# RAC Agenda 2014



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Looks like maybe the goose limit could increase to 4 this year.
And a Crow hunt to boot! (You have to scroll down a bit to find the waterfowl stuff)
http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/2014-05_rac_packet.pdf


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I wish they would consider moving the "Urban Goose" boundary further west on I-80 in Tooele County, maybe to the Rawley-Dugway road. Timpie Springs could then be included.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Fowlmouth said:


> Looks like maybe the goose limit could increase to 4 this year.
> And a Crow hunt to boot! (You have to scroll down a bit to find the waterfowl stuff)
> http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/2014-05_rac_packet.pdf


Used to go crow hunting back in Louisiana growing up. Talk about fun and furious shooting when they come in to the call. We would set up an electronic call and a couple of decoys on tree branches and let it rip. Wasn't unusual to have 100 or more crows converge on you in less than a minute. As fast as you could load and pull the trigger the action would last for 2-4 minutes before they went away. Then roll on down a few miles down the road, set up again and repeat.....crazy fun.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Look at page 57 :shock:.

"The DWR is recommending the following changes: 

1- Moving shooting times on opening day of the waterfowl season to ½ hour before official sunrise. This will reduce the violations that occur from confusion over shooting times and increase hunter success. Most other counties in Utah have been operating under these shooting times without any problems."

That's long overdue. Let's just hope everyone behaves safely under this new regulation. I've got to say I'm surprised though, but I guess if you can't enforce something then you may as well just make it legal.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

LostLouisianian said:


> Used to go crow hunting back in Louisiana growing up. Talk about fun and furious shooting when they come in to the call. We would set up an electronic call and a couple of decoys on tree branches and let it rip. Wasn't unusual to have 100 or more crows converge on you in less than a minute. As fast as you could load and pull the trigger the action would last for 2-4 minutes before they went away. Then roll on down a few miles down the road, set up again and repeat.....crazy fun.


 Do you eat crow? I'd love to kill them, but I'm not sure if I could eat someone's soul...


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Clarq said:


> Look at page 57 :shock:.
> 
> "The DWR is recommending the following changes:
> 
> ...


 Or just make the print in the proclamation big enough so people can read it. You know big bold red letters. I think it is a bad idea to do that on opening day with the majority of hunters in Northern Utah. It's crazy enough now, can you imagine shooting while it's still somewhat dark? People will get hurt.
There are just too many people on the Northern Utah WMA's on the opener. I hope they reconsider that proposal.

I agree other counties have operated under those shooting times without any problems, but they don't have the bulk of hunters on opening day like the Northern WMA's have. It probably would increase the success rate for most hunters, but from a safety stand point I say "hell no".


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

They could devote two full pages in the proclamation to the shooting time on opening day and people would still probably shoot early if they thought they could get away with it. That's where the real problem is. They can't enforce their own rules, and people don't care to follow them. I'd be willing to bet that even if this does pass, people will still shoot five to ten minutes early, at least.

I'm concerned about safety too. I guess that when I said that this change was overdue I was giving opening day hunters quite a bit of credit for common sense safety practices. Time will tell, I suppose.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

You are right about people shooting early no matter what the legal time is set at. I think a lot of the confusion last year was the small print with the ****asterisk**** in front of the wording. You really had to look at the guidebook closely to see it. 
If opening day starts 30 minutes before sunrise you can expect people to start shooting well ahead of that time, kind of like they do every other day. The concern I have is there are so many more people in the marsh on the opener, and if guys start shooting early they will be shooting in the dark not knowing who is around them. We will see I guess.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

JuniorPre 360 said:


> Do you eat crow? I'd love to kill them, but I'm not sure if I could eat someone's soul...


Never did get up the nerve to try them but my neighbor ate them up and swore they were very good. I have seen folks cooking and eating them on outdoor shows before so I guess they're edible.


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

If you feel strongly about any of the new proposals that are being brought in front of the RAC next month, please consider attending the meeting. If you can't, then contact a RAC member and ask for your idea to be brought up for consideration at the RAC meeting. This is something that I've noticed at many of the RAC meetings..folks will have an idea, or a modification to a proposal but they don't specificaly ask the RAC to make a motion to amend the proposal. Without doing that, the chances of it being voted on are slim. 
R


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

RAC Meeting Schedule:

Southern Region
May 6
7 p.m.
Richfield High School
510 W. 100 S.
Richfield

Southeastern Region
May 7
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River 

Northeastern Region
May 8
6:30 p.m.
DWR Northeastern Region Office
318 N. Vernal Ave.
Vernal

Central Region
May 13
6:30 p.m.
Springville Public Library Meeting Room
45 S. Main St.
Springville

Northern Region
May 15
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

OH MAN! I could get down on 4 geese a day!! I cant begin to tell you how much i'm looking forward to this next waterfowl season!!!


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

I love the turkey expansion in the next five years. It will create a lot of good new opportunities in different areas.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

for the time for the opener im kinda liking. just because then people will be out of there earlier and then I can go in with more less people now.But yes the safety is number one.For the limit to four geese yes even though I have a hard time killing three. I would like to see them raise the pinners up to three again. but other then that im happy with.About the crow hunt that should be some fun shooting.


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## birdboy (Sep 11, 2007)

Is anybody planning on attending the meeting in Brigham City tonight? Sounds like there is going to PETA opposition about the Crow hunt. Some of the liberals I work with are getting on board. I can't make it but wish I could. If someone makes it will you give a report?

Thanks


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

No waterfowlers bothered to attend last night's RAC meeting. The northern RAC voted to accept the increased dove limits and the increased goose limit and all the rest of the waterfowl related stuff. The crow proposal was not so lucky. RAC voted to allow crow depredation hunts and falconry hunts but excluded general firearm hunts. One of the big factors is that crows would be listed as a migratory game bird and regulated just like other game birds, which means if you kill one, you eat one. Also, very few crow hunting proponents made themselves heard by the RAC members (by phone, email, or meeting attendance). There were plenty of people opposed to crow hunting. The wildlife board will make the final decisions though.
R


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Thanks for the update R..........
Just curious why one of the RAC meetings doesn't take place closer to SLC? It just seems like the bulk of Waterfowlers live somewhere in the SL area. The South Shore Clubs, GSL and Farmington Bay are very popular with hunters. It just makes more sense to me if they had the meeting at the DNR building in SL. I don't know if more folks would attend or not, but I do know most guys won't drive 40 miles to attend a meeting, or it appears to be that way anyway.

As far as crow hunting is concerned, I don't care either way. If I'm not going to eat it, I don't want to waste a shell on it. 

In regards to the start time proposed for the waterfowl opener, I still think it's a bad idea to open it at sunrise in the Northern part of the state. The majority of waterfowl hunters are located in these areas that day, and I believe it highly increases the chance for accidents to happen. I really hope the wildlife board rethinks this. 
Thanks again rjefre for always passing along information.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

that some good news. Thanks R


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