Question Re: Annual Harvest Reports

[mightyhunter]

How does the G&F in Wyoming determine the annual harvest of deer or elk in a particular game unit when they have no check stations in that unit and the harvest reporting to G&F is not mandatory? A local G&F biologist told me that the voluntary harvest reports they receive each year in this part of NW Wyoming represent about 20% to 30% of the actual persons hunting a game unit. Do they just guess or is their some actual formula to try and determine the harvest numbers?


just asking...mh

 

[jims]

The WG&F have harvest surveys that are conducted via paper or online after hunts.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-20-19 AT 07:37AM (MST)[p]The G&F uses a sample of those surveyed to make an estimate. At the end of each harvest report they give a report of the confidence interval for each herd unit. Basically that's a statement of how confident they are that if everyone was sampled and reported their harvest the data would be the same.

Without mandatory reporting the harvest stats will always just be an estimate. For many areas, especially general, the stats ain't worth much more than the paper they're printed on...

 

[mightyhunter]

HiMtnHntr,

The last sentence in your post is what I suspected to be the case. I don't know how game biologists can make sound decisions based on little input data.

just sayin...mh

 

[jm77]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-20-19 AT 08:52AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jan-20-19 AT 08:51?AM (MST)

>HiMtnHntr,
>
>The last sentence in your post
>is what I suspected to
>be the case. I don't
>know how game biologists can
>make sound decisions based on
>little input data.
>
>just sayin...mh


Not sure about your area, but in central Wyoming the biologists have a confidence level over 90% on reports. Most of the time I see no issues in their quotas. When I do, usually it's because they think on an opportunity level(more tags), where I might lean towards quality(less tags). Landowners sometimes are involved more than I think they should be too, but that where politics gets involved.

It's worth noting harvest surveys are not all they use in determining seasons and quotas; most notably herd classifications. By classifying every year, changes in population and ratios can be seen and therefore applied to decision making. This is as important, maybe more so than harvest surveys, but they do both.

I think I see where you are going with this post, and while I wouldn't oppose mandatory reporting, the Dept is not in favor of it and I'm not convinced it's necessary at this time. I am more concerned with how special interests persuade G&F to implement changes without the correct vetting from hunters as a whole. They may be getting better on this issue, but we'll see.

 

[mightyhunter]

I am not necessarily pushing for mandatory reporting. I am concerned about some deer and elk areas in this part of NW Wyoming. In particular, I am concerned about actual elk and deer harvests in Deer Units 105, 106 and 109 and also elk harvest in 51,53 and 54. In the 20 years I have hunted in these areas, I have never seen a check station nor have I ever been checked randomly by G&F. When the voluntary reporting became available, I always reported my hunting experience.

What concerns me is all the changes that have been made over the years based on harvest. In 2004 and 2005, a 4pt minimum was implemented with deer. Soon after that, the season closure date in 106 for deer was altered to where the season ended not in November but in October. It is my understanding that they want to change it up and close the season on October 25th instead of the last day of October.

With regard to elk in 51, 53 and 54 they have changed the boundaries and have deleted units (50) and divided units (51 and 54).

I am concerned that the harvest results in all these units are based on the guess of those G&F officials involved. I know that they do some counts and ratio determination after the units have closed. On the elk and deer units on the Shoshone Corridor there is a game check station that is staffed every day for weeks and you have to stop. They actually pinpoint drainages where the harvests are made and whether the harvest is on private or public ground.

What concerns me is that in some of the game units I have mentioned the annual harvest seems to be about the same every year, yet the G&F claims the populations are way down. This year in Sheep Unit 1, the actual sheep harvest was around 40% less than previous years. That type of mandatory reporting for sheep, can sure give the G&F some idea that something is amiss.


mh

 

[HiMtnHntr]

It's much more of a crapshoot estimating success in the general areas.

 

[TOPGUN]

>It's much more of a crapshoot
>estimating success in the general
>areas.


That's why I wonder why they don't send everyone an email asking them to do the online survey that only takes a couple minutes to complete. Even if the respondents was down at the 50% level, which it might be, that would be a lot better IMHO than doing a lot of guesswork and not even knowing what unit(s) people hunted and if they took an animal. When I did a ML deer hunt a number of years ago in NM if you didn't complete the mandatory survey you could not apply for a tag the following year. I don't think I would go that far though.

 

[ClearCreek]

>mightyhunter said:
This year in Sheep Unit 1, the actual sheep harvest was around 40% less than previous years. That type of mandatory reporting for sheep, can sure give the G&F some idea that something is amiss.


I did not realize the 2018 harvest information for sheep units was already available. Can you direct me to where that information is available?

ClearCreek

 

[mightyhunter]

I was told by the local biologist that the harvest in Unit 1 was 8 out of 20. I was told this after the mandatory reporting period had expired. I made this inquiry after I had been told by some guides and unguided hunters how bad the sheep hunting was in 1.


mh

 

[NECALI]

Even in the Shosoni drainage I feel the deer numbers and buck quality are way down. I was up there during Thanksgiving week and my son and I took a drive out the South Fork. Saw a good number of deer, but only 1 buck that was 24? or better. In fact the buck to doe ratio was horrendous. Might see one buck per 10-20 does in a few areas, but then would see 1 buck per 100does in another area. Mostly small forks - 20? 3 and 4 pointers. It was very disappointing.

 

[jm77]

Hopefully you guys attend your local G&F meetings and let them know what you think.