BuzzH
Well-known member
I believe that overt-all the WYGF does a great job, there are some minor things that can be adjusted on a yearly basis, mainly just quotas.
The Wilderness guide law is a dead end that would require legislation to be repealed. It would be nice to see that happen, but IMO, its more of a perception problem as those that gripe it about would likely not hunt wilderness areas much. I think its the idea that causes the most angst, and understandably so.
The issue of mule deer is being addressed via mule deer working groups. I am not in favor of any more LQ areas, choose a region, or any of that. I am also not in favor of APR's other than in a short term deal to increase buck to doe ratio's. That's been discussed at length on this board and others, long term APR's are a joke and don't work at all. IMO, it would be wise to focus on growing the deer herd, which means things like eliminating youth doe harvest. You grow a herd by keeping does and fawns alive, not limiting buck harvest. Another way to help mule deer, for those that seem so concerned about...is to stop blastjng mule deer "to fill the freezer". IMO, mule deer isn't that great from a table fare standpoint. If people need to "fill the freezer," that's what cow elk are for and we have a lot of opportunity for that. Plus the meat is wayyy better than mule deer. Wyoming hunters also forget that we have another species of deer as well, hunt whitetails rather than filling a tag on a mule deer.
As far as regions G and H, if cuts need to happen, continue to cut NR tags first. I think that shorter seasons with a later starting date, closer to October 1 combined with a shorter over-all season would be a good idea.
The best thing that anyone can do is to stay in contact with the GF and the biologists in the area you hunt. Quit trying to out-think them with arm-chair fixes and stupid ideas like long term APR's...the science is in on that discussion. Use LQ areas as a last resort when called for. Think growing the deer herd over-all versus trying to just force regulations that grow bigger bucks. Think season timing, length, etc. (that includes looking at shorter archery seasons too).
The GF does a tremendous job of balancing hunter opportunity with season length, maintaining buck to doe ratio's, and also trying to grow the over-all population. Our migration studies are going well, and we're finding things out that may help long-term. Continuing to focus on habitat is a good idea too.
As to the corner crossing issue, its a non-issue, many of us do it all the time and its not being actively enforced at all....about like parking next to a highway or freeway to access public land.
I'll be continuing to work with the biologists in the areas I hunt most to adjust elk objective numbers, help mule deer, etc. etc. These threads are great for airing of the grievances, but not where problems get solved.
The Wilderness guide law is a dead end that would require legislation to be repealed. It would be nice to see that happen, but IMO, its more of a perception problem as those that gripe it about would likely not hunt wilderness areas much. I think its the idea that causes the most angst, and understandably so.
The issue of mule deer is being addressed via mule deer working groups. I am not in favor of any more LQ areas, choose a region, or any of that. I am also not in favor of APR's other than in a short term deal to increase buck to doe ratio's. That's been discussed at length on this board and others, long term APR's are a joke and don't work at all. IMO, it would be wise to focus on growing the deer herd, which means things like eliminating youth doe harvest. You grow a herd by keeping does and fawns alive, not limiting buck harvest. Another way to help mule deer, for those that seem so concerned about...is to stop blastjng mule deer "to fill the freezer". IMO, mule deer isn't that great from a table fare standpoint. If people need to "fill the freezer," that's what cow elk are for and we have a lot of opportunity for that. Plus the meat is wayyy better than mule deer. Wyoming hunters also forget that we have another species of deer as well, hunt whitetails rather than filling a tag on a mule deer.
As far as regions G and H, if cuts need to happen, continue to cut NR tags first. I think that shorter seasons with a later starting date, closer to October 1 combined with a shorter over-all season would be a good idea.
The best thing that anyone can do is to stay in contact with the GF and the biologists in the area you hunt. Quit trying to out-think them with arm-chair fixes and stupid ideas like long term APR's...the science is in on that discussion. Use LQ areas as a last resort when called for. Think growing the deer herd over-all versus trying to just force regulations that grow bigger bucks. Think season timing, length, etc. (that includes looking at shorter archery seasons too).
The GF does a tremendous job of balancing hunter opportunity with season length, maintaining buck to doe ratio's, and also trying to grow the over-all population. Our migration studies are going well, and we're finding things out that may help long-term. Continuing to focus on habitat is a good idea too.
As to the corner crossing issue, its a non-issue, many of us do it all the time and its not being actively enforced at all....about like parking next to a highway or freeway to access public land.
I'll be continuing to work with the biologists in the areas I hunt most to adjust elk objective numbers, help mule deer, etc. etc. These threads are great for airing of the grievances, but not where problems get solved.
