yotebuster Report post Posted January 11, 2013 CouesRanger, I totally agree with you on all accounts. Utah has implemented antler restrictions and the trophy quality has shown significant improvement. In fact, Elk Hunter Magazine recently ranked a limited draw Utah bull tag as the No. 1 quality bull elk hunt in the west over Arizona. The problem with Colorado is they simply offer way too many tags with so many of them being OTC. You aren't going to make many friends on this forum by bringing up this topic though. Whenever it gets brought up everyone becomes a meat hunter and doesn't care about antlers anymore. I am a trophy hunter through and through and to me some delicious lean meat is a nice "bonus." Maybe that makes my motives wrong in some peoples eyes but at least I am honest with myself. I really don't see how people are willing to spend $1000+ on optics, $1000+ on long rang rifles, $$$$$ on tags, licenses, camping gear, 4x4 trucks, gas, meat processing, ammo, etc., etc. and then say all that really matters is the meat. You are looking at hundreds of dollars/pound for game meat when all is said and done. Last I checked T-bones were only about $10/lb at the grocery store. If it really is all about the meat then just put in for a cow tag every year and let us that care about antlers propose things like antler restrictions. The odds and success rates are a lot better for cow tags. With the way G&F keeps increasing tags it is going to get harder and harder to find trophy animals. Everybody wants to kill a monster but no one is willing to sacrafice the chance of killing a spike or raghorn for a few years to increase the age class of the animals. If I'm not mistaken don't all of the Limited Draw units in Utah have spike only hunts as their main hunt? I don't see how the fact that the few LE bull tags not allowing you to fill with a spike has any relation when they shoot a bunch of spikes in the same unit in a spike only hunt. The game and fish decides to manage a population for x number of bulls per 100 cows, if they offer a spike only hunt to keep up hunter interest and manage populations, that seems counter intuitive to what you guys are preaching doesn't it??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucafu1 Report post Posted January 11, 2013 hopefully the trophy hunters will start passing on the spikes and rag horns on the last few days so us hunters who enjoy bringing something back will have more to choose from. everyone wants a monster bull, but some of also enjoy putting meat in the freezer. its not just about the meat or the horns, its about getting out there and having fun. i dont need a huge rack to feel like a hunter or that i accomplished something, i just need to get out there. so when they put a restriction on bulls it just turns it into a trophy sport IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesRanger Report post Posted January 13, 2013 We do pass on spikes and raghorns on the last days of our hunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gotcoues Report post Posted January 13, 2013 I love the idea of antler restrictions! I love big bucks, the more the better. Unfortunately, what is right for me is not necessarily fair for everyone else. No on antler restrictions. BUT.... I think certain units managed for large bulls and bucks is good. Less general hunts for elk in 9. Maybe give out a lot less buck tags on the kaibab. The 36s' have lots of left over tags. Shut one of em down for a few years. Limit the tags to trophy hunts only. 150 Dec tags, 150 Jan tags and 150 Feb tags! Now that would be a coues hunters dream to get those! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
