[400BULL]

I recently received an email from the DWR about taking a survey on the possibility of Splitting the Manti/San Rafel General season unit. This is the first that I have heard about it. Does anyone have any information on how the unit would be split up? Approximate boundaries, how many units are they considering splitting the unit into, etc.......? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

400bull

 

[nocturnalenemy]

I just took the survey as well. Sounds like the proposal is to split off the San Rafael portion and also possibly split the Manti portion with SR-31 (Fairview to Huntington) as the middle boundary. I remember someone brought this up at WB meeting in April. I hunt the Manti for deer and elk and am against splitting it into north and south units. I don't really have a preference on splitting off the San Rafael, but I'm sure those that live along SR-10 might oppose it.

 

[WillowCreekMan]

I am in favor of splitting off the San Rafael, or maybe I-70 south, but I think the Manti Mountains themselves should be kept as one unit, It's basically the same deer herd

 

[brendo]

I have thought about this scenario a few times. I wonder what percentage of the people actually hunt the San Rafael part of the unit. I would be for splitting off the San Rafael part of the unit. I never understood the thought process of putting them together in the first place. I think I would be against splitting north/south but would have to do a little more research. Did they send a map with the survey? And when did you receive the email?

 

[Raptorman]

I got it this afternoon, no maps the just use SR-31, Fairview to Huntington, as the split.

 

[brendo]

The only negative I can think of is a selfish one, it might be harder to draw a tag if they split it. But it might help gather more accurate info thus better management.

 

[goofy elk]

I like this idea. A split on Manti would be good....
The north end has been taking TOO much preasure.

The Wasatch needs it worse though...

They should split the Wasatch unit into 3 different elk units.

 

[nocturnalenemy]

Another negative is that if you camp near the highway you're increasingly limited to where you can hunt.

Pretty soon they're going to have boundaries at the top of every ridge line in the state and limit the number people into each canyon.

 

[Critter]

It is no different than they have done before. How about those that camped off of HWY6 through Spanish Fork Canyon? Are they limited on where they can hunt at?

What if they did as they did to the Book Cliffs years ago and call the boundary Skyline Drive with a unit on the east of it and one on the west?

Or better yet lets make 5 units out of it. Split it down the middle off of the Skyline Drive road and then HWY 31, then let the San Rafael unit be its own unit with HWY 10 and HWY 6 and I-70 being its boundaries.

 

[nocturnalenemy]

You're right, it's not different. It's more of the same. Increase restrictions in the name of better management. See also: reduced opportunity.

 

[utahgolf]

I just took the survey. Have hunted the north and south before. I think they should keep it the same but cut off the san rafael into it's own thing.

 

[KineKilla]

I must be ignorant because I don't see how this would affect me personally. Me and mine hunt the southern end of the Manti Unit and I'd guess that if they were to split it several miles away I would see almost no change in pressure or number of hunters.

My thought is that those people hunting the northern end would continue to hunt the northern end, the people hunting the south would also continue to do so. I could see it impacting the people that hunt right along SR-31 by taking away their ability to hunt either side of the road but I'd guess a good number of them would still shoot a deer on the "wrong" side and just drag it across the road...

My overall opinion is that people are going to hunt where they've always hunted, regardless of the box they have to check on their application.

 

[JuddCT]

Keep it the same. It allows for a hunt with a ton of options.

 

[Huge29]

Simply for the fact of not further diminishing opportunity I voted to keep it the same. The state is already divided into far too many units. Myonly contrary thought was that of increasing draw odds, but that likely wouldnt change too much.

 

[MWScott72]

I took the survey but really didn't have an opinion either way. I had the LE elk muzzy tag last year and paired it with a general muzzy deer tag just in case the opportunity presented itself. In 9 days on the mountain (north end), I saw one small 3-PT buck on opening day. I covered a fair amount of ground too. My opinion (and I mentioned it in the notes of the survey) is that the north end deer hunt isn't worth the paper that tag is printed on.

Now, I understand that there are many that probably disaggre with my above statemwnt. Don't take it personal. It was my first and only time hunting on the Manti, so with some time, I'M sure my opinion would change. I just don't plan on hunting it in the future due to distance and wasn't overly impressed at the time with the deer herd in general.

 

[Huge29]

I took the survey but really didn't have an opinion either way. I had the LE elk muzzy tag last year and paired it with a general muzzy deer tag just in case the opportunity presented itself. In 9 days on the mountain (north end), I saw one small 3-PT buck on opening day. I covered a fair amount of ground too. My opinion (and I mentioned it in the notes of the survey) is that the north end deer hunt isn't worth the paper that tag is printed on.

Now, I understand that there are many that probably disaggre with my above statemwnt. Don't take it personal. It was my first and only time hunting on the Manti, so with some time, I'M sure my opinion would change. I just don't plan on hunting it in the future due to distance and wasn't overly impressed at the time with the deer herd in general.

Being such a large area I can certainly see how someone may get that impression, but if you had seen it in years past.... It has improved a ton and now has a great herd presently after two extremely mild winters and a very wet spring; nothing to do with the new management plan.

 

[Huntoholic]

I said it way back when, pretty soon they will be have us drawing a tag to sit on a bucket in a spot on the mountain.

Leave the Manti's alone. Nothing that has been done on the Manti's since 1994 has increased the deer. You would think that after 20+ years of restricted hunting things would be a lot different. The only thing that has been done is restrict the hunter.