What do you think........?

scruffythemuleysniffer · Mar 20, 2006

I was wondering and mabe this has been discussed before since i am new to this sight. I have been wondering for the last few years if it is possible that the Utah Bow companies Hoyt Easton ECT. may be filling the pockets of the utah fish and game with alot cash for the all the extra bow tags that are left out there for everyone to pick up if they dont draw the rifle or the muzzleloader hunt. I remember just a few years ago being the only one out there bow hunting ( i almost felt like it was illegal or something) and now theres people everywhere think of all the extra money these companys are making because of this.. just a thought I might be wrong but I could be right? Let me know what you think?

BOHNTR · Mar 20, 2006

Frank:

Welcome to the archery section of MonsterMuleys.......now quit watching the Conspiracy Theory!

BOHNTR )))---------->

Lien2 · Mar 21, 2006

Scruffy -
Welcome. I think you are way off base on your thinking. You are no longer the only archery hunter out there because archery has grown in popularity............BIG TIME!

Lien2

Packout · Mar 21, 2006

I think you are onto something. I have attended the RAC meetings for the past 8 years. UBA has been at every RAC that has to do with big game. They always ask for more tags, reasoning that it will draw more rifle hunters to archery, thus lessening the pressure on obtaining rifle tags. Longer seasons, extended areas, better draw odds have all be "reasons" to give bow seasons an attractive appeal for non-archery hunters.

When you look at the power guys over the years in UBA and Timp Archers, you do see that many of them have archery shops or are tied to the archery industry. Of course not all, but when the cowboy hat comes out you know what I am talking about.

I don't think it is a DWR conspiracy, but it the thinking has been "Give more archery tags, longer seasons, unlimited areas, and better odds; it will draw competition from Rifle tags." The idea being pushed by Archery Businesses.

Also you have had 16,000 possible archery deer tags for 10+ years. Add 7,500 dedicated hunters and 15,000 possible youth hunters to mix and you have a lot of bowhunters who could end up in your spot.

c3 · Mar 21, 2006

You're way off on this one. Utah has been within a few hundred permits of selling out for the last 5 seasons. Last year was the first time they actually sold out before the season. The number of bowhunters is actually way down from back in the 80's when choose your weapon was implemented.

Utah has always sold roughly 5000 - 6000 archery elk permits for as long as I can remember. Those tags are no limited and anyone can always go elk hunting with a bow yet those numbers rarely change.

I think Hoyt sells fewer bows now than they did back then. They just have a corner on the very high end of the market with Mathews.

You must have been hunting above Little Dell res. and Lambs canyons all year

Cheers,
Pete

scruffythemuleysniffer · Mar 21, 2006

You know what I hate, when someone ask me my opinion on something and then argues with me about it... so sorry guys I have to argue with you in this one. I dont think any of you can say that you havent had a friend or a friend of a friend that dident draw the rifle or the muzzleloader tag that has never even shot a bow go out and buy one because that was the only way they would be able to hunt the mule deer in the last few years I know at least six or seen people that have done that I live in southern utah and we have defenitly got the brunt of this state wide archery season I dont have a clue how it was in the north before but I know without a doubt that it has had a major impact on the way we have to hunt down here. Ive seen signs on roads stateing theres a archer on a water hole please turn around Theres been guys park ther truck right in the middle of the road trying to block everyone off It wasent like that before I think it may be worse then the kiabab now, and thats saying alot. If you think there is not more people archery huntin now then 6 or 7 years ago come down here. P.S Thanks for welcoming me to the archery forum.

c3 · Mar 22, 2006

The numbers just don't back you up scruffy.

I'm not going to say there aren't more people in your favorite spot. That may well be true, but I can guarantee that there were way more folks with permits back in the mid 80's driving around with bows than there are now.

How many of them get off the road or put up stands now may be way way more and thus your frustration.

Cheers,
Pete

quickdrawkinker · Mar 22, 2006

I can attest to the sudden interest in archery tags, however, I don't think Hoyt has anything to do with it.... In my opinion it's the DWR's way of attempting to solve one problem by creating another---meaning, since the deer numbers are down they've had to reduce the number of rifle tags, but feel like they have to offer hunters a chance (and keep a higher revenue) to hunt by selling over the counter archery tags...

8-10 years ago our group of guys could go out opening weekend (in the southern region) and never see another hunter--oh yes, the good ol' days! Now there are more hunters on the bowhunt than there ever was on the rifle hunt in these areas. Utah needs to be divided into smaller more managable regions and until they do that we can count on the same bs every year. I could go on and on, but I'll do you all a favor and stop.

c3 · Mar 23, 2006

Here are the actual numbers from Big Game annual reports

1970 - 16,775 archery deer hunters
1973 - 25,156
1980 - 18,362
1985 - 27,671
1990 - 28,687
1992 - 30,016 (peak year that I can find)
1993 - 23,721 (first year of choose your weapon)
1994 - 11,019
1997 - 12,742
2001 - 11,784
2004 - 13,898
2005 - 14,195

Quite frankly this whole discussion of "the good ole days" when it comes to the number of hunters afield is BS

Cheers,
Pete