Plan Into Practice: Utah's Big Bet on Mule Deer Restoration | Big Hunt Guys, Ep. 146

[@Brianreno1]

Great podcast as usual gents. For some real data on the hot button issue of feral horses in the west especially the 49,000 in Nevada go listen to the Where The Pavement Ends podcast episode 83.

[@ericgardner7579]

brady what you said about how horses feed vs other grazing animals is spot on. ive owned horses and they definitely doo some serious damage

[@JustinUrban-DQE]

The golden doodle conversation had me rolling 😂

[@drewfalon6246]

Washington State is a perfect example of why the antler restrictions do not work when it comes to managing quality of bucks. In majority of the Eastern Washington general units its 3pt or better for mule deer and what happens is all the young bucks are shot at 2 1/2 years old before they are even given the opportunity to become mature. Those deer potentially have the genetics to create quality animals however aren't given the opportunity to spread those genetics. Thus what happens is these giant 2 pt framed deer breed the does as they are older and larger bodied deer and bully the younger bucks with better genetics, creating more deer with the crap 2 pt frame genetics.

[@mmorris6341]

I’ve taken a couple giant old two points off the exact unit of this proposal. You are exactly right those will be breeding the does.

[@dustindavis42]

The problem with Washington State is the 3pt minimum rule. A 1" eye gaurd is considered a point on mule deer, so people are shooting very young 2x2 with eye gaurds. If it was 3 actual points on 1 side excluding the eye gaurd there would be bigger bucks. The whole reason to help deer population in bigger bucks doesn't work unless the younger bucks have more time to grow.

[@aarons307]

Good insights Trail. Here in western Wyoming we have used 3pt or better after the 16/17 winter for 3 years than went back to any buck. After 21/22 winter we are now on a 4pt or better. I'd say within 2 yrs the buck to doe ratio increased by about 8 in 2018, however that is because the herd consisted of more young bucks. We went from low 30's to over 40 bucks:100 does. General season areas. I'd expect Wyoming would come off the 4pt restriction in the next couple years. Youth can shoot any buck. When I was a kid in the 80's there was a 4pt or better restriction in the Wyoming Range areas, there was deer everywhere but the antler pt restriction was more for trophy & quality purposes. We were harvesting thousands of does back then every year, each person could have a buck tag and 3 doe tags for western Wyoming then winter of 92/93 crushed us.

[@davidhalsey1015]

To add to the age vs size topic. I killed a late archery buck in nevada that was 7+ and only scored 153" and the taxidermist had to use a forky form for the shoulder mount.

[@rustypills1903]

One thing they should have looked at to study is reduce the hunter pressure on deer to see if it effects deer population growth. When I was young, Utah had hunting from late August until end of October. Now there is some kind of hunt going from late August until mid to late November. Some units have 5 or 6 hunts for deer per year. Study a 2 week archery hunt with 7 days for both muzzleloader and rifle. 3 hunts also for elk too. There is too much chasing animals. Thanks for addressing the wild horse problem. It's a huge problem in western Utah and Nevada.

[@hudsonwhetten4984]

Curious when you filmed this since all the dates are after the rack meetings. Wish I would’ve know before the meetings were held. Otherwise, love the information!

[@GOHUNT]

Sorry about that. We filmed this one early last week and wanted to get it out sooner. We went back and forth on releasing this episode last week, or Trail's hunt recap that was about his film that went live on Sunday.

[@alexfrazier88]

I’m all for a whitetail episode

[@tomascardenasg]

Yessir

[@taylorjohanson2432]

Remember the glory days of Colorado? That was before they started managing for a less buck to doe ratio. Have you ever experienced a premium limited entry tag where they manage for higher buck to doe ratios? Very healthy herds and a very enjoyable experience.

[@albrechtadventures4965]

I went down a rabbit hole of research on this. I think Utah experimenting with this is great, but it seems that the number 1 thing that improves deer numbers is deer access to quality habitat. That's summer range, migration corridors, and winter range. Between drought, harsh winters, and increased development, wildlife numbers across the board are down. If we keep up our development and environmental degradation, lower populations are the new status quo. We need more hunters to volunteer to help state and federal agencies and private landowners improve habitat quality, we can make a big difference.

[@rschwarck44]

Are those youth provisions for all youth hunters or just residents?

[@GOHUNT]

Great question. First time youth applicants for both residents and nonresidents.

[@gregwhit4032]

Maybe we should bring Coues Whitetail to western Utah also Around price and Moab. Ect.

[@tomascardenasg]

Do a series on Lorenzo buying a small whitetail farm in Iowa and turning the land and then the season. Finale is a GH Original!

[@arttrumbo9496]

Sorry, but didn't first lite already do that? Seems a little unoriginal.

[@tomascardenasg]

@@arttrumbo9496 maybe! Not sure. I think it'd be cool. I watch GH for the people. Would be cool to watch them whack a booner

[@jayfry905]

So many changes in a single unit they won’t know which ones work and which don’t

[@thosebowguys]

I’m only halfway through the podcast so forgive me if this is covered…but instead of increasing tags to increase buck harvest, to decrease buck:doe ratio, why not instead change season dates or method of take to increase buck harvest? Maybe add an extra late rifle season or something of that sort? Wouldn’t that also increase buck harvest and in turn decrease buck:doe ratio? Just a thought.

[@tomascardenasg]

I might’ve missed it, but I remember you had a mule deer biologist on and he mentioned that the most ideal but to do ratio for antler size was in the mid to low teens. Another wrinkle to consider.

[@GOHUNT]

Great memory! That was the episode with Brock McMillan. Episode 111: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqTToKhqqM6FftE Still a podcast several of us go back and listen to often.

[@tomascardenasg]

@@GOHUNT thanks for linking ◡̈

[@lukerasmussen28]

If Lorenzo wants to come hunt my farm in western MN for whitetails, it’ll only cost him a case of Busch Lattes. Plenty of corn-fed bucks roaming around

[@GOHUNT]

HAHA That sounds like a great idea!

[@Biglooch65]

To help take heat off Brady I’d like to see Trail or Lorenzo take a 6 creed or a 22 creed out on any hunt. Write the firearm and tag off as a business expense and report back if it really doesn’t work. However I’m pretty confident that when paired with an ELD murder bullet your opinions may just change.

[@jackwagon1798]

Of course it would work. Terms like "margin for error" and "energy" are red flags...pure fuddore.

[@jackwagon1798]

The only people obsessed with the creedmoor are the haters.

[@wapiti4680]

9:44 Lets hear it about arrow weight for elk or deer and if ya'll shoot different arrows I shoot one arrow for all: 420gr. total weight 310 FPS out of a Halon 32-5. Post your arrow weight and speed below please.

[@averysoutdooradventuresllc]

As a short draw, and low poundage shooter (26.5” @ 55lb) I use a 425 grain arrow for 99% of game. Moose I went to 500, passthrough. People spend to much time limiting people who they don’t share experience with (being small 😂)

[@wapiti4680]

@@averysoutdooradventuresllc Thats a really good point, good work on the moose and good to know about 500gr. Do you go with a whole different arrow setup or just add weight to your your normal arrow?

[@averysoutdooradventuresllc]

@@wapiti4680 Thanks! And I had to go up a spine, just cause the head was heavier to get it to tune well!

[@lorenzosartini8796]

I also shoot 1 arrow for all. 480gr total weight at 303fps out of the LIFT.

[@wapiti4680]

@@lorenzosartini8796 60lbs right? Just kidding I bet you're an 80lbs draw guy. That's one of the reasons why I want that bow. 480gr. @ 303 fps is next level numbers.

[@marsingoutdoors]

Ooooo please don’t take away extended option if I draw another unit…. Family tradition unit is fun with kids and family and even tho I may have a tag in my pocket, to help them but when November comes it’s great to go to that extended. That would put extended at a massive draw only unit…oof. So I’m glad to hear it may not happen that way. But that box elder situation is valid for sure! Hard to take away opportunities I get that as well…. Hopefully with the dedicated and general idea which I like, they do this to non residents across the board and not let them put in for everything under the sun especially LE and Once in a lifetime. Seems non res have better options than residents.

[@I_Am_Him_88]

Damn no love for the OG 30-06?… and before you start on the kick ..I hit delts brotha!

[@gfrmedia6756]

New Mexico has a similar issue with feral cows

[@rhet7959]

Someone tell Lorenzo the Athletics started in Philadelphia lol

[@lorenzosartini8796]

Hahahah I’m not a baseball guy in the slightest😂 so thanks for letting me know! But they still lived in CA so get out!😂

[@Tatonka-801]

Lol, you kids think you will get more viewers with an early morning drop

[@GOHUNT]

Not really. Our typically release time is 4:30am PT. Some weeks we hit that mark, other weeks we don't. Mainly we just try to have a consistent release time each week and that time works for most people based on the feedback we get. Thanks for watching!

[@ericgardner7579]

6.5 is all hype it will fade out. I’d rather have my ol 270. All around can’t beat 300 win

[@arttrumbo9496]

yeah, the 6.5 is here to stay. It isn't going anywhere. Way too many people using it and supporting it.