Dec. rifle hunts

[KaibabHunter]

Would anyone burn 10 pts for this hunt?

[Snapshot]

Would anyone burn 10 pts for this hunt?

 

I would burn 10 points for a unit 27 December hunt....in a heartbeat. Only 25 people in that big unit would be a quality experience, with the possibility of a 30" buck? You bet!

 

The thing is, I have never had 10 points for deer. I always include a 3,4,5 choice on my app, and usually get drawwn for something. I just like to hunt, even if it is a marginal unit on a 3rd choice.

[donniedent]

Well, I actually traded emails with a guy in the know at the dept and his explanation was great. I will paraphrase:

 

They have new hunt guidelines and have to now manage for higher buck/doe ratios. All of those units lost 75 tags in earlier hunts but 25 of those 75 were moved to a late hunt. All the areas recomended for late hunts have low success on the general hunts but have stable or increasing herd numbers. They are still cutting 50 or so tags per unit to try and start to manage for higher buck/doe ratios. And its looking like it will be a 10 day hunt.

 

In reference to point restrictions.... they simply do not work. It has been proven in study after study and by many states that point restrictions don't put older age class deer on the ground. We want more mature bucks but we also want to target them? You'll end up with alot of poaching.

 

I dream of the prospect of actually hunting during the rut with a rifle. I love the idea of hunting the rut but I was more concerned with what it would do to the herds. Herd health and numbers is by far my biggest concern, not whether I get to hunt during the rut. But..... I think game and fish did make a good call. I didn't know they were dropping at least 50 tags per unit and I will be applying for one of those late hunts!!!!!

[ScottAdams]

In unit 27 G&F dropped 175 tags off the November hunt and added the 25 December tags. I'm really excited about this hunt. I certainly don't think 25 tags in Dec. is going to put much of a dent in the 27 mule deer herd. Not all 25 tags will fill and a few will bust younger bucks for one reason or another. My sons and I see some really big bucks in December although the rut in my area really doesn't kick in high gear until January. I'm glad they're offering this hunt and I'm sure it will be a big hit with hunters.

[308Nut]

Anytime you put older bucks on the ground it opens the door for young ones to become old. Let the old ones die of old age and crop the young ones, the herd suffers, period.

[brian390]

I like how they're adding December hunts for deer in different units. Some of these units, if not all, will be quality hunts.

[1stcoues75]

I couldn't agree more with 308nut. Another managment unit I would like to see the game and fish experiment with is 37b. I don't know maybe cut out one of the early hunts all together and put 25 or 50 December tag? I live in a community very close to 37b and honestly every fall I see way to many younger bucks killed. I honestly think it has great potential if it were to be managed correctly

[Flatlander]

There are no deer in unit 37B.

[1stcoues75]

Haha that's pretty close to the truth

[donniedent]

so can anyone make a guess at what the draw odds are gonna be? With that few tags, if everyone that applies for 1st and 2nd choice hunts in the units applies for the dec hunt.... it'll be the same kind of draw odds we see on the strip. I ran the numbers on the 17 hunt and for 17a and 17b there were a total of around 2500 first and second choice combined applicants last year. there are 25 tags in there so that would make draw odds around 1%. I don't know that I will bother applying.

 

Donnie

[BeardownAZ]

The reduction in November hunts for 27 would seem to be the way to go. Its unbeliavable how bad its gotten up there and how many people you see everywhere.I dont even put in up there anymore and would rather hunt up there than anywhere else. To much money to lose by reducing to many tags otherwise I believe they would of done it along time ago.

[Snapshot]

The reduction in November hunts for 27 would seem to be the way to go. Its unbeliavable how bad its gotten up there and how many people you see everywhere.I dont even put in up there anymore and would rather hunt up there than anywhere else. To much money to lose by reducing to many tags otherwise I believe they would of done it along time ago.

 

I have hunted unit 27 since the late 70's. Back then there were a few thousand tags over two different hunts for this unit (Any antlered). The 900 tags they have had for some years is a drop in the bucket compared to the permits that used to be available. Much less crowded now then back then. But the deer numbers are much less also.

 

I see alot of people by the roads. But where I hike into to hunt for the day I almost never see anybody. But it can get crowded in the more easily hunted terrain. 4 Bar Mesa is a good example.

 

What concerns me is the increase in whitetail tags. They are now at 600.I believe This will cause overcrowding in some of the better whitetail areas,as well as much more OHV travel from the weekend warrior crowd. I strongly disagree with the reasoning behind the G&F permit increases. Increased opportunity means a decrease in a quality hunting experience. If anything they should split the permits between more hunts in this unit.

[1stcoues75]

So with all this being said. I'm wondering how many dedicated coues hunters are going to put in for these hunts to try an take a giant Muley?

[200"mulie]

So with all this being said. I'm wondering how many dedicated coues hunters are going to put in for these hunts to try an take a giant Muley?

 

you know i will

[1stcoues75]

Its been a long time since I've put in for mule deer but that is going to change this year. I still need one of them long earred animals on my wall