Thats the first I heard of any Buffs being taken by a deer hunter. If G&F plans on continuing that program(elk & buff), I would think they would have made that fact a little more public.
I think the majority of rifle deer hunters would probably howl like a wolf with this proposal, but IMO, they should make the Kaibab companion buffalo hunts "archery only" hunts, and include cross-bow as a legal means of take. They could also schedule the companion buffalo hunts to commence 1-week before, during, or 1-week following the scheduled deer hunts. Anyone who has followed this subject knows that once the first shot is fired, those buffalo high-tail it to the Park for sanctuary. Those buffalo ain't all dumb. This proposal could possibly help in achieving department harvest objectives for Kaibab buffalo....in 2006 the department sold 49 "companion" buffalo tags to hunters who held valid Kaibab deer tags, with seven hunters bagging one of the shaggy beasts.
G&F will bode well to sell that many elk tags this year. 0% hunter success is not good odds. Despite all of that, I'm sure there's plenty out there with money to burn that will be more than willing to purchase an elk tag anyway.The department also sold 52 any-elk tags for those who held Kaibab deer tags, however those hunters took no elk in 2006.