Region 8 Leh doe draw

[Cdog]

So what do people think about the change to region 8 doe draws? As a parent of a youth hunter who just got his core I am going to take advantage of it to help my boy get his first big game animal. I wonder how much the odds are going to change based on the huge reduction of applicants.

[358mag]

So what do people think about the change to region 8 doe draws? As a parent of a youth hunter who just got his core I am going to take advantage of it to help my boy get his first big game animal. I wonder how much the odds are going to change based on the huge reduction of applicants.

Well why worry about a LEH doe draw , a LEH is not a guarantee contrary to what a lot of people think .Region 8 has a very good GOS for Whitetail does . Take advantage of that great opportunity .Go out hunt hard ,show your youth hunter all about hunting and seeing the big picture and if you cut a tag good on them . If you don't sure it will be a great learning curve to your youth hunter future success as hunter . You may have to remind him it called a "Hunting Season" not a shooting season .
I know the newer younger generation is all about instance success , guess I'm just a little old school .
Good luck and enjoy the time with your youth hunter .

[Jelvis]

Always apply for the LEH tag you want for you and the kid, just fill it out properly and pay the bucks and take the chances, it's worth it. It's not that much ca$h.
-- LEH makes hunting season exciting when you can have a lottery for hunting tags that are limited. Involve the son, from the start, filling it out.
Now apply and relax. Wait til the day of the draw results and see. If you don't apply you miss out on some excitement right away, so apply each year.
-- When you apply your money will help the Ministry either way, win or not. Tell the son why you guys are applying for this particular LEH Tag.
If you do win your tag for the boy and you, you have a great chance now to get lucky. Limited number of tags were issued so only those get to shoot.
Jel -- you still got to get lucky first butt give yourself and the boy a chance, apply for the LEH tag -- good luck I think your going to get lucky I got a feeling.
-- P.S. get use to calling it an antlerless draw instead of doe, cuz the boy will learn properly at first -- Antlerless -- cuz a young fawn buck is antlerless,

[Dougielightning]

I’m applying for my region 8-23 mule antlerless leh, in hopes of saving one.Worth the twelve bucks. 5 Dow draws in our area. Hard to believe. Use to count 100-200 deer on the hills above Tolko on green up, now there’s a lonely 30.Watched our local mulies go from a couple small herds on our winter range to one lone pair. Hope your area is showing promise as our herds are tanking, good luck either way with your boy. Great memories ��

[Redo]

Question, my son has possessed his youth hunting licence for the past 2 years, however he has not yet done is CORE. He will be completing his CORE prior to September. With the new LEH, am I able to apply for Mule Deer Doe Draw and allow him to shoot it on my tag or does he need to have completed the CORE and apply for it on his own.

[ROY-alty33]

Question, my son has possessed his youth hunting licence for the past 2 years, however he has not yet done is CORE. He will be completing his CORE prior to September. With the new LEH, am I able to apply for Mule Deer Doe Draw and allow him to shoot it on my tag or does he need to have completed the CORE and apply for it on his own.
He will need his own hunter number FWID in order to apply for an LEH, so no he wont be eligible for this years LEH unless you get him his CORE prior to the May deadline.

[dareckf]

If I'm reading the LEH correctly they got rid of almost every single adult antlerless mule deer draw this year in Region 8?? It looks like outside of 8-01 and 8-09 the entire Okanagan LEH for antlerless mule deer will be Youth Only.... That will definitely be good for your youth because there will be adults hunting mule does anymore but I must say I am absolutely shocked by this. Numbers of does in the area of 8 we hunt are very high - we usually see 10-20 a day when we are out. Why would they cancel LEH across such a large area so suddenly like this??

[Brez]

If I'm reading the LEH correctly they got rid of almost every single adult antlerless mule deer draw this year in Region 8?? It looks like outside of 8-01 and 8-09 the entire Okanagan LEH for antlerless mule deer will be Youth Only.... That will definitely be good for your youth because there will be adults hunting mule does anymore but I must say I am absolutely shocked by this. Numbers of does in the area of 8 we hunt are very high - we usually see 10-20 a day when we are out. Why would they cancel LEH across such a large area so suddenly like this??

"10 - 20 a day" "are very high"?? Wow, how times have changed! We used to be quite dissapointed with so few. 10 bucks a day was not unusual especially late season. Oh, well...

[dareckf]

Yes it is high but we do see a lot of does... bucks are extremely hard to find though (which are either open or 4 point depending on dates and we've only taken two the past three years) and you really have to put in the work. I assume it's because they don't give LEH's out like candy which keeps the population high (usually only one of our large group max gets a doe draw per year). Either way, surprised they'd go youth only in almost the entire region 8. Such is life though. Perhaps the new LEH draw is a product of a new government? They aren't exactly 'hunter friendly' unfortunately...

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Yes it is high but we do see a lot of does... bucks are extremely hard to find though (which are either open or 4 point depending on dates and we've only taken two the past three years) and you really have to put in the work. I assume it's because they don't give LEH's out like candy which keeps the population high (usually only one of our large group max gets a doe draw per year). Either way, surprised they'd go youth only in almost the entire region 8. Such is life though. Perhaps the new LEH draw is a product of a new government? They aren't exactly 'hunter friendly' unfortunately...

While there are a few areas that still old decent mule deer numbers, most areas are down by quite a bit.

Low enough that some people think there should be no Muley does shot.

SSS

[valleycowboy]

just a little example of low does numbers......the area I hunt at the end of the season. we usually see 20-30 does a day.
last year in 8 straight days.....seen 14 bucks,mostly 3 points(good to see) and a couple dinker 4's and a total of 6 does!!!!!!
I don't think I have ever seen more bucks than does.
in my opinion......bout time something was done.....it's a start!!

[dareckf]

Wow more bucks than does.... that is something I have never seen! I'm OK with it as long as it's for proper conservation reasons and not a long term trend towards no hunting at all to appease anti-hunting people. I do support more opportunities for youth... I think it is great for them.

[guest]

Well why worry about a LEH doe draw , a LEH is not a guarantee contrary to what a lot of people think .Region 8 has a very good GOS for Whitetail does . Take advantage of that great opportunity .Go out hunt hard ,show your youth hunter all about hunting and seeing the big picture and if you cut a tag good on them . If you don't sure it will be a great learning curve to your youth hunter future success as hunter . You may have to remind him it called a "Hunting Season" not a shooting season .
I know the newer younger generation is all about instance success , guess I'm just a little old school .
Good luck and enjoy the time with your youth hunter .

the above post nails it ........ Lots of opportunity without the MD leh draw ........

[Stone Sheep Steve]

just a little example of low does numbers......the area I hunt at the end of the season. we usually see 20-30 does a day.
last year in 8 straight days.....seen 14 bucks,mostly 3 points(good to see) and a couple dinker 4's and a total of 6 does!!!!!!
I don't think I have ever seen more bucks than does.
in my opinion......bout time something was done.....it's a start!!

Just another reason why we can't come to conclusions using our personal observations.

Generally, low buck to doe ratios are the norm in Region 8 (minus a few areas)...and some areas of Reg 3.....hence the upcoming reduction in the provincial mule deer limit.

[dareckf]

If there is a low buck to doe ratio (which I believe there is as you stated) then wouldn't it make sense to not have 'any buck' openings instead of getting rid of doe LEH's? Getting rid of the doe LEH's and keeping the buck hunt seems to be doing the opposite... taking more bucks while increasing doe numbers.

[New Bow Hunter]

Well why worry about a LEH doe draw , Region 8 has a very good GOS for Whitetail does .

Since the new BC Hunting Guidelines have not been released until June 2018, I believe you may see a considerable reduction in GOS.

[boxhitch]

.....hence the upcoming reduction in the provincial mule deer limit.
"We expect [the proposed changes] will reduce the harvest by five to 15 per cent," said MacIver.
cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mule-deer-hunting-proposed-changes-1.4481756

baby steps

[Stone Sheep Steve]

"We expect [the proposed changes] will reduce the harvest by five to 15 per cent," said MacIver.
cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mule-deer-hunting-proposed-changes-1.4481756

baby steps

Yep. Not many people take two (or 3) mule deer bucks each year. But now people will have to decide what they want to cut a tag on. Do they hold out for a bit more meat (or Antlers) or do they still take the first legal Muley they see??

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Since the new BC Hunting Guidelines have not been released until June 2018, I believe you may see a considerable reduction in GOS.

Dont think there was a proposal on the table to reduce the whitetail doe harvest in Reg 8?

[huntinnewbie]

My understanding is the LEH doe draw in region 8-5 was changed to youth only as they took away the late youth bow only.