Random "success rate" question

[Ca_Vermonster]

Just curious on thoughts. Want to take my younger son (16) to hunt with my older son in Utah, just a general deer tag. The unit I am looking at, they give out a few hundred tags, and the success rate is listed as around 15%. We are not picky at all, its about getting out, having fun, and bringing home meat. So, we will shoot a forkie if the opportunity presents itself.

My question is, do you think the success rates are lower in some places because people hold out for bigger bucks, and then just never fill their tag, or bad deer numbers, or a combination of both? If you have someone like my older son to scout ahead of time and are able at least getting a little bit off the beaten path, do you think in most cases tags are fillable if you're not picky?

 

[JimP]

A lot could have to do with the unit. A unit that depends on the migration may be real good if you hit it right, or hit it wrong and you might not see a thing.

I was down in the Abajo Mountains a number of years ago and the migration was done and over with by the time that the general season came around. We saw a few does and fawns before the hunt but very few during the hunt. And only a single buck standing on private sticking his tongue out at us.

Let me know what unit it is and if I know anything about it I'll let you know

 

[prhunter]

I think it could be a combination of both... people holding out for bigger bucks and/or never filling their tag.