I say no way! the DWR has already outlined the reasoning for the drop in buck/doe ratios and the limiting factors of the deer herd as:
1) Crop depradation
2) Habitat--"Winter range is a limiting factor for deer on this unit. Large portions of critical winter ranges experienced a large die-off in recentyears and are in poor coindition. This has resulted in a reduction of winter range carrying capacity."
3) Predation
4) Highway mortality
5) illegal harvest
Because these are the limting factors, changing hunter harvest will NOT solve the problem but could very possibly only exasperate it. This is possible for two reasons: 1) increased competition for limited forage on winter ranges may lead to bucks outcompeting does for available food which could lead to fewer does and fewer fawns 2) over utilization of winter ranges which could further deplete the available forage and subsequently leave does and fawns in worse condition and a decreased doe/fawn ratio.
Limiting hunter harvest will ONLY help struggling deer herds out when these herds are being limited by hunter harvest. For the Nebo unit to rebound and improve, the above limiting factors must be corrected; these are the problems.
1) Crop depradation
2) Habitat--"Winter range is a limiting factor for deer on this unit. Large portions of critical winter ranges experienced a large die-off in recentyears and are in poor coindition. This has resulted in a reduction of winter range carrying capacity."
3) Predation
4) Highway mortality
5) illegal harvest
Because these are the limting factors, changing hunter harvest will NOT solve the problem but could very possibly only exasperate it. This is possible for two reasons: 1) increased competition for limited forage on winter ranges may lead to bucks outcompeting does for available food which could lead to fewer does and fewer fawns 2) over utilization of winter ranges which could further deplete the available forage and subsequently leave does and fawns in worse condition and a decreased doe/fawn ratio.
Limiting hunter harvest will ONLY help struggling deer herds out when these herds are being limited by hunter harvest. For the Nebo unit to rebound and improve, the above limiting factors must be corrected; these are the problems.