WGFD license proposals 2022, big cuts to Antelope.

go_deep

Veteran member
Nov 30, 2014
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Wyoming
If the critters are down, cut the doe tags - all of em. Shooting does is population reduction - say to keep the winter range from being overrun. With the decline of the animals, does should become protected. Such a simple solution.

As for NR's having meltdowns - happens about the same as Rs on some forums.

The whole 90/10 threat - either do it or don't. Just don't drag it out and keep tossing it in our faces. As a NR, we like to plan our hunts, it gives us enjoyment for a year or more - remove that with some BS bonus point thing and steal the ability to plan our hunts a few-5-10 years out - turn it into a win/lose kind of lottery. That hurts more than the not hunting. The loss of the dream or long term plans is a pretty tough pill to swallow.

I don't see anything wrong with late season hunts or applying for tags, even if you openly oppose them. If the deer are gonna die - you might as well be the one pulling the trigger. Just don't get the science behind it, they say the mature bucks have the most prions. What about mature does? Just as old, likely have just as many prions.

At the G&F meeting the other night Lee Knox the biologist stated that in areas where they kill bucks and does and do testing, bucks have CDW at a 2x+ rate as does.

I can't say I like the idea, I do understand they have to try something. But like my old boss is to say, you can try anything once. Hopefully there's something left to try with when they're done.
 
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Yell Co AR Hunter

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Dec 10, 2015
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In Arkansas they had fawns testing positive at a 30% rate in the hot zone. This area is where the elk were reintroduced many years ago. My thoughts on CWD are the deer will either adapt and over come CWD or they will not. I don't think there is anything humans can do to change the end result. When CWD was found testing increased which led to more cases found.
 

DoubleDropMuley

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Apr 18, 2020
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If it gos through for those hunts in Nov for you guys over that way @BuzzH @wy-tex how many do you think will be ate up by landowners ? I’m not interested in applying for them but was just curious , unless you all want to party permit and have a tag eating brunch 😝😂. At our local game and fish I was really surprised how many tags go to landowners in a LQ elk unit over 50% not cool in my book !!
 
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ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
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Feb 3, 2014
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At the G&F meeting the other night Lee Knox the biologist stated that in areas where they kill bucks and does and do testing, bucks have CDW at a 2x+ rate as does.

I can't say I like the idea, I do understand they have to try something. But like my old boss is to say, you can try anything once. Hopefully there's something left to try with when they're done.
Trying for the sake of saying we tried is not good management.
 

DoubleDropMuley

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Apr 18, 2020
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Sounds like the late deer season over east is not gonna happen this year !! Glad to hear it !! Glad they listened to the residents on this !! Now see where it gos in future.
 

wy-tex

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May 2, 2016
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SE Wyoming
It would have been interesting on the landowners for sure. The guy I talked with was not in favor and I bet most were that way. I really wonder if LO would have taken licenses and not hunted them as a protest but that may be wishful thinking.
Next year will be another battle on these licenses.
 

Hilltop

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Feb 25, 2014
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Screw that. Not this guy. I learned on a different forum that if a state issues doe tags (MT deer), hunters should fill them. I'll take that thinking to WY.
Completely understand where you are coming from. A hunter shouldn't feel guilty filling a permit issued by the state agency in charge of managing that resource. That said, I think they are doing a crappy job in the management department so I can see why some residents are taking matters into their own hands in an effort to help the population recover.
 

DoubleDropMuley

Active Member
Apr 18, 2020
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Screw that. Not this guy. I learned on a different forum that if a state issues doe tags (MT deer), hunters should fill them. I'll take that thinking to WY.
I definitely wouldn’t use that thinking on muledeer, not in a good state now so why shoot does, at our local G&F meeting it’s because landowners having some damage, so I would get those tags and eat them, and let some does live to make some more !!
But I try and get whitetail doe tags in the initial draw and no leftover Muley doe tags to be had to try and save a couple. Whiteys eat better IMO !!
 
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BuzzH

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Apr 15, 2015
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Screw that. Not this guy. I learned on a different forum that if a state issues doe tags (MT deer), hunters should fill them. I'll take that thinking to WY.
I absolutely would fill them in Montana, its a race to B.O.T.
 

wy-tex

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May 2, 2016
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SE Wyoming
Screw that. Not this guy. I learned on a different forum that if a state issues doe tags (MT deer), hunters should fill them. I'll take that thinking to WY.
You're more than welcome to fill those licenses but sometimes when you get to your hunting area you can see that actually those doe licenses might be better left unfilled. No issue if you choose to fill them.
 

Colorado Cowboy

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Jun 8, 2011
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Screw that. Not this guy. I learned on a different forum that if a state issues doe tags (MT deer), hunters should fill them. I'll take that thinking to WY.
Like I stated in a previous post. In the units I hunt, I have noticed a big population drop, especially in does. The last hunt, 2 years ago, I actually think we saw as many bucks as does and hardly any fawns and yearlings. I will not be applying for a couple of years for sure.
 
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dan maule

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Jan 3, 2015
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Upper Michigan
Like I stated in a previous post. In the units I hunt, I have noticed a big population drop, especially in does. The last hunt, 2 years ago, I actually think we saw as many bucks as does and hardly any fawns and yearlings. I will not be applying for a couple of years for sure.
That was my experience last year as well. Seemed to be about 50% bucks in the area we hunted but the folks hunting the same area were filling more doe tags then bucks tags. Watched a guy that was set up on a herd with a really nice buck, we were wondering why he wasn’t shooting. When he finally shot the buck was still standing, then he shot again and I realized he shot two does. Spoke to him a little later and he only had doe tags. I was surprised how many doe hunters there were because we weren’t seeing a lot of does.
 
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Prerylyon

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Apr 25, 2016
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Cedar Rapids, IA
"It's legal so I'm gonna shoot it" isn't how I was raised.
Sorry. AFAIK, if it's brown, it's down. I don't have the luxury of being choosy or lavish in my hunting kit, or the tags I can apply for; for the foreseeable future. If it wasn't for the reduced price tags, I would not have been able to hunt in 2018, 2019, 2021 in WY. Those hunts, aside from the enjoyable, selfish vacation they were, got me afield learning how to hunt out west and exploring new units.

Reduced priced doe/junk tags, whatever you call them, provide an economical means that affords a wider group of hunters the opportunity to participate in the sport and get afield. Not every nonresident can drop a few hundred $ on a buck tag, let alone even draw one.

Now, it is true that it isn't in anyone's interest to shoot out a resource, even if legal, I get that. I learned to limit my talk of specific units and areas in open forums; and will say I would think most folks do some level of research (in my case even scouting in the late spring if I can make it out, talking to resident friends on the ground, etc) and apply/hunt in units with sustainable herds. It's not in a hunter'sn interest to waste a trip to a barren area.

Anyhow, like I said, if I draw a doe tag this year someplace, I fully intend to fill it.
 

Rich M

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Oct 16, 2012
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Sorry. AFAIK, if it's brown, it's down. I don't have the luxury of being choosy or lavish in my hunting kit, or the tags I can apply for; for the foreseeable future. If it wasn't for the reduced price tags, I would not have been able to hunt in 2018, 2019, 2021 in WY. Those hunts, aside from the enjoyable, selfish vacation they were, got me afield learning how to hunt out west and exploring new units.

Reduced priced doe/junk tags, whatever you call them, provide an economical means that affords a wider group of hunters the opportunity to participate in the sport and get afield. Not every nonresident can drop a few hundred $ on a buck tag, let alone even draw one.

Now, it is true that it isn't in anyone's interest to shoot out a resource, even if legal, I get that. I learned to limit my talk of specific units and areas in open forums; and will say I would think most folks do some level of research (in my case even scouting in the late spring if I can make it out, talking to resident friends on the ground, etc) and apply/hunt in units with sustainable herds. It's not in a hunter'sn interest to waste a trip to a barren area.

Anyhow, like I said, if I draw a doe tag this year someplace, I fully intend to fill it.
You have the opportunity to go and should if you want to. Enjoy it while you can.
90/10 is gonna come along and change stuff yet even more.

I only wanted to go a couple of times. Crossing the country is diff than being closer. I'm about 35 hours drive 1-way from where I hope to hunt in 2023. Gonna get it done and figure out the next bucket list trip. The two icons of the west were a buck muley and a buck antelope. 1 down, 1 to go.
 
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Prerylyon

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You have the opportunity to go and should if you want to. Enjoy it while you can.
90/10 is gonna come along and change stuff yet even more.

I only wanted to go a couple of times. Crossing the country is diff than being closer. I'm about 35 hours drive 1-way from where I hope to hunt in 2023. Gonna get it done and figure out the next bucket list trip. The two icons of the west were a buck muley and a buck antelope. 1 down, 1 to go.
90/10 can KMA; and prob a lot of other NRs'.

I can remember as a boy in the 1980s being thrilled hearing the Eastman's @ sporting shows in PA really promoting western hunting. The more well to do folks back east prob hired outfitters, some went on more spendy ranch hunts; others, maybe less affluent, camped out or camped out in their trucks DIY; testament to the 'coyoting out' section that lives on today on the forum.

Whether more affluent or blue collar, non resident hunters have spent big money on everything from gas to groceries; adding capital to western states enconomies over many years.

Maybe times have changed. I get it. If western states feel 90/10 won't reduce their haul of out state hunters' contributions to their respective economies, nor care, then I guess it will be what it is. Certainly in times past, it was enough of a business to motivate the Eastman's (among others) to head east 2 time zones and work the crowds at the hunting shows.
 

wy-tex

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May 2, 2016
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SE Wyoming
I wouldn't call 90/10 a given by any means.
Right now a good push is for a R leftover draw before the NR draw or not rolling under allocated licenses from the R draw into the NR draw , put them into the leftover draw. NR would keep the quota they have, 20% for their first drawing, no roll over from the R drawing though.
Outfitters want set asides and Rs are against those for the most part.

I think the Commission will look hard at other ways to increase R opportunity to draw before going 90/10 .

No doubt NR contribute to economies in the towns near their hunting destinations but Rs also spend on their hunting trips and many times we can make more than one trip to fill a license and thus spend more perhaps over the season than a NR on a week long hunt.
 
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