Experiences with APR'S

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Utah is looking to put antler point restrictions on a few units. I know what the data says. That the buck to doe ratios goes up. Success goes down, for obvious reasons. For the first little while there's a few more mature bucks but then the data for multiple States seems to be saying that the mature Buck population starts to drop because they are the ones that can be shot.

I would love to hear your experiences in areas where they have implemented APR's. Sometimes the anecdotal evidence if accurate can be very enlightening. Fire away let's hear it.

 

[hereinaz]

I think it just matters how many big bucks get shot. If you limit antler points but keep the tag numbers high, lots of big bucks get shot because the meat hunters/that’s big enough for me hunters aren’t going home on day one, so they hunt till they kill something bigger or tag soup.

I understand that the only way to manage for bigger bucks is to limit tag numbers according to my limited understanding.

Seems like changing only points with same tags can only bring in revenue and decreases hunt success. Elk in CO seem to be managed like that. Massive number of OTC tags sold but point limit reduces number killed.

I’d be curious for someone who know more show me where I would be wrong. It would be a serious game theory explanation and so love that stuff.

 

[Jaden Bales]

The biggest difference I think we're seeing in the places I frequent in Wyoming is a decrease in hunter participation in OTC areas. Which essentially does the same thing as if it was a limited quota tag, but you cut the tag numbers.

I think it's going to vary from place to place, but I could see somewhere with easily accessed buck numbers knocking off the top end of the bucks, leaving mostly first-year legal 3.5 and 4.5-year-old deer, instead of there being a better pyramid structure. I'm also in the camp of liking to see big old two-points and three-points taken home, and in an APR world, they're not removed. Here's a photo of one I was hoping to get a friend to chase this year, but couldn't with a 4pt APR.