Sunlight Basin Elk Limited Quota

[Triple_BB]

For you folks that didn't catch the article in todays Casper Star, the G & F is proposing to change elk area's 50, 51, 52 & 53 from general to limited quota. Predators are knocking the crap out of the elk up that way. The G & F indicated their surveys are only showing a survivqal rate of 11 - 15 calves per hundred elk and they indicate data suggests a calf population below 20 can't sustain hunting pressure over the long term. As expected, the welfare outfitters in that country are cutting off their their noses to spite their faces and are fighting the proposal. As a former Cody resident and someone who hunts that country, I care more about the long term health of those elk herds and ability to hunt at all than whether or not some outfitter has to go find other employment. Cody has a couple of legislative reps who will probably be fighting the G & F on the matter. So I'd suggest those of you who care about having some future hunting opportunities up there write the Game and Fish and voice your opinion. You can write to:
WY Game and Fish Dept
Directors Office
54000 Bishop Blvd
Cheyenne, WY 82006

In the first part of the letter, advise you'd like the letter distributed to the commissioners for their review and that you support the departments proposal to change some Sunlight Basin elk area's to limited quota to help with the health of the herd while still allowing for future hunting opportiunities.

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2009/07/24/news/wyoming/doc4a69b40e3e264329017607.txt

 

[SMOKESTICK]

Triple_BB,

So I take it you are in support of the G&F Departments recomendation to switch these units from general to a limited quota?

When were you last up there hunting? I have a few good friends that spend a lot of time in those mountains. They also spend a lot of time in the Greybull area as well. They tell me there is quite a difference between the two areas reproductive rates. Both herds are about the same size. Both have wolves, grizzly bears, etc. One is managed as a limited quota unit, the other a general unit.

 

[Triple_BB]

Ya, I support limited quota and wrote the G & F to let them know. I'd also support limited quota for some other general elk area's in the state primarily to improve quality. Hunted it last five years ago and have put in for one of the late seasons up there 3 or 4 times in the last 7 or 10 years. What's yer point? The outfitters up there crying to SFW to try and help get the proposal defeated? I know an outfitter on Crandall who only harvested 2 or 3 bulls last season due to no elk. This year they intentionally only booked a couple of hunts. I'm very familiar with Sunlight Basin and make several trips a year up that way. Sometimes more if the grayling spawn runs long in one of my favorite lakes. You going with the proposal or those that are greasing the wheels at SFW?

 

[SMOKESTICK]

Triple_BB,

I'm unsure why you are so angry with me or WY SFW. I don't believe we have ever met.
The only reason I asked was I thought we finally might have found something we agree upon. I know the two SFW guys on the working group suppported the quota over the antler point restriction as the problem appears to be calf production and/or recruitment not the number of mature bulls. Although, I believe that may also be an issue.
Your final statement shows just how little you know about me or WY SFW. The outfitter's are hardly greasing the wheels of SFW in Wyoming. In fact, few outfitters are members of WY SFW because they know they cannot control it.

 

[Wyo]

I would rather see them just shut the hunting down up there for a few years. Give that a try and maybe the herd would rebound. The thing I hate seeing is once it goes to limited quota it will never be general again, even if the herd recovers someday. Obviously the predators need to be controlled first and foremost. I'm not sure what the absolute best answer is, but I would imagine the good old days of elk hunting in sunlight basin are gone for good and may never return. This used to be a great area for quality general elk hunting but not anymore, kind of sad.

 

[SDBugler]

What about the late season hunts? Are there any proposed changes to the late hunts?

Is the quality of the late season hunts even any good lately? The drawing odds are still pretty steep for the late season, but I can't imagine it is worth the wait of trying to get a tag.

 

[Triple_BB]

Supposedly the late season hunts will go by the way side. From what I've been told, they haven't been worth a hoot the last couple years anyway. When I live in Cody, some of the guys I knew hunted general area's and put in for the late season tags with the hope they might draw and the expectation they wouldn't. The situation probably hasn't changed and the draw odds remain low...

 

[SMOKESTICK]

Yesterday the WY SFW Board of Directors met with the Wyoming G&F Director, Deputy Directors, and Division Chiefs. Next week WY SFW will be making a statement and recommendation to the WY G&F Commission next week. WY SFW will respect the decision of the Cody Regional Manager and his staff to implement a quota season with the suggestion that a recovery goal be set, something along the lines of once the Clarks Fork elk herd can maintain and sustain 25-30 calves per 100 cows over a three year period the Clarks Fork herd unit would revert back to a general season unit. In addition, WY SFW will be requestion that the WY G&F Commission liberalize and lift all quotas on black bears and mountain lions in the PCA to address the impacts of predation which has contributed to the decimation of this elk herd. WY SFW feel that it is reasonable to ask sportsmen and sportswomen to reduce our hunting opportunities in an effort to help this population recover; however, we also believe it is imperative that the WY G&F Department also address what the Cody Region identified as the cause of this problem. For the first time I am aware, a Wyoming Region has admitted that predators are causing this elk population decline. The Commission will be hearing this on Thursday August 6th, in Cody WY.

 

[northwyohunter]

How bout the G&F does something about this? its not that the elk are not coming back in its the simple fact of the wolves killing them off in there! I love to hunt sunlight basin 7 years ago elk all over the place...now you would be lucky to see one! lets get on this trap some wolves and bears out of there. let the public residents get up there and do something with them. help out the people trying to fight the tree huggers with this!