Yeti GOBOX Collection

Game Damage Hunts

SAJ-99

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Jan 5, 2019
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I request and received from FWP a list of the last five years of Game Damage hunts. I was mostly interested in the general trend (it's down), but some of the names on the list I can't confirm are in Block Management or allow public hunting, a requirement for game damage hunts. Some allow hunting via guides, one has a general website you can sign up on and say they are working with FWP but are NOT in BM. Another just doesn't appear anywhere. Does anyone know how this program works in more detail? If the definition of "allowing public hunting" extremely broad. If I ask FWP a question it is like I am asking for their SS#s. I am trying not to be cynical, but I am thinking this program is just another extension of the friends and family hunting.
 
If the definition of "allowing public hunting" extremely broad.
^This...you'll basically have to go knock on their doors to find out.

The one thing I encountered on 2 of the 3 damage hunts (all before shoulder seasons existed) that I've participated is that the animals are not on the property during general season as they tended to be wintering areas and short of a few antelope and a handful of mule deer didn't offer much (or any) in the way of hunting opportunity. Thus giving permission during the general season would have been a waste of time. The 3rd hunt was well before archery season in an attempt to hunt animals before they went onto the neighboring property that "harbors" animals throughout the season and migrate back onto the ranch in the spring.
 
This^

The one thing I encountered on 2 of the 3 damage hunts (all before shoulder seasons existed) that I've participated is that the animals are not on the property during general season as they tended to be wintering areas and short of a few antelope and a handful of mule deer didn't offer much (or any) in the way of hunting opportunity. Thus giving permission during the general season would have been a waste of time. The 3rd hunt was well before archery season in an attempt to hunt animals before they went onto the neighboring property that "harbors" animals throughout the season and migrate back onto the ranch in the spring.
But even that is within reasonableness of the rules. A ranch around Emigrant allows public hunting but I guess you have to be psychic to know about it. It is on the website and they say they are working with FWP but I can't find it anywhere on FWP website or in the docs. Another apparently allows public access for a trespass fee.
 
You literally have the list of properties that have participated in the Game Damage program...nothing is stopping you from contacting these places and asking about access permission. You are doing your homework. Why would you want that information freely available (even if it's public information) to some random Joe?

Hell even the BM program is ripe with suspicious "access" that is full the day the booklets come out.
 
You literally have the list of properties that have participated in the Game Damage program...nothing is stopping you from contacting these places and asking about access permission. You are doing your homework. Why would you want that information freely available (even if it's public information) to some random Joe?

Hell even the BM program is ripe with suspicious "access" that is full the day the booklets come out.
Sure, but that isn't my intent. The list isn't alway clear or have names, but for about half I can figure them out. Some are legit, some are questionable, and some appear to be complete BS. Still waiting on a response from FWP so they may clarify more. I feel like I'm missing something in this. What is crystal clear, is that despite all the legislative complaining about elk and the damage they cause, game damage hunts in 2020 are 1/3 of what they were in 2015.
 
It seems as though over the last few years FWP would rather do away with the game damage hunt program and just issue kill permits to the landowner to do with as they please.

417 last year seems to be the prime example.
 
Sure, but that isn't my intent. The list isn't alway clear or have names, but for about half I can figure them out. Some are legit, some are questionable, and some appear to be complete BS. Still waiting on a response from FWP so they may clarify more. I feel like I'm missing something in this. What is crystal clear, is that despite all the legislative complaining about elk and the damage they cause, game damage hunts in 2020 are 1/3 of what they were in 2015.
Yeah I noticed that myself and I think Schaaf is onto the reason. There was a huge increase in shoulder season hunts which don't even follow the original intent and many of those places now sell hunts versus allowing "reasonable" access. Again you hit it on the head no definition of reasonable exists...is that 1 kid, their cousin from Nebraska, or is it 30 guys from the street?
 
It seems as though over the last few years FWP would rather do away with the game damage hunt program and just issue kill permits to the landowner to do with as they please.

417 last year seems to be the prime example.
The 417 Bull Elk Management season certainly stands out, but it is on the list. Any hunt like that should be on here. Some are quite broad and simply listed as Management Hunt with a zone, like "Management Hunt - HD540 Elk Management Hunt". in 2019, 417 had a "Game Damage- Antlerless Elk Mgmt Season", a "Management Hunt- Antlerless Elk Mgmt Season", and the "Game Damage - Bull Elk Mgmt Season". This list provided to me should not have shoulder seasons. Just special permits issued outside of the regular season and should season guidelines. Only the dates, August 15 to Feb 15, resemble the shoulder seasons.

After a legislative session that had numerous bills to try to reduce access, use funds to pay landowners for damage, and allow landowners more licenses to use at their discretion, my intent is to try to figure out what is going on. The last four years there was 1 elk game damage hunt in any of the 700 units. And very, very few in the 500 units except those north of the Crazies and east of White Sulpher Springs. So any legislative action like those proposed this year are ridiculous and based on hyperbolic claims from politicians that just don't stand up. Every new piece of legislation doesn't get rid of the old legislation despite claiming it doesn't work. In addition, there are no preset guidelines with measurable metrics to determine if some rule (old or new) even has an impact. By my measure, the number of game damage hunts from 2015 to 2020 dropped by almost 80%. That seems pretty effective until I get a better answer from FWP.

At some point all we have as a weapon is outrage, translated into collective action. Hunters in the 100 and 200 units might be a little upset to see game damage hunts in some of those areas given the low elk counts. Especially on ranches that didn't allow public access.
 
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