Hunter numbers?

[BoneCollector1]

Guys and Gals,

Do you usually run into more hunters during archery elk or muzzleloader elk?  I see there are less muzzleloaders hunting during elk season but there are also less areas open?

Thanks for any input!

[JimmyHoffa]

When I did muzzy elk, the early season was unreal how many hunters there were (This was GMU 602 and 607).  Literally people, cars and bicycles all over the place.
For late season...saw one other hunter during almost 3 1/2 weeks.

[Kowsrule30]

Lots of hunters for muzzy elk in the Cowichie.... But less then rifle.... I actually think there were fewer hunters around the same area as I this year which was weird imo considering some major areas were closed down...

[robescc]

This was the first time I have ever hunted deer with a ML. This is also the first time I have not run into another hunter, even on opening morning. I had the whole mountain to myself. I think I am hooked on ML for deer now.

[bobcat]

Muzzleloader deer seasons aren't crowded, because there are many units open. However, muzzleloader elk season is similar to modern firearm, in my experience. Just because there are very few GMU's open.

[Kioti]

Normally we don't run into other muzzy hunters out elk hunting.  We pretty much have the place to ourselves.
The only exception to that rule is when the WDFW screws ups the seasons for us muzzy hunters.  Like they did this year buy butting up Modern Deer season up to muzzy elk season.  That's when things in the woods start to get busy!
But then the WDFW hates us muzzy hunters anyways.

[deadwoodbuck]

right on Kioti...what is it about putting modern rifle on just the weekend after muzzy elk that WDFW felt they needed to do?  ya got all those modern guys their camps and mailboxes and tables and chainsaws and signs setting up in "their" campsites that they "always camp at" for the last 35 years.  WDFW reall should be GTMS( get the money suckas). Bull Chips muzzy are respectfull can't say that much for the modern I have met.  but as for elk...I did get 4 full days without modern intrusion.  so how about our own 2 week season without anyother weapon butted up to our hunt...like the bow boyz.

[boneaddict]

Numbers are skewed a bit with changes in harvest (cows, spike only etc.) and with fire closures and area closures.   It would be hard for me to come up with anything other than anecdotal.

[washelkhunter]

There is only 6000 (+/-) ML hunters in Wash. any given year.

[Chukarhead]

I worked in the woods in the same area through archery and muzzy season this year.  State land, open for both.  Things were quiet during archery season--I only ran into a couple of hunters over the several weeks it was open.  The woods CAME ALIVE during muzzy elk.  Camps everywhere, stupid 4x4 golf carts, 4-wheelers, run-of-the-mill road hunters, etc.  The bulls I had scouted all went to ground; if I were an elk, I would have been GONE.

I would be tempted to just blame this on fire closures, but I've seen similar crowds in the same area during other years.  Muzzies are just very limited in this neck of the woods.  Late seasons are crowded in popular units, too.

[BoomWhop]

More and more hunters every year.  Muzzy Elk was unreal even in the woods.

[horsepacker]

Since i'm in the mtn's all the time i see more muzzleloaders during their season, the reason is that they only have a few areas to hunt. Archery has the entire state and with modern you pick west or east side. I say open it up to muzzleloaders like modern fireams,  entire west or east side.

[dbor]

I ML hunted for a few seasons... saw a few hunters, not many. Elk is different, not many areas to hunt on the west side. Some of the Elk areas are timber Co.land and they lease the land out, you can't even hunt the area. I would also like to see more GMU'S opened up for the ML hunter...JMO...