Deer Herd Numbers on the Beaver

It's as low as I have ever seen it. Dramatically lower, I think the drought is having a huge impact on deer numbers.
 
Never seen so few deer along the Parowan Front as this year. Hoping they are hanging out up higher, but not looking good south of Beaver either.
 
I stopped hunting there 2 years ago for deer. Between the drought, predators , landowners wacking dozens of doe deer in their fields on the east side of the range, cattle over grazing, elk taking over habitat and an over issuance of deer tags to hunters...it's taken a quick turn downward in the last 4 years. And I love hunting this unit.

Did I miss anything there?


Pretty sad...
 
elkassassin said:
Compared to what it Should & Could Be!

YES IT IS!
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We'll, when guys within my hunting group keep killing 190"+ bucks year after year, it's hard to complain. Yep, two more 200"+ bucks were taken this past year on two separate units. When someone from the basin can't find a single 170" buck year after year, I can see why they think the whole state has gone to crap. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the units west of I-15 have benefitted greatly from the new 30 sub unit plan. I'm looking forward to hunting a new area this next season and am excited to see what I can turn up.
 
elkassassin said:
There's a 240"ER Waiting,Right?

I Guess You Didn't Notice the Last Few Years What's being Harvested off the Henry's & the Pauns?
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Are you talking about the buck people are seeing buy Lisbon Valley? I just keep hearing There 240 rumors, no proof.
 
I stopped hunting Beaver three years ago. In my experience hunting there it went from good to horrible in just one year.
 
766B4209-E99A-4FF5-B864-10B88CE2D259.jpeg

southernutahhunter said:
Anyone been on the Beaver unit who can give some insight to deer numbers?
Click to expand...
I killed the last good buck on the mountain this year.
 
Cutting tags on the Beaver, right now cutting tags is not working, why not get the DWR to go to 3 point or better and 5 day hunt for muzzleloader and rifle, 9 day for archery, this will save a lot of small bucks on the Beaver, you can even do this on the Monroe, MT Dutton.
 
I’m going to take Ridges side on this one. Could it be better, sure but it is not that bad considering they are general units. Some of the units I have been hunting since 2014 are not known as good units. Leftover tags on most of those years. I like having a tag and opportunity as often as I can and make the best of it from there. Unlike Ridge I do not have 200” bucks on my wall but for general units I am satisfied with what I have found. I’m excited for another year and opportunity.
 
You don't have to cut tags, if they go 3 point or better and a 5 day hunt, I guess twopointdn you like killing spikes and little two points that looks like a pet 50 us off the road. Let them grow up
 
Everyone always talks about the bucks. If you really want to increase your deer herd, you need to find a way to increase the amount of does in the herd. If you increase the doe herd, the buck hunting will get better with time. Add 5,000 does to the herd and see what happens to the buck hunting!! The does on the Beaver are way down right now, so the number of bucks is down. Everyone talking about bucks want a better hunt, but won’t help the herd. There are enough bucks to cover the does.
 
I've been on the Beaver for 65 plus years and when you see a lot does with out fawns, their not enough bucks and I agree with coyoteslayer their not enough does, their just not very many deer.
 
elkassassin said:
Hey Deer?

WTH You Been?

So?

You're the CULPRIT Why There Ain't Nothing Left on the Beaver?
Click to expand...
I’ve been hiding out working on myself haha. I’m definitely not the culprit for low deer numbers. I wish I knew what the real problem was. Even when people were claiming it was bad I was still seeing good numbers and some big bucks. The last two years have just been horrible. Granted I do spend a lot of time on the mountain and know the area well. I’ve had to switch my normal areas to find deer.
That’s the first buck I’ve taken down there in a few years. Deer numbers are low and most are concentrated into small areas and everyone and their dog knows where. I tried a different style of hunting this year instead of spot and stalk I went in after them as quietly as possible hoping one would slip up. This deer happened to slip on a day around noon. I had just got back to camp from hiking all morning and decided to take a wheeler ride to go look for an easy load of wood for camp. I left camp and he was drinking out of spring that crossed the road not even a minute from camp. Yes I was road hunting not expecting what happend but sometimes you get lucky I guess.
I’ve seen a few good ones on the winter ground one easily over the 200” mark. It was my last year dedicated and I may kick myself in the a$$ later but I’m going to go pound the red sand on the Zion this year with a rifle.
 
elkassassin said:
So Deer?

New Style?

Hunting on a F'N Wheeler?:D:D:D
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I knew you would like that one. But hey sometimes it happens when least expected. I actually left camp without the muzz and decided to go back and get it. Glad I did. I drew a summer bear tag down there so hoping the bear hunting is better than the deer hunting has been.
 
dogvalleymule said:
You don't have to cut tags, if they go 3 point or better and a 5 day hunt, I guess twopointdn you like killing spikes and little two points that looks like a pet 50 us off the road. Let them grow up
Click to expand...

You odiously don’t know me very well to assume I’m killing spikes and two points with my general tags. Like Ridge I put in my efforts to make the best of what ever opportunity the draw gives me, if I have no luck in the draw I pick up a leftover. My hunting parter has nothing to complain about as well. The mountains have been good to us the last seven years that we have been hunting together. You can find doom and gloom anywhere you look for it but I’m not seeing it in the several units I hunt. Things were off last years but that was comparing past years were we would see over 30 bucks on opening day to last year where I seen 17 bucks on opening day. We noticed a difference but we did not complain about only seeing 17 bucks. We keep the perspective that we have general tags in our pockets and have fun, which is the purpose for me being on the mountain.
 
dogvalleymule said:
Cutting tags on the Beaver, right now cutting tags is not working, why not get the DWR to go to 3 point or better and 5 day hunt for muzzleloader and rifle, 9 day for archery, this will save a lot of small bucks on the Beaver, you can even do this on the Monroe, MT Dutton.
Click to expand...
Most likely they will cut more tags this coming year and mostly likely more mature bucks will be showing up after the hunts are over in the next few years.
 
I agree with Dogvalleymule. I have been in this Beaver unit 50+ years. Been through hard winters, and seen years when there was no water at all, but this has been a trend on the Beaver for the past several years now. All of you are right when you say there are no deer, not just bucks. But when you can go in the hills during rut season and find groups of doe time after time with no buck around, something is wrong. That is the reason you do not see a good fawn crop. I watched the Paunsaugunt unit get to this same point and the only way they could bring the herd back was to shut it down for 5 years. These deer are not going to just come running back to the Beaver overnight. All of these units in Southern Utah are poor in numbers, so where are they going to come from. The DWR are not willing to really state the deer numbers, in fact if you remember just a year ago they came out and said we had more deer than ever in Utah. If they all suddenly died, we should be falling over dead caucuses. Why not try a 3 point or better hunt and limit the days that can be hunted. What few deer we have left are hunted form Mid August to Mid November. I think you call can agree that they way it is currently being managed is not working, except for those who seem to find 30 bucks in a day. The deer must have all taken up home in the same area, that the rest of us cannot seem to find.
 
I have hunted the beaver unit for 18 years. Just like any general unit, there are still good bucks to be had. However, I have definitely seen a large drop off in # of quality deer in the last 5 or so years.
 

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