Hello everyone, I was a member of this forum years back and have not visited it for quite a while. I have raised a small herd of cattle for about 10 years now and used this board as a good place for information when starting out.
I've come back because something has gotten under my skin with cattlemen and ranchers in my home state of Utah in Piute, Wayne, and Sevier counties and I am hoping to have a discussion about the issue of wildlife depredation, public land grazing, and how these issues can be resolved rather than many being on opposite sides of this argument when we shouldn't be. Hopefully there will be a few people from Utah or other western states that deal with these issues that can discuss it.
Over the last couple years I have watched and listened to the constant bashing of the BLM and Forest Service. I've also watched these same individuals criticize the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources over depredation issues on their private lands by deer, elk, and pronghorn depending on the area. My breaking point was a few days ago when I watched some individuals upset with a wintering herd of mule deer coming to their property that had alfalfa on it, and I caught them shooting at the deer with a .22 caliber rifle. Needless to say I turned them in and will do so to anyone who decides they will take the law into their own hands and try to wound animals so they'll go off and die somewhere.
Now some of you may be used to whitetails that reproduce endlessly, mule deer are not like that. Their numbers have been declining for decades and they aren't in a position for every landowner who's field they walk onto to mortally wound them at will.
As I get farther into this discussion pardon me if I get to carried away, these issues have been building up in my state and across the west for a while now and I want to discuss it with the other side to see that point of view and see where we can find middle ground.
My thoughts on these issues are:
1-Wildlife have become big business and the fact that ranchers and cattlemen look at the situation that they come first is completely flawed in my mind. This year alone in Utah a mule deer tag sold for $390,000. Don't believe protected wildlife have their worth? Better think again. Sportsmen and women also contribute $646 billion dollars a year to the US economy which is largely surrounded by the federal lands and wildlife that are under constant attack and it's time that $646 billion is not ignored.
2- The constant attacks on the BLM and Forest Service have to end, along with this foolish idea to turn over federal lands to the state which would be an absolute disaster for all of us. The same people criticizing these agencies on a political level are the same people voting to cut their budgets every time they get a chance. Smart isn't it? Cut their budgets and then complain when they aren't doing a better job. It's easy to make something fail and push forward your personal agenda when your stripping funding from it. Ever since the ridiculous Cliven Bundy situation this constant fight between the federal agencies and livestock producers has just gotten old.
As I said, I raise a small herd of cattle, I am not on the outside of this issue. I simply value wildlife for the value they have which is huge to our nation and its economy. People who view wildlife as a worthless block to furthering their profit I will stand against all day long. I would like to know everyone's opinions on the 2 subjects of public land and wildlife depredation. I'm open to hearing your argument and just want to discuss the issue with those on the other side of the issue.
I've come back because something has gotten under my skin with cattlemen and ranchers in my home state of Utah in Piute, Wayne, and Sevier counties and I am hoping to have a discussion about the issue of wildlife depredation, public land grazing, and how these issues can be resolved rather than many being on opposite sides of this argument when we shouldn't be. Hopefully there will be a few people from Utah or other western states that deal with these issues that can discuss it.
Over the last couple years I have watched and listened to the constant bashing of the BLM and Forest Service. I've also watched these same individuals criticize the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources over depredation issues on their private lands by deer, elk, and pronghorn depending on the area. My breaking point was a few days ago when I watched some individuals upset with a wintering herd of mule deer coming to their property that had alfalfa on it, and I caught them shooting at the deer with a .22 caliber rifle. Needless to say I turned them in and will do so to anyone who decides they will take the law into their own hands and try to wound animals so they'll go off and die somewhere.
Now some of you may be used to whitetails that reproduce endlessly, mule deer are not like that. Their numbers have been declining for decades and they aren't in a position for every landowner who's field they walk onto to mortally wound them at will.
As I get farther into this discussion pardon me if I get to carried away, these issues have been building up in my state and across the west for a while now and I want to discuss it with the other side to see that point of view and see where we can find middle ground.
My thoughts on these issues are:
1-Wildlife have become big business and the fact that ranchers and cattlemen look at the situation that they come first is completely flawed in my mind. This year alone in Utah a mule deer tag sold for $390,000. Don't believe protected wildlife have their worth? Better think again. Sportsmen and women also contribute $646 billion dollars a year to the US economy which is largely surrounded by the federal lands and wildlife that are under constant attack and it's time that $646 billion is not ignored.
2- The constant attacks on the BLM and Forest Service have to end, along with this foolish idea to turn over federal lands to the state which would be an absolute disaster for all of us. The same people criticizing these agencies on a political level are the same people voting to cut their budgets every time they get a chance. Smart isn't it? Cut their budgets and then complain when they aren't doing a better job. It's easy to make something fail and push forward your personal agenda when your stripping funding from it. Ever since the ridiculous Cliven Bundy situation this constant fight between the federal agencies and livestock producers has just gotten old.
As I said, I raise a small herd of cattle, I am not on the outside of this issue. I simply value wildlife for the value they have which is huge to our nation and its economy. People who view wildlife as a worthless block to furthering their profit I will stand against all day long. I would like to know everyone's opinions on the 2 subjects of public land and wildlife depredation. I'm open to hearing your argument and just want to discuss the issue with those on the other side of the issue.