# Youth archery deer tags-No one buying?



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I find it intresting, not one single unit has sold out ...
Enter any age under 18, hit go. it will show avalible permits by unit.

https://secure.utah.gov/hflo/available-licenses.html

Any thoughts?


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Perhaps Utah has finally hit the saturation point with youth archery licenses. Also if the young hunter doesn't have a mentor that archery hunts then it is doubtful that they will follow in their footsteps and become a archery hunter. I know of quite a fey young hunters that if they don't draw out with their dads they just don't go hunting, that along with hunting not being a priority as it was back when I started around 50 years ago. 

I know that the one reason that I took up archery hunting was so that I could hunt that much more as long as you could afford the licenses.


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I know quite a few kids that have cow rifle tags and antelope tags. Lots of opportunity to get meat. Not enough time or money to do both. If those same kids didnt draw those tags they would have picked up archery tags. 

To tell you the truth though almost every other kid I know drew a rifle tag this year so no need for the archery tag. 

Then there are kids who are either pampered or lazy. They don't want to put forth any effort with a bow cause its too hard. They cant hit anything the first time trying so they give up.

$$ can be a problem with bows because the bow and arrow companies keep raising the prices.


----------



## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

I could have gotten this tag 2 years ago when I was 17, and part of me wishes I had. The problem was, my dad, who is my hunting partner, doesnt do archery. Add in the fact that I was going to school and working part time it was hard to save up $1,000.00 for a new setup. That and the fact that I didn't want to go by myself and you can see why I didn't get the tag.

Im sure many youths are facing the same problems I did 2 years ago. Probably why the tags aren't selling out. Just my $.02


----------



## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Due to the 20% rule, I never had a problem getting rifle deer tags while under 18. I'm assuming that most youth who wanted a rifle tag got one, and that most youth who wanted an archery tag probably got one in the draw.


----------



## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

No surprise. I don't have solid stats, but roughly 1/3 of the kid archers I contact are eager to hunt with a bow. But only about 20% of those kids are able to do so for a variety of reasons that ALL boil down to a lack of adult support. Of those who do bowhunt, almost every one comes from a bowhunting family.

I'm not smart enough to figure out a solution. Pure and simple - there just isn't a good substitute for Dad (with the rare exception of a bowhunting Mom) and there ain't near enough Dads out there. Bless every one of you.


----------



## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Putting in for the any weapon tag makes a lot more sense than appyling directly for the archery only tag. My guess is most kids who have parents that hunt archery know for a fact how hard the hunt can be. Might as well give them 3 seasons instead if possible. I would guess some will sell as it gets closer to the time but I really don't think there is the demand. Just another feel good move by the Wildlife board.


----------



## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Good responses already. Only thing I'd add is I know many youth who didn't draw their deer tags (any weapon) this year and last year. They won't purchase these youth tags for the reasons already listed-- high cost, not enough time, too much dedication, hard to practice, can't go with family, unfamiliar with archery, etc.... The youth tags are great for the small fraction of youth who are already in archery hunting circles and who didn't already draw a permit. That is a small group of youth.


----------



## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

It's true that times have changed and youth have so many more options, but it seems like simple logic and math to me. The more incentives you remove from adults, the fewer youth you'll get. You can't draw youth through the front door (and keep them) if you're kicking the adults out the back! By the same token, the more incentives you keep (or add) for the adults, the more youth you'll get and keep.


----------



## fishnate (Sep 11, 2007)

I have two kids, a boy and a girl, who didn't draw an any weapon tag for deer. I have a bow and enjoy hunting with it but it's too hard for them to pull and I can't afford to buy either of them a bow to hunt with especially since I just got them another gun to hunt with. Since they didn't get the deer tags I got them elk tags instead. It was tempting to just bag the hunt and just go fishing instead.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

It cracks me up when people complain about bows being too hard to draw. If you saw how small SW's daughter was when she was pulling 40 pounds it would amaze you. A little time behind a bow goes a long way. You can jump up pretty fast on poundage. 
I still like the tags even if they don't sell out as that wasn't the point to sell them out. It was to make sure we gave great options to all of the kids to hunt each year.


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Alpine is correct tags were never set to sell out. 

Ken makenzie is 37 lbs and pulls 35 lbs all day long. She's 9. When I here this excuse about kids not being able to pull weight and need a crossbow it chaps my hide! It just says they or their parrents want a free handicap pass.


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

My 9 year old is pulling 41 lbs ....


----------



## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I agree that most kids who are over 12 can pull 40 lbs, but it takes practice and therein lies the problem with kids who are outside of archery circles. They have no way to dedicate the time to practice. Their city doesn't allow shooting at home in the backyard, the parents won't drive them to DATUS or a range, and they don't know how to overcome those obstacles. To be a successful archer takes time and a youth from a non-archery family struggles to make to effort.

SW , Goofy, Alpine, or I would snag one of these tags if our kids didn't have another option, but we are in the minority of people willing or able to do that for their kid. These tags are not a bad thing, but they don't "blanket-benefit" all youth.


----------



## richardjb (Apr 1, 2008)

So why not offer these archery tags to adults if the kids don't use them?


----------



## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

richardjb said:


> So why not offer these archery tags to adults if the kids don't use them?


Because their kids tags. The division knows there is little chance of the tags being filled.


----------



## richardjb (Apr 1, 2008)

But I'm no threat to the deer population. I'm just a 53 yr old kid!


----------



## silversurfer (Oct 30, 2011)

They sure sell more archery tag to those of us that didn't draw out. If the kids don't want them I sure would. :grin:


----------



## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

richardjb said:


> So why not offer these archery tags to adults if the kids don't use them?


Amy already gave the DWR's position on the Big Game subforum, page #9, "Remaining Permits", post #9.


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

*STILL,*

Not one single unit has sold out on it's quota ....

Surpises me! I thought Thousand lakes, Boulder, and a few of the better
units would sell out ....


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

While I don't know exactly why these tags aren't selling out, and I think that there have been some good explainations, I would like to comment on the notion that archery hunting is somehow harder than other methods. I spent the first 20 years of my hunting life split evenly between bow and gun hunting in several states. I would never say that bowhunting is any more challenging overall than gun hunting. Of course you can't shoot as far, follow up shots are slower, and running shots are tougher. But this is all offset by the advantages of the season, namely being able to hunt bucks that are grouped up, haven't seen pressure for a year, and spend alot of time in the open areas of the high country. I always saw more animals, bigger animals, and had more opportunity on the archery hunt. Heck I even went all texobob for a few years and killed some deer with a recurve.
I have gone with buddies on the Utah archery hunt the last few years and routinely watch 3 out of five guys kill bucks.

Moral of the story is, don't be afraid to take your kids archery hunting. Opportunity abounds if you put a little prep time in. I still have the Micro Midas and my kids just might be on the archery hunt someday soon.-------SS


----------

