# Your feelings on the deer herd after the 2014 hunts



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Now that all but a few of the antlerless 2014 hunts are in the books, what were your observations about the deer herd this year? Overall numbers, buck to doe ratio, number of mature bucks? 

I've seen some of my friends on Facebook telling us that the sky is falling, the DWR is ruining our herds, and the future of Utah deer hunting is DOOMED! I've seen these same people giving the same song and dance for years, though.

All I can really comment on is the little piece of private ground my family and I hunt, but this year has been pretty solid. Not quite as good as the banner years of 2011 and 2012 I had up there, but better than a lot of the years before that. I also get to see a little bit of the Beaver unit as my wife's family does the rifle hunt up there every year and her grandpa killed a yearling buck out of a group of 5 yearling bucks first thing opening morning. I know that doesn't sound like anything to write home about, but for that particular area we hunt, seeing 5 bucks the whole opening weekend is pretty phenomenal.

All in all, I'm fairly happy about what I have seen this year.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I observed 37 different bucks during the muzzleloader hunt. I just came back from a day and a half of elk hunting and seen 12 different bucks on public ground 1 of them being a 28" 4x4 in a very popular area to hunt. 

I did not see any monster bucks prior to the hunt like I did last year, but they probably just out smarted me. Looks like we have a really good crop of the little guys and the big boys like always just flat out don't get caught out in the open. The rare snap of a trail cam provides evidence that they are still out there. 

There are no alarms in my head telling me that there is a absence of deer. Not even bucks.


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## berrysblaster (Nov 27, 2013)

in my neck of the woods the deer have never been better...at least not in my time short tho it is


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I think the buck numbers are looking real good. Didn't see too many fawns this year but did see a lot of younger bucks.
Pretty much all the bigger bucks I scouted out this summer were killed by other hunters.
Looks like I need to find a new area with a little less pressure next year.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I saw a lot of small bucks that quite possibly got shot because of their stupidity. I also saw a lot of does with 2 fawns, the only problem here was that the majority of the fawns were only 1/4 grown and a couple of them still had remnants of spots on their coats. That along with their mothers ribs showing with very little fat reserves built up yet from what I could see. I would suspect that the majority of these fawns and does will not make it if there is a fairly hard winter.


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## rockroller (Dec 7, 2008)

We observed a lot of does ,but not a lot of bucks, There weren't as many young bucks as usual. We just dogged a couple shooters we found.


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Tons more bucks than last year. Just couldn't get the bigger ones to hang out for another week. Several more mature bucks than last year and dozens of small bucks. Next year should be banner for my unit.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

The herd is increasing due to mild winters the past few years.

-DallanC


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## Elkanddeer98 (Jun 19, 2014)

We saw tons of deer. Lots of does with fawns on the archery, less on the muzzy and rifle but they were still there. I don't think I have ever seen so many yearling bucks in one year. We didn't see any giant bucks. we saw a couple good bucks but next year all of the yearlings that survived will be smarter and we will start getting big bucks back in the next few years. I hope with all of these fawns that we will have another good batch of yearling bucks next year.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

I was able to pass on a lot of bucks this year - spike to 2x3's. Also saw alot of 3x3's and larger. Overall, its as good or better than last year.

Saw more bucks where I elk hunted than I have in that are for the last 5-7 years. Mainly was 2 points in the past but seeing a lot more with 3 or better.

Overall, i am seeing more deer the last 2-3 years than I have for the last decade or more. I give props to weather, but I think management is helping keep the increase consistant. I certainly don't see it hurting.

I am more concerned about elk. The numbers are naturally increasing and we dont know how the hell to respond to it. We are panicking and making irrational decisions.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

RandomElk16 said:


> I am more concerned about elk. The numbers are naturally increasing and we dont know how the hell to respond to it.


I think people on the wasatch would disagree with this. I can't believe the # of people who killed a cow this year.

-DallanC


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## Redman82 (Apr 12, 2012)

The deer on unit 9a seem to be doing well. The Bucks we saw on the archery look very healthy and have managed to get onto the Indian reservation early. Should be plenty of bucks next year.


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## Redman82 (Apr 12, 2012)

Depending on the winter.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

DallanC said:


> I think people on the wasatch would disagree with this. I can't believe the # of people who killed a cow this year.
> 
> -DallanC


Disagree with rising numbers or an elk issue in general?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

RandomElk16 said:


> Disagree with rising numbers or an elk issue in general?


I disagreed with:



> ... and we dont know how the hell to respond to it.


The unlimited antlerless elk tags offered up to every Tom Dick and Harry with a hunting tag certainly reigned them in in my neck of of the woods.

PS: Saw bucks every day of the our ML hunt, never very big and not in as big of numbers as previous years. The doe populations however are much higher, which should translate into more bucks down the road, assuming Mother Nature doesn't clobber all the gains with a huge winter.

-DallanC


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

DallanC said:


> I disagreed with:
> 
> The unlimited antlerless elk tags offered up to every Tom Dick and Harry with a hunting tag certainly reigned them in in my neck of of the woods.
> 
> ...


Yeah, but is issuing a s*** load of tags the proper way to respond to the numbers? What happens if we are struck with sudden issues like CO and disease or a horrible winter? We are just guessing that we should give out insane numbers of tags. Thats not management.


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## Broadside_Shot (Feb 22, 2010)

What do you mean depending on the winter.

Everyone I talk to says Option 2 is doing its job...


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Not being a Utah native, I still can't stand the pressure on the generals. My hike in area was full of guides and I could not shake the crowds this year. That being said, there were plenty of deer to go around and I could have filled my tag almost every day. I guess these conditions are great for some and not so great for others. I personally prefer other places over Utah. Purely from an opportunity standpoint, things are incredible right now.-------SS


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Lots more bucks in the yearling to 4 year old range. Lots of fawns and doe. Many young doe which will be having fawns next year. Mother Nature has blessed us with excellent deer conditions the past 4 years and we are seeing it where I hunt and where I travel. Thank you Mother Nature. I hope we have decent conditions over the winter and next year will be one of the best in decades.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Lots of small bucks were present where I was. A fair number were harvested opening weekend, but many were still to be found on the mountain when I left later in the week, and will be there next year. Most does had fawns and the fawns were large, fat, and well developed. Overall deer numbers were good, especially with the bluebird, warm weather during the hunt that confers an advantage to the deer during the general hunt. Not very many large bucks seen, but I suspect weather contributed to that as well. The deer I harvested had a healthy layer of fat. 

I'd echo what others said. The unit I was on should be terrific next year, weather permitting.


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## brendo (Sep 10, 2013)

saw a lot of bucks on the archery hunt in an area we hunt frequently and know well. alot of young deer but we managed to see at least one good buck every trip out. the muzzy and rifle hunt were a little bit different we saw a lot of deer and quite a few bucks but we didn't see a singe mature buck. Im sure they are there and we saw a nice one being packed out on a wheeler but this was our first year hunting this area so I felt like we did alright! we ended up filling 3 tags.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

I saw a lot of does and fawns that appeared pretty healthy. I did see quite a few small bucks while hunting. What was concerning for the unit I hunt was the lack of bachelor herds that I normally see during the general muzzle loader, and the number of bear I am seeing there. Between the muzzy and rifle hunts, we saw 9 bear all of which were extremely healthy.

I didn't have the chance to scout like in years past this year, but where we've hunted some hogs in the past, there just isn't deer there anymore at the higher elevations. Overall though, deer herd seems to be improving.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

Saw more bucks than I've seen in the last 10-15 years on a rifle deer hunt, tons of does with twins. Down side was the bucks were small, yearlings mostly. A few really good bucks I couldn't close with that made it through the end of the season. Now the elk on the other hand, haven't ever seen so few elk as I did this year.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I've spent 50 days on the mountain this year mainly on 6 diffrent units ...

5 of the 6 are improving deer wise.

2 of those 5 units, the deer herds have improved significantly over the last 2 years.

Morher nature is a huge factor helping these numbers increase, BUT also,
Preditor managment, hunter managment, and improving habitat also a factor.......


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

We filled 2/4 tags this year, had a first time hunter miss a 2 point buck and I don't hardly even put bullets in my rifle anymore so we could probably have filled all 4 tags had we really wished or had we got really serious about it.

We saw a whole lot of deer every single day. Does, fawns mostly but plenty of small bucks in there as well. This was on the south end of the Manti unit.


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## fishnate (Sep 11, 2007)

I've hunted my particular area for 3 years now during the general rifle and have never seen so many bucks, nearly 30 seen opening day and about 8 on Wednesday morning before 9:30 a.m. when my son tagged out. Saw lots of spikes and forkhorns, several medium 2, 3 and 4 points and 2 or 3 nice mature 4 points. Lots of does with fawns. My sons buck had ample fat. My area is virtually all public with some adjacent private holdings nearby and no ATV access. Can't wait to match up with those big boys next year.

A neighbor of mine hunted the archery about 10-15 miles away and 2000 feet higher and had similar findings. Things are looking good around here.


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

These reports don't bode well for option 1 supporters. 

Just sayin this isn't the first time we've had consecutive "good weather" years. And had we kept up macro management of deer and predators we would still be on the same trend as the previous 40 yrs.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Iron Bear said:


> These reports don't bode well for option 1 supporters.
> 
> Just sayin this isn't the first time we've had consecutive "good weather" years. And had we kept up macro management of deer and predators we would still be on the same trend as the previous 40 yrs.


HUH? Doesn't bode well...why? Good grief....if you were to go back and look at the trends, deer herds were already improving before option 2 was ever put in place. It is that perfect old example of the fallacy that correlation equals causation...the reality is that good weather conditions have been a huge factor in improving deer numbers.

The areas I hunt have also seen some improvements, and this year was pretty darn good. But, I started to see improvements a couple years BEFORE option 2!


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

Yep you were one I had in mind.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Iron Bear said:


> Yep you were one I had in mind.


Yep...and you are one of those guys that have been claiming the sky is falling for how many years now? By the way, how were your hunts this year?


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

About 30 yrs now. 

No deer tag. 

But I did shoot a cow so I got some meat in the freezer.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

In the area I hunted Archery this year there were a ton of bucks. From the guys I was hunting with who have hunted the area for years they claimed the buck numbers were up but they did say the number of large bucks was down from years past.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

If this winter is as kind as the last couple have been, next season promises to be quite the banner year where I hunt.

We saw tons of bucks on the archery hunt, and plenty during the muzz hunt as well... mostly yearlings, but a large share of those will be there next year.

The three deer my dad, myself, and my son harvested were all QUITE fat... my son's had so much fat on it that there was marbling in the backstraps. (never seen that on a deer before)


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

Some of you hate social media. I get that, but anyone with 30 minutes to burn looking at big mule deer can burn hours seeing that there are plenty of big bucks being taken and many of them on public land without a guide. 

I personally was tagged out and had to sit out my third year of dedicated but I had every single one of the hitlist bucks I watched during the summer in bow range at least twice. There were lots of small bucks but the only ones hanging in trees were 3x3 or better or large 2x2's of which one was a toad and probably 10 years old. 

Lots and lots of twin fawns this year too but the unit I hunt is already three thousand plus over objective and only 40 additional tags were issued for the unit. I'm confused on how option deuce is controlling the weather AND still keeping tag numbers low.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

We drew three of five this year. Hunted the Manti unit and saw the best deer numbers I have seen in probably 8-10 years or so. However, I must say that we didnt get out in that many areas as we were able to focus on areas hunted by friends who let us know where to be. So, my sample was pretty small.


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