collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Might be moving to WA next year or two  (Read 5659 times)

Offline chadmil

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: May 2016
  • Posts: 13
  • Location: Bonney Lake
Might be moving to WA next year or two
« on: May 26, 2016, 08:19:05 AM »
Hi all, I'm currently in Pennsylvania and might be moving to Washington within the next two years, and had some questions to ask. In Washington, can I buy elk, deer and bear tags over the counter, or is it a lottery system where I'm not guaranteed any particular tag? I also saw on the state's site it says "archery" tag or "modern firearms" and etc. for tags. Does that mean you can only hunt the early and late archery season, or whatever weapon you've chosen? Lastly, can you buy more than one deer tag? I'm used to getting 4 to 7 a year here in PA, and I really love hunting deer, so I'm hoping I can get more than one deer tag. Also I'll be be in Yelm or Shelton area, not sure yet. Thanks for any info! I appreciate it.

Offline Clearcut

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Jun 2013
  • Posts: 147
  • Location: SW Washington
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2016, 08:30:16 AM »
Yes... Tags can be bought OTC.  They are weapon specific. So as stated if you went with archery then you would only be allowed to hunt the archery seasons. We do have special draws for multi season tags for both deer an elk. Deer is pretty easy to draw or buy a leftover.. As for deer tags your only allowed one here. There are special draws for a 2nd deer tag but that's as good as it gets. As for as the area your moving I don't have info for you there.. I live further south.

Online Woodchuck

  • GO TEAM!!!
  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+12)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2009
  • Posts: 12051
  • Location: Walla Walla
  • HuntWA Woodblock
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2016, 08:32:06 AM »
Yes those tags are OTC. There are drawings for more "preferred" hunts. Yes in most cases you have to choose one hunting method and stick to it. There are drawings for "multi-season" permits which allow multiple method choices. You are allowed 2 bear but only 1 can come from the east side of the state. You only get 1 elk and 1 deer unless you draw a second deer permit which will be antlerless only. Hope this helps.
Antlered rabbit tastes like chicken


Inuendo, wasn't he an Italian proctoligist?

Offline davew

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2009
  • Posts: 54
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2016, 08:42:56 AM »
As another Pennsylvania transplant, I think you'll find that things are different here.  Some are better, some are worse. PA has far more deer than WA, and deer hunting is a much bigger part of the culture in PA.  Schools close for the opening of the PA rifle season.  Not here. 
Your 4-7 deer a year in PA will become 1 and maybe 2 a year in WA.
WA has a much greater variety of habitat than PA, including 3 types of deer. 
You'll have to choose your weapon in WA (rifle/bow/muzzleloader).
There are many more things to hunt in WA (ducks/geese/upland birds, elk, etc.)
Both states have plenty of public land.
In PA, deer are everywhere.  In WA, deer are concentrated in specific places.  Vast areas of the state have few or any deer. 
Both states have lots of hunters.  In PA, most don't go farther than a couple hundred yards from the road.  In WA, most don't leave their trucks.  Road hunting is popular here. 


Offline cooltimber

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 584
  • Location: Ellensburg,Maui
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2016, 09:36:20 AM »
Welcome to the socialist republic of Washington.  :dunno:
rvn 69-70 11 b 2p 173rd
rmef
  2 ways to conquer and enslave a nation
      one's by sword,the other is by debt.
               John Adams

Offline MTMule

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2012
  • Posts: 32
  • Location: MT
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2016, 07:32:37 PM »
You're in for a rude awakening. Getting one buck will be a challenge for you in western wa.

Offline solomtnhunter

  • Trade Count: (+22)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 139
  • Location: Elk Plain 98338
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2016, 08:39:57 PM »
I work as a commercial driver and personally if I had a choice between Yelm or Shelton, I'd move to Shelton.  Yelm used to be a nice small town 20yrs ago but now it's over populated and its road infrastructure isn't the greatest.  In the last decade Yelm has primarily become a younger military family type town.  There is literally only a single lane road from Olympia to Yelm and Yelm to Tacoma.  The single road cutting through town gets congested from 2-6pm due to JBLM traffic.  Quite literally traffic from stop light to stop light.  I remember one afternoon leaving Yelm, I counted 85 vehicles sitting at the stoplight heading into town - NO JOKE! Personally I not sure they're even allowed to expand the single lane road into town because it cuts right through the Indian Reservation.  Shelton is nice because it's downtown is on a waterfront. It's an old logging town, so it retains its old town feeling.  Up on the hill is what i would call newer Shelton, like the Walmart, Airport, Starbucks, Goodwill, etc, plus they have 2 lane roads....  Just feels less congested compared to Yelm..... My 2cents
« Last Edit: May 26, 2016, 08:53:26 PM by 357guy »
Traditional Bow Hunter/Target & 3D/NRA Life Member/WAC Member

Offline HighlandLofts

  • Business Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+19)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2013
  • Posts: 1034
  • Location: North Snohomish County
  • Groups: WAC,
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2016, 09:02:50 PM »
Unless it's for major money, FORGET ABOUT IT!
The Democraps control the State and the game Dept.
WAC
NRA
Walk Light, Carry A Big Stick, Never Walk Away. - Teddy Roosevelt
Don't Take Your Guns To Town.   Johnny Cash

Offline RadSav

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 11342
  • Location: Vancouver
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2016, 09:55:47 PM »
Plenty of things in this state to make up for the lack of extra deer tags.  You get two OTC bear tags, an elk tag, varmint hunting, cougar tags, Eastern, Merriam and Rio turkey, pheasant, chucker, huns and quail, real salmon like Chinook, silvers and steelhead fishing, sturgeon, walleye, large mouth and small mouth bass, sight seeing you can only imagine in PA...  No more liberal than PA in most respects.  You can hunt on Sunday and purchase/drink alcohol in any county.  You are going to love it here!!
« Last Edit: May 26, 2016, 11:44:46 PM by RadSav »
He asked, Do you ever give a short simple answer?  I replied, "Nope."

Offline fishnfur

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2014
  • Posts: 3805
  • Location: longview
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2016, 10:01:54 PM »
 :yeah:   

Look who the cat dragged in!

Been missin' ya on the deer board RadSav. 
“When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”  - Will Rogers

Offline NRA4LIFE

  • Site Sponsor
  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+10)
  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2007
  • Posts: 6057
  • Location: Maple Valley
  • Groups: NRA
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2016, 10:07:13 PM »
Prepare to be disappointed as far as deer hunting goes.  I moved here from Missouri and grew up in Wisconsin.  Killed 4-5 deer every year for 20 years.  Here, not so much.  And salmon, that appears to be gone as we know it.  Elk and bear is a crap shoot, if you're that lucky.
Look man, some times you just gotta roll the dice

Offline DaveMonti

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Dec 2008
  • Posts: 1249
  • Location: Snohomish County
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2016, 10:15:15 PM »
Welcome to the socialist republic of Washington.  :dunno:
My wife and I moved here from PA 8 years ago.  PM me and I'll help you out as much as I can.  We both grew up in the burbs of Philly, and I hunted whitetail in Potter County for years, as well as archery hunt in the burbs for whitetails. 

WA is a completely screwed up state with their game management.  There are general seasons open to the public, and so many permits that are draw only that you will spend YEARS and lots of money trying to get a permit that can result in a quality animal.  It's so bad (especially compared to PA) that I rarely hunt in this state.  Be prepared for a very different culture here, extremely passive people, very bleeding heart, and everyone is a victim that needs help. 

That all being said, there are vast areas in Washington that are much more wild and diverse than anything in PA.  These areas crawl with people at times (lots of EXTREME outdoor types here), and you won't be able to get to them unless you travel light, spend a few nights in the back country, and walk a lot.  Getting game out is not easy in a lot of these areas, much different than PA.  There are more species to hunt, including 3 deer species, 2 elk species, lots of waterfowl, bear, cougar, lots of coyotes, and drawing opportunities for moose, mountain goats, sheep, and a few others I'm sure I'm missing. 

It takes a LOT of patience to try to figure out all the permits, drawings, areas that are open, areas with species and point restrictions, and the list goes on and on.  For my time, mental state (it does get crowded on a lot of public land), and money, I hunt Montana. 

Good luck.  Get your hunting in while you are in PA.

Offline fish vacuum

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 2223
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2016, 12:04:04 AM »


  There are general seasons open to the public, and so many permits that are draw only that you will spend YEARS and lots of money trying to get a permit that can result in a quality animal. 
1. A draw permit is not required to kill quality animals. My biggest bucks have all been killed during the general season.
2. Some permit hunts have better draw odds than others. The high profile hunts are hard to get, but some hunts have reasonable odds. I get drawn every few years.


Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk


Offline Duckslayer89

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 4081
  • Location: Cut Bank, Montana
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2016, 02:06:53 AM »
Plenty of things in this state to make up for the lack of extra deer tags.  You get two OTC bear tags, an elk tag, varmint hunting, cougar tags, Eastern, Merriam and Rio turkey, pheasant, chucker, huns and quail, real salmon like Chinook, silvers and steelhead fishing, sturgeon, walleye, large mouth and small mouth bass, sight seeing you can only imagine in PA...  No more liberal than PA in most respects.  You can hunt on Sunday and purchase/drink alcohol in any county.  You are going to love it here!!

Don't forget the green stuff is legal now to rad

Offline RadSav

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 11342
  • Location: Vancouver
Re: Might be moving to WA next year or two
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2016, 03:03:58 AM »
Plenty of things in this state to make up for the lack of extra deer tags.  You get two OTC bear tags, an elk tag, varmint hunting, cougar tags, Eastern, Merriam and Rio turkey, pheasant, chucker, huns and quail, real salmon like Chinook, silvers and steelhead fishing, sturgeon, walleye, large mouth and small mouth bass, sight seeing you can only imagine in PA...  No more liberal than PA in most respects.  You can hunt on Sunday and purchase/drink alcohol in any county.  You are going to love it here!!

Don't forget the green stuff is legal now to rad

I was trying to mention the beneficial aspects of WA. ;)
He asked, Do you ever give a short simple answer?  I replied, "Nope."

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal