The state of Idaho and the Department of Fish and Game are beginning work on updating their deer management plan. Part of that work involved a January survey sent to 1,500 hunters in order to gather hunter’s input about certain aspects of mule deer hunting.

The survey found that overall, hunters were satisfied with mule deer hunting. But they want to see more and larger bucks, which often requires reducing hunting opportunities. Deer hunters also overwhelmingly said they want to hunt every year.

“Ability to hunt every year is critical,” said Ed Krumpe, professor at the University of Idaho’s Department of Conservation and Social Sciences, which conducted the survey. “It’s something they want to preserve.”

Even though the majority of those surveyed said they wanted to be able to hunt every year, they acknowledged that they were willing to face restrictions in order to do so.

Controlled hunts were the most acceptable restrictions, followed by limiting harvest to bucks with four points or more, closing roads and trails, limiting hunts to short range weapons, and allowing only two-point bucks for harvest. Not hunting every year ranked at the bottom of the options.

A draft of a new deer management plan should be available sometime in December.

Tom Remington

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