Good news perhaps about early season fire closures.

[520backyard]

I got a buddy of mine who drew a toutle 556 muzzleloader quality hunt tag and was only able to hunt the state land in 556 due to weyerhaeuser being shut down due to fire danger and he did hunt his entire season. Anyway he told me today he got a letter from WDFW that says he can hunt for two more weeks starting the 17th through the 31st due to part of the toutle unit being shut down due to fire danger during their season which was the second week in October. Which is good for him as a muzzleloader hunter. And perhaps for archery hunters as well.

So does that mean now when an early archery hunt in a unit that is partially or totally shut down due to fire danger and access is denied in the early season, additional time will be rescheduled to allow archers extra days in the late season as well? Fire danger has long been a consideration when choosing special permits for archery hunts that have an early season and you pay your money and take your chances is the way I have always approached it. This action by WDFW would seem to set a precedent as I have never heard of WDFW extending seasons that were affected as a result of closures of areas due to fire danger. 

So anyone ever heard of WDFW doing this before or is this the first time it has happened?

[buglebuster]

I definantly Wouldnt hold my breath on it hapoening again

[520backyard]

I definantly Wouldnt hold my breath on it hapoening again

Well if it doesn't I'd like to hear a logical explanation from WDFW as to why.  And yeah I know that is asking a hell of a lot, the logical explanation that is.

[huntnphool]

I definantly Wouldnt hold my breath on it hapoening again

+1

[RifleRidge]

Accept this only in writing.......... Signed letter/document..

[520backyard]

Accept this only in writing.......... Signed letter/document..

He said he has a letter from WDFW. I think that a bunch of muzzleloader hunters who drew that Toutle tag must have made their voices heard at WDFW. I see this as a precedent as they have paved the way so to speak. So the next time an archery unit is closed or partially closed due to fire danger, those archers need to make their voices heard at WDFW and use this as their example and ask for the same accommodation from WDFW.

[bobcat]

 This is for the muzzleloader permits. They would not do it for general season archery. The Toutle and Margaret archery permits already have an early and a late season. So no, I doubt there will ever be any additional time given to archery hunters due to fire danger closures.

[520backyard]

This is for the muzzleloader permits. They would not do it for general season archery. The Toutle and Margaret archery permits already have an early and a late season. So no, I doubt there will ever be any additional time given to archery hunters due to fire danger closures.

Yeah that what I was talking about archery special permits, not general season. Even with an early season if you are not able to hunt it, it does little good. There is a reason archery season and special permit seasons are longer than muzzleloader and modern I'm sure you can agree, and that is a good argument as to why it would be fair. I think WDFW just opened the door. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening before?

[bobcat]

This is for the muzzleloader permits. They would not do it for general season archery. The Toutle and Margaret archery permits already have an early and a late season. So no, I doubt there will ever be any additional time given to archery hunters due to fire danger closures.

Yeah that what I was talking about archery special permits, not general season. Even with an early season if you are not able to hunt it, it does little good. There is a reason archery season is longer than muzzleloader and modern I'm sure you can agree and that is a good arguement as to why it would be fair. I think WDFW just opened the door. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening before?

Well then what archery permits are you specifically thinking of? Because like I said the Toutle and Margaret permits already have a late season, so people can still hunt late if they can't hunt early due to fire danger closures.

So what other archery permits are there that would likely be shut down for fire danger? If there are any, maybe they would do the same thing that they did for muzzleloader permits this year. I had a Toutle archery permit in 2001 and couldn't hunt due to fire danger, and they gave me my points back.

[520backyard]

This is for the muzzleloader permits. They would not do it for general season archery. The Toutle and Margaret archery permits already have an early and a late season. So no, I doubt there will ever be any additional time given to archery hunters due to fire danger closures.

Yeah that what I was talking about archery special permits, not general season. Even with an early season if you are not able to hunt it, it does little good. There is a reason archery season is longer than muzzleloader and modern I'm sure you can agree and that is a good arguement as to why it would be fair. I think WDFW just opened the door. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening before?

Well then what archery permits are you specifically thinking of? Because like I said the Toutle and Margaret permits already have a late season, so people can still hunt late if they can't hunt early due to fire danger closures.

So what other archery permits are there that would likely be shut down for fire danger? If there are any, maybe they would do the same thing that they did for muzzleloader permits this year. I had a Toutle archery permit in 2001 and couldn't hunt due to fire danger, and they gave me my points back.

 It could be any special permit unit. Look at it this way you purchase a special permit for a unit and it has a early and late season that totals 4 weeks. But due to fire danger you can't hunt the early season, that leaves you the two weeks late season which is two weeks shorter than the original month you had total. Most guys have to work so that leaves you 4 days in the late season. So if they add two weeks to the late season  to make up for the time that you didn't get to hunt in the early season you get back 2 more weeks or 4 more weekend days. 

So did your hunt in 2001 have a late season?

Funny thing about this is that the muzzleloader hunters actually did get to hunt they just had to hunt on stateland, they were not shutout alltogether.

[bobcat]

No, in 2001 they only had the early season for the Toutle and Margaret permits. The late season only got added a couple years ago. In 2001, I wasn't even able to access the state land in the Toutle unit. Weyerhaeuser had that gate closed and a security guy sitting there guarding it all day, every day.

[520backyard]

No, in 2001 they only had the early season for the Toutle and Margaret permits. The late season only got added a couple years ago. In 2001, I wasn't even able to access the state land in the Toutle unit. Weyerhaeuser had that gate closed and a security guy sitting there guarding it all day, every day.

Well at least you got your points back. Ever get drawn for it again?
Well I am glad to see WDFW do this for the muzzleloader guys who have this tag, their orginal season was a week and now they get two more.  I think this does have some bearing on future closures and seasons and WDFW's reactions to those, but I am willing to bet WDFW puts a new disclaimer in next years regs regarding limited access due to fire danger.

[bobcat]

No, in 2001 they only had the early season for the Toutle and Margaret permits. The late season only got added a couple years ago. In 2001, I wasn't even able to access the state land in the Toutle unit. Weyerhaeuser had that gate closed and a security guy sitting there guarding it all day, every day.

Well at least you got your points back. Ever get drawn for it again?
Well I am glad to see WDFW do this for the muzzleloader guys who have this tag, their orginal season was a week and now they get two more.  I think this does have some bearing on future closures and seasons and WDFW's reactions to those, but I am willing to bet WDFW puts a new disclaimer in next years regs regarding limited access due to fire danger.

No, but I drew Peaches Ridge muzzleloader any bull in 2005.

I think one of the reasons they gave this extra time is they want more elk taken out of the St Helens units. If it weren't for that I think they'd be less likely to do this.

[winshooter88]

The only reason that the WDFW is allowing them to hunt is that they still feel that these areas are overpopulated. At least that was the reason they gave at the GMAC meeting.

[520backyard]

No, in 2001 they only had the early season for the Toutle and Margaret permits. The late season only got added a couple years ago. In 2001, I wasn't even able to access the state land in the Toutle unit. Weyerhaeuser had that gate closed and a security guy sitting there guarding it all day, every day.

Well at least you got your points back. Ever get drawn for it again?
Well I am glad to see WDFW do this for the muzzleloader guys who have this tag, their orginal season was a week and now they get two more.  I think this does have some bearing on future closures and seasons and WDFW's reactions to those, but I am willing to bet WDFW puts a new disclaimer in next years regs regarding limited access due to fire danger.

No, but I drew Peaches Ridge muzzleloader any bull in 2005.

I think one of the reasons they gave this extra time is they want more elk taken out of the St Helens units. If it weren't for that I think they'd be less likely to do this.

 Yep you are probably right. Although I guess there were quite a few pissed off muzzleloader hunters who were mad they couldn't hunt the entire unit. My buddy said something about it a month ago that WDFW was considering it after all the calls they got. I told him they never do it for the archers I doubt they will do it for the muzzleloaders. I was wrong.

[520backyard]

The only reason that the WDFW is allowing them to hunt is that they still feel that these areas are overpopulated. At least that was the reason they gave at the GMAC meeting.

Thanks for the info, looks like Bobcat was right.

[Curly]

Thanks for the info, looks like Bobcat was right.

Oh god, don't tell him that!  His head will get too big.    

[Elkaholic daWg]

  Even a blind squirrel  finds a nut now and then

[sakoshooter]

What's good for the goose...........................