Waterfowl guides on WMAs ??

[Utahlefty]

This is pretty much the only voting item on the upcoming RAC/WB cycle.

The DWR (in their presentation) quotes a survey showing only 13% support for commercial guiding on WMAs and have been directed by HB 295 to make a final call on the question.

We've gotten more feedback on this question than I think any other one in my 6 years on a RAC -- and those comments are the exact inverse of the DWRs survey (90% supporting commercial guiding).

It seems the primary argument in favor of guiding relates to the amount of gear required (which most respondents don't have).

OTOH, it seems like the primary argument against relates to guides squatting on prime spots and hammering them every day.


Thoughts? This is going to be a wild one!

 

[hossblur]

I'd be curious how many of those comments are from guides, and clients.

I find it hard to believe average dudes being supportive of commercial hunting on WMA

 

[Utahlefty]

I'd be curious how many of those comments are from guides, and clients.

I find it hard to believe average dudes being supportive of commercial hunting on WMA

It appears the original DWR survey were peeps who owned air boats (against) and the follow up RAC comments were guided clients (for). S0 50:50 split overall. I don't think walk in hunters are too exercised either way as they're really not affected by whatever rule is landed upon.

 

[elkantlers]

@Utahlefty

My daughter wanted to hunt Swans. I'm not a waterfowl hunter and I live three hours south of the Swan area but I figured if she wanted to try I would put us in and give it a try.
When we finally drew I talked to a bunch of people and was told to go hunt the Dike at BRBR. We did that for 2 straight days. It was a waste of time and not much fun. Mostly we watched people shoot at birds 100yds high with near zero chance of hitting them. We ended up eating those tags.
Fast forward 2 years later. we drew Swan tags again because she really wanted to get a Swan. I decided to hire a guide cause I wasn't about to go hunt the dike again. It was the best move I could have done. The guide I booked had a very nice boat and impressive spread of decoys. we arrived early and got everything set up. It was a lot of work. More than I thought. Probably an hour before shooting end time the swans started flying. Some finally came towards our spread. we waited until they got close and with 1 good shot my daughter finally had her swan. The next flock that came in I was able to get myself one. It was a great experience and one that wouldn't have been possible for us without a guide. I will say that this is the only guided hunt I have ever done. The main reasons I hired a guide for this swan hunt was because I didn't have the equipment ( Boat, Decoys, Blind ) to access the good spots to help us be successful.

So even though we went with a guide, It was my daughter and I that was actually using the WMA.

 

[Delta Bravo]

The guide specifically being targeted is campaigning hard to get his followers to go comment on the proposal. There’s going to be a heavy one sided opinion voiced on it now.

as far as needing a guide to kill swans, isn’t remotely accurate. Just because there’s 30k+ swans sitting at BRBR, doesn’t mean it’s time to go up and try to shoot one. Timing is everything. Their movements are very predictable with the current weather we are having. I’ve seen days where everyone who walked down the 1A dike that morning had a swan in hand when they came back to the parking lot.

and there’s far more places to shoot one than just BRBR.

I don’t care on this topic either way. But i can’t help be think $FW is driving this in some way or another. This is where it starts. Shut one group out of the public marsh at a time. Won’t be long before they have their own private section of the marsh where they will be guiding the highest bidder in permanent blinds, and the rest of us will get the scraps and left overs

 

[hossblur]

@Utahlefty

My daughter wanted to hunt Swans. I'm not a waterfowl hunter and I live three hours south of the Swan area but I figured if she wanted to try I would put us in and give it a try.
When we finally drew I talked to a bunch of people and was told to go hunt the Dike at BRBR. We did that for 2 straight days. It was a waste of time and not much fun. Mostly we watched people shoot at birds 100yds high with near zero chance of hitting them. We ended up eating those tags.
Fast forward 2 years later. we drew Swan tags again because she really wanted to get a Swan. I decided to hire a guide cause I wasn't about to go hunt the dike again. It was the best move I could have done. The guide I booked had a very nice boat and impressive spread of decoys. we arrived early and got everything set up. It was a lot of work. More than I thought. Probably an hour before shooting end time the swans started flying. Some finally came towards our spread. we waited until they got close and with 1 good shot my daughter finally had her swan. The next flock that came in I was able to get myself one. It was a great experience and one that wouldn't have been possible for us without a guide. I will say that this is the only guided hunt I have ever done. The main reasons I hired a guide for this swan hunt was because I didn't have the equipment ( Boat, Decoys, Blind ) to access the good spots to help us be successful.

So even though we went with a guide, It was my daughter and I that was actually using the WMA.

You should have reached out man. I watch swans nightly, there are lots of cool places to smash swans, that aren't 100ft shots.

 

[Easy_green]

I love big game hunting, but my true passion is waterfowl hunting. Each season I spend 30 plus days hunting waterfowl. I hunt public land and have access to private land. I personally think waterfowl hunting has increased in popularity in Utah during the last 10 years. When it comes to public land it can get complicated. I can see both sides of the argument.

Most waterfowl guides I have seen in Utah are on private land or the GSL. I personally for my own selfish reasons do not want to see commercial guides on WMAs. My fear is it could lead to more issue like draw blinds on WMAs. I don’t want to see that happen in Utah. When it comes to private land, many waterfowl guides can pay big $$$ for a lease. The same could be said for waterfowl clubs. This makes it more difficult for a regular hunter to get access unless they pay to play. So I don’t want to see that evolve on WMAs.

 

[Delta Bravo]

My fear is it could lead to more issue like draw blinds on WMAs. I don’t want to see that happen in Utah....This makes it more difficult for a regular hunter to get access unless they pay to play. So I don’t want to see that evolve on WMAs.

Too late. You watch. In 10 years, there will be specific hunt dates the WMAs will be open to the public and the better parts will be closed off to the money hunters.... all in the name of “quality hunter experience”. You know, kinda like what’s happened in big game. And $FW will be driving it.

what’s the UWAs stance on this matter? They are very quiet from what I’ve seen. Oddly enough, they were the ones who allowed $FW to jump in the waterfowl bed a few years ago when they took their money for projects. And now all these changes are starting to be proposed. This isn’t coincidental.

like I said, one group at a time.

 

[treedagain]

I don't think commercial guiding is a good idea. I can see issues with them getting pretty Anti public hunter if they have competition.

 

[Delta Bravo]

I don't think commercial guiding is a good idea. I can see issues with them getting pretty Anti public hunter if they have competition.

You understand commercial guiding has been allowed on WMAs for forever, right? Hasn’t been an issue until now. Why exclude guiding for waterfowl on WMAs when they can guide big game on WMAs? ?

 

[Ultimag]

You understand commercial guiding has been allowed on WMAs for forever, right? Hasn’t been an issue until now. Why exclude guiding for waterfowl on WMAs when they can guide big game on WMAs? ?

Well said &100% on point

 

[elkantlers]

You should have reached out man. I watch swans nightly, there are lots of cool places to smash swans, that aren't 100ft shots.

I guess I never thought to ask for help hunting Swans from the people here on MM.

 

[treedagain]

You understand commercial guiding has been allowed on WMAs for forever, right? Hasn’t been an issue until now. Why exclude guiding for waterfowl on WMAs when they can guide big game on WMAs? ?

Yep I knew they could. Just see the possibility of issues.

 

[hossblur]

You understand commercial guiding has been allowed on WMAs for forever, right? Hasn’t been an issue until now. Why exclude guiding for waterfowl on WMAs when they can guide big game on WMAs? ?

We should stop that too