Wichita Mts Elk Hunt Permits REDUCED

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ElkStalkR

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Just got on the controlled hunt system and noticed that the Elk Permits in the Wichita Mts, have been greatly reduced.

They are only doing one hunt this year. 24 bulls and 56 cows. Those permits just got A LOT harder to draw, as if they weren't already hard enough!!
 

fishfurlife

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Ice storm was pretty tough on the heard two seasons back along with extremely high success rates in the past few years of hunting have most likely contributed to the drop in tags.
Could be worse. In 1996 and 97 tags were 12 total tags and 7 tags per hunt respectively for both years.
 

ElkStalkR

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Honestly I figured it had more to do with the USFWS not having enough funds to staff the hunts with the federal budget crunch that is currently going on. Overtime, etc......but that is a pure guess. Didn't know the winters could be hard enough that far south to effect elk.
 

deerwhacker444

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Honestly I figured it had more to do with the USFWS not having enough funds to staff the hunts with the federal budget crunch that is currently going on. Overtime, etc......but that is a pure guess. Didn't know the winters could be hard enough that far south to effect elk.

When I went on my hunt last Dec, they told us that the ice had killed a bunch of the older bigger bulls. I never thought about it till I went, but in some places the mountains are nothing but rock. Throw in a couple inches of ice and it would be very easy to slip and fall to your death. I never dreamed how rocky that place is. Even in the waist tall grass, you still feel like you're walking on softballs because of all the rocks. It's a very rugged place.

On my hunt, half of help was OK dept guys. I was lucky and had a USFWS guy who works in the park year round and knew the zone well where I was hunting. IMO, it seemed like they were the ones who were most interested in helping you successfully bag an elk. I "heard" a few of the other guys complaining that their OK dept guys weren't helping much. Probably because they don't know the areas well at all and are probably recruited just to drive the access roads and pick up/drop off hunters.
 

fishfurlife

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On my hunt, half of help was OK dept guys. I was lucky and had a USFWS guy who works in the park year round and knew the zone well where I was hunting. IMO, it seemed like they were the ones who were most interested in helping you successfully bag an elk. I "heard" a few of the other guys complaining that their OK dept guys weren't helping much. Probably because they don't know the areas well at all and are probably recruited just to drive the access roads and pick up/drop off hunters.

You do realize that over half the USFW staff that is helping is maintenance and fire staff right???? You also realize that the ODWC staff working the hunt has helped out on the hunt on average 10 years per ODWC staff member. All of the group leaders(both USFW and ODWC) know their units and know them well. The ODWC staff works the same units every year.

Next time your down be sure to run down the guy in charge of the ODWC staff and ask how they selected those that help. I would bet that you don't just volunteer to help with the biggest hunt in the state. You should go out there and hang with one of these group leaders (ODWC or USFW) on a hunt from 2 hours before daylight until 2-3 hours after dark. Then you can come on here and accuse any of them of being lazy. Be sure to get in on helping pack out 1-3 animals as well, because they all do it. It is just behind those fences where you can't see it. Take my word that all of the group leaders go above and beyond the call of duty to help every hunter out as if it were there last time to be there, because it is.

If you don't kill out on this hunt, it isn't because your guide didn't go out of his or her way to help you out.
 

Sniper John

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I have heard nothing but great things about the staff on these hunts.

Just FYI
Last year's Either Sex draw had 29,915 applicants for 66 permits. And I don't think that includes each individual's preference point numbers into the odds.
Oh well, I will keep trying like I have every year for many years. You can't draw if you don't enter.
 

deerwhacker444

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You do realize that over half the USFW staff that is helping is maintenance and fire staff right???? You also realize that the ODWC staff working the hunt has helped out on the hunt on average 10 years per ODWC staff member. All of the group leaders(both USFW and ODWC) know their units and know them well. The ODWC staff works the same units every year.

Next time your down be sure to run down the guy in charge of the ODWC staff and ask how they selected those that help. I would bet that you don't just volunteer to help with the biggest hunt in the state. You should go out there and hang with one of these group leaders (ODWC or USFW) on a hunt from 2 hours before daylight until 2-3 hours after dark. Then you can come on here and accuse any of them of being lazy. Be sure to get in on helping pack out 1-3 animals as well, because they all do it. It is just behind those fences where you can't see it. Take my word that all of the group leaders go above and beyond the call of duty to help every hunter out as if it were there last time to be there, because it is.

If you don't kill out on this hunt, it isn't because your guide didn't go out of his or her way to help you out.

You need to pull you head out of your Sphincter and take a chill pill..! I didn't accuse anybody of being lazy, only reported what I heard other people saying in other groups! The folks I dealt with were top notch, from BOTH organizations.

I don't care if my USFW staff guide works fire, maintenance or whatever. Fact is he lives in Cache and is there every day of the year and can tell you where the animals are, something most of the OK guys cannot do.

You better check your attitude at the door if you want to be taken seriously around this forum..!
 

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