How would you "grade" your State?

[Deerslayer]

How would you grade your state in handling their wildlife programs....everything from game laws to the hunting season structures.....
...I know we all would change a few things about any state if we could,...but over all, how would you grade your state's efforts?
And all 50 states have hunting, so this applies no matter where your from.
DS

 

[danr55]

I have to agree with Del. (Even if he does have an Elk tag and I don't this year.) I believe that the quality of the animals coming out of Arizona speak for them selves. That is specailly true with the Elk. If I had the authority to make changes, I would change two things. I would increase the aerial gunning of coyotes to relieve some of the pressure on the antelope and I would issue my self and Elk tag every year. That's all.

 

[Elkhunter]

I think overall Wyoming is doing OK. I do not think the system for moose and sheep are completly fair though. For instance: They have a point system, where as you can only get up to 5 points max. Well doesn't that just put you back to base one after 5 years? Also 25% of the alloted tags go to first time apps. Then why have a point system then? I think that is my biggest gripe about the way it is handled here in Wyoming. They, like all states have a tough job and none has a perfect way of taking care of everything.

I would also like to add that I am not in total agreement with the wilderness rules here in Wyoming for Non-Residents, but that is another topic all by itself.

 

[Deerslayer]

I think Colorado has helped itself with the "over-haul" they are undergoing. There are a lot of out-of-staters with a sour taste in their mouth, but it will get better....heck, I may even want to hunt here in a few years!

I think they're switch from Quanity to Quality will start making a difference in a few more years, and it will be a place that is more desirablt to hunt...so I would give them "A" for effort.
DS

 

[Delw]

Due to the fact that we have to draw here... I would say an A+

I have no problem with that(the draw) because everyone would be hunting in only certain areas and othere areas woudnt get hunted. The state will go to heck here in the next 3-10 years because of the californian mentallity. these people are getting elected into office and messing the whole system up.... To many do gooders not knowing what the heck to do...other bad parts is that the anti hunting groups are getting there way into city council and then going after game and fish.....

Dont get me wrong az game and fish isnt perfect but so far they have been doing a good job...

Delw

 

[DaleT]

Texas does a good job overall, but they need to make it a one buck state, and that would allow for the prices to drop. Right now you can kill three bucks and 2 does, and that is more than anyone deserves to shoot in one year. If they dropped it to 1 buck, effectively 2 other people could hunt. Then maybe it would become affordable.

 

[ROCKYMTNELKSTALKER]

I would have to give Montana high marks for the job our F&G does. We have good quality animals every year and a season thats just right in length. So I would have to say.............."A"

 

[Deerslayer]

Interesting thought, Dale T.
I think part of your state is one buck, am I right?...I hunted the Big Bend area, and it was only a one buck county.

My old state of Louisiana let me take 6 bucks a year! ....I'm facing a little culture shock only getting one per state out here in the west!
DS

 

[DaleT]

DeerSlayer, you are right in a couple of ways, They only allow you one muledeer, which is what you were most likely hunting out there, and there are designated counties that are only 1 buck counties. All of the 1 buck counties are much more reasonable on their lease prices as well.

What part of Lousiana did you live in? I am big into Cajun Cooking. I have several big crawfish boils a year.

 

[josh]

Minnesota has had the same management plan for 50 years ......Grow as many deer as possible and then shoot most of them every year.....More income that way

Here doe season means= shoot anything brown!
Not exactly a sound management plan!

 

[DKO]

Florida, no season limit, 1 tine 3" to be a legal buck, hogs in some places arent even game animals, and the worst quota hunt permit system iv ever seen !!!! so all in all id say they suck!!! private land management is working and rather well but state land management stinks!!!

Tennessee, 4 deer per season,( bow,muzzleloader,gun) 12 leagl per year! they tried to change it last year and the general public slammed it, *****ed pissed and moaned about the whole deal! so nothing has really changed! as far as management there is none!!!! the herd around my place has no age structure at all!!!! i killed a 10pt last year that weighed 175lbs scored 119in and was 5.5 yrs old!!!!!! and he was the biggest in the county last year, go figure that one!

Kentucky, awesome management and great genetics makes for a very well balanced herd the ratios are a little outt-a-wack but the quality is there!!!! one buck per year and a nine day general gun season makes it a bowhunters dream, not to mention world class turkey hunting!!!! state incentives for land owners to improve habitat for hunting is also the best ive seen anywhere!

Wisconsin, spotted areas of quality management the county im fortunate enough to hunt hase excellent management and produces some of the biggest bucks in the country!! very impressive display of landowners cooperation to produce quality hunting for everyone, this has a down side though!! increased popularity has increased land prices almost 50% in the 8 yrs ive been hunting there!! this is making access more difficult!!! There again 1 buck per season with a short general gun season!!!!

can anyone see the similarities in the two best areas that i hunt!!!!!

 

[tmsander]

I do not think the Colorado DOW's recent efforts have necessarily been to shift from quantity to quality. I might agree to quantity AND quality, but only quality from the standpoint of reducing crowding by spreading the hunters out. They are trying to sell more elk tags now more than ever. It is simple now to get two elk tags a year in Colorado. And although I didn't hunt the first elk-only season last year, reports from the field are that that season was just as crowded as any other. So, this may be the intent, but its not working. How do you reduce hunter density by selling more tags than ever?

Colorado is undoubtedly doing some things right, but its doing some things wrong too. If they want to get rid of more cows, why are they charging $450 for a non-res cow tag? To reduce elk numbers and simultaneously increase trophy potential, it seems like they should be doing more to encourage people to kill cows.

 

[Deerslayer]

Good and valid points, TMSanders......but the one I would have to disagree on in the area I hunted last year is the First Seperate Season being crowded....it wasn't at all, and I was there a week in advance of the first Combined, which I hunted...and you would not believe the difference...staggering.
DS

 

[DaleT]

If CO would offer a low priced Cow Elk tag to Non-Res. They could get rid of some elk. I can't imagine going all the way up there and paying $450 to shoot a cow, there is just something wrong with that picture. Now if they offered one for $150, that would be a real option. The either sex tag they offered was a great deal also, I wish they would bring that back.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02 August 2001 09:58: Message edited by: DaleT ]</font>

 

[hntrjohn]

B

John

 

[californiacoyotes]

i'd have to say "C". with all the closures and protected this and that it gets it gets old quick...at least here in southern california.

 

[wall hangers]

I give Wyoming an A. Compared to the other states I have lived and hunted in it gives hunters their moneys worth. WH

 

[Sport240]

Thought I would let you americans know a little about Canadian activity, especially here in Quebec. As for deer and moose, we have only the right to bucks and calves. For the deer one hunter one kill and for moose two hunters one kill. Anyone with a hunting licence can buy a permit at about 45.00$ CDN for each. This year they have opened up moose hunting for does and will be rotating of such every two years, a move with which many do not agree. As for bow and black powder hunting we have generous seasons either before or after the rifle season, where does are always allowed notwithstanding the year, but bucks are generally forbidden. There are also regular yearly draws in both categories for doe permits, beyond what lies above.

All in all many of us are starting to find these quotas to be a little loose, but government studies supposedly indicate an abundance of species and high wintermortality rates from the cold, so they have opened up the gates. It is up to the hunters to control themselves, which is what we will be doing this year.

Greetings from up above.

Sport240

 

[CORNHOLI0]

I dunno but I'll have to say MT just bites. P1sspoor managment and opportunity for hunters. Crappy 5 weeks of archery and another 5 weeks of any weapon for over the counter deer and elk, but all on that vast worthless acrage here that is so devoid of any quality game. Even the draw areas for moose, sheep, goat, antelope, deer, and elk are pretty low grade hunts. Bear hunting stinks too.

Personally, I think we should model it more like Colorado and give the non-residents free range to our forests. Also, 3 seperate 5 day seasons would be another good idea, one for each weapon.

Maybe a combination of that and what Arizona does... limit the entire state to draw only. Though we may only be able to hunt an anterled animal a couple times in our lives, it would be worth it right? Could step out of the truck and whack one of those big 400" bulls that are behind every tree and not have to really get aftet it... because the game is managed so well by the state dept in AZ.

Food for thought on how to improve thing in this rotten state. we wanna be like Arizona... NOT.

 

[danr55]

Another great reason to listen to Cornhornio. He is so susinct in his comments and so sincere in his thoughts. How can anyone not respect a man with those kinds of traits.

Did you drip any sarcasm on your shoes?