Where are you hunting the opener: East? West?

[Dave Workman]

east for muleys til the end and west for blackies til the 31 :

Leading to the question...and perhaps a whole new topic...WHY...OH, WHY??!!! do hunters settle for a one-week season on mule deer; a self-perpetuating structure that allows the herds to expand and then suffer a winter kill, requiring the WDFW to retain the one-week general buck season and antler restriction?

Years ago I can remember when hunting went on for at least two full weeks and three full weekends.

There are about 100,000 fewer hunters now than there were then.

If the object is to protect mature bucks to improve herd quality, why are we targeting mature bucks?

If the object is to provide a "quality" branch-antler experience, what's wrong with setting a few units aside here and there to accomplish this while giving more people an opportunity in other units to just take home a buck?

If the object is to provide a "quality" branch antler experience, who speaks up for the hunters who don't care about antlers? 

If we want to grow the herd back after a winter kill, why hunt does at all? Why allow archers and muzzleloaders and permit rifle hunters to take a single antlerless deer?
 

[bobcat]

Good post Dave. IMO, there should be ZERO antlerless mule deer killed this year. How stupid can they be?

To answer the question, I'm staying close to home this year and hunting blacktails, since the mule deer numbers are down, and secondly due to the price of gas. First day will probably be somewhere in Grays Harbor County on state land. Sunday, somewhere else but haven't decided yet. Could be Lewis County, Grays Harbor, or Thurston. Oh, and I'm not planning on shooting anything myself, as I'm saving my tag for my late Grayback permit hunt. But I'm hoping to help my uncle get his buck. However I will have my rifle and will take the first B&C blacktail buck I see.   

[wrangler]

i'll be in the chiwawa... but don't tell anyone, that unit is a HUGE secret! 

[jackelope]

wetside for the 1st time ever...public ground, national forest and wilderness.
headed to the south-east for the 2nd weekend if needed.

[alecvg]

the east side

[fishseeker]

Deer Camping the East side,with some armed hike thrown in.(Family time)

[Ghost Hunter]

Okanogan Co, private & NF.  Combine it with 'ranch patrol' on top of it.    Booked

[Dave Workman]

Interesting so far. Quite a bit more private land hunting than I expected.

Might lead to another question

Good post Dave. IMO, there should be ZERO antlerless mule deer killed this year. How stupid can they be?

They're "stupid" by figuring a way to perpetuate a one-week mule deer season by setting regs that actually contribute to heavy winter kill every few years, along with a fair number of traffic deaths, thus "forcing" them to retain the branch-antler regulation and a one-week season.

Bonehead biology 101.

Move the general hunting season back a week, get more big bucks moving, remove the B/A requirement, allow spikes and fork-horns to be taken in certain management units, halt doe hunts for a season or two, grow a herd that offers genuine opportunity to bowhunters, black powder guys and modern rifle hunters.

But let's not get this thread off track.

Original question returns:  Which side are you hunting on for the opener, East or West?

[TeacherMan]

EASTSIDE... Should have some pics come monday. We have 3 B tags (doe tags) to fill, our goal is to get those done by noon on Saturday so we can start focussing on the big boys. We usually dont shoot any bucks until the late season. My group is picky. 

[zackmioli]

east side, palouse.

[jstamp]

east, for muleys

[Leanne]

West side for blacktails....

[Ridgerunner]

I'll be hunting my little ones down at a local soccer game this saturday, the kitchen pass is only good for one moose this year, lol.   I may try to get out and do some pheasant hunting on Sunday though,.

[klikboom]

west side for blackies

[bamalefty]

East...up in the Blues..and i am not telling where....because i don't even know where...going with a friend up there for my first washington hunting experience!!!