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Hunter Numbers

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Hunter Numbers

Postby Swede » 10 18, 2020 •  [Post 1]

This fall I have visited several threads on-line where hunters are complaining about rude hunters in over crowded units. At the same time the States are saying their total hunter numbers continue to decrease. This is not a political issue as this situation has been observed long enough to cover different administrations, congresses and States with different parties in the top elected positions.
I believe the State numbers. They know how many licenses and tags they are selling. I believe the hunters that are having issues with more a hunters in their hunting area. So why the disconnect?
Here are a couple of things I have observed:
1. Hunter success is way down in some units, so hunters are crowding into areas they had not hunted in the past. In Oregon, the Cascade units have about a 5%-6% success rate average. The Forest Service has not allowed significant timber harvest there in about 25 years. Regeneration cuts were what produced the forage the elk depend on. Elk populations are way down. No elk equals no hunters there. They go to your hunting area.
2. Open OTC units are fewer and fewer. Individual draw units have been fairly stable. On some open units the number of cows, available to be harvested has been eliminated on some hunts, or reduced. Hunters go to open units where cows are fair game.

I do not think predators have been the main issue, in most places in Oregon, but they have been in some locations. I do not know if Covid 19 has had an affect or not. If it would add or reduce hunters I do not know.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Lefty » 10 18, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Idaho OTC, out of state tags sold out in less than 7 minutes.
There was a report this week BLM lands in September in Idaho had 30% more use
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Swede » 10 18, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Lefty wrote:Idaho OTC, out of state tags sold out in less than 7 minutes.
There was a report this week BLM lands in September in Idaho had 30% more use


But Idaho limits the number of out of State tags, so it does not matter if they sell out in 7 minutes or 7 months. Still you would get to the same number. I think Idaho needs to keep on bragging like Colorado on how great their hunting is.
So is there a real increase in total hunters, and is Idaho an exception to the States that are seeing a decline in total hunter numbers?
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Tigger » 10 19, 2020 •  [Post 4]

One thing to not confuse is license sales versus hunter numbers. They are not necessarily the same. Today, many people are buying or applying for more than 1 license in more than 1 state. I think this is happening much more than in the past. My 2 sons each had mule deer and antelope tags....so 4 licenses but only 2 kids. Many people have disposable income judging by the rigs I saw being pulled down I90 in South Dakota over the last month or 2. I think one anecdotal measure of hunting numbers may actually be OTC elk licenses in CO. My daughters boyfriend is going there in mid-Nov and I am anxious to see what he sees in terms of hunter numbers.

Covid has undoubtedly caused an uptick in people recreating outdoors, which includes hunting. What will be interesting to see is how much of a jump in 2020 and how many we hold on to in 2021. It certainly can be frustrating to draw tags with increased numbers. That is a problem in bad need of a solution. Point creep is real and is a serious detriment to hunter recruitment and retention.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Swede » 10 19, 2020 •  [Post 5]

I think draw units in Oregon and some other States have made a huge difference. Most units in Oregon are draw now only and that trend will continue to go that way. I hear that all of eastern Oregon will be draw only for archery elk in 2022. I suppose, if I do not draw a tag some year, I will need to wait for the traffic lights to turn red on Burnside Street in Portland, in order to make a left turn onto a side road out in the forest near where I live on the west side. What will really drive me nuts will be all of the little pseudo-elknuts bugling like a junior high band.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Billy Goat » 10 19, 2020 •  [Post 6]

your first post in this thread definitely describes Colorado this year. 3 major items, all happening in 1 season:

1. covid (reportedly) caused a ~30% increase in tag applications
2. CDOW finally acknowledged (publicly) a general decline in elk populations in SW portion of Colorado, pushed more hunters to OTC units in NW colorado
3. change in season dates (added an extra week gap between 1st and 2nd rifle) caused more folks to apply for 1st rifle rather than later seasons = significant point creep in 1st rifle

and even though my unit saw a ~20% tag decrease for 1st rifle, apparently everyone knew where the elk would be in a hot-dry season, cause it was the most crowded I've ever seen it near treeline.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby LDriver » 11 13, 2020 •  [Post 7]

I can only give limited analysis of the unit I've been hunting, mainly because I've only been in that area for the last couple of years, however, there was a perceived significant jump in hunters during archery season. Folks camping in areas that didn't have camps before, obliviously there were the same people you see camping in the same area, but there definitely more folks in the mountains...especially families not necessarily hunting, but out with ATV/UTVs. That was a very common occurrence of trucks coming in, offloading their toys, tearing up the forest service roads and then bouncing out by dark. For me and where I was hunting it wasn't a huge deal, the road/trail I go down is closed so nothing going that way, but I can see where it would/could issues with pushing animals farther away from roads. On another note, I did get called into or call in hunters on 4 occasions this past season, and I rarely saw hunters in the last couple of years, but I did shift actual hunting areas (stayed in same unit, just area in the unit) so not sure if this drove to my increase in seeing other hunters. :?: :?:
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Lefty » 11 13, 2020 •  [Post 8]

Our archery hunt we had very few guys show up on "our" road.
We did have a few Montana hunters come in from our side of Idaho.

Rifle hunt for deer a lot more big camps, but very few guys in where we were , dont know why. The other area we huted deer I thing the forest service doing work onj the FS road scared guys off
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Marble » 11 28, 2020 •  [Post 9]

I've noticed more and more hunters in the last 5 to 7 years. Whether or not there are more idk, but they are where I go hunt, in the difficult to get to backcountry. The biggest hurdle most people have when doing any of the western hunting is just knowing where to go. With Google Earth, OnX etc., that stuff is all so accessible. It used to take years of hunting and exploring to get the knowledge of an area. Now, it right on our phones.

Its the #1 question I get asked, and the #1 question i see asked is where to go, or "give me some tips."

On the plus side, I have seen some real idiots in the last few years which has been entertaining.

Saw a guy this year wearing flip flops at 10k'. He was a tall hippy dude on his first elk hunt. I wished him luck.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby wawhitey » 11 28, 2020 •  [Post 10]

Everybody having onx now is a big part of it. Here at home my favorite deer spot is reportedly getting hit by a lot of guys this year according to a friend who has been hunting there for many years. Maybe some loose lips involved by somebody, but theres always a lot of things thst come into play. Like peoples spots getting disturbed. Right now theres a ton of logging going on all over the CNF, and its like a 10 year logging program, so a lot of guys are and will continue to be displaced from their spots while logging ops go on, and theyll be looking for new places until the dust settles and they can go back to hunting their traditional spots. Also more and more folks are picking up bows, and our state sells far too many multi season permits. Wish theyd cut the numbers of those, make everybody just pick a weapon type, but its a cash cow for the wdfw.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby saddlesore » 11 28, 2020 •  [Post 11]

Colorado had 150% increase in applications this past year.Those that did not draw went to OTC units. Look on Facebook on some hunting pages. The most prevalent question is "I am a first time hunter, help me on where to go".

In NW Colorado where a couple thousand cow elk tags are typically left over for 3rd-4th seasons were all gone after the 2nd draw, and there were no decrease in tag numbers.

I'd say those factors pretty good indications of more hunters,not less.
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby wawhitey » 11 28, 2020 •  [Post 12]

saddlesore wrote:The most prevalent question is "I am a first time hunter, help me on where to go".

.


I always wonder about the truth of these claims. If a guy got online and said "ive been hunting for years but want some new spots" nobody would say a (nice) word. But the guys that hop on forums, usually brand new accounts, asking for first timer help, taking my disabled dad, kids etc get help. And man, any time a girl posts asking for help all the thirsty dudes start tripping over themselves with the white knight routine. I should find a pic of some random attractive 25 year old girl, make hunting forum accounts, and ask for hunting spots, see what i come up with. :lol:
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Re: Hunter Numbers

Postby Swede » 11 28, 2020 •  [Post 13]

Ahhh, don't feel too bad Whitey. If you want to hunt Oregon, I will give you the coordinates for a place you can hang your tree stand. :cry:
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