Should Wyoming Eliminate General Deer Tags?
By Todd Helms
“Meanwhile, 40% of Wyoming resident mule deer hunters surveyed last year reported being satisfied, while 41% responded that they were dissatisfied, and the rest had relatively neutral responses.”
I’m not sure who needs to hear this but losing almost half of our mule deer population over the last six years should mean that way more than 41% of deer hunters are unsatisfied with the results of their hunts this past fall. Perhaps it’s time that Wyoming does away with General deer tags and manages mule deer and whitetails separately?
Obviously, this is a straightforward opinion blog and as such I’m going to give you both barrels but I’d love to hear your thoughts and responses.
Barrel #1 – All mule deer tags in the state of Wyoming need to be limited quota and there should not be a single doe/fawn mule deer tag offered (we kill enough of those with our vehicles).
I mean if we have fewer mule deer than antelope and manage the latter strictly on a draw basis, why don’t we do that for mule deer? Areas/units/regions with healthy mule deer numbers could receive plenty of tags for any resident who wishes to hunt there so opportunity would not be diminished. Struggling mule deer areas could be managed stringently to help deer herds recover and be annually examined for tag allocation.
Barrel #2 – Mule deer and whitetails must be managed separately. We know for a fact that whitetails out-compete mule deer, are more adaptable and are more prolific, thus they can support greater hunting pressure. To me it only makes sense that the species be managed separately. Whitetail tags could be General/OTC with a hunter having to choose or pick a region to hunt, hunt dates could be very liberal when populations could support it and dialed back when numbers slump.
Having to choose a specific region for General whitetail tags could mitigate overcrowding in areas like Wyoming’s northeastern corner and spread pressure more evenly across the state.
I’m just spit-balling here as I’m one of the 41% who wasn’t satisfied with their deer hunt last year and would honestly like to see some changes to help our struggling mule deer numbers.
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Dan and Brian's Western Hunting Application Strategy
In this episode, Brian and Dan catch up for another podcast. They start by talking about how it’s tough to come into a hunt at 100%. It can be a cold or a back tweak or something that happens at home or work and has you mentally distracted. They talk about how they do everything in their power to avoid this but sometimes it just happens. Then they dive deep into their application strategies out West. The fellas get into the details of statistics and analytics while also looking at the topography of potential hunt areas/units. It’s a great conversation this week that is sure to get you some tips for drawing your next tag.
5 Responses
Todd, I think that makes a lot of sense.
Another reason I agree is that I’d like to hunt whitetails but I don’t want to burn my 10 deer points to do it.
On mulies, I don’t understand why they keep the general tags other than the inertia from people who don’t like change and fight it.
Some of the areas that are hurting the worst are the areas that guys with a general tag want to hunt because of the historically high trophy quality, and when the State issues general tags it allows that to happen.
I know guys like the freedom of going wherever they want within a general area but managing different herds as needed ought to take priority, especially now, but also as a “general rule.”
Todd,
Agreed. Manage it. As a nonresident hunter to Wyoming, the decline in mule deer numbers needs to be reversed both hunters and Wyoming Game and Fish Departments should be working to accomplish this turnaround. Doing away with general tags is a start and elimination of antlerless licenses for several years is probably a good idea. This can always be revisited, if the populations of mule deer surge.
Perfectly logical to me. Maybe science, or better yet, common sense, can dictate policy. Unfortunately, I have not been privy to any government agency where decisions are made solely based upon these factors. Too many folks may philosophically agree, but when it comes down to “their” deer, rationalization usually wins … “in the overall scheme of things, my deer (harvested} won’t matter”. Or, “to hell with everyone else, I better get mine before I won’t be able to “. Within our political system, differing values, fiscal constraints and perceived need for compromise often lead to poor or marginalized outcomes. Sacrifice for the greater good seems to take a back seat to “just doing what’s right”.
Completely agree whitetails and muleys should be managed separately.
It also makes complete sense to handle mule deer management like antelope with specific areas and quotas.
As one of the above posters mentioned, would be more than happy to combine next antelope hunt with a whitetail hunt, but am not willing to burn 12 points for a whitetail, when my home state’s limit on whitetails is two bucks and 10 antlerless.
Hope all herds there make it through this season with minimal winter kill.
Hi Todd, as a resident in WY this past season was my 1st year in over 20 years I did not Deer Hunt. I only went along as a Non Hunter with my son whom harvested a nice general deer. I disagree with #1 WY should eliminate General Deer and go Limited Quota for Deer. As to doe harvest I leave that to professional biologist to determine if a need for harvest is needed in each particular managment unit. The reason for not elminating a General Deer Tags are outlined as follows: I would say if WY eliminates General Deer a resident might hunt about once every 10 years. Our youth, women, and new hunters will lose interest in Deer Hunting if they can only hunt after applying without drawing for years upon years. Please read WY Statute – Chapter 44 which concerns WY Deer, Elk, & Antelope License Allocations. By State Statute 20% of the tags for limited quota Deer go to Non Residents, and the rest go to Landowners in Limited Quota Units. Residents have no tag allocation, zip, nada. Resident Non Landowners only get what is left after the Landowner Draw. Currently a Landowner in a General Unit does not draw a tag, they only buy a General Tag and hunt like everyone else that is a Non Landowner. Once we go to all Limited Quota Statewide the tags for the entire state will be put into the pool for Landowners and then a Resident Non Landowner will only have a small chance to draw a tag if their is any leftover limited quota licenses. Most of Eastmans subscribers are familiar with other States allowing Landowners to hunt on their own property which I believe is only fair. WY takes it further by providing up to 2 licenses per specie Elk, Deer, and Antelope per Landowner with 160 acres or more of Land that has food, water, & cover for tag specie. Then the Landowner has a limited quota tag that is good for the whole unit. In WY many of our Limited Quota Units are as big as multiple counties in other states. Chapter 44 says the Landowner can hunt on their on property with the tag but Game & Fish takes it further to interpret this means the whole unit, including Walk In Access, Hunter Management, National Forest, BLM, other private lands, etc. not just their own land. As a Resident Hunter Chapter 44 needs to be changed to reflect a quota for Resident Hunters. This requires working with Landowners, Legislatures, & WY Game & Fish Commission to change the law. WY Game & Fish establishes quotas for harvest on everything for example Sheep, Deer, Moose, Elk, etc. base on sound species management and surveys. Why would a Resident not get a quota of the Limited Quota Game Tags? We pay property taxes, we live here, & we support our community so we should be provided a share of available license tags. If the General Deer Tag is eliminated Game & Fish will suffer large revenue declines they use for Management, Equipment, Monitoring Diseases like CWD, EHD, & so forth. A General Tag is a Hunt, no guarantees, nothing is a given, just a chance to go out and be in the back country which I don’t want to see disappear. Mule Deer are in decline throughout the West not just WY. The issues are complex and include predators, disease, loss of habitat, etc. We need a comprehensive plan to include hunters, landowners, managers for public land, and Game & Fish all working towards a viable solution so we can solve the issues causing declines in Mule Deer. I don’t think doing away with the General Mule Deer Tags is the solution any more than attempts to shut down Sage Grouse Hunting was due to declines in their population.
As to #2 on White Tail and Mule Deer to the best of my knowledge the Game & Fish has approached the WY Game & Fish Commission to change this to seperate species and seasons to be managed independently of each other so this should be take care of in the near future.
I would like to thank the readers, and Eastmans for providing me the opportunity to provide my feedback on Deer in a state I dearly love being a resident, and like everyone else am also sad to see our beloved Mule Deer populations decline.
Brad
Powell, WY