Management Idea...what do ya think?

pymulies · Oct 5, 2007

So i've been pondering the pros and cons of elk quality vs quantity. I've been thinking and not saying it's right or wrong but I thought i would put the idea out there and see what everyone on MM thinks.

IDEA:
Limit the number of bull tags in an area with high numbers of elk already established. Then open the cow tags up to a predetermined number to take into account the fewer number of bulls being harvested. If done correctly i think it would restore a good ratio of bulls to cows and still allow for optimum antler growth.

This would still allow the same number of hunters to have the opportunity to harvest an elk while getting a better trophy potential.

So lets hear your thoughts!

ForkWest · Oct 5, 2007

I'm scratching my head on that one...

Isn't what you just described how every state game agency runs units they manage for quality?

ForkWest · Oct 5, 2007

Not trying to be fasicious, just don't quite understand the question.

deserteagle500 · Oct 5, 2007

i get ya. an area can only sustain so may elk. YES, taking out more cows would let the bulls grow bigger, but in reality hunters would like to shoot at some horn....

beat this

ktc · Oct 5, 2007

I am with Forks. What?

If you harvest few bulls and many more cows, does this not give the equal bull to cow ratios? Or worse yet more bulls than cows? Seems Utah already has these issues?

I am not being a smart ass, just do not understand for sure?

deserteagle500 · Oct 5, 2007

I'm going to try to speak for pymulies. i think what he is saying, is taht where he lives, there are many elk but there really aren't very many big mature bulls being harvested. the herd has a poor bull to cow ratio and he wants to know if issuing less bull tags and an increase in cow tags would produce bigger bulls?

pymulies, is that right?

beat this

slamdunk · Oct 5, 2007

I'm with ya deserteagle, that's what i got out of it too.

Py's from Wyoming, so i'm having to think he's meaning the local hunting up there is his concern.
Utah already uses these tactics on most our LE units and it does work great. We have a good balance and HUGE bulls.
Now just go to lobbying py, and get 'er done!

Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"

huntn30inchers · Oct 5, 2007

Isn?t that a less extreme version of what they did on the Fish Lake in 2002 or 2003? Where they gave everyone with a bull tag a cow tag and they shot out all of the cows? I don't think that the act of killing more cows necessarily allows each individual bull to grow bigger but more that fewer cows increases competition between bulls for mating rights, which means that the bigger more dominant bulls are breeding most of the cows. I saw this in 2004 on the Fish Lake on a spike hunt, even the huge bulls that I saw up there were only running a few cows, I don't think that I saw any bull with more than 7 or 8 cows. (And zero spikes)

bobcatbess · Oct 5, 2007

py!!!

IF YOU'RE GONNA WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING!!!

WORRY ABOUT A QUALITY DEER HERD IN UTAH!!!

DON'T ###K WITH SOMETHING THAT AIN'T BROKE!!!

I FIGURED I'D BETTER SPLAIN IT TO YOU!!!

NOT EVERY TARD IN THE STATE CAN HUNT TROPHY BIG STINKY'S EVERY YEAR NO MATTER WHAT THE MANAGEMENT IS!!!

EVEN THOUGH wiley WANTS TO HE CAN'T!!!

SURE WE COULD OPEN THE WHOLE STATE UP TO PISSCUTTER KILLERS & WIPE EVERYTHING OUT IN ONE FRICKEN YEAR!!!

BUT WE AIN'T GOING TO!!!

THE ONLY bobcat THAT KNOWS ALOT OF YOU HAVE HAD THIS IMAGE IN YOUR PEA BRAIN BUT DUE TO POOR SHOOTING TACTICS I'M STILL KICKIN!!!

slamdunk · Oct 6, 2007

30incher-
I beleive their objective by killing out all those cows like they do on occasion, is to "downsize" a heard so it free's up more feed.
This in turn makes for better chewing, which in turn makes bigger antlers.

Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"