All of the undersubscribed hunting permits in Utah emphasize just how far out of touch with sportsmen the DWR executives have become. Are they just foolish or is the DWR possibly "dumb like a fox"? Even non-residents have little interest in coming to Utah. Here we sit, in the heart of the very best mule deer country in all the world, and we have the worst game management in virtually all of the Western states.
It appears that our game department believes that the deer hunters would rush out to buy a license and go hunting even if there were not a single deer left on the continent, and without considering the additional burden of extra fees, road closures, shorter seasons and a lot more red tape. In reality, many people are fed up with the way things are being managed. It is also becoming quite apparent that the DWR is not planning to allow a deer herd recovery. They'd rather keep the predators, notwithstanding a recent token increase in lion permits.Of course, the reduction in hunter numbers, reductions in game populations, increased predator numbers, increased spending on nongame management, and even the loss of DWR - all fit perfectly into the plans of the tree huggers.
The tree and animal huggers favor reduced hunter numbers. They perceive it as lowered resistance to their plans. They will soon be crying for reintroduction of wolves and grizzly bears in Utah. They prefer ecosystem management by environmental "scientists" over game management by DWR.
Of course their plan would be funded by general taxation rather than through hunting license fees, unless, of course they can continue to sucker the sportsmen. They might even go so far as to assess user fees for using public land, such as the proposed fee for taking pictures in national parks.
The wilderness groupies would like to significantly increase the amount of public land (all with wilderness restrictions, of course) by seizing habitat lands purchased by sportsmen and/or through the exercise of federal eminent domain. This land would then be managed by environmentalists and off-limits to nearly all consumptive uses.
So far the DWR is cooperating, though operating on sportsmen's dollars.
J.M. Carter
Paradise