Ranking state game and fish agency

[Hunt_the_West]

So we all hear the bashing of state game and fish agencies so how do you rank the ones you have experience with? My opinion was based on how I feel they manage their resource, quality of the hunts I have been on, opportunity, and the interactions I've had with their respective staff. I have hunted and/or apply in all the states on my list.

1) Wyoming
2) tie - Arizona & Nevada
3) Colorado
4) Utah
5) Idaho - could possibly move up the list I just don't have as much experience here as others.
6) montana

 

[hossblur]

From the outside, Wyoming.

Utah? If you can seperate the HQ in SLC from the field guys, they do a good job.





"I don't care if the season is closed. Get off your butt and go hunt them"

TRISTATE
3/11/19

From the party of HUNTIN, FISHIN, PUBLIC LAND.

 

[Live2hunt1]

MONTANA!! Don't get me started. Worst state when it comes to nonresidents or residents. 2/3 private and Public land lockable. Not to mention the ridiculous draw system and over priced tags! waterfowl hunting is still decent due to the water laws, but big game hunting is getting worse every year and they keep upping the prices, and giving out more tags. And people Pay IT!

1. Alaska (BEST) hope they open some more NR hunts soon
2. Nevada (Deer Guided draw tags is BS/ Point Jumping)
3. Wyoming (BS wilderness Law) but lots of ground & opportunity
4. Arizona (could manage Deer south of the ditch better)
5. New Mexico (Hard to draw but FAIR! a Quality hunt EVERYTIME)
6. Utah (limited Hunts only) but hard to draw.
7. Idaho (to many tags in some areas but lots of opportunity)
8. Colorado (Takes points but good hunts)
9. Montana
10. California, Washington and Oregon suck for nonresidents.

 

[BuzzH]

In any ranking of GF agencies...Montana would be at the bottom...I put it at 50.

All the hunting in that State is worse now than when I started hunting at age 12. The only exceptions would be better wolf hunting, lion hunting, turkey, and bear hunting hasn't declined much (yet).

Montana wages war on deer and elk via 11 weeks of continual pounding. They continue the war on elk from August 15-Februrary 15. They shoot buck deer all through November, during the rut. Over-issue pronghorn tags, both buck and doe tags. Wayyy over-issue cow elk and doe deer tags too.

They destroyed several native Mountain goat herds (Sapphires, Bitterroot's, Bob Marshall, Swan, Rattlesnake, etc.).

They have lost lots of sheep hunting...upper/lower rock creek, Bonner, Bitterroot, Highlands, Lima, Anaconda, to name a few.

Moose are in the tank as well when compared to the not so distant past.

Their harvest statistics and population estimates are a joke.

IMO, there should be books written on the gross mismanagement that Montana has practiced and continues to practice today.

I would rank Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, Alaska, and Colorado as the top states that try to balance opportunity without entirely sacrificing quality and what's best for their wildlife.

 

[Hunt_the_West]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-25-19 AT 01:43PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-25-19 AT 01:42?PM (MST)

Damn Buzz, tell us how you really feel. I agree with you 100% though and am convinced that if there were one elk left in the entire state montana would sell 17,000 NR tags to try and kill it. Sad part is 17,000 idiots would probably buy one.

 

[BuzzH]

Montana is doing a fine job of managing like its 1950 and time has stood still there.

Same season length (actually longer now than in the 50's) despite way fewer mule deer, much lower bull to cow ratio's, less winter range, about 300K more people...they still manage in a time warp.

I think their management is just awesome, I mean single digit bull to cow ratio's, estimating deer populations via what they see from the highway, having harvest statistics that say 83 out of 75 available bulls are killed each year, all really quality management and data.

Its really great when they fly the Bob Marshall and find 202 elk, that's some awesome numbers and those single digit bull to cow ratio's? I mean what's not to like?

How about flying one area that historically would produce 800-900 observed elk and finding 8? Nothing to see here, lets keep the same old management in place, 11 weeks of pounding on those 8 elk.

The real height of management is one area I've hunted since I was 12...was pretty common to see 15-50 mule deer a day. I haven't seen a mule deer, at all, in 9 years there. Whitetails are in the tank as well. Wasn't uncommon to see 12-40 whitetail bucks a day in the mid 90's-mid 2000's. Any more, if you see 25 bucks in a 10 day hunt, that's pretty good. I shot lots of 5.5-10.5 year old bucks in that time frame too...lucky to see a buck over 4.5 these days. That same area used to produce an elk or three for us while deer hunting every year. Wasn't great elk hunting, but enough that you could hunt them. While deer hunting there 2 seasons ago, I cut one elk track in 9 straight days of hunting with excellent conditions.

If not for family living there, and that I can buy a NR deer tag for half price...I wouldn't waste my time hunting Montana anymore.

But, if you have access to some quality private...different story, as that's the ONLY place that any kind of management takes place.

The wasted potential there is what's so sad...

 

[Gator]

SOUTH DAKOTA TOP OF THE LIST
Can any other state make as money as they do on a 2 pound bird LOL
Take price per pound.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[NECALI]

Curious why CA. sucks for NR. They undoubtedly can't manage the deer herds, but NR has the same chance as residents?

 

[DW]

I've got no complaints with my home state of Calirado, unless you talk about the population and its current political situation.



#livelikezac

 

[Zeke]

>Montana is doing a fine job
>of managing like its 1950
>and time has stood still
>there.
>
>Same season length (actually longer now
>than in the 50's) despite
>way fewer mule deer, much
>lower bull to cow ratio's,
>less winter range, about 300K
>more people...they still manage in
>a time warp.
>
>I think their management is just
>awesome, I mean single digit
>bull to cow ratio's, estimating
>deer populations via what they
>see from the highway, having
>harvest statistics that say 83
>out of 75 available bulls
>are killed each year, all
>really quality management and data.
>
>
>Its really great when they fly
>the Bob Marshall and find
>202 elk, that's some awesome
>numbers and those single digit
>bull to cow ratio's? I
>mean what's not to like?
>
>
>How about flying one area that
>historically would produce 800-900 observed
>elk and finding 8? Nothing
>to see here, lets keep
>the same old management in
>place, 11 weeks of pounding
>on those 8 elk.
>
>The real height of management is
>one area I've hunted since
>I was 12...was pretty common
>to see 15-50 mule deer
>a day. I haven't seen
>a mule deer, at all,
>in 9 years there. Whitetails
>are in the tank as
>well. Wasn't uncommon to see
>12-40 whitetail bucks a day
>in the mid 90's-mid 2000's.
>Any more, if you see
>25 bucks in a 10
>day hunt, that's pretty good.
>I shot lots of 5.5-10.5
>year old bucks in that
>time frame too...lucky to see
>a buck over 4.5 these
>days. That same area used
>to produce an elk or
>three for us while deer
>hunting every year. Wasn't great
>elk hunting, but enough that
>you could hunt them. While
>deer hunting there 2 seasons
>ago, I cut one elk
>track in 9 straight days
>of hunting with excellent conditions.
>
>
>If not for family living there,
>and that I can buy
>a NR deer tag for
>half price...I wouldn't waste my
>time hunting Montana anymore.
>
>But, if you have access to
>some quality private...different story, as
>that's the ONLY place that
>any kind of management takes
>place.
>
>The wasted potential there is what's
>so sad...

Buzz,
Too bad you don't have any data to back up your opinion! TIC, of course.

I'll pick Wyoming to be at the top since they and the residents there have been so good to me since my first bear hunt in 1978!

Zeke

#livelikezac

 

[elkassassin]

TARDville may be way down on the Scale!

Continuous & Over-Lapped Hunts from Mid-August through the Cow Slaughters in to January & February!

Every Animal in this State has a $ Sign on it!

The Quality has gone way down even in Our LE Units!

GREED!

MORE MONEY!

GREED!

MORE F'N MONEY!

GREED!

Sell More Tags!

Start several More Hunts!

GOOD GAWD,How much harder can a Deer & Elk Herd be Hunted?

OH but the F'N Opportunity!








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!

 

[antlerradar]

Too bad that Buzz's opinion is so close to the truth.

 

[NeMont]

>Too bad that Buzz's opinion is
>so close to the truth.
>


Montana doesn't even try to hide their elk, deer and pronghorn extermination plans any more. There is no management based on biology just on revenue and trying to get another hunter into a BMA that gets pounded for 3 months.


My new signature:

"If I said anything to offend you it was purely intentional."

 

[hawkbill]

It's bad when you see this pattern , that we are managing for opportunities. I think Idaho is going for the worst management policies but we won't see the outcome for two years. At this years season setting meetings the biologist, Mike McDonald talked about Corn and corn production for an hour and the only law they are required to uphold is protecting the private land owner. I live close to 4 of the best big game units in the state and they are going to open up over the counter cow tags, and raised the quotas on trophy tags. This meeting still pisses me off, I have gone way out of my way to help the game and fish and they show up with fifteen officers, which 10 of these guys know nothing of the area. Mike McDonald runs his Nazi style meeting, and a very boring meeting about corn, and then he won't let the public comment, because he can't handle input from sportsman. One week after the meeting at the end of Febuary we got dumped on for 10 days and then it rained for a day. I spend a lot of time hunting wolves on the winter range, this was one of the worst winter kills I have ever seen in my life. A lot of mature herd bulls ended up dying, I myself have brought out Six trophy heads and have friends packing them out daily. We lost most of last years fawn crop and a lot of mature deer. The reason I am bringing this up is have any of you read or heard about this, the answer is no, the game and fish hasn't mentioned any word about winter kill in the central mountains of Idaho. I really don't think Mike McDonald cares one bit about what goes on up here in the central mountains of Idaho, why should he when all he thinks about is his corn producing buddies who are buying him lunch down in Twin Falls. Hey Mike I hope you read this, it would be nice to see you show up in the Central mountains one time and at least ack like you were for the sportsman?s that pay for salary.

 

[COSA]

Buzz bit the mail on the head with Montana being the worst. Moved here from Wyoming, and don't even bother hunting deer or elk, just doing unlimited sheep and hunt other states for deer.

 

[Robiland]

For the states that I have dealt with are mostly Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona.

Utah does OK for the most part. Their biggest issue is that SFW runs the Wildlife board so most of the rules and changes flow through that organization.

Nevada does a decent job, no complaints there.

Wyoming does decent, but it ticks me off that the Outfitters run the show there, but the wildlife does great. Just open hunting to wolves and Grizz and it would be better.

Now is my problem with Arizona. For the most part, I like what they do with elk. The management is pretty decent. BUT, my problem is with the Commissioners there. If you have a problem or issue, forget it! They are the cockiest SOB's I have ever "TRIED" to deal with. I have tried to call, email and write letters to them explaining my problem. I finally got a lady in one of the office tell me that I can petition my problem, and they would hear it at the next commissioners meeting. I spent hours putting together paperwork, app history, details and sent it in to them. I was put on the agenda for #17 on the list. I could not make it in person and the lady told me thats fine, she will read my petition. After 8 hours of listening to Anti-hunters fight about killing coyotes, and every damn one of them spent 2-3 minutes, and they listened to the hogwash they spewed for hours, they finally got to me petition at 5 pm. The lady read my name and my issue and asked if they would hear my petition, they all said no and moved on. I had 15 seconds at most. I pay for hunting in Arizona. I spend close to $400 a year on apps and licences every year, but they sat there and listened to the antis for hours. Oh well, right? I lost 7 points for elk with what had happened.

So for that, I hate the Arizona Commissioners for lack of a Sack, and dont listen to hunters, only Anti hunters.

 

[Aceman]

I live here in Colorado for most of my life and have only hunted big game in Colorado. That doesn't give me any way to compare with other states - no real issues but will not be too happy if they introduce wolves in the state. Not sure who is pushing this issue. But can guess

 

[bugleb]

It is strange that every state surrounding Utah has their best hunting on the side nearest Utah and yet hunting in Utah is terrible (except in limited entry areas, which are getting worse all the time).

I disagree with Live2hunt1 when he says that NM is "a quality hunt every time". I have hunted mule deer for 60 years including 6 states and only once in NM, but that hunt was the all time worst hunt I have ever been on.

 

[ICMDEER]

I agree with what has been said. Nebraska is also doing a better job with their mule deer and even though it's not a state, Alberta manages things pretty well. Except for the one CWD fiasco in eastern Alberta, it is a well-run outfit.

 

[MT_55]

>SOUTH DAKOTA TOP OF THE LIST
>
>Can any other state make as
>money as they do on
>a 2 pound bird LOL
>
>Take price per pound.
>
>"I have found if you go
>the extra mile it's Never
>crowded".
>>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>>the MM green signature club.[font/]

Pure genius Lloyd- Pure genius!!

And very true!