I was reading a local news article about some new proposed changes to some hunting units in Utah and I wondered what other people thought about them. Here they are…
An antler point restriction would require that hunters only harvest bucks with four points or more on at least one side of an antler. This would protect most bucks under 3 years of age.
A shortened season with a two-week archery hunt, as well as a five-day muzzleloader and any legal weapon hunts. This may reduce the number of bucks harvested.
Follow recently approved restricted weapons rules, such as no compound archery bows, no inline muzzleloaders and no scopes for muzzleloaders or rifles. This may also reduce the number of bucks harvested.
If implemented, these will only affect 5 units in southern Utah (for now) hit hard by drought, and only last for 3 seasons. However, they may be implemented in more units, or state-wide, depending on the results.
Personally, I am alright with the antler point requirement. I’d maybe set it at 3-point of bigger. I think too many spike and two-points get shot. As for the shortened season, I think almost everyone goes out on the opening day, and that’s probably where 90% of the deer are killed. So I think shortening it to just 5 days instead of the current 8 won’t do that much.
#3 is idiotic! No compound bows or in-line muzzleloaders, and not scopes period?!?! Do they want a bunch on injured deer? They may as well completely shut down the unit for 3 years! The article also states these are already “recently approved weapon restrictions”. Who in their right mind approved these?
I do not live in Utah first of all. And am not a wildlife biologist. But aren’t the bigger bucks the genetic sources wanted and are the ones doing the breeding of the does? I do not know when is Utah rut. In Oregon it is mid-november and rifle season is over by then but some bigger deer are removed from the gene pool. If the goal is to shoot fewer deer by limiting what is available then this works I guess. And younger bucks are not as cautious. But to me if a unit is in trouble then I would do two things - put a max size limit and reduce number of tags. Tough on the locals for sure. But in long run better than not having any deer at all. I think shooting younger bucks is better for the population overall but certainly can be wrong on this.
I’m torn on the 4 pts or more suggested change. I like the idea in theory that it lets the younger bucks develop, but scares the hell out of me that I might glass a buck, think it’s got 4 points, then shoot and get up to it and realize it’s only 3. I also don’t think it should apply to youth hunters.
I could see the shortened season actually helping because I think a lot of casual hunters only do the weekends and it would remove the 2nd weekend.
I hate the muzzleloader scope removal suggestion. A lot of my friends have invested heavily in their setups and they don’t have iron sights they can go back to. I don’t have the source, but someone said the scopes only increased success by 3%.
I’m a bit surprised by the areas they suggested the changes for. I’ve heard the kill rate was insane in northern Utah, but thought southern/mid Utah was doing well.
I don’t know that I have a better suggestion than maybe more winter feeding stations so more fawns survive. Maybe cut available tags again
The winter kill in Northern Utah was VERY extreem this year! I hunted almost all 8 days of the muzzleloader hunt and only saw 4 does. I also helped my brother on the rifle opener and didn’t see anything. The other 4 groups we talked to also didn’t see anything. Two groups had been up there for a full week prior for the elk hunt and didn’t see any elk or deer. Ironically I saw a legal bull on opening day, and they were both pissed! But I’ve heard from some of my Southern Utah hunters there were bucks all over.
Met a guy yesterday who took his elk in Utah with a muzzleloader at 650 yards, lol. As much as I LOVE hunting muzzleloader in Utah for the reason that they allow so much that it’s basically center fire rifle…. I admit that it should probably change.
Oregon is open sights and open ignition. I think that does two things. Keeps the spirit intended for muzzleloader and keeps a lot of people from hunting muzzle loader and makes some tags easier to get.
BTW In typical December Oregon MZ hunt with traditional rifles you do have to keep your powder dry. Flint lock would be a real challenge here in the rain.
Why cannot I post the word flint lock? I got rejected. Seems weird on a gun centric forum.
Looks like the no scope on a muzzleloader passed? Will we see more of this around the country? Everyone in Utah hating this or is it just a few guys that don’t have iron sights? From someone not living in the state, if they can prove that taking the scope away positively affects the deer populations in a meaningful way it seems like the right move. Although, someone before said the scope only adds 3% success… thoughts?
Utah used to not allow scopes on muzzleloaders. When the scopes were added, it didn’t really change the number of deer killed in muzzleloader season. I think this is a regulation that MAKES SENSE, but isn’t actually backed by data.
This kind of makes me mad (a little). I’ve muzzleloader hunted in Northern Utah for the passed 12 or so years, even before scopes were allowed. It’s a lot of work to sight in a muzzleloader from scratch, especially when none of my local ranges allow them. Now I am going to have to re-sight my gun to a red dot, which I’ve heard are allowed. It’s just annoying.
Before the scopes, someone I know shot three deer one year using irons on his muzzleloader. Wounded two that he never found and recovered the third. Totally unethical in my opinion, and should be illegal. My point is, if you are going to pull the trigger at anything, why make it harder to make a clean ethical shot? Like putting bike tires on your Corvette. If they have too many deer being taken during the muzzleloader season, reduce tags! And for the record, this year I hunted 6 of the 8 days of the muzzleloader season and I only saw one other hunter, one day.
I just listened to the board meeting. The public overwhelmingly wanted to keep scopes. The main reason they voted to get rid of them was to keep the muzzleloader hunt a muzzleloader hunt, not an early rifle hunt. Because of the public opinion, they reverted back to the way it was in 2015. 1x scopes, red dot or open sights.
I get it. It just sucks that I have to put a red dot on my gun now. It’s a lot of work to sight in a muzzleloader!
