Proposed Elk Management Plan Draws Fire From Hunters
Two provisions included in the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) proposed five-year elk management plan have sparked debate across the state.
March 30, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Proposed Elk Management Plan Draws Fire From Hunters
Two provisions included in the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) proposed five-year elk management plan have sparked debate across the state. The proposals include raising the age objectives of bull elk in the limited entry permit areas and increasing the number of available annual spike bull permits.
Opportunities to Hunt Trophy Elk Set to Decrease
The first proposal is by far the most controversial because it ultimately will result in fewer chances to hunt the coveted trophy bull elk. The current age objectives range from 3 to 7 years. The proposed age objectives would increase this range to 4.5 to 8 years.
The increase in the age objectives is supposed to create a larger population of older bull elk for hunters to take - something the DWR believed hunters would support because it would increase their chances of taking a buck with bigger antlers. However, the reaction of majority of hunters has been just the opposite because the increased age objectives correlate with fewer overall opportunities to hunt.
Proponents of the age objective increase argue that because the current population of bull elk is over both the current and proposed age objectives, the immediate effect of raising the age will be an increase in the number of limited entry permits issued each year.
However, once hunters take enough bulls to decrease the average age in each class, then the number of permits also will decrease. Early estimates place the decrease between 200-400 permits. This, in turn, will result in longer wait periods for hunters who have applied for limited entry permits. Some fear that the increase in age objectives will mean it could take 20 years or more before a hunter finally would draw a tag.
In addition to decreased hunting opportunities, opponents of the age objective increase also argue that attempts to manage the bull elk population by age will not work and actually may have a negative impact on the overall health of the elk herds. They argue that the five year plan should focus on maintaining healthy bull-cow ratios instead of trying to create an older class of bull elk for harvest.
Permits for Spike Bucks Will Increase
While the proposed five-year plan ultimately would decrease the number of available limited entry permits for prized buck elk, it also would increase the number of permits available for spike bucks during the general elk hunt.
The current number of permits issued is set at 12,500. Under the new plan, this number would increase to 13,750 for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. If less than 20% of hunters take a spike bull during these two hunting seasons, then the number of permits would be increased to 15,000 for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The increase in spike bull permits is supposed to serve two purposes: first, to give more hunters an opportunity to hunt elk and second, to help manage the ratio of bulls to cows in the herds. Currently, there are too many bulls per 100 cows in the herds.
The Next Steps
The current five-year elk management plan is set to expire on March 31, 2010. Five Regional Advisory Council (RAC) meetings are being held from March 16-24 to solicit comments from the public on the proposed new plan before voting on it. The comments collected during the RACs then will be presented to the Utah Wildlife Board, which is set to vote whether to adopt the plan on March 31 in Salt Lake City.
Conclusion
Whether or not the Wildlife Board will vote to accept the proposed elk management plan without any changes has yet to be seen. Regardless of what plan ultimately is adopted, it is important for hunters to be aware of the elk management plan and the changes it makes to current hunting laws. Utah imposes steep penalties against hunters who violate these laws.
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