Idaho Senate Bill 1143 - Antler Restrictions

[TheTone]

We used to jump a lot of mule deer chucker hunting probably as many as shed hunting. Finding antlers chucker hunting is what got me into sheds.
A good argument could be made that chucker hunting after November should be stopped because of the impact on deer

That’s a funny observation as most of the hardcore chukar hunters I know pick a few antlers each year, especially late season, they love the dead birds and a shed or two trophy shot.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Why do you hate me?

I don't hate you card night was fun.
I'm just trying to drag everyone down with me. The slippery slope argument.

 

[fowladdict]

I’ve been seeing fewer deer over the years chukar hunting in January. usually try to work around the herds when we can.

It was fun. I enjoyed bugging our wives with our hunting talk.

 

[Elkmagnet]

I’ve been seeing fewer deer over the years chukar hunting in January. usually try to work around the herds when we can.

It's just a part of being out there. Most of us are really trying not to disturb wintering big game.

It was fun. I enjoyed bugging our wives with our hunting talk.

Poor hosting is part of my charm!

 

[ida homer]

Follow in WY’s footsteps. I like the one week opener delay for the non-res flat brimmers. Keep the utards and YouTube shed hunters at bay. Regulate and enforce, if possible. Agree with above, effective enforcement will be damn tough tho.

 

[Elkmagnet]

I spoke to IWF leadership. I was impressed by the willingness to hear me out and had a seemingly productive conversation.
My opinion is that we need to recognize something needs to be done. I feel like the answer is to take money out of shed hunting perhaps adding antlers to the lacey act. That seems like a long term goal most can get behind.
Idaho F&G is seeking an immediate remedy to the problem by asking the legislature for this bill. I believe it will have the opposite effect intended.
I am hesitant to get to specific about a major loophole on an internet forum because I will be giving out a playbook of how violators avoid prosecution/convictions in places that already have seasons.
Lets set aside how hard it is to get a conviction and let's look at actual positive impact. After all there are many laws in society that are hard to enforce but have a positive effect overall.

Some problems I want to be specific about are -
To me it seems 80% or more of wildlife violations are witnessed by other sportsman not law enforcement.
Your opinion of what % may vary but we should agree its a vast majority.

Example- illigal OHV use.
Illegal OHV use is the violation I personaly whitness the most. I know a lot of people turn it in. I believe there is less illegal use because of sportsman self policing.
When Nevada made its yearly shed season I witnessed a few changes.

First it took all of the honest sportsman out of the field during the closure. Now without honest sportsman in the field the dishonest were left alone to do as they please and they did. If you bother to show up when shed season opens you will notice a couple of things. Usually the ground has dried considerably by may 1st. You will also notice the mountains are covered in muddy rutted atv and utv tracks, tracks that were made a month or two prior.
Second there are a lot less sheds to be picked up. The shed buyers have noticed that instead of buying a small pile of sheds from a lot of different people they now buy a huge pile $10,000+ at a time from a few guys that give them a bad vibe. Those guys absolutely love the shed hunting closure because it's their own private season with no one to see their Illegal activities.

This is why my opinion is that a shed seasons won't have a net positive effect. This would be a law that would unintentionally facilitate the breaking of other laws it will make it easier to get away with and makes it more profitable to do so.

 

[TheTone]

I spoke to IWF leadership. I was impressed by the willingness to hear me out and had a seemingly productive conversation.
My opinion is that we need to recognize something needs to be done. I feel like the answer is to take money out of shed hunting perhaps adding antlers to the lacey act. That seems like a long term goal most can get behind.
Idaho F&G is seeking an immediate remedy to the problem by asking the legislature for this bill. I believe it will have the opposite effect intended.
I am hesitant to get to specific about a major loophole on an internet forum because I will be giving out a playbook of how violators avoid prosecution/convictions in places that already have seasons.
Lets set aside how hard it is to get a conviction and let's look at actual positive impact. After all there are many laws in society that are hard to enforce but have a positive effect overall.

Some problems I want to be specific about are -
To me it seems 80% or more of wildlife violations are witnessed by other sportsman not law enforcement.
Your opinion of what % may vary but we should agree its a vast majority.

Example- illigal OHV use.
Illegal OHV use is the violation I personaly whitness the most. I know a lot of people turn it in. I believe there is less illegal use because of sportsman self policing.
When Nevada made its yearly shed season I witnessed a few changes.

First it took all of the honest sportsman out of the field during the closure. Now without honest sportsman in the field the dishonest were left alone to do as they please and they did. If you bother to show up when shed season opens you will notice a couple of things. Usually the ground has dried considerably by may 1st. You will also notice the mountains are covered in muddy rutted atv and utv tracks, tracks that were made a month or two prior.
Second there are a lot less sheds to be picked up. The shed buyers have noticed that instead of buying a small pile of sheds from a lot of different people they now buy a huge pile $10,000+ at a time from a few guys that give them a bad vibe. Those guys absolutely love the shed hunting closure because it's their own private season with no one to see their Illegal activities.

This is why my opinion is that a shed seasons won't have a net positive effect. This would be a law that would unintentionally facilitate the breaking of other laws it will make it easier to get away with and makes it more profitable to do so.

East Idaho had an antler season years ago, from every officer I talked to they said it sucked. Essentially you would see guys driving out of the desert on May 1 just after daylight with big stacks. Most of those areas just have winter range closures to all access now and from what I saw around it the worst offenders were typically college kids partying or guys just out cruising on atvs, motorcycles or utvs; those groups just didn’t care or get the intent of the closures

 

[Elkmagnet]

East Idaho had an antler season years ago, from every officer I talked to they said it sucked. Essentially you would see guys driving out of the desert on May 1 just after daylight with big stacks. Most of those areas just have winter range closures to all access now and from what I saw around it the worst offenders were typically college kids partying or guys just out cruising on atvs, motorcycles or utvs; those groups just didn’t care or get the intent of the closures

Last year on day 2 of Nevada shed season a blue Chevy ex cab truck with Idaho plates pulling an atv came out of a dead end road with a bed full of sheds. The occupants were visibly out of shape. I thought no fing way!
I backtracked the truck to a hard to find campsite I didn't know existed. looking where the tent was placed the grass had grown up yellow and white underneath it. It had been setup a month or longer. We proceeded to find those atv tracks everywhere we went.
He had so many stash piles it took a day and a half to recover them all.

I do believe closures can work in small enforable areas.