My 2 cents on the Junior Hunt.....

[Big Lew]

Lew I have no problem shutting it down if that would help
this would of coarse have be all user groups not one group at a time
i still do not believe shortening the youth season will do any help at all to the decline of ungulates
If it is that bad that we need to shorten a youth season ,it should be closed to all user groups .

Yes, all groups should also participate. There are many ways to help re-build the various herbivore populations
but most of us don't want to step forward. We would rather take what we can now even knowing there's less
and less available then hold off for the possibility things will be better in the long run. It's the same with resisting
any restriction on points. It's not all doom and gloom though, I know of several youths, both boys and girls, that
refused to shoot a little spike, holding off for something more mature. My son was one of them.

[Taurusguy]

Maybe there isnt the shortage of unglulates as people suspect... maybe they are just moving into mountains and forests that are not as accessible to people as we are all used to and have gotten smarter over the years.. *shrugs*... there's alot of mountain terrain with no roads on it still where animals can go and not be seen for a long time.

[Ourea]

Maybe there isnt the shortage of unglulates as people suspect... maybe they are just moving into mountains and forests that are not as accessible to people as we are all used to and have gotten smarter over the years.. *shrugs*... there's alot of mountain terrain with no roads on it still where animals can go and not be seen for a long time.

This comment flies in the face of all known empirical data on quantified wildlife populations.

[Bugle M In]

What I can't understand is those that say "it's not the hunters that are responsible for the decline of animal numbers,
it's habitant destruction and predators" Well, we humans are the top predator, plain and simple! Most of us are all
for culling the predatory wolves, bears, coyotes, and even cougars, but we resist any reduction in our hunting opportunities.
I've witnessed the decimation of dear populations in specific valleys by wolves...I've also seen deer populations almost
wiped out by hunters in some areas as well. Each hunter doesn't think they are a problem when they take a couple of
deer every year from an area and they'd be right if it wasn't for the other parade of hunters doing the same thing. A long
time ago most hunters thought there was an ever lasting number of deer, moose, elk, and caribou...something like the
proverbial purse, but like our salmons and over fishing, if the predators, which includes us, keep taking more than what
can be re-produced you are a big part of the problem. Having a short youth season (9 days) is much more reasonable than
having one a whole month long. People fail to realize that if a youth isn't able to get something during those 9 days it's not
the end of their chances, they still have the rest of the general open season just like everyone else.

So hunters destroy the wildlife populations?
Hmmm.
If one considers stuff, like say of late, the Vintners and their vineyards up in the Okanagan, now complaining that the deer are eating up all their plant, thus a call for a "cull".
Or, something like zone x on elk in the EK, because ranchers/farmers and ICBC are finding them also destructive.

I think there is a lot of room out there to blame "other facets" in society, rather then the hunter.
Why do I think this way, well just look at the hunting regs from days gone by til now.
And tell me if all those restrictions over the years have made virtually sweet F'all of a difference.
Just further declines in #'s overall.
No matter where you sit, populations will never achieve historic levels with "Mans') encroachment on lane and destruction!
(notice I didn't have to point fingers at us)
Blaming hunters for "shooting the shit out of wildlife" is just "old fashion talk and thinking", imo.

[Big Lew]

Never said, or meant to suggest that we as hunters are the sole reason for the population declines.
We are a part of it though. Man's encroachment during the last 150 years with his pollution and
taking over so much feeding and wintering grounds is also to blame. The increase in numbers of
predators such as wolves in relation to the herbivore populations is as well. Why are there so many
deer and elk within towns and cities, vineyards and many farms and ranches...numbers similar to
what once was in the country? Because there are few if any predators, including man, preying on them,
and they have more feed available to them then in the woods. We can help restore numbers by dealing
with habitant loss, by reducing natural predator numbers, we can even go to extremes by trying to
reduce the yearly carnage caused by vehicles and especially trains, but we also have to be smarter in
how we regulate our hunting. The recent reduction in yearly bag limits for mule deer is a start.

[Bugle M In]

Never said, or meant to suggest that we as hunters are the sole reason for the population declines.
We are a part of it though. Man's encroachment during the last 150 years with his pollution and
taking over so much feeding and wintering grounds is also to blame. The increase in numbers of
predators such as wolves in relation to the herbivore populations is as well. Why are there so many
deer and elk within towns and cities, vineyards and many farms and ranches...numbers similar to
what once was in the country? Because there are few if any predators, including man, preying on them,
and they have more feed available to them then in the woods. We can help restore numbers by dealing
with habitant loss, by reducing natural predator numbers, we can even go to extremes by trying to
reduce the yearly carnage caused by vehicles and especially trains, but we also have to be smarter in
how we regulate our hunting. The recent reduction in yearly bag limits for mule deer is a start.

Okay, I agree with that, and yes, if #'s are down, and applying some regs like the 1 MD limit, to help #'s come back up quicker, I am all in.
But, only if we are taking all the other steps like you said above, especially the protection of winter range, so on and so forth.
Regulations on their own shown to be an "utter failure".
So, if we are both on that same thinking path, then good, that's how we all need to be.

[Ourea]

Thread is on youth seasons.

[limit time]

The youth season is a win win for special interests IMO.

Caller - I think to many dads are shooting youth season deer. .

Goberment- how many are doing this ?

caller- don’t know for sure but it happens.

Goberment- do you have prof of this ?

Caller - no I don’t but I know it happens !

Goberment - is this affecting the deer numbers !

Caller- not sure .

Goberment- how can we solve this ?

Caller- to be sure this doesn’t happen it should be closed.

Goberment - if it stops just one dad we need to do this !

[wideopenthrottle]

I call them "tags of convenience" Chatted with some moose hunters one time that had a bull down and were racing back to camp to get Granny because she had a draw and tag.

no youth season where i grew up but hunted with my same aged buddies at 13 and 14.....poachers will be poachers and there is always ways to cheat when no one is watching (what you do when no one is watching is the true measure of your integrity)....

as a teen, there were many stories of peeps that shot moose when they shouldnt and would go find a native buddy to accompany him home with the moose...perhaps banning the natives from hunting outside of the regular season is the answer for that problem....<sarcasm>...going for popcorn .... BRB

[horshur]

I can’t argue with that and in all honesty I am just so sick of slobs so just want to limit their actions.

But I guess these sh!t fathers will pass their poor ethics with or without the youth season

they are hunting with there kid....shit fathers abandon kids..abuse them..there mom..steal there money from the piggy bank...

shooting others tags tags for meat is a culture. It is much more along the lines of public opinion because it was for meat...even the kid who couldn’t or didn’t shoot the animal feels valuable cause he/she had the tag..reached that possibility ..had a value..harkens back to ancient times...probably a waste trying to explain.