But if the problem is with Mule Deer and mainly mule deer in Southern Idaho - why could not the F&G just set the season in those areas as Traditional ML only... they had the power to do that - but instead they they remove the inline state wide - does not make sense.
Another thing that has not been mentioned - the state issues two different deer tags, a regular deer tag, hunt either whitetail or mule deer in a much shorter hunting season, and whitetail deer tag. If you purchase the whitetail tag you can not shoot a mule deer, further reducing the pressure on the mule deer, at least here in the north where most tags sold are whitetail tags. So if the modern inline is taking to much of a toll on mule deer why is not allowed when hunting with a whitetail tag, or during elk season.
You wont here any complaints from me about it
i cant answer that , i simply dont know . it would seem like the thing to do .
i can tell you when the state recommended what they did i was very surprised .
Jaime Gould from the Idaho muzzleloading association was sitting next to me and I think he was surprised as I was . In fact we had along discussion after the meeting concerning this very subject .
I can say however that he was proposing a side lock definition for traditional units that night and I was task with providing information on the advancements of technologies nation wide concerning muzzleloading and how looking at the problems that other states had run into might keep us from experiencing the same pitfalls .
All that however was kind of over shadowed
I read that as a pretty insensitive remark of course he is not one of the 2-5%.... worst part is I truly have no problem believing that captchee could care less... but, I also do not think he even knows or cares about the economic hit the decision put on a lot of people and dealers around the state.
Well to be honest my answer is 2 part . Yes I know and im aware of the impact
Do I care ? Frankly and you may not like this but no I really don’t .
Why ?
1) because I feel that if done correctly the impact can be kept to a minimum or at least if drastic only so for a relative short time , as these such things go . The alternative is a complete loss
2))
Because the process of the complaint system that the folks went through was flat a$$ wrong and IMO removed all credibility .
To sign petitions , send letter with false names, numbers and such so as to give the impression of greater numbers is wrong and destroys the credibility of a lot of good folks who have a serious gripe .
Before you say you didn’t know that happened , it did and was reported by one of the game commissioners to the attorney general of the state .
Right along with the death and threats to personal family members received by a couple of the commissioners .
Tell me ? Is this the type of movement you fellas want ? Is this the way mature adults deal with a situation they don’t agree with ?
I Will also state that the one mom and pop outfit who claims to be sitting on 60.0000 dollars of modern inline muzzleloading rifles that are non refundable from the supplier ? I Find very hard to believe that his soul investment was for local sale .
As a business man myself if those accounts are true then the fella , Again IMO is a very poor businessman
Or thought he was holding aces when in fact he had a pair of 2’s
My personal opinion is it’s a line and about as believable as many of the false names and addresses listed .
Sad to see all the large number of official replies of concern letters from the F&G returned with no such address or no such person at this address .
Both sportsman’s warehouse and cabalas stated they expected a loss to revenue. However that at last report has not happened , inventory has turned over all the same .
Now if your thinking of loss of income to communities by this change to muzzleloader policy . That also has had little effect from what I have been told . The northern units where the effect would have been felt the hardest now has two new short range weapons season that were in the past muzzleloader only . So now the hunter numbers in that time frame shouldl be higher resulting in higher revenue.
However that’s not what your saying is it .
Think on this . The state IMO has in the past shown that incomes to communities when it comes to issues such as this carry little weight . Some will say this isn’t so . However all we have to do is look at the fisheries management of this state to see the facts .
I ask you , what happened to all the small towns that relied on annual fisherman during the salmon runs ?
I don’t know how old you are but if you can , take a second and think back to before the dams .
Think about all those little towns on the salmon , Clearwater , snake , henries fork ……..
Many are just a whisper of what they were ., no salmon fishing no main income .
Oh im very aware of the impacts of policies on communities . However I do not think policy should be dictated by a small % of the total population, no mater that be traditionalist or modern , conversationalist or environmental wacko .
Now you may think that harsh , that’s ok I have no problem with that . However understand our wildlife resource is not something that we can just use without consideration of the future.
I would most certainly hope my children , your children , all our grand kids will have the opportunity to experience the hunting opportunities of this state as I did growing up .
Id ticking off a few folks , hurting some feeling , or being seen as un sensitive is aprt of trying to ensure that hope then so be it .
ill make no opologies for it