Methow Herd Reduction is Official

[carlyoungs]

I'm just curious what you guys all thought about 13 years ago when they had a general season for does for youth in pearagin? I know there was a lot of does taken. Do you think that impacted the herd at all?

[boneaddict]

Tyring to wrap my head around 13 years ago.   96 was the horrible winter right?  I have never been very pro doe hunting except whitetail.  I have never killed a doe myself.  I was a kid once too. I  Never judged anyone who legally took one, I was just personally against it.   Its been awhile since the herd was at its max in the Methow.   There has been a steady decline for sometime, so no I probably didn't support it then either.  Back in the old days when folks took doe for the table, they were woodsy enough to take the old baron ones, and let the young ones perpetuate the herd.   

You'll see a different mindset today....

 "Blast the first thing you see, its owed to us, afterall how much have we paid the WDFW this year for a tag....."

[Alchase]

I'm just curious what you guys all thought about 13 years ago when they had a general season for does for youth in pearagin? I know there was a lot of does taken. Do you think that impacted the herd at all?

What we saw 13 years ago were families showing up with 5,6,....12 kids. One camp had nine deer hanging, mostly does and spikes. Everyone new the "Dad" was killing all the animals.
We actually had two youths get their first deer that year. Both were ecstatic! Still to this day we describe a certain draw "were Nathan got his deer".
I was all for a "Youth" hunt. It never crossed my mind that "hunters" would bring that many kids and exploit the situation as bad as they did.
It was nothing but a meat shoot. Since then the numbers have not returned to anywhere near what they were before the hunt.
Sad part is that it would have probably been fine if it was not exploited by a bunch of selfish jerks.
I have never witness a slaughter like that before or since.

[bigmacc]

I'm just curious what you guys all thought about 13 years ago when they had a general season for does for youth in pearagin? I know there was a lot of does taken. Do you think that impacted the herd at all?

You,d think i would have learned,i must be real stupid or real brave(probably a little of both leaning alot towards the first )...............Heres my thaught,Its no secret i dont like doe shoots,especially at this time in the Methow.The herd has taken a beating from all diffferent directions over the last 20 or so years and is barely a scant shadow of what it once was,some here remember those times,MANY of you dont.As far as impacting the herd,of coarse i think it impacted it,hundreds of does were taken out that wouldnt be dropping fawns the following spring.Another thing that soured me even more on doe shoots took place that same year you are talking about,I would bet we seen at least 8 to 10 different incidents where grown ups were shooting the does and then having their kids drop the tag on them! Seen one guy shoot 2 does and a fawn with 3 shots at about 60 yards,then had the 3 kids that were with him tag them,I actually turned that fella in,My pardner and i were walking back to our rig when we witnessed it,we asked him why he didnt let the 3 boys shoot,his reply..."you guys didnt see anything" with a turd eatin grin on his face.We said have a good day and got his truck plates.Yes i think alot of things have helped decimate this herd over the years,killing hundreds of does while the herd is in a tailspin certainly is not going to help. ........OK,let me have it,got my guard up!

[bigmacc]

Tyring to wrap my head around 13 years ago.   96 was the horrible winter right?  I have never been very pro doe hunting except whitetail.  I have never killed a doe myself.  I was a kid once too. I  Never judged anyone who legally took one, I was just personally against it.   Its been awhile since the herd was at its max in the Methow.   There has been a steady decline for sometime, so no I probably didn't support it then either.  Back in the old days when folks took doe for the table, they were woodsy enough to take the old baron ones, and let the young ones perpetuate the herd.   

You'll see a different mindset today....

 "Blast the first thing you see, its owed to us, afterall how much have we paid the WDFW this year for a tag....."

I agree 100 percent!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I suppose its not PC to be against this either.  Some kid might not get to harvest his first deer, which I am all for them doing.   I wish most understood how they were contributing to this debacle.   I suppose many are just excited to draw something, and finally have a chance of killing something.   Then if you stand up for something you believe in, you have some dude calling you an armchair biologist.  How about tenured outdoorsman.    Been there and back again......   It looks like this thing is going down and there is no shortage of folks wanting to contribute to the demolition of this herd.   In the next five years when you are all asking me where I would go, I guess I can refer them to this thread.   

    Have a mod sticky this thread now so it will stay at the top so everyday everyone who takes part is this slaughter can remember where all the deer went five or so years ago. Your very correct about how people think they are owed and will kill anything and everything if given the chance.

[idahohuntr]

I agree with stickying the thread so 5 years from now we can remember why deer numbers are perhaps lower than today...otherwise it will all be blamed on wolves.

I am still not sure that these extra permits will result in additive mortality given the loss of winter range. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Also it will be interesting to see or even if the WDFW is willing to publish how many does are actually taken with these permits.

[MtnMuley]

Yearly round table meeting with the director and staff tonight here. Hopefully Fitkin will be there, but due to the circumstances with many local angry people over this decision, I'm sure he'll hide at home and monitor his wolves.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I see this going down as an up river massacre...   it will be like what happened in my unit ...people will be dropping doe from the roads as the passer byers are watching ..then there will be no more deer hunting ...mark my words 

[bigmacc]

I see this going down as an up river massacre...   it will be like what happened in my unit ...people will be dropping doe from the roads as the passer byers are watching ..then there will be no more deer hunting ...mark my words 

You may be right BOWHUNTER45,and whats even more unfortunate is that some folks call that "hunting" 

[huntnphool]

Tyring to wrap my head around 13 years ago.   96 was the horrible winter right?  I have never been very pro doe hunting except whitetail.  I have never killed a doe myself.  I was a kid once too. I  Never judged anyone who legally took one, I was just personally against it.   Its been awhile since the herd was at its max in the Methow.   There has been a steady decline for sometime, so no I probably didn't support it then either.  Back in the old days when folks took doe for the table, they were woodsy enough to take the old baron ones, and let the young ones perpetuate the herd.   

You'll see a different mindset today....

 "Blast the first thing you see, its owed to us, afterall how much have we paid the WDFW this year for a tag....."

I agree 100 percent!

Both of you must be arm chair bio's, if the herd wasn't strong and in great shape then they certainly would not have increased the late permits in that area by 50%. Maybe you two better get your facts strait before suggesting that the herd has been in decline for the last 20 years...........sheesh!

[bigmacc]

Just curious,are degrees still available in ARMCHAIR BIOLOGY? because I still have not received mine in the mail .....would be nice to have that bugger framed and hanging on my wall next to my "singing bass"....hey,dont worry be happy!

[idahohuntr]

Yearly round table meeting with the director and staff tonight here. Hopefully Fitkin will be there, but due to the circumstances with many local angry people over this decision, I'm sure he'll hide at home and monitor his wolves.

Any update on this meeting?

[BOWHUNTER45]

I see this going down as an up river massacre...   it will be like what happened in my unit ...people will be dropping doe from the roads as the passer byers are watching ..then there will be no more deer hunting ...mark my words 

You may be right BOWHUNTER45,and whats even more unfortunate is that some folks call that "hunting" 

So your saying if you were driving down the road and seen a legal deer during deer season you would not get out and shoot it ?? How many deer you think are shot from the roads in Washington ..? Both sides of the hills !! I think way more than you think !