Mandatory reporting, for or against and why?

[MichaelO]

Seems to be a lot of strong opinions about mandatory harvest reporting around here. This has been done pretty successfully in a lot of eastern states with deer and turkey. Are you for or against and why?

 

[SummitsCalling]

Can't actually manage a herd if you don't have accurate harvest numbers. Why wouldn't you mandate it?

 

[String&stick]

People do lie at times on reports, but most of the time mandatory reporting is for the best and I support ut

 

[chindits]

No. Harvest rates have no bearing on actual herd size in this part of western Colorado. Year to year harvests vary with weather. I know most of you know that early season snows can disproportionately effect harvest rates, but so can drought. The drought two years ago had elk in huge winter herds down in the sage early. So what do you say, huge harvest rates so there must be a lot of elk out there? Let’s do the opposite scenario, good winter snow and a wet summer. Forage and moisture everywhere. Then you have a mild fall. All through hunting season the elk are scattered from timberline to aspen/sage ecotone. Few are harvesting elk because of this. Does that indicate anything about the size of the herd or did it just tell you success rates were down.

Then you fly the winter range in late winter and you find out the only number that matters to set next years tag limits. How many elk are in a position to make it to spring and what your bull/cow ratio is.

 

[Ryan.kemp14]

Seems to be a lot of strong opinions about mandatory harvest reporting around here. This has been done pretty successfully in a lot of eastern states with deer and turkey. Are you for or against and why?

I think that it should be so in some units isnt over hunted and others under hunted.

 

[LostArra]

YES
There is no downside to reporting your "harvest" (I hate that word for animals).

I don't buy any of chindits opposing views. There is a lot more info to be gained from knowing what your hunters are experiencing in the field. Data from a single year does not determine anything but data over an extended time period is important. And if you aren't managing for the hunters, what are you managing for?

A simple phone app can give G&F a lot of data in under 5 minutes.



No disrespect chindrits. We just disagree and I bet we both want the same result.

 

[One-shot]

Totally support mandatory reporting of harvest as necessary for maintaining and managing herd numbers and overall health/conditions. Often we have to turn in tissue samples - brain etc to test for CWD. It hasn’t hit our state yet - hopefully it won’t. The reporting helps the game biologist get.an on-the-ground feel for hunter success rates, what’s being taken, accidental kills or wounds... Really important data so we can keep herds healthy and thriving.

 

[gbflyer]

Even in Alaska we have mandatory reporting. Seems like a pretty good tool for the biologists. Takes a few minutes online. They send you a nice reminder via email with a link.

 

[cnelk]

Colorado already has mandatory reporting for bear, moose, sheep and goat. Must be a good reason for this.

Why not include elk and deer? Or eliminate mandatory reporting all together for all species?

 

[rambo2345]

I agree that mandatory reporting is necessary to get accurate data.

 

[pirogue]

Mandatory reporting sounds like Democrat Libtards are ruling the system. And you mention Eastern states successful? Some of those haven’t even allowed hunting on Sunday. Come on! G & F employees get paid for being out and making surveys. Should not be mandatory.

 

[slick]

And if you aren't managing for the hunters, what are you managing for?.

Landowners and at sometimes the herd itself (ewe tags for the Taylor Hilgards in MT)



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[Bucky]

I always laugh at this question. Same as many above; why wouldn’t you want the most accurate actual harvest numbers.. herd populations can still be counted/estimated in the winter bad done currently.

Dnr herein WI wants accurate salmon harvests- they send Dnr surveyors to every boat launch up and down lake shore to physically count fish caught for a time frame.

 

[LostArra]

Landowners and at sometimes the herd itself (ewe tags for the Taylor Hilgards in MT)



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Good point. My bad.

I'm still for mandatory harvest reporting.

 

[Rob5589]

Absolutely. No downside to having more data.

 

[LostArra]

Mandatory reporting sounds like Democrat Libtards are ruling the system.

Please

Quit watching cable news

 

[MichaelO]

I always laugh at this question. Same as many above; why wouldn’t you want the most accurate actual harvest numbers.. herd populations can still be counted/estimated in the winter bad done currently.

Dnr herein WI wants accurate salmon harvests- they send Dnr surveyors to every boat launch up and down lake shore to physically count fish caught for a time frame.

why not use the same system they already use for whitetail? I have experienced the same fish counters in Indiana and it seems archaic and silly to waste someone’s time with something that could be done via an app.

 

[LostArra]

Every day we hear about wolves and bears decimating calf numbers but wolves and bears report nothing so no one really knows. Colorado surveys about a fourth of the licenses sold and estimate 50,000 elk are killed. Why not just ask the guys killing them?

A 15 yr old techie could have a phone app up and running in a week

 

[Big Dunc]

Yes, reporting is a good way to get data. BUT I hate how fish and game employees talk about it like a cure all. It is ONE tool in the shed. There is a lot of other information that plays into herd health and management.

 

[cnelk]

I bet people not in favor of mandatory reporting would still look at the statistics