As many of you know I have had the opportunity to serve as the BOU Representative on the Statewide Elk Committee. It was my privilege to be joined by Mike Christensen as the BOU alternate. Thanks to Mike for the great advice and another point of view.
At the very first Committee meeting Director Karpowitz challenged the group to “come up with something better!!”
Unfortunately the Elk Committee decided to revert back to the old standard of raising age classifications To grow bigger bulls. This new age structure will reduce opportunity in the long run by about 15% For all weapon types. Many of the new age classes will, in the long run, reach a point that will be very difficult to Hit or maintain. This will result in a loss of opportunity on units that will have an abundance of elk including plenty of large Bulls.
So in a nutshell here is what was passed.
New 7.5 – 8 year old class units Book Cliffs Roadless San Juan Fillmore Pahvant Boulder SW Desert Beaver
New 6.5 – 7.0 year old class units Book Cliffs ( remainder of unit ) South Slope Diamond Mountain Monroe Central Mtns Nebo Fishlake Once total population has reached 6500
These units will account for roughly 44% of Utah’s total elk population Under the old plan these higher end units made up 25%
New age class of 5.7 – 6.3 ( target 6 year old bull ) Manti Wasatch Mountains ( 3 units ) Box Elder Pilot Mountain North Slope 3 Corners Nine Mile Anthro La Sal La Sal Delores Triangle Oquirrh Stansbury Mt Dutton Panguitch Lake
These new units will drop from 55% ratio used in the old plan down to about 46% These units provided most of the opportunity the state gave for a Limited Entry Elk Tag.
New 4.5 – 5 year old units Box Elder Grouse Creek Cache ( 3 units ) Nine Mile Range Creek Paunsaugunt ( with the goal to remove all elk from this unit ) West Desert Deep Creek Fillmore Oak Creek
These units make up a little more than 8% of the population.
Early rut Rifle permits will be reduced on a unit by unit basis, These permits will be reallocated to the late hunts where possible The reduction in these permits will be extremely low.
The Committee did pass a proposal that will affect the western portion of the Wasatch unit. This proposal basically reverses the way LE permits are allocated. Bowhunters will now receive 65% of the permits in this unit.
There was some good that came out of the Committee, the goal and plan to increase our herds to 80,000 Was just one.
In the end the, Representatives from the other Sportsmen’s Groups SFW, RMEF and UBA pushed through A plan that will grow bigger bulls that fewer and fewer of us will ever get the opportunity to hunt. Bowhunters Of Utah and a couple Representatives from the RACs simply couldn’t swallow such a drastic loss Of opportunity and personally I couldn’t vote in favor of something that most of the survey respondents Had told the Committee they didn’t want.
Everybody knows there are no stupid questions. But there are a few questions that are a bit silly. For example, a question during the autumn months like, “Where is BOU?” is definitely silly. We’re BOWHUNTERS of Utah, after all.
But even though we’ve been busy enjoying the hunting season, BOU has been busy representing our members on a number of issues.
Northern co-rep Tye Boulter and V.P. Michael Finnegan attended a Sept. 22 meeting of the special archery committee that was mandated by the Wildlife Board to reexamine the issue of statewide bowhunting for deer. Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR reported difficulty in finding someone to represent the anti-statewide position, but two southern region representatives attended the meeting. The committee looked at several relevant concerns, examined the data from the 2009 draw and recommended returning to statewide archery for the entire season in 2010. This recommendation was presented at the November RACs and approved at the Wildlife Board Meeting. Hopefully, the data collected last year will continue to refute any claims of overcrowding during the bowhunt in the foreseeable future.
2010 is shaping up to be an
important year for bowhunters and BOU’s busiest year ever.The board met on Jan. 14 to identify
some bullet points for the year and make preparations to address upcoming
issues.
Unit
hunter management on all of Utah’s deer units (statewide limited entry)
New
big game season dates
New
state elk management plan
Urban
bowhunting
Bowhunter
education
In order to deal with these
issues effectively, the board identified some internal business items to be
addressed.
BOU
convention and board elections
Improvements
for BOU regional committees
Improved
communication for BOU membership
Membership
renewals and recruitment
More details are provided
below.With so many important
issues on the horizon, we obviously have a lot to do.In order to best serve your interests,
we need your continued guidance.We
also need your help if you’re willing and able to offer it.Feel free to email or contact your regional chair or board officers as well as utilize this website and encourage your friends to join
Bowhunters of Utah!
The Lee Kay Hunter Education Center has offered a great outdoor archery range for years, but recently began construction on an impressive improvement to the facility. Still under construction, the new range will offer a wide variety of target ranges and angles for public shooters at a very reasonable cost ($4.00). In addition, the new archery range will provide a useful facility for future bowhunter education and NASP activity.
BOU is proud to support this community effort and began showing our support at the open house that was held on Aug. 29. Working along with RaLynne Takeda, (DWR Assistant Hunter Education Coordinator), BOU board members Michael Finnegan and Frank Taylor spent the day introducing novices to archery. Shooters of all ages received direct instruction in shooting Genesis bows at a variety of 3D and competition targets. Based on the many broad smiles and the number of shooters who returned to shoot again through the day, the event was a great success.
We want to thank the DWR for their efforts in building this new facility and for letting us be a part of their continuing programs at Lee Kay. We look forward to continued collaboration for the good of the sport.
The Lee Kay Hunter Education Center has offered a great outdoor archery range for years, but recently began construction on an impressive improvement to the facility.Still under construction, the new range will offer a wide variety of target ranges and angles for public shooters at a very reasonable cost ($4.00).In addition, the new archery range will provide a useful facility for future bowhunter education and NASP activity.
BOU is proud to support this community effort and began showing our support at the open house that was held on Aug. 29.Working along with RaLynne Takeda, (DWR Assistant Hunter Education Coordinator), BOU board members Michael Finnegan and Frank Taylor spent the day introducing novices to archery.Shooters of all ages received direct instruction in shooting Genesis bows at a variety of 3D and competition targets.Based on the many broad smiles and the number of shooters who returned to shoot again through the day, the event was a great success.
We want to thank the DWR for their efforts in building this new facility and for letting us be a part of their continuing programs at Lee Kay.We look forward to continued collaboration for the good of the sport.
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