7A deer regulations

[todbartell]

Lots of mule deer in 7-12/7-13 in agricultural areas, like there always has been.

From harvest stats :

MU 7-12 Mule deer
2010-2015 - 771 hunters per year avg, 6567 hunter days avg per year (8.5 days per hunter), 110 deer harvest avg per year (14% success ratio) 86% bucks 4pt Sept10-Sept30, Any Buck Oct1-19, 4pt Nov1-15 (youth either sex in October)
2004-2009 - 723 hunters per year avg, 5445 hunter days avg per year (7.5 days per hunter), 214 deer harvest avg per year (30% success ratio) 91% bucks Any buck Sept10-Nov20, 4pt Nov21-30 (youth either sex in October)

MU 7-13 Mule deer
2010-2015 - 484 hunters per year avg, 4135 hunter days avg per year (8.5 days per hunter), 89 deer harvest avg per year (18% success ratio) 85% bucks Same seasons as 7-12 above ^
2004-2009 - 402 hunters per year avg, 3155 hunter days avg per year (7.8 days per hunter), 119 deer harvest avg per year (30% success ratio) 87% bucks

40% less deer harvest. No increase in "big bucks" taken. Guys are pulling trigger on first crab claw 4x3 they can get in their sights, and most go the season without that chance, especially since the majority of the deer in the MU's live on private land. Coyotes and wolves are probably eating well?

[todbartell]

Go kill a 4 point..they are 2/3 larger then a fork horn...and just as good table fare.

why should I be forced by a regulation to do so? What about the hunter who wants to shoot any deer to feed his family?

[horshur]

It’s the same deer just a year or two older..and 2/3 more in freezer..

[Wild one]

I agree the population seems fair in agricultural areas of 7-13 where I have been this year.

Is the area meeting buck vs doe ratios? How is the population outside of agriculture?

I don’t support point restrictions but there maybe a reason for trying to limit buck harvest

[one-shot-wonder]

why should I be forced by a regulation to do so? What about the hunter who wants to shoot any deer to feed his family?

Many of the hunters down in the kettle/Christian/Granby (8-12 to 8-15) feel your pain..... Ever since their season went 4pt only Sept 10 to Nov 10, damn near impossible to find a 4pt on the hoof, let alone on a trail camera any time of the year (no shortage of 2/3 pts). As soon as a mule buck reaches 2-3 years old and grows crabby little 4 points it gets nuked and never gets to reach maturity.

[358mag]

Many of the hunters down in the kettle/Christian/Granby (8-12 to 8-15) feel your pain..... Ever since their season went 4pt only Sept 10 to Nov 10, damn near impossible to find a 4pt on the hoof, let alone on a trail camera any time of the year (no shortage of 2/3 pts). As soon as a mule buck reaches 2-3 years old and grows crabby little 4 points it gets nuked and never gets to reach maturity.

But if the fawn count is high the does are getting breed ................ just saying ..............
After all they manage the herd for ## not trophy's

[one-shot-wonder]

But if the fawn count is high the does are getting breed ................ just saying ..............
After all they manage the herd for ## not trophy's

I understand how MFLNRO manages ungulates Skipper. I find it ironic that many of the ones chirping in the past to shut down the youth seasons and any buck in favour of a 4 pt season are now the ones complaining that they don't even see any prospective 4 points in the field or scouting....the 4 pt season that was going to save the mule deer population has done diddly squat, meanwhile hunter harvest will have drastically declined, leaving more bucks on the mountain for cats and dogs to eat I guess .

[StoneChaser]

8 seasons of a 70/30 split of 4pt/any buck and for 2018-2019 we're now into a 100% 4pt only mule deer season in MU for adult hunters (MU 7-12, 7-13, 7-14, 7-24, 7-25)

Who makes these decisions?

I’d highly recommend that you make the 3km drive to the NVSA clubhouse for the monthly F&G meetings and get involved as that’s where many of the season proposals originate (has been the case for the past few decades).

[horshur]

Many of the hunters down in the kettle/Christian/Granby (8-12 to 8-15) feel your pain..... Ever since their season went 4pt only Sept 10 to Nov 10, damn near impossible to find a 4pt on the hoof, let alone on a trail camera any time of the year (no shortage of 2/3 pts). As soon as a mule buck reaches 2-3 years old and grows crabby little 4 points it gets nuked and never gets to reach maturity.

If a buck gets nuked as a crabby four point is it not still a harvested buck?.or are you one of them trophy hunters?