Any Goodale reports/pics?
- Thread starter BossBrott
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
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BOHNTR
Very Active Member
BOHNTR
Very Active Member
Didn't make it up there this Thanksgiving, Josh. My daughter flew back from college (Wyoming) so we had to stay at home. But my partner was up there.....lots of medium sized bucks.....a few decent ones. Nothing like years ago, though.
Here's what USED to come out of this unit:
imnrut
New Member
- Apr 14, 2013
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Ahhhh Roy, I still pee a little when I think about that deer. One of the most unique bucks I've ever seen come out of the area. It really wasn't that long ago if you think about it. However, Goodale is in desperate need of a modification. Over three decades of harvesting above average bucks has taken its toll. One of the worst managed areas that I can think of. There has been one quota change since 1980 when the hunt began, and that was an increase in tags. The older age class bucks, what's left anyway, don't stand much of a chance against the hunter and his posse combing the hills this time of year. I think those sought after genetics are still present but have been depleted to some extent. I'll take a quote from Jim Heffelfinger, "No matter how good the nutrition and genetics of the area, the population will NOT contain large bucks unless they are allowed to reach the older age classes." Hopefully the folks at DFG will see the light one day soon. I would love to show my kids what I saw when I was a boy.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
You guys are right. I've pretty much been gone from California for 14 1/2 years, been back deer hunting 3 times. In the last 25 to 30 years, I've seen a big drop in the type of big bucks (in Fact deer numbers period) that I had seen all my life hunting Calif. I believe it coincides with the total protection of lions there. I can remember when I was a teenager in the mid 50's, we used to see hundreds of deer in the Bridgeport area on a weekend hunt. 3 years ago on the last hunt I was on in California, my cousin who works for USFS and had never been in that area before commented to me....How long has it been since there was a fire in here? I said I never remember one. He said it looked to him that it had been at least 100 years since the last one. I started to really take notice.....lots of huge trees, very little feed for deer...they don't eat trees! When we got home I got out a bunch of old pictures, what a difference in the last 50 years!
BOHNTR
Very Active Member
Truer words have not been spoken, my friend......and if anyone knows that herd and its trends, it would be you. I sure wish they'd let it rebound.
imnrut
New Member
- Apr 14, 2013
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Definitely part of the problem as well. In any area. I don't even like talking about since we can't to much to change it here in this lovely state.
Very interesting to hear your side on fires and such. Good points. At least the deer in X12 are managed a little better since they are considered interstate herds.