Watch or attend the May 4 Wildlife Board meeting

[elkhunter81]

I remember back in around 95 or 96 the dwr wanted to open up the Vernon unit to a general season unit because the population was so low and deer numbers were in dire straits. Mike styler was the new dwr director and he said to his biologists good hell if numbers are that low let’s close the damn thing to hunting for 5 years and open it back up to limited entry. So that what they did. The 1st year it opened up my mom and dad both drew tags so we started scouting on July 3rd 2000 or 2001 can’t remember but in Harker canyon that morning we counted 75 bucks in one canyon. I had never seen anything like it. It was common to see 50 bucks and 100s of does everytime we went out there. The population had exploded, why you say, well my theory more bucks on the mountain, more does being bred and more fawns survived. My mom tagged out on a beautiful 31in 3 pt and my dad a 28 in typical 4. I think the more mature bucks we have in the herd the more healthy and reproductive the herd will be. More deer on the landscape. Just my opinion.

The Vernon never had very many deer until it went limited entry, it never went general it was shut down as a limited entry unit and then when they reopened it the cut tag numbers way down both with draw and landowner tags. It now takes 15-17 years or 10k to get a rifle tag. Yes we can shut the state down and only hunt once every 15-20 years but is that even a tradition at that point? Size of antlers should never be used to determine if a herd is healthy or not. The racks will improve as the herd improves. Some think that is doing away with hunters and saving bucks good luck.

 

[elkassassin]

Buck To Doe Ratio Management Is The Worst Type Of Management Anywhere!

We Need More Total Deer Numbers!

50+ F'N Years Now On a Down Hill Slide!

Then People Like The KING Wonders Why Tags Are Cut!

I get that people don't want cuts because they want to hunt. I'd rather not have cuts either, unless needed. Which obviously some are neede these days. I have a lifetime license, tag cuts won't hurt me specifically and people get mad at that and call me selfish. However, just because you don't get a license, you don't want tag cuts, because it affects you. Isn't that just as selfish? It's not our fault you didn't get in on the lifetime license deal. Life's not fair, get over it.

I agree that you can't stockpile bucks to a certain extent. For crying out loud weve got to have the lowest Buck to doe ratio in the whole west. Our quality is not great. I don't need great quality, sure it would be nice but I want people to hunt. I want sportsman to have a big voice. However, some are acting like the whole state of Utah is limited entry. Our buck to doe ratios are low, we give out plenty of tags.

Someone please name a state that has a lower buck to doe ratio than Utah!
There may be one or two out there, but not many.

 

[elkassassin]

There Was A Time When Vernon Had 10's of Thousands of Deer!

You May Not Be Old Enough To Know It Though!

The Vernon never had very many deer until it went limited entry, it never went general it was shut down as a limited entry unit and then when they reopened it the cut tag numbers way down both with draw and landowner tags. It now takes 15-17 years or 10k to get a rifle tag. Yes we can shut the state down and only hunt once every 15-20 years but is that even a tradition at that point? Size of antlers should never be used to determine if a herd is healthy or not. The racks will improve as the herd improves. Some think that is doing away with hunters and saving bucks good luck.

 

[schoolhousegrizz]

Buck To Doe Ratio Management Is The Worst Type Of Management Anywhere!

We Need More Total Deer Numbers!

50+ F'N Years Now On a Down Hill Slide!

Then People Like The KING Wonders Why Tags Are Cut!

I know that we need more total deer numbers and I agree it's not the best tool. However, it does show how many bucks we have and is a good indicator of quality and age structure of our bucks. Utah's is piss poor, it is the lowest in the entire West!

 

[elkhunter81]

There Was A Time When Vernon Had 10's of Thousands of Deer!

You May Not Be Old Enough To Know It Though!

This is just not true

 

[elkantlers]

Ya!

If The SLOB Hunters Wouldn't Have Shot A Bunch Of 2 Points & Left Them To Rot The 3 Point Or Better Coulda Been A Good Thing!

It Took 5 Years of CLOSURE To Bring It Back a Little!

Mention a CLOSURE To The KING or hawky & GFHC!

SAD that It Had To be Closed!

But I Ain't Forgot It!

There Wasn't A Buck Left alive That Had Nubs!

You can't have it both ways.
First you gripe that all the big bucks with good genetics are getting shot and the little bucks are doing the breeding. Now, you are advocating for point restrictions where only the big bucks are killed.

So which is it?

 

[elkassassin]

Mighta Been Before Your Time!

BUT DAMN F'N SURELY TRUE!

This is just not true

 

[elkassassin]

I'm not Advocating It!

PAY THE F ATTENTION!

I've Said It Could Be A Good Thing If People Would Obey The Rules!

They Won't!

I've Seen It Tried & It Failed!

You can't have it both ways.
First you gripe that all the big bucks with good genetics are getting shot and the little bucks are doing the breeding. Now, you are advocating for point restrictions where only the big bucks are killed.

So which is it?

 

[elkhunter81]

Mighta Been Before Your Time!

BUT DAMN F'N SURELY TRUE!

Bold capital letters doesn't make it true either. There was a reason the natives were bug eaters out there

 

[elkassassin]

If You Boys Don't Believe There Were Lots Of Deer Back In the Banner Day Of Mule Deer In This State You Are Perty Damn Blind!

Bold capital letters doesn't make it true either. There was a reason the natives were bug eaters out there

 

[elkassassin]

Some Of you Must Not Even Be Old Enough To Have A F'N Clue!

 

[elkhunter81]

If You Boys Don't Believe There Were Lots Of Deer Back In the Banner Day Of Mule Deer In This State You Are Perty Damn Blind!

Or maybe just maybe some of us have generational knowledge of certain areas of this state and know when the chit is getting deep. I wouldn't ever comment about the "Basin" never had the desire to mess around out there, but on the Vernon ya you're telling some tall tales.

 

[elkhunter81]

The Vernon is no different than alot of other areas. The vast majority of hunters drive all of the roads and some that shouldn't be roads and not see a 35" buck standing 100yards on the uphill side of the road. Then by Monday Tuesday they start with the excuses and justification "oh this is a bad year" "I better shoot something I waited this long for a tag" " the stick flippers and muzzy guys shot them all" " the cowboys have been gathering cows all week messing up the deer" and then they shoot a pisscutter cause it was close and easy and head home and would rather rake leaves or watch sports instead of hunt. IMO Tuesday on is when the hunt usually gets better.

 

[elkassassin]

I Won't Argue With That!

You've Seen Me Many Times Say The Same Thing About The Book Cliffs!

Before Season Starts:

200" or Bust!

By Day 2:

180" or Bust!

By Day 3:

PISSCUTTERS Are hitting The Dirt!

A Couple Years Ago They Were Parading 16"-18" 4 Points Around Like They Were Some Kind Of Trophies!

SAD!

The Vernon is no different than alot of other areas. The vast majority of hunters drive all of the roads and some that shouldn't be roads and not see a 35" buck standing 100yards on the uphill side of the road. Then by Monday Tuesday they start with the excuses and justification "oh this is a bad year" "I better shoot something I waited this long for a tag" " the stick flippers and muzzy guys shot them all" " the cowboys have been gathering cows all week messing up the deer" and then they shoot a pisscutter cause it was close and easy and head home and would rather rake leaves or watch sports instead of hunt. IMO Tuesday on is when the hunt usually gets better.

 

[elkassassin]

Bucks Dying of Old Age At 6-7 Years Old Huh?

And 5 years down the road, the bucks are fighting off the does and fawns for food on the winter range, and the 6-7 year old bucks are dying of old age. And nobody got to hunt them. IF that is what you truly want, hunt the Henries or Pauns or Oak creeks. That IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE. If you are OK with hunting once in a lifetime, then apply there! Makes perfect sense!!!!!

 

[elkassassin]

I Could Almost Guarantee There Ain't Many Bucks In This State Dying Of Old Age!

 

[wstrntines]

Do I need to ask the MDF to put Bud Light in all the guzzlers we buid?

Tag sales will drop 26.1 percent.

 

[quest]

They can’t grow deer they said it. It’s funny how they wonted to increase tags in the southern units but cut tags up north. Then when that didn’t happen they wonted to not cut as many tags up north. Now they’re worried about future youth hunters…folks they’re not talking about revenue. They need to to bring it up. If that has something thing to do with their decision making let’s talk about it. Maybe that’s why all this weird biology stuff is going on with our deer herds?

 

[Muley-Man]

We have some major road ways all over this state many going through mtn areas and winter range. If we could put up some sort of crossings that would allow the deer to cross without getting smacked by vehicles I feel would be huge for our deer herds.
Feel like anymore we really have no where for our deer herds to winter with as many people are building homes in prime winter grounds everywhere in rural southern Utah. Along with i15 not allowing deer to migrate west in areas from holden to St. George. I’ve been told by many older folks before the freeway there was numbers of deer that used the west desert country for winter grounds and since the freeway not as many use it and has seen the herds slowly die off.
Also if we could do something with the farmers killing them when they’re in theyre crops would help also. I can’t help to think these are huge issues and I’m sure these things aren’t going to happen over night but feel like doing what we can do with these issues would greatly help our deer herds and just maybe we wouldn’t have these issues with tag decreases and tech. More deer is more deer to hunt period no matter how you hunt. I don’t see it as a hunters harvest #s that is controlling our deer herds. They killed a hell of a lot more deer back in the “good old days” but these issues weren’t as great as they are now.

 

[MrShane]

Fred Bear!

HAWKENS!

Open Sighted 30-30's!

End Of Story!

Man The F Up!

You make this happen you are my new hero!
Big game ‘hunting’ instead of just ‘shooting’.

 

[elkassassin]

I Can't Make It Happen MrShane!

Can You Imagine The Mood Of The KING or hossy?

They Just Wanna SHOOT Their PISSCUTTERS Every Year!

You make this happen you are my new hero!
Big game ‘hunting’ instead of just ‘shooting’.