Idaho 10a deer hunting

[WA hunter14]

Some of you guys sure are skeptical

[trophyhunt]

Some of you guys sure are skeptical

?

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I was hoping it was true, has anyone called Idaho yet to ask?  I personally think the deer population isn't what it used to be.  Two bucks per person is just too much in my opinion, and that is what most shoot.  I just feel the hunting could be much better in a few years if only one deer were allowed per hunter. Roast away I guess.

The second tags are just leftover non res tags. So they are tags that they planned someone to get whether someone's first tag or second tag.  Why not just shorten the season or sell less tags? I doubt this will make much of a difference in hunting in 10 A because not everyone who gets a second tag will hunt in 10 A. There are about 100 game units in Idaho, so if 1500 non res tags went unsold that would be 1500 possible hunters with two tags. Divide that by 100 game units and the average unit would see about 15 hunters with two tags. Now 10 A is popular so say it got 100 people with two tags?  The success rate last year was 49%, (wow, that doesn't sound like the population is struggling) so 100 tags would be about 50 deer taken. The mix in that unit was 66% bucks and 33% does, so that breaks down to about 34 bucks and 17 does. That's the worst case scenario out of 3322 deer taken in that unit last year.  But if those tags all get sold to non res as first tags, it will make no difference at all. The shorter season might affect it a bit, but the tags will be negligible.

[grundy53]

Dang. We hunt there every year for the week of thanksgiving.

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[Sitka_Blacktail]

Looking into the harvest stats for 10 A, I can't see what the problem is that people think needs fixing?  Here is the last 15 years of total harvest in 10 A.

2017 ---- 3322 deer
2016 ---- 3250 deer
2015 ---- 3586 deer
2014 ---- 3131 deer
2013 ---- 2664 deer
2012 ---- 2842 deer
2011 ---- 2640 deer
2010 ---- 2529 deer
2009 ---- 2429 deer
2008 ---- 2429 deer
2007 ---- 2613 deer
2006 ---- 2416 deer
2005 ---- 2497 deer
2004 ---- 2361 deer
2003 ---- 2034 deer

So last year was the second largest harvest in the last 15 years and there is a problem? And the harvest was 900-1000 deer more than most of the previous years? It sounds to me like the hunting is hot there right now. And the harvest rate per hunter is about 10-12% higher than most of those earlier years?  My guess is that there are some people out there who are jealous of people who can afford to pay the extra cost of buying a second tag and they pushed this, because based on harvest stats, this wasn't needed.

[Bigshooter]

I was hoping it was true, has anyone called Idaho yet to ask?  I personally think the deer population isn't what it used to be.  Two bucks per person is just too much in my opinion, and that is what most shoot.  I just feel the hunting could be much better in a few years if only one deer were allowed per hunter. Roast away I guess.

The second tags are just leftover non res tags. So they are tags that they planned someone to get whether someone's first tag or second tag.  Why not just shorten the season or sell less tags? I doubt this will make much of a difference in hunting in 10 A because not everyone who gets a second tag will hunt in 10 A. There are about 100 game units in Idaho, so if 1500 non res tags went unsold that would be 1500 possible hunters with two tags. Divide that by 100 game units and the average unit would see about 15 hunters with two tags. Now 10 A is popular so say it got 100 people with two tags?  The success rate last year was 49%, (wow, that doesn't sound like the population is struggling) so 100 tags would be about 50 deer taken. The mix in that unit was 66% bucks and 33% does, so that breaks down to about 34 bucks and 17 does. That's the worst case scenario out of 3322 deer taken in that unit last year.  But if those tags all get sold to non res as first tags, it will make no difference at all. The shorter season might affect it a bit, but the tags will be negligible.

 

[meatwhack]

Some people would rather see quality rather than high harvest stats. If people stopped shooting every 2.5 year old buck they saw in some of these units there’d be some dandies running around.

[grundy53]

Some people would rather see quality rather than high harvest stats. If people stopped shooting every 2.5 year old buck they saw in some of these units there’d be some dandies running around.

Not everyone is a trophy hunter. In fact most people aren't.

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[Naches Sportsman]

Some people would rather see quality rather than high harvest stats. If people stopped shooting every 2.5 year old buck they saw in some of these units there’d be some dandies running around.

I saw two dozen plus big white tail last summer (May-Oct) in just a small area of the unit.  There are definitely dandy bucks around. I saw anywhere from 6 to 20 4 point or better bucks most days.

I see what you're saying, but I'd rather kill any buck and you can't eat the antlers.

[meatwhack]

I’d rather see someone shoot a doe if they’re worried about the meat and not eating the antlers. A lot of areas have buck to die ratios that are way out of whack anyways. What I usually see is most hunters don’t have the restraint to pass up a buck so in general a lot of people shoot the first buck they see. I’m not trying to upset anyone this is just my opinions.

[trophyhunt]

Most people call their first buck,”the meat buck”, I just love stats.  Where is the numbers on the wolf kills or the number of quality bucks being killed?  Jealously has zero to do with it, I’m just going off of my own expirences.  Sitka, do you even hunt 10a? 

[meatwhack]

One downfall of restricting second tags and limiting season length in only one or a few units is the added pressure it’ll likely put on neighboring units.

[3nails]

Some people would rather see quality rather than high harvest stats. If people stopped shooting every 2.5 year old buck they saw in some of these units there’d be some dandies running around.

10A is loaded with dandy bucks.

[trophyhunt]

Some people would rather see quality rather than high harvest stats. If people stopped shooting every 2.5 year old buck they saw in some of these units there’d be some dandies running around.

10A is loaded with dandy bucks.

It should only get better now.

[3nails]

Some people would rather see quality rather than high harvest stats. If people stopped shooting every 2.5 year old buck they saw in some of these units there’d be some dandies running around.

10A is loaded with dandy bucks.

It should only get better now.

Maybe. Maybe not. Less hunters spending less time in the field with wolf tags.