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WRO

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Do you think it is all of Idaho that is going to be affected by the winter kill this year? Or more so the SE corner?

A lot of the state is going to be hammered dog shit for a while after this winter. Western idaho didn't get it as bad. There are smaller areas that didn't get hit as hard.

Those will get hammered by OTC hunters and get screwed anyways.

Idaho's lack of action here will only make things WORSE.
 
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Do you think it is all of Idaho that is going to be affected by the winter kill this year? Or more so the SE corner?
I've been all over southwest Idaho this spring. The deer look like they have done well in most of the areas I have been in. I've been finding way more elk winter kill, which I will say was more than likely predation.
 

Spoonbill

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This is some good news for mule deer in Idaho. Hopefully it has a positive impact.
 

Gobbler36

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Idahos deer management is shit but not because of being able to hunt deer every year I think antler restrictions in certain areas and elimination of a big majority of doe tags for muleys is needed
 

Spoonbill

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Question, it almost seems like you could cut tags, have antler point restrictions, ect. But then you’re still always one bad winter away from complete population loss. Wouldn’t winter habitat conservation be the only true solution to rebounding the population?
I think it would help, more food would help the deer make it through winter along with predator management on winter habitat. I think that would work better than antler point restrictions. A large segment of hunters in Idaho don’t care about antler size and putting in restrictions would create issues for IDFG.
 
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Antler restrictions lead to two bucks per hunter being killed in a lot of cases. “Oops didn’t see this extra point through my vortex, let’s leave it and keep huntin”

I’ve never heard of a successful outcome of implementing antler restrictions on deer.

Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t they do away with the full curl rule on sheep in the Frank church units for this same reason? Finding killed sheep that weren’t quite of legal size


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Pacific_Fork

Well Known Rokslider
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Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t they do away with the full curl rule on sheep in the Frank church units for this same reason? Finding killed sheep that weren’t quite of legal size


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I wouldn’t be surprised, but I haven’t heard of this being true or not.
 

Gobbler36

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Antler restrictions lead to two bucks per hunter being killed in a lot of cases. “Oops didn’t see this extra point through my vortex, let’s leave it and keep huntin”

I’ve never heard of a successful outcome of implementing antler restrictions on deer.
Hmmm I feel as though if someone was going to do that they would be shooting multiple deer no matter what the antler size was. maybe Im just being to naive that people would follow a game law if it was made
 
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Fact sheet on Antler Point Restriction created by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Separate study completed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Antler point restrictions don't work. There are apparent short term benefits that get everyone excited and believing that the restrictions work. However, after 3 years the benefits disappear and it eventually results in a worse situation than it started with.

I have also read of and spoken to people who talk about the number of sub legal bucks that are found killed and left to waste in Washington. I can' t find my source for that information so take it for what it's worth.
 

Gobbler36

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Fact sheet on Antler Point Restriction created by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Separate study completed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Antler point restrictions don't work. There are apparent short term benefits that get everyone excited and believing that the restrictions work. However, after 3 years the benefits disappear and it eventually results in a worse situation than it started with.

I have also read of and spoken to people who talk about the number of sub legal bucks that are found killed and left to waste in Washington. I can' t find my source for that information so take it for what it's worth.
interesting.
guess I learned something today Then
 

WRO

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interesting.
guess I learned something today Then
310561687_10227743323186718_3874210366816852823_n.jpg


Killing off points results in shit bucks like this one (I still think he's cool). I've killed 3 forks off the same ranch that ranged between 5-8 years old. Its rare to see a 4 point, that being said four points were killed predominantly for the 100 years prior off the same ground.

Age is the trophy, most people can't age a buck on the hoof if their life depended on it.
 

WRO

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north idaho had a normal winter, and this is coming from a winter lovers perspective.
Keep Idaho oppurtunity, I would rather shoot a buck or bull every year, than have to wait 5 years just to hunt a little bit bigger buck or bull.

And this is why we can't have nice things and will continue to spiral down the shitter as far as mule deer go in Idaho.

There are 600k more people in Idaho that there was in 2000.

There were 300k hunting licenses sold last year. The kill every dink every year with mostly OTC 3 week seasons is not sustainable, not to mention all of the doe tags which should be eliminated.

And the OTC/Capped elk hunts take a cipher to figure out.

Hunt archery, Hunt Muzzy, or hunt rifle, but not all 3.
 

WRO

WKR
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Question, it almost seems like you could cut tags, have antler point restrictions, ect. But then you’re still always one bad winter away from complete population loss. Wouldn’t winter habitat conservation be the only true solution to rebounding the population?

The deer and 76 and 78 traditionally winter at 5000 feet plus. A lot of deer winter around Pocatello, that's still 4500 feet.
 
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Idaho will end up “hunting “ themselves right out of opportunity. The whole dynamic of the west has changed.
Idaho is struggling


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littlebigtine

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alot of interesting perspectives. i think most are valid. Personally I would like to see a more “controlled” approach to the otc deer tags available to residents. If IDFG put in place quota limits on rifle tags per region(exactly like they do for elk), while maintaining similar opportunity for lower percentage harvest hunts(archery general opportunities) everybody gets to hunt if they want and it would also seem to be a more scientific, careful approach to the season setting rather then letting idaho militia loose on a fragile deer population every year. It seems absurd that the more delicate ungulate(deer) population would be less regulated. not rational. proves that the system leans towards and protects the species that makes more money for IDFG(elk). Us Idahoans should demand higher cost for deer tags and in turn better management! I would have no qualms paying 40-50-60-even 70 dollars for a tag if I knew we could hold IDFG more accountable for our herd. or make the nonrezys pay for it all… 😉
 
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