disappointing hunt in G

[robby denning]

That is the plan. I think I have 12 or 13 and will do one of the rut hunts at some point. Not as much trophy potential as G, but fun hunts with less pressure.

ya but very very few guys take over a 170 buck in G so potential doesn’t really mean much up there. IMO

 

[npm352]

ya but very very few guys take over a 170 buck in G so potential doesn’t really mean much up there. IMO

Good point

 

[blackdawg]

This thread tickles me. The same conversation is taking place in so many states across the country. It doesn’t really matter, hunting or fishing now, technology has allowed the modern sportsman to dial it up from the recliner, at some point as a collective group we are going to have to put some serious restrictions on either time, opportunity or technology. It is sport hunting, like it or not. Pick your poison, I think some hard choices are on the horizon. As a. former Wyoming resident who communicates with some really serious hunters, they echo the same disgust with how much pressure is in the areas we used to hunt. How can a manager manage a volatile ever changing resource when he can’t accurately predict the demand on the resource? Tennessee has implemented a new system that requires tagging the deer on your phone app before moving it, that could be a great tool for the future management of herds nationwide.With current technology improving at a rapid pace, I see the pressure increasing until the quality of the experience and game hits rock bottom within 10 years in lots of states for all fish and game. People on top of each other hunting and fishing has gotten out of hand nationwide imho. Hunting in multiple states and looking at each one, the system Colorado has in place for distribution of pressure, making a weapon choice, some seasons long with others short and high tag amounts in limited units seems to be a good balancing act. Using science to evaluate when the game is vulnerable or not to achieve harvest goals might be the best possible way to keep all wanting their slice of the pie happy. Unfortunately politics seems to dictate game management in Wyoming. If they would let those pesky non residents into the wilderness areas the griz could help with thinning them out !


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[WRO]

Actually it could be measurable if we placed a limit on the technology. Placing a 9 X scope limit, no trail cams, no drones, aerial scouting, and mandatory ethical training on teaching the ethics of keeping shots under 500 yards then try it for 5 years and see if the harvest numbers drop. If they do, which many believe they would, then it is directly observable and measured. If not, then reevaluate.

Your focused on a minute issue, I've filled nearly every mule deer tag I've ever had, I've killed bucks from 20 yards to 700..

The two biggest game changers for me have been lazer range finder and upgrading optics..

20 years ago it'd been nearly impossible spot and tell how big a deer was at a 1.5 miles plus, now it's child's play with good glass.

The issues facing deer are much bigger, we've outlawed poisoning coyotes and cut back on sheep allotments. Sheep herders are hell on predators. It used to be rare to see coyotes, now it's pretty much standard to kill 2 or 3 a trip without trying too hard. Also we're finally paying the piper for 75 years of fire suppression with regards to deer habitat.

I'm blessed to be a part of a couple outfits that cut juniper and focus on predator control, the results are hard to argue with.

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[robby denning]

I'm blessed to be a part of a couple outfits that cut juniper...the results are hard to argue with.

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agree 200%

I saw a pic of one of Idaho’s winter ranges from the 1950’s and it was at least half the juniper cover it is now.

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[Gear-Reviewer]

Junipers take up soooo much water! Need to replace it with some bitterbrush

 

[WRO]

agree 200%

I saw a pic of one of Idaho’s winter ranges from the 1950’s and it was at least half the juniper cover it is now.

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Nevada is doing better because of chainings as well as a lot of nv..

Fire kills juniper very quickly, people talk about bad fire years recently, they're at their worst 10% of what was burning yearly pre 1945.

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[Indian Summer]

I hate to say it but some method of controlling resident hunting seems like the only controllable solution. But that’s about as likely as residents being allowed to hunt diy in wilderness areas. I don’t think that 400 NR hunters are having any impact. All that being said Rob Wiley is still managing to find mature bucks. But not as many and not as big. The recent issue of Wyoming Outdoors was sad in the mulie section.

 

[robby denning]

Nevada is doing better because of chainings as well as a lot of nv..

Fire kills juniper very quickly, people talk about bad fire years recently, they're at their worst 10% of what was burning yearly pre 1945.

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i read something similar to that a few months ago. hard to believe after listening to the continual “the earth is burning” mantra from Weather Channel, news, etc.


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[robby denning]

I hate to say it but some method of controlling resident hunting seems like the only controllable solution. But that’s about as likely as residents being allowed to hunt diy in wilderness areas. I don’t think that 400 NR hunters are having any impact. All that being said Rob Wiley is still managing to find mature bucks. But not as many and not as big. The recent issue of Wyoming Outdoors was sad in the mulie section.

tell us more. that section was always a good barometer of Wy. quality, especially Wiley as he won or placed almost yearly


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[WRO]

i read something similar to that a few months ago. hard to believe after listening to the continual “the earth is burning” mantra from Weather Channel, news, etc.


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National Interagency Fire Center

 

[robby denning]

National Interagency Fire Center

thank you!

 

[S.Clancy]

National Interagency Fire Center

Those are some crazy stats. Lack of fire and basically 0 logging have really hampered mule deer in the west.

 

[Southforkguy]

Sounds like a great opportunity to get on some elk!!

 

[Rich M]

This thread tickles me. The same conversation is taking place in so many states across the country.

we are going to have to put some serious restrictions on either time, opportunity or technology.

I see the pressure increasing until the quality of the experience and game hits rock bottom within 10 years in lots of states for all fish and game.

People on top of each other hunting and fishing has gotten out of hand nationwide imho.

Great post.

Restrictions on technology - not easy to implement. Iron sights only? Shorter season? More archery hunting? Down here, a refuge manager told me that we have a series of 3-day archery hunts to provide opportunity for folks to hunt, not for folks to shoot stuff, just for the opportunity to go hunt. He said they'd kill too many animals if it was a week-long season.

IMO, many places have already hit rock bottom. I'm a 42 or 43 season hunter right now and have a couple aspirations for a few future hunts but little else. The public land thing is borderline absurd, private land is not accessible, leases are expensive, and local hunting is either way overcrowded or non-existent.

As for the future of hunting - it will continue to get more crowded and more folks will leave in disgust. Those that remain will fight over less and less opportunity and expect more.

 

[sneaky]

It has been initially studied but this working group in Wyoming Game and Fish recognized the problem but as always in Wyoming hunting, politics gets involved so the Conclusion is further study required. Here were just a few of the aspects they identified as affecting harvest and the ethical and moral implications of such advanced technology. It is a worthy study of review but certainly just in its infancy.
aspects of modern detection include the following:
● Significantly reduces an animal’s innate ability to avoid detection.
● May significantly enhance a hunter’s ability to avoid being detected themselves by their quarry.
● Remote monitoring that allows 24-hour, seven and day a week coverage in the field, including detection in the dark. Maybe include use of single or multiple trail cameras. Cameras may or may not be synced in real time to personal electronic devices.
● Real time, remote detection and notification, wherein a hunter is notified of an animal’s presence someplace other than within range of the hunter’s vision or hearing.
● Use of drones or other aircraft to detect game.
● Use of electronics in relation to finding a place to hunt and aiding in navigation (GPS, cell phone maps, Google Earth, etc.).
● Electronic or radio communication between hunters in the field is common and may be used to coordinate actual stalking.
● Contract scouting services solicited to find and keep track of a specific game animal over an extended period of time – outside of the services normally provided by a
guide or outfitter.
● Use of advanced off-road vehicles is common, and hunters may travel off established roads where the older generations of hunters were prohibited from doing so due to the types of vehicles in use.
● Use of ultra-light aircraft or helicopters to access landlocked public lands.
● Use of analog and digital electronic calls.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e628a1e2f7e2a06d692edd6/t/5e683bcab440f5292d893227/1583889359855/Exploring_New_Technologies_for_Hunting.pdf

Still doesn't mention what Robby is asking about. Where's the LR rifle stats. All I see are trail camera and aerial scouting and archery stats.

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[crewcsc]

Some good opinions on here and sucks that the deer numbers are falling drastically. Hope some day I can get a good buck out of there. Ben following a big point creep for years.

 

[kscowboy01]

I'll be in Region G with an outfitter that I vetted through this message board. I'll have a report for everyone upon my return. I will be hunting opening day with a rifle. My target is something over 180", as I already have one that tapes out right about there and I hunt Rio Arriba County, NM every year. I'm excited to be hunting one of the best basins in mule deer hunting and will be in "sheep shape" come September.

 

[bgipson]

I'm late to the game when it comes to hunting Region G since I only began in 2018 so I really don't have historical perspective. There are great deer still there and I find at least 1 every year hunting for a week. I've shot 2 deer in the 4 years I've been hunting it including the buck in my profile (207" gross). That being said, I would 100% support a 14 day season and 2 or even 3 year tag. I honestly don't NEED to kill a deer because I fill 1 or 2 elk tags and 2 or 3 antelope tags every year and the deer are the worst off of the lot. I simply enjoy being up there with the opportunity to look at these bucks and potentially shoot 1 if he tickles my fancy. Getting residents to a mindset they don't NEED to kill a deer is difficult unless you limit them with a 2 or 3 year tag. It doesn't remove opportunity, it just limits harvest by making them really consider before they squeeze that trigger. I'd also support requiring picking a Region but keeping the guaranteed General tag. It would cut down on the guys coming over on the novelty idea of shooting a monster then going home and hunting their season that opens later thereby reducing pressure on the area.

The earlier sentiments that sheep are an issue is correct. The herders camp those sheep in a basin and they eat it to dirt and taint any standing water before they move on. We see very little for predators in the high country and elk are hit or miss depending where we are. Rarely do we see them actually together although they do butt up next to each other in parts of basins (deer staying in more open areas and elk more timbered). Just a few observations from a rookie backcountry hunter.

 

[manitou1]

Yes. Domestic sheep destroy everything they touch. Should be outlawed on public lands.
Put enough sheep in a basin for the summer and you will see a complete void of hoofed wildlife that fall.