No Speedgoats on the Plateau!!!

DBLung · Aug 18, 2010

I live only an hour from the Parker mountain and have put in plenty of scouting trips. And from as far south as the barney top to as far north as fish lake there are only about 10 good bucks to shoot. I feel bad for anyone who has a tag this year. The DWR has been hauling Antelope off the parker as fast as possible.

Anyone else feel the same way?

squirtdog · Aug 19, 2010

You must be looking in the wrong areas. I live in Torrey and have seen lots of good bucks. Most the antelope are in the upper elevations.

deadI · Aug 20, 2010

I agree. There are no antelope on the Parker. Don't put in for it youll be wasting your time. Instead just let me hunt it. Is what he is saying.

DeadI/Jared

ELKOHOLIC · Aug 20, 2010

I've been out there too this year. They ruined a good thing. For those who hunted it 4+ years ago know what I mean. I mentioned to my mom to turn her tag in. I'm sure she'll get one but its sure dissapointing.

crimedog · Aug 21, 2010

isn't the plateau kind of the book cliff's of the antelope hunts. Lots of tags, lots of lopes, and only a few monsters?

m1fan · Aug 21, 2010

When I was out that way scouting I did not see many as I expected to see. I will take the entire time to hunt it and if I get one fine. If I don't, it won't cause me to call the suicide hotline. Better than being at work!

ELKOHOLIC · Aug 21, 2010

"isn't the plateau kind of the book cliff's of the antelope hunts. Lots of tags, lots of lopes, and only a few monsters?"

It used to be!

Dr_Hunter · Aug 25, 2010

I have hunted the Plateau for the past two years. My tag two years ago and my friends'tag last year. Last year the hunt was ridiculous (at least where I was). Way too many hunters! Not the quality hunt that it used to be since they combined the early and late season hunts. Granted we still shot decent goats because we put the time in, but it wasn't the enjoyable LE hunt that it should have been.
I later spoke with the Fish and Game at the Expo and they said they "goofed up," were her exact words, and gave out too many tags last year. She said during their fly over they only estimated 1200 antelope and their goal was to keep the herd at 2,000.
If it was me, I would put in for a different unit if you are wanting a 73"+ goat. If you just want to have a good time and see a lot of antelope then the plateau is the place.
There are some good goats down there but it's just not what it used to be IMO.

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

m1fan · Aug 25, 2010

I have the muzzleloader hunt. Not sure why they put the ML hunt after the rifle hunt. Any ideas?

ELKOHOLIC · Sep 2, 2010

Well, Someone out there will be getting a call next week. We will be turning in a rifle tag. Extremely dissapointing out there. We emailed the division and they said the unit has been chronicly over objective for several years. Now they are investigating a large winter kill????? Funny how that happens.

m1fan · Sep 2, 2010

Will you get a full refund?

Dr_Hunter · Sep 2, 2010

Doubt it. We didn't last year. They gladly accept the tag and charge someone else for it.

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

ELKOHOLIC · Sep 3, 2010

No refund. You eat the $50.00.

Verticalslope · Sep 24, 2010

Anyone have any luck down there on the rifle hunt. I know of several individuals who decided to turn their tags in. It has dramatically gone down hill since 2006. My family and friends have hunted this unit for the last decade and have watched the great decline. I hardly see any goats in the areas we have hunted. It's sad to see the numbers and quality have dropped so dramatically. We put in for another unit this year anticipating not receiving a tag.

We love to hunt the plateau and hope for a comeback with the quality and quantity we have seen in the past.

Muzzle72 · Sep 24, 2010

>Anyone have any luck down there
>on the rifle hunt.
>I know of several individuals
>who decided to turn their
>tags in. It has
>dramatically gone down hill since
>2006. My family and
>friends have hunted this unit
>for the last decade and
>have watched the great decline.
> I hardly see any
>goats in the areas we
>have hunted. It's sad
>to see the numbers and
>quality have dropped so dramatically.
>We put in for another
>unit this year anticipating not
>receiving a tag.
>
>We love to hunt the plateau
>and hope for a comeback
>with the quality and quantity
>we have seen in the
>past.

Seen plenty of goats and had a hell of a good time. heres my kill

deadI · Sep 24, 2010

Muzzle72
Nice goat. Was that this year on the opening weekend, and did you have a red / maroon truck that was parked by the wheeler and next to a fence, just north of Antelope Springs. If it was you we saw you feild dressing him out. Nice job you definatly did better than the majority of the goats we saw taken.

I would definatly say that the unit is in trouble this year. We covered a ton of that unit and were able to fill both tags we had but the quanity and quality of the animals in suffereing big time. I hope they can make the neccessary changes to turn it around. This unit use to be a great unit to take a first time hunter to to have lots of oppertunitys at animals, but not anymore. I saw approx 5 or 6 people that took bucks that were not much longer than the ears. Still a neat area to hunt the speedsters but it sure was not what we were expecting. Glad I hunted it back in the days were 100 bucks a day was not uncommon. Good luck to those that still have tags for the unit.

DeadI/Jared

ELKOHOLIC · Sep 25, 2010

LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-10 AT 08:44PM (MST)[p]Well, it sounds like they did an emergency closure on the doe hunt. Deadi, reading post 2 it sounds like you was one of the non believers.

Verticalslope · Sep 27, 2010

Muzzle, That's a nice goat and congradulations on your success. A few years ago I guarantee you would have passed on that speed goat. The quality of bucks has severely dropped since then. It was common to see 300 head of antelope from Bicknell to the top. Now I see around 30 antelope on the same drive with the average buck being 10" or less.

They have had some hard winters down there the past couple years. Combine that with the super harvest of permits and the numbers have dropped. My daughters 07' buck was aged at five years. I don't believe the bucks are getting to that age any longer.

Verticalslope · Sep 27, 2010

This was my daughters buck. He was just shy of 14" with 6 3/4" diggers.

m1fan · Sep 27, 2010

Got a letter from the state that did not paint a pretty picture and gave the option of turning the tag in. I had the ML hunt. My tag went back...

Verticalslope · Sep 28, 2010

M1fan,

Can you articulate what the state said? Just wondering what their view is on the Plateau unit.

deadI · Sep 28, 2010

Yes I was one of them. I was in shock at the number of animals on the unit, or I should say the lack of animals.

>LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-10
>AT 08:44?PM (MST)
>
>Well, it sounds like they did
>an emergency closure on the
>doe hunt. Deadi, reading post
>2 it sounds like you
>was one of the non
>believers.

DeadI/Jared

Dr_Hunter · Sep 28, 2010

M1fan,
Can you articulate what the state said? Just wondering what their view is on the Plateau unit

+1
I am curious as well.

m1fan · Sep 28, 2010

http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2010_emergency/plateau_pronghorn_hunt.pdf

Basically, the same as this but I could turn my tag in and not loose any points and get one for this year. Tag had to be in before the hunt started. Piss poor planning. Would love to have my money back too but it is what it is. Since I would be spending a bunch on gas (I am a NR) and lodging, I figured I would cut my losses and save the 80 hours of vacation time. If I did not have an elk hunt coming up in November, I would have made the trip and made the best of it.

I did scout it in June. I did see some bucks close to Loa. Take the road out of town going toward the dump. As you are going west and the road starts going to the south, go hike about a mile to the northwest. One of the bucks was wearing a blue radio collar. They were just satisfactory in size. I spoke to the game warden after this and he felt they would not be there during the hunt. If the ML hunt was before the rifle hunt, I would consider using the tag. The letter as PM's from other members convinced me it would probably be an attempt in futility.

Verticalslope · Sep 28, 2010

LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-10 AT 07:01PM (MST)[p]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos/2961dsc00091.jpg

Wifes 2005 Buck

Buddies sons 2009 buck

All were taken on the plateau. My wife bagged hers a little too early. She killed a nice buck but we found a little bigger one later in the day. Just don't see the quality any longer down there. After that letter I understand why.

DBLung · Sep 29, 2010

Nice Goat TJ! Yours is one of the bigger ones I've seen from the Parker this year.

Got my letter saying they have cancelled the doe hunt this year. Good thing they did. All People who surrendered their buck tags should get a refund and points as well!!!

Dean

m1fan · Oct 2, 2010

>Nice Goat TJ! Yours is one
>of the bigger ones I've
>seen from the Parker this
>year.
>
>
>Got my letter saying they have
>cancelled the doe hunt this
>year. Good thing they did.
>All People who surrendered their
>buck tags should get a
>refund and points as well!!!
>
>
>Dean

Agreed!

Verticalslope · Oct 7, 2010

LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-10 AT 03:39PM (MST)[p]Did anyone else have any success on the Parker this year! Just wanted to see some of the success pictures from all three 2010 seasons(archery,rifle,muzzleloader).

Sanpeter · Oct 8, 2010

My wife had a muzzle loader tag, we choose to hunt instead of turning the tag back in. We hunted 3 days and seen 57 antelope with only 4 bucks.

My wife was able to get 2 shots on the last day. One she shot at was a huge buck. He was really wide and heavy. Up in the pines/ quakes. The second buck was descent but a little out of range and on the move, plus it was snowing....

We had a lot of fun even though the numbers were way down. I really hope the DWR pulls there heads out of their Butts and fix the number of animals... I would really like to hunt there in a few years.