# 2016 Bear Permit Recommendations



## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

I attended the Central RAC meeting last night. It seems there is a lot of anxiety about the Harvest Objective strategy for bear in Utah. Particularly on the Wasatch unit. 

Some would like to see permits reduced and this hunt strategy eliminated. It seems like the sow harvest using this strategy is pretty high. The DWR says this unit is a good fit for that strategy. The biggest reason why is that there are a lot of human-bear conflicts and that these bears would be killed anyway so why not let hunters take them? Also the harvest numbers are within the bear plan performance objectives.

On the flip side could this strategy have a devastating impact on bear numbers over time like it has impacted the cougars. 

Just wondering what you guys think?


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I think there are way more bears on the Wasatch than people think. I don't mind the strategy. There is a cap on permits. So extreme over harvest is not going to happen. They can reassess after a season of trying it. That is just my 2 cents.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I wonder if harvest objective hunts create a greater sense of urgency to fill the tag as quickly as possible? Thus, more females get taken because hunters are willing to settle. Conversely, I think hunters are more likely to wait for a boar if they have an LE tag. It seems to me a better solution is to increase the number of tags rather than turn it into a harvest objective unit.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

Packout said:


> I think there are way more bears on the Wasatch than people think. I don't mind the strategy. There is a cap on permits. So extreme over harvest is not going to happen. They can reassess after a season of trying it. That is just my 2 cents.


I agree with this. I have baited and helped on 4 bear hunts on the wasatch in recent years. There are bears all over and pretty good numbers. I have had as many as 5-6 bears on almost every bait site I have set. All bait sites were new locations too.

The unit can support it. If the biologists are saying its good then I would tend to agree with them. As they stated most of these bears are being killed anyways, why not let hunters do the job.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> I wonder if harvest objective hunts create a greater sense of urgency to fill the tag as quickly as possible? Thus, more females get taken because hunters are willing to settle. Conversely, I think hunters are more likely to wait for a boar if they have an LE tag. It seems to me a better solution is to increase the number of tags rather than turn it into a harvest objective unit.


This is exactly what happens on harvest objective cougar hunts, guys get idea that if they don't kill the first thing they see the next hunter up the canyon will, so a higher percentage of females and juveniles do get taken.
I would expect the same thing would happen with bear.

One of the dilemna of managing bear has nothing to do with biology, but with the fear of lawsuits. The last two fatal bear attacks in Utah has left the DWR as defendants in lawsuits. Biologists have to give consideration and protect themselves from any future legal action resulting from bear attacks by making it appear they are doing all they can to protect the public from troublesome bear. I suspect this, as much as anything, is the driving force in making the Wasatch a harvest objective unit.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Kevin D said:


> This is exactly what happens on harvest objective cougar hunts, guys get idea that if they don't kill the first thing they see the next hunter up the canyon will, so a higher percentage of females and juveniles do get taken.
> I would expect the same thing would happen with bear.


^^^^^ This ^^^^^

Exactly what will happen with bear HO hunting.


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## elkantlers (Feb 27, 2014)

Why not just increase the tags available and kill the older age class bears?


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

elkantlers said:


> Why not just increase the tags available and kill the older age class bears?


Harvest objective permits ARE over the counter with NO cap, Unlimited permits!


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

bullsnot said:


> Some would like to see permits reduced and this hunt strategy eliminated.
> 
> Just wondering what you guys think?


I vote yes for this.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

elkantlers said:


> Why not just increase the tags available and kill the older age class bears?


 The idea is to hit a specific target. Success rates can vary significantly with predators and so simply increasing tags could lead to over or under harvest, in theory. It adds a significant amount of human pressure on the bears that will give them a healthy fear of humans, which is intentional on units where human-bear conflicts are an issue. It also helps preserve an LE experience for those that draw that tag.

It does seem to result in increased female harvest however and has the potential biologically to disrupt the reproduction cycle significantly if too many females are harvested. That's my concern anyway.


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