Hunter success up, hunter numbers down

JEROME - Despite the hot, dry weather deer hunter success was up throughout the Magic Valley. "Overall it was a good opener," said Randy Smith, Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Manager. "It was too warm and that dampened hunter enthusiasm a little." "We checked 37 percent fewer hunters than last year and 40 percent fewer deer. The good news is that success in the Magic Valley's general buck hunts was better. We had a 17.3 percent hunter success this year compared to 14.2 percent last year. Lower hunter turnouts also showed up in the number of controlled hunt tag holders, but the success was generally higher. "Controlled hunt buck hunters in Unit 44 did very well," said Smith. "Of the 27 bucks checked from Unit 44, 78 percent were adults, 59 percent were four points and 48 percent had a outside spread greater than 20 inches." Information gathered at each of the check stations showed, 13.6 percent success by a 147 hunters at the Little Wood; 20.6 percent success by 442 hunters at Timmerman; 21.3 percent success by 254 hunters at Gooding; 17.8 percent success by hunters at Mountain Home; 12.5 percent success by 40 hunters at Rock Creek, and 20 percent success by 45 hunters at Shoshone Basin. Controlled antlered hunts in Units 44, 45, 52,54 and 55 had 153 hunters for 26.1 percent success. General antlered hunts in Units 43, 48 and 49 with 957 hunters had a 17.3 percent success. Controlled antlerless hunts in Units 43, 48 and 49 with 85 hunters had a 45.9 percent success. Either-sex youth hunts with 175 had a 16.6 percent success.