southern interior mule deer strategy?

[GoatGuy]

Oh come off it guys!!!

do some speculating.

region 8 rifle closes nov 10....region 4 closes nov 15 or nov 10 couple areas close dec 10 but you could say the majority of region 4 is done by middle of November.
region 5 has a great big cluster*#$%^ and came close to shutting down early like region 8 last year---do you realy think buck/doe ratios fixed themselves over a season???
allas..region 3 has a closure Dec 10.

Do you suppose it is possible that earlier closers in 5,4,8 may take precident in there harmonizing rather than the generous closer of 3????

Damn straight!!!

do you all think it would be good for BC and it's sportsmen/women to not have a late season Rut hunt in the southern interior?? Cause that is a real possibility as it stands right now.

Was there a problem with the buck:doe ratios in region 5?

Or is this being driven by politics?

[GoatGuy]

That worries me a bit too Andy. I think (take that for what it's worth!) that the best thing in the long run would be more harmonized seasons, as long as that doesn't mean losing too much hunter opportunity, overall. I hope we'd see lengthened seasons in some areas, to balance out any seasons that get shortened elsewhere. As much as I'd miss the really long Region 3 season, I guess I'd have to suck it up and say I'd be willing to have our season here shortened a bit (I'm cringing as I type that one), if it meant increased opportunities for hunters in other areas. I don't see why Region 8 hunters shouldn't benefit from longer seasons, if it is fine for the local MD populations. Spread everyone out, and I bet most areas could sustain more liberal seasons and you might even get a few new hunters interested.

Maybe more liberal WT seasons wold help ease pressure on Muleys in some areas as well. From everything I read/hear/see, WT's are spreading quickly in Region 3 and a 4-month any buck season doesn't seem to be doing anything to slow that down - seems like a 2-buck bag limit for WT's could be do-able. Which might allow for a longer Muley season as more hunters might spend more time hunting WT's...?

Also we are losing our current Region 3 bio here pretty soon...I'm wondering wheree things will go after that.

Geez, you're one sharp dude! Why can't everybody wrap their minds around this?


You've also touched on the social side. Talk to some hunters and they'll tell you wt and md are practically on the verge of extinction. That right there is the problem!

[horshur]

Was there a problem with the buck:doe ratios in region 5?

Or is this being driven by politics?

it has been suggested that ratios are not ideal...been questioned on validity of ratios due to census timing.

Politics..............somebody said everything was politics..

[GoatGuy]

it has been suggested that ratios are not ideal...been questioned on validity of ratios due to census timing.

Politics..............somebody said everything was politics..

Weird???????

[horshur]

Jessie---have you not been sleeping well???LOL

I have no clue what sort of politics are invloved...maybe You have a better view of such things ???

I suppose that there are several stakeholder like cattlemen--Guides--first nations--residents and the general hunting public--as well as are dearly beloved Politicians who wish to remain in power and will kiss ass to avoid negitive publicity.

[GoatGuy]

Jessie---have you not been sleeping well???LOL

I have no clue what sort of politics are invloved...maybe You have a better view of such things ???

I suppose that there are several stakeholder like cattlemen--Guides--first nations--residents and the general hunting public--as well as are dearly beloved Politicians who wish to remain in power and will kiss ass to avoid negitive publicity.

Mr.Horshur,

I, goatguy, was just asking a question.

No, being a goat, I never sleep well.

I look at it and think, hmmmm the census revealed a buck:doe ratio of around 18:100. I think, hmmm that's not bad. I also think hmmm, when were the counts done and then I think, hmmmm, seems like it might be a bit of a problem. I talk to some of the guys in the Loop(s) and they say the same thing. Weird, I think.

I think, hmmmmm, what was it like before. Hmmm, buck:doe ratios were way lower in the 90s, a bit higher in the early 2000s. Weird, I think.

I talk to my buddy who's owns a whopper ranch (he's a hunter too) up there and he says the deer are eating him out of house and home and that the cattlemen are far from happy - more like ready to form a lynch mob. His family has had the place for 3 generations and he says there are a pile of deer. Weird, I think.

I talk to the residents up there and they want to keep hunting and they're worried that if the season changes it will never go back.

I think weird - there seems to be lots of deer, buck:doe ratios are certainly good enough to ensure all the breeding's done, the cattlemen are having problems, the hunters want to hunt, and there's a push to close the seasons down.

Then I think about what that will do to hunting opportunities in Region 3. Not good, I think.

I think about how you can walk across an imaginary line from region 3 to region 8 and then cut the season back by one month and the any buck season by 11 days.

I think about how we don't harvest any of the female component across Regions 8 and Regions 4.

And I ask myself, why? Why? Why?

And then I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

[horshur]

so Jessie there seems no real rational.....is this alot higher up politicaly perhaps?

[dana]

It's rather simple. Those who make the rules are only looking out for themselves. They want to kill big bucks and yet they can't seem to get r done so therefor there must be something wrong right? It ain't about buck to doe ratios, it is instead about how many big ol' mature bucks are out there. Simple math shows if ya whack your bucks off when they are yearlings and 2 year olds during the heat of the rut when they are dumb as a stick, then you won't have many bucks living to an old age and producing those big racks that Region 5 is world famous for. Soooo, to get those big bucks back, you must close down the rut. Of course it don't matter what the hunters want. It don't matter that the majority of the hunters of this province just are looking for meat. It don't matter that they are currently overrun with deer. It don't matter that they will be screwing over Region 3. They don't care. It is indeed politics.

As far as the rest of the Regions, they are gunshy from the big dieoff of 96. They have there pops back and they don't want to screw it up for the future. Who can blame them? The fact is if 8 and 4 don't get on board and extend there seasons, then Region 3 will loose it's late season. For myself, I enjoy hunting the late season, but it won't be the end of the world. I'll still be whacking big bucks regardless. For the joeblow hunters out there, they will be loosing opportunity and they will have to adapt to hunting earlier in the season. But when the majority of hunters in this province are meat hunters, they will find better tasting meat with the rut hunts gone.

[Will]

I really like hunting the Nov-dec part of our season....I for one will miss a late Muley season here.

If the numbers can sustain it and we all certainly know they can then why, why, why ?

Seems seasons should be getting increased all over........get rid of the four points or better crap and run one season for any buck, everywhere....problem solved.

Heck throw out some more Doe tags too.

[mark]

I really like hunting the Nov-dec part of our season....I for one will miss a late Muley season here.

If the numbers can sustain it and we all certainly know they can then why, why, why ?

Seems seasons should be getting increased all over........get rid of the four points or better crap and run one season for any buck, everywhere....problem solved.

Heck throw out some more Doe tags too.

Just a thought here but how about any deer??? with the same bag limits??
Shoot a doe and your done for that region, or save your tag for a buck. I think it would certainly fix the buck- doe ratio problem! Provide nearly guaranteed success for anyone buying a tag, meat hunters could go home early and save lots of little bucks from certain death!