utah elk survey

nuts4bucks · Sep 21, 2009

i just got an e-mail from utah fish and game about a random elk survey. it said the current management plan expires next year and wanted my input. im a non resident and have never had the chance to hunt elk in utah. im just like all the other fools appling just dreaming about getting a tag someday before i die. well what should i tell them.

is this some super secrect survey as they gave me my own unique i.d. number and said for me not to forward this email as that would only mess up the results of the survey.

NMPaul · Sep 21, 2009

I am in same boat as you. I just answered the questions the best I can. I answered the questions in the interest of quality.

bingo · Sep 21, 2009

I am a Utah resident with 13 elk points, 2 deer points, also mtn goat, bear, cougar, moose, and desert bighorn points. I also answered the questions in the interest of quality. Basically I said I am in favor of the plan as it is, with minor tweeking as needed.

Midnight2 · Sep 21, 2009

Completed my survey too. To bad I get drawn for surveys instead of Big Bull Tags!

I enjoy hunting for elk every year on the Front. But I have to give up hunting with a rifle. I have enjoyed it so much ever since I bought a bow back almost 9 years ago.

No bashing on rifles... but primitive hunting has allowed me to hunt the extended area due to no-rifle policy. I have felt I have had to wait several years now to put in... I am nearly there or half way there, don't screw with hunting for big bulls now, if we all wanted to hunt for any rag-horn bull, we all can drive to ID or CO.

For me...I have taken a 250 (2004) bull and (2009)260 bull off the Front in the general tag. Until that first kill, I actually went to Colorado for the general season tag. Got into bulls and enjoyed hunting them.

In 2005 I assisted two other people that drew out with their tags and didn't even really get to hunt here, but tagging along and filming the hunt and being a part of their team was just as much fullfilling to me as I was in the wildest rut frenzy i'd ever experience in my life. It was worth every moment. I have some of the best video footage that I would never had experience or capture had I not had a camera.

Shooting the animal is not the best thrill of the hunt. I love watching them... But yes I love having a tag in my pocket too.

Just some late night bs for thought.

Midnight

fish4evr · Sep 22, 2009

Just wondering how you all answered question #28

28. In your opinion, what would the above bull elk score, using a traditional gross Boone & Crockett score?

Fish4evr

Coyote_chaser · Sep 22, 2009

I scored him 320.. How about the part about giving tags to ranchers!!! LMAO I was leaning towards moving the rifle out of the rut..

1911 · Sep 22, 2009

I sure got the feeling that a couple of those questions were loaded...

Deerlove · Sep 23, 2009

Coyote I scored that bull at 280. lol

deadibob · Sep 23, 2009

I scored the bull at 280 as well. I think they want to know if you know what your talking about before they pay too much attention to your answers. I also feel some of the questions were loaded and they only gave you a few possible answers. Surprise, Surprise.

I put an emphasis on more archery, muzzy tags and moving the rifle hunt out of the rut.

The thing is, when I scored that bull at 280 I felt I was being a little generous.

Coyote_chaser · Sep 23, 2009

I just dont understand the emphasis on age class, there are so many factors that come into play that cannot be controlled for age. Predation, hard winters etc. And some bulls just dont have the genetics to produce 380+ hardware. Wasatch perfect example... Prism put up those 4 bulls he helped kill a few years back, all bulls over 8 years old and average score was like 330-340... Go for bull/cow ratio IMO

Deerlove · Sep 23, 2009

BOB sounds like we answered questions the same way.

monstermuleyman · Sep 23, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 11:27AM (MST)[p]Im right there with ya Yote... i put him right around 315...
My question is.. why even send out these surveys? We all know the Utah DWR will do whatever its biologist say anyway.. hence the reason our mule deer herds have gone down the shitter..

I to put an emphasis on more archery, muzzy tags and moving the rifle hunt out of the rut.

deadibob · Sep 23, 2009

On the comment section I told them to start listening to public input if they are going to bother asking for it. I also asked them that they mandate the wildlife board to follow the wishes of the RAC committees.

wileywapati · Sep 23, 2009

Alright I was one of many that helped put the survey together.

I would hope if you do get invited to take the survey that you express your opinions. Several groups and interests were involved in putting this survey together. Including sportsmans groups, livestock interests DWR biologists, RAC members, BLM and Forest service representatives.

To say that DWR Biologists " do what they want any way" couldn't be further from the truth.

Age classifications come from what the quality side of the sportsmans interests asked for ( Older = bigger supposedly )
to be all for quality and be against age classifications is not logical. Make up your mind.

The data from this survey will have a great influence on the new elk plan. Not taking either side here ( opportunity vs quality ) just hoping that if you receive an invite to this survey you treat it seriously and share your opinion.

NMPaul · Sep 23, 2009

If it was the first elk I scored him 300. What do I win??

Deerlove · Sep 24, 2009

Well you dont need glasses, because that's not a 320 bull.

logslinger · Sep 25, 2009

I scored the bull at 300 and felt like during the whole survey that is the size of bull we should look forward to taking. I also said that being an archery hunter to move the dates into Sept more ,make a separate hunt for the spike hunter not during someones LE archery hunt and to move the gun hunt out of the rut. If they are going to shoot at them from 1000 yards they don't need to call them in.

bigmikea · Sep 25, 2009

I didnt get the survey but I wish I did I am not apposed to age class but it needs to be manditory that every bull is repoted. The other thing is they need to account for success take a unit like the dutton this year the success will have been less than 20% so they need to look that only a few people were able to harvest what they consider a trophy. Whatever that maybe in there eyes. Im not saying that everyone is intitled to kill a big bull but kill pecentage needs to be taked into account.

I think the most important thing they should do is move everything back and get the rifle out of the rut and give the elk a day or two break between hunts like they did this year between the riffle and muzz hunts. It is a joke that you have to put up with every tom ##### and harry for the last 3 or 4 days of your archery hunt just as it starts to get good.

THEN STOP KILLING SPIKES!!!!!! Kill more mature bulls

I didn't get the survey so there are my thoughts

elkantlers · Sep 25, 2009

I scored the bull on the survey at 300". I think they wanted to see how many people don't know what they are talking about.

Still waiting to spend my 16 elk points.

deerbedead · Sep 26, 2009

I didn't see the survey, but I'd say they need to separate the hunts more as has been stated.

I had a limited archery tag this year and the last 4 days of the hunt were the best 4 days for bugling action, and seeing elk, but... they were filled with rifle hunters rolling in to set up camp, and driving around the hills calling and messing with the elk while us guys were trying to seal the deal on a bull before our hunt ended.

We need to have some time between hunts so that we don't get crowded out by the next season's tagholders. Most guys show up 2-4 days early, so at least give 4-5 days between hunts.

I also agree that the archery needs to be extended to capture a little more of the rut.

Move the rifle hunt into October after the muzzleloader hunt. No sense in having it in prime rut. I'm not a diehard archer either. I just think we need to adjust it a little to get it right.

I'm not sure on the spike hunts. I can take them with the archery season, as I only saw a few killed with bows. (my 13 year old daughter had a spike tag, and hunted right alongside me on my limited bull tag almost every day of the season. We had a blast, and thought the spike action was better than the big bull action till the last 4 days of the hunt. She didn't get one, but did get a few shots.) But the rifle hunts look like they will be bad for the herds. I'm afraid that in some units the spikes will be pounded and a whole age class will be severely overharvested.

I'm sure there are lots of other ideas, but I think these would be better than the alternatives.