I have respect for farmers and what they provide to the nation, but they've got their hand to far in the cookie jar. Farming/ranching is the loudest and wealthiest voice in the state and gov Brad Little(rancher) will grease the squeaky wheel every chance he gets.

 

[Horniac]

That is the problem, it is way to easy for poachers to get away with it. Even if every officer spent 40 hours a week in the field looking for poachers it wouldn't make it much more difficult for poachers to get away with it. There are just too many square miles for F&G to monitor. Many poachers get caught because family and friends turn them in. Not many poachers are caught by random monitoring in the field.

…with regards to poachers not being easily being caught, maybe this will make some would be poacher think twice about pulling the trigger;

Father and son charged in death of mother grizzly bear - East Idaho News

ST. ANTHONY — Prosecutors have charged a father and son for allegedly poaching a momma grizzly bear in Fremont County. Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers discovered a dead mother grizzly bear shot several times near Little Warm River in April. Jared and Rex Baum of Ashton are charged with...

www.eastidahonews.com

Horniac

 

[Weiserbucks]

…with regards to poachers not being easily being caught, maybe this will make some would be poacher think twice about pulling the trigger;

Father and son charged in death of mother grizzly bear - East Idaho News

ST. ANTHONY — Prosecutors have charged a father and son for allegedly poaching a momma grizzly bear in Fremont County. Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers discovered a dead mother grizzly bear shot several times near Little Warm River in April. Jared and Rex Baum of Ashton are charged with...

www.eastidahonews.com

Horniac

I'd bet a months pay that F&G wouldn't pursue a deer or elk case like they did in this article.

 

[JPickett]

I'd bet a months pay that F&G wouldn't pursue a deer or elk case like they did in this article.

40 k reward snd had google track down there phones. Yeah, no f’n way they’d do that for the biggest of bucks poached.

All animals are equal, some animals are just more equal then others

 

[Ultimag]

“Changed a ton?” Did you still get “your” tag to hunt “your” unit? After all the crying about the way too modest changes last year, I asked on here if anyone was unable to get a tag…seemed like everyone did. I am not against NR hunting here. Just limit it to once every 4 or 5 years like our neighbors. And yes, all the transplants are having a huge impact. I do see changes for residents coming. Sucks

LIMITING non rssidents to every 3_4 yrs ISNT gonna fix the problem see as you said your neighbors do just that now and guess what??
Their deer herds, are in even worse shape then yours, are montanas really bad because not only our deer our elk herds are suffering to
So no limiting non residents to every 2-3 yrs wont fix the problem but takeing away the second tag to residents, JUST MIGHT

 

[Ultimag]

It won't change anything and im willing to bet it wont stop the ones in the article eithier
Outlaws, don't change what they do, they just change the way they do it

 

[Ultimag]

Improve habitat,
stop development (i. Prime deer habitat)
limit all hunters both resident & non reaidents to 1 tag. & only 1tag Any left over tags get destroyed not issued
Stop blameing it all on wolves, lions, bears
Human preditation, Multiple tags in everyones pockets shooting an already streased resource causes just as much damage as 4 legged predators

 

[Ultimag]

Riddle me this
If as you all claim its over hunting by non residents/to many NR how is it that colorado which gets 3x
As many non resident elk and deer hunters, compared to other states and has otc elk
Has NOT ONLY the LARGEST ELK & DEER HERDS in the united states but the MOST RECORD BOOK ENTRIES, for mule deer then any state.
if it was simply To many NR. hunters, you would think colorados big game
Herds would be the worst in the nation instead of the largest

Colorado has BETTER HABITAT shorter seasons

 

[N_Corey]

2nd tags have such a small effect on deer numbers it isn’t even worth talking about in the overall management plan to recover herd numbers.

 

[JPickett]

2nd tags have such a small effect on deer numbers it isn’t even worth talking about in the overall management plan to recover herd numbers.

Exactly. Hilarious when a guy ( always non resident) cry’s about second tags for residents. What the whole 200 guys that got a second tag this year? Yeah that’s the back breaker there

 

[Blindnonresident]

You clowns still looking for one smoking gun???