Dear WDFW....

[coachcw]

I believe that the cat population has alot to do with numbers . Tribal harvest also . when certin usser groups dont manage what they harvest the whole herd suffers . there's plenty of big bucks to breed the doe's . kept the doe harvest down and allow hound hunting and we would see the numbers rebound . I also believe that the deer adapt and plenty of these deer are living in urban areas where they are safe. If a guy gets out and hunts these fringe areas the will se deer driving all day isnt hunting to me.

Jason, I hunted three days this late season and yes something needs to be done. Today I left Raymond , went to Smith crk to Fall river and then out Wilson crk. Then headed to Mill crk over towards Doty and back out Mill crk and did not see one deer all day long. I have talked to folks at the Montesano WDFW about two point or better and they said it won't work. They said that they don't want the spikes trying to breed the does.

[trophyhunt]

Completly dissagree with getting rid of late buck, like a couple guys said already on here, we need to kill some predators. Bring back hounds for both cougars and bears. Please don't give wdfw the thought of adding another permit catagory. Bad idea, the main part of the rut is in the rifle elk season anyway.

[sirmissalot]

I agree predators probably take a pretty goo toll on animals, but how many kills do you find? I walk a lot especially mushroom picking and have only came across a handful of kills. Talking west side.

[gotcha]

I think its funny people think us archery hunters get to hunt during the rut. sept 4th thur the 16th. Haha think the rifle rut tags and muzzy guys get better season. Go Jason you are on right track.  The problem here is the guys rifle, archery, and muzzy guys need to work together for the good. This is not happening. Rifle guys dictate what's going on because this is where the money is and majority. Go to any meeting and that is who is  there giving there two cents. Not saying we need to get rid of season but we all need to due something.

[mtman]

It seems like the last 5 years are about the same harvest numbers for willipa hills. Right around 200 deer and the deer they are killing are the surplus baby bucks coming from a healthy doe population. The best time to get a big buck is early archery or the late buck hunt for modern on the west side. There is no reason to take that hunt from them. Archery gets first crack at all the animals even the big ones. I think that it is one of the few ways left that modern guys can still get a chance at a mature blacktail.

[mtman]

Archery guys might not get the height of the elk rut. However the elk are easiest to kill at that time in my opinion. They haven't been hunted they are starting to move around looking for cows. Your scouting can pay off because your the first ones to hunt them. They are bugling more because they haven't had the guys that don't know how to call educating them. Archery has no room to complain.

[Huntbear]

Will someone give me a legitimate reason why hunters have to pick one method  of hunting? Why not let the hunter buy a deer license and hunt with what ever he wants?  Works in other states why can't it work in WA?

That would be interesting the length and time of year the season(s) would land.

This used to be the case..  The WDFW in their infinite (choke, cough, cough, choke) wisdom, decided the animals had to much pressure put on them, so they made it this way... about the same time they forced you to pick east or west.  Been keeping the hunting community divided pretty much ever since pitting each user group against the other for their entertainment... 

[JPhelps]

Once again this is an assumption (you know what they say about those), but I would venture to guess the numbers for the Willipa Hills are very skewed.

I think that it is one of the few ways left that modern guys can still get a chance at a mature blacktail.

The last week of regular season is also a very good time   

Back to archery having first crack.  There is no denying that.  I will go back to my unit by unit management though.  It is very difficult even for the best archery hunters around to kill a buck on these industrial timberlands early or late.

I don't know why this always turns into a user group vs user group debate.  I had a rifle tag this year and still feel this way.

[gotcha]

 

[billythekidrock]

No way in hell would I want them to eliminate the late buck rifle season even though I have been hunting archery and ml. The rut is winding down and most does are bred. BT herds in general are stable and the recent logging will only make hunting better. Sounds like another brilliant elitist idea from the archery crowd.

[trophyhunt]

Let's not put weapon choice against weapon choice. I hunt effectively with all three weapons, and I know for a fact that archery guys kill a LOT of animals that never get found. It happens every year in every camp for archery guys. I would be willing to say that more animals get STUCK with arrows than get tagged with bows, and I'd be willing to bet less guys with rifles loose half as many as muzzy or mostly archery guys. Leave the late but alone and don't blame the rifle guys for less deer, there is much more to fight for.

[JPhelps]

No way in hell would I want them to eliminate the late buck rifle season even though I have been hunting archery and ml. The rut is winding down and most does are bred. BT herds in general are stable and the recent logging will only make hunting better. Sounds like another brilliant elitist idea from the archery crowd.

What are you talking about?  I have always had a rifle deer tag.

You are entitled to your own opinion without resorting to name calling.  Bye the way, how many days have you spent in the Willipa Hills?

[JPhelps]

The ONLY reason I posted this is that I would like to see something done to help grow the blacktail population that seems to be diminishing in the area.

There is no denying that the majority of bucks in the north end of the Ryderwood and Willapa hills units are killed during these last 4 days.

[mtman]

I agree from what wdfw shows they probably do get hammered during that season. They do were I live to in the washougal unit. More and more deer get shot here every year and I see more deer then ever. That is part of that late hunt And it doesnt need to change. Maybe were you do it does. But saying what you said with your first post isn't the only answer.

[grousetracker]

the wdfw doesn"t need to put any more regs on us, they need to allow hounds, baiting bears, and figure out the hair loss syndrome. my area 7 cats have been killed in a 2mile radius in 2 years, kill the cats not shorten the season. if you dont like the extended season why are you hunting then? early archery elk season is the same way, the elk are at there most vulnerable!P.S. I COULD SHOW YOU AROUND 1600 BEAR PHOTOS FROM THIS YEAR BUT NO PREDATOR PROBLEM HERE!