Utah Secret Cull

[millerstone]

What a state we live in, huh? Not only keeping the public out of the loop but issuing Deseret 11 more bull tags to sell for tens of thousands. Plus an add on cow. I don't know how it should have been handled, but this sure ain't it.

Utah wildlife officials secretly culled 170 elk from LDS Church ranch land

The solution to an overabundance of elk in northern Utah, state wildlife officials decided, would be a big operation and an even bigger secret.

www.sltrib.com

EDIT: Paywall removed below

12ft

 

[Pro953]

I am sure the secrecy had as much to do with avoiding a lawsuit by PETA or DOW that would halt the cull vs just fear of pissing off hunters.

It sucks but as hunters we are really bad at cow/doe management. Hell think of the “Earn a buck” programs in eastern states. We claim is about wildlife management but we all really want is a bull/buck tag. Myself included.

I would bet the hunter effort on an antler less tag is often much less as well.

I admit I do not know this specific unit, so it may not be the case here, but when the herd numbers grow beyond the management we can achieve but hunting, what else should they do.

Let’s say they call in hunters to do this which we would all prefer. I am sure they had some concern of the shootout we saw a couple years ago in MT or WY I believe we’re a large herd of cows was hunted by a group of roadside hunters that created quite the shitshow for hunters and really bad PR. Nobody wants to see that again.

All that said, really bad PR move, I agree. Not sure the vaguely apologetic response helped much either.


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[signing off]

I'm an eastern guy but see pro953 point.
Bowhunters have been so picky around here that the state added a ton of gun days to the calendar. 41 days total in some form in MO now.

 

[Poltax]

This is really no surprise from the Utah DWR. They would not want to help out the public in any way. At least the meat was donated.