The Future of Idaho

[Clownbuster]

The only metric I've seen have a measurable impact on all game across the board was at the introduction of the wolf into ID and it was immediate. Everyone in Idaho wants to blame the non-residents and you're all correct, but you're blaming the wrong non-resident.

 

[Customweld]

Mother Nature yes.

But it’s also the habitat. That’s why we need to push the commission to force the legislature to:
Invest more in access yes, free up public land from private blockage (support corner crossing too), and invest like crazy in the cheat grass fight.

We complain about people that don’t share our values moving here. Well that can’t be stopped. What we can do is use their (and our) tax money to invest in our land.

Not to sound too much like a Debbie Downer, but do you mean the same legislators that brought us the trespass law? The less those jackwagons have their fingers in fish and game affairs, the better off we will all be.

 

[bergie]

I’m just glad the biologists are making decisions, not the dudes in this thread.

Deer herds are NOT affected by buck harvest.

Mule deer are down everywhere, mostly due to weather events.

Trading opportunity for perceived quality has NOT panned out in any state, except maybe Nevada, where you are lucky to get a crappy archery tag every few years.

Give up your opportunity now and you will never get it back.

Hunt better/smarter/harder and make your own luck.

I cannot support this enough. Idaho is and always should be an opportunity state. Just because Tom, Dick and Harry cant shoot a (insert size here)" buck from the seat of their four wheeler every year does not mean that we should reduce tags to cater to them. I can get behind the 'fish' portion of IDFG being completely clueless (anadromous species specifically) but the 'game' portion of IDFG I think overall does a good job of giving the majority of Idahoans what they want. Now...I would like them to actually enforce the motorized restrictions they have in place, but that's a topic for a different day. A topic that Tom, Dick and Harry will argue against as well...

 

[Clownbuster]

I cannot support this enough. Idaho is and always should be an opportunity state. Just because Tom, Dick and Harry cant shoot a (insert size here)" buck from the seat of their four wheeler every year does not mean that we should reduce tags to cater to them. I can get behind the 'fish' portion of IDFG being completely clueless (anadromous species specifically) but the 'game' portion of IDFG I think overall does a good job of giving the majority of Idahoans what they want. Now...I would like them to actually enforce the motorized restrictions they have in place, but that's a topic for a different day. A topic that Tom, Dick and Harry will argue against as well...

This. Two ways I know I'm hunting in the right unit as hard as possible (other than my big old buck on the ground):
1) I run into @Dioni A on the ridge
2) I run into no one else

 

[WRO]

I am surprised that more blame is not put on predators. Inparticular, wolves. Since the introduction of wolves in Oregon, there has been a steady decline to our Muley numbers. Yes there are other factors involved, however I believe there is a direct correlation to low Muley numbers now because of a reintroduced predator in the current ecosystem. Every hunter you talk to here agrees.

The deer herds are in the crapper where wolves aren’t present in Oregon either.


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[Clownbuster]

The deer herds are in the crapper where wolves aren’t present in Oregon either.


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Must be all the hippies, homeless, and drug addicts eating them in those areas

 

[WRO]

Must be all the hippies, homeless, and drug addicts eating them in those areas

Yup, Indians don't help either. It's not that predators aren't an issue, it is that there are multiple issues and ODFW is a huge one. They put out 2500 tags in some units that don't even have 2500 bucks.

 

[derrick454@]

Must be all the hippies, homeless, and drug addicts eating them in those areas

There was just a write up about that in central oregon in regards to Mule deer decline. Homeless tent cities/camps poaching…They have to eat to



Those camps probably exist in Idaho /Montana to and or will eventually exist unfortunately. The disease I call it will spread east. Drug addicts taking over public lands


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[JohnJohnson]

Harsh winters and cheatgrass don't park at a trailhead that residents wanted to hunt from so better blame non-residents for deer numbers.

 

[Buglebrush]

Yup, Indians don't help either. It's not that predators aren't an issue, it is that there are multiple issues and ODFW is a huge one. They put out 2500 tags in some units that don't even have 2500 bucks.

Predators are the biggest issue that's easy to do something about. Aggressively managing predators should always be the first move. Never ever think that tag reduction should exist in the absence of aggressive predator reduction.

 

[sasquatch]

Plenty of things can be done before limiting opportunity!

One start would be weapon and electronic usage.

I’d rather be able to hunt when I want even if it’s just with a damn recurve (opportunity) than only be able to hunt once in my lifetime with my souped up 1000yd rifle with synced up range finder and scope that auto adjusts!!!

Jesus, why don’t people see this. We are cheerleading for out opportunities to be taken away


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[Clownbuster]

There was just a write up about that in central oregon in regards to Mule deer decline. Homeless tent cities/camps poaching…They have to eat to



Those camps probably exist in Idaho /Montana to and or will eventually exist unfortunately. The disease I call it will spread east. Drug addicts taking over public lands


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They can get a f'ing job, get off dope and booze and add to society if they want to eat, if not, well we haven't played "Cowboys and Useless Drains on Society" yet, but it's coming.

 

[IDVortex]

Native here. I like your approach because there isn’t any reason to bitch and moan about growth because all mountain west states have experienced that. I hope Idaho never goes to points. When it comes to deer It’s time to get realistic and creative.

Realistic:
- more cuts to NR general mule deer tags and turn NR to all controlled hunts.
- 5% reduction in controlled hunt tag quota all around for mule deer

Legislature gets aggressive and starts using surplus for our future (yes more government):
- put millions of taxpayer dollars into access yes
- put millions of dollars into buying access to landlocked state properties
- put millions of dollars into enforcement of illegal off road use including better infrastructure like fences and gates. Also, more game wardens instead of relying on check points (yes I believe people are breaking laws and even hunting wrong units)
- put millions of dollars into cheat grass fight

Here’s a few on the Creative side (if I was the dictator)
- any deer/elk/antelope controlled hunt with less than a 3% draw odds over last decade become once in a lifetime (for that unit/species) moving forward.
- nonresidents drawing a controlled antlered hunt may not apply for that species again for 5 years.
- (A biggie) pick 2 species max to apply for (yes that includes sheep, moose, goat).
- dedicated hunter programs to incentivize adult males from shooting young deer.
- shed hunting seasons

I've never done shed hunting, let a lone paid any attention to it so I'm out of the knowledge of this, why shed hunting seasons? Just due to not bothering animals in their winter ranges? Un-needed stress? Trying to understand lol.

 

[downthepipe]

I've never done shed hunting, let a lone paid any attention to it so I'm out of the knowledge of this, why shed hunting seasons? Just due to not bothering animals in their winter ranges? Un-needed stress? Trying to understand lol.

This article explains why Utah did it.

DWR implements emergency statewide restrictions for shed antler hunting to help protect wintering big game in Utah

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced a statewide emergency closure to "shed hunting" Tuesday in an effort to help wintering big game, particularly deer populations.

wildlife.utah.gov

The problem is that it has become a monitization scheme and thus has become highly competitive and in some places the disturbances are unmitigated.

Honestly, i don’t typically support controlling activity and access. I just think it goes along with protecting known, highly used wintering Mule Deer habitat.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I’d rather be able to hunt when I want even if it’s just with a damn recurve (opportunity) than only be able to hunt once in my lifetime with my souped up 1000yd rifle with synced up range finder and scope that auto adjusts!!!

Tell us you don't know shit about Idaho regulations? Maybe in a more subtle manner?

 

[Customweld]

This article explains why Utah did it.

DWR implements emergency statewide restrictions for shed antler hunting to help protect wintering big game in Utah

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced a statewide emergency closure to "shed hunting" Tuesday in an effort to help wintering big game, particularly deer populations.

wildlife.utah.gov

The problem is that it has become a monitization scheme and thus has become highly competitive and in some places the disturbances are unmitigated.

Honestly, i don’t typically support controlling activity and access. I just think it goes along with protecting known, highly used wintering Mule Deer habitat.

Rather than setting shed seasons, I’d like to see a national sale ban on all bone. We do it with bear parts and game meat, we could do it on bone as well.

 

[Buglebrush]

Rather than setting shed seasons, I’d like to see a national sale ban on all bone. We do it with bear parts and game meat, we could do it on bone as well.

For sure!

 

[sasquatch]

Tell us you don't know shit about Idaho regulations? Maybe in a more subtle manner?

Oh gee I am sorry for elaborating to express the point. I see you are a literal type on everything in life

How about you tell me how idaho only allows spear hunting and there’s no 21st century advancements allowed. I’m sure there’s no possible way weapon restrictions could ever help without taking about peoples opportunities right?.

How many 700 plus yard kills happened in 2023 vs in 2003??? I bet it’s plenty more

This title may be specific for Idaho, however the issues of losing opportunities is across the board in most every state. Now turkeys are a big topic with ramped up restrictions all over the place. And every time issues arise, opportunity is taken from individuals first. Hardly anything else even thought about first.

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[Jayboy]

Agreed. Hunters are not the problem, as illustrated by your stats. Elk and deer are getting hammered by predators.

 

[TheTone]

Shed seasons are kinda comical to me when there are still open hunting seasons and all sorts of other winter recreation going on at the same time in the same spot. I watched a video the other day of some cross country skiers bumping a herd of elk and the elk piling through snow to get away from them. The group seemed truly clueless that the disturbance could be bad for the elk

For the predator people; I assume you guys are putting as much or more effort into predator hunting each year as you do elk and deer? We have super long and liberal predator seasons here, what else could be done?