Archery blacktail hunters act now!!!

[Shedseeker]

Gun hunters do not like bow hunters That's a fact!!

That is not a fact, that is a retarded statement to make though

[Tony 270WSM]

You still get the rut for late archery, just not the peak of the rut.

Thats not good enough though so how about this... archery goes from September 1st through 30th. Modern goes from Oct 11th-12th. Then back to archery for October 18- Nov 30th. Would that make you happy or would you still complain?

[MeatDown]

Ok… been reading along… so I would like to get a better understanding and give my thoughts… just so you know a bit about me, I have hunted all 3 weapon types Rifle/Modern was initial hunting, then Archery to have less people in the field or pointing loaded weapons at me, and now Traditional (Lyman Great Plains) Muzzleloader for way less crowd and just a tad further distance than archery.

So, Sanjuankelso… (the following is not intended to question you but), Have you been to a WDFW Season Setting Meeting? Or read through the process? Are you a member of a hunting club or group like WSB?

I have attend many over the years, and the primary focus (seems to be - my opinion) is to divide the user groups so that we will get less time out… (my opinion) after witnessing them ask the following question “So, how many of you are happy that the Archery Season is so long?” this caused the room to erupt…

There are several things that WDFW use to set seasons… first is the User Group Success Ratio and second they use Buck to Doe Escapement Ratio. When you look at the numbers (as WDFW) it ends up that each user group statewide ends up with between 20.4% and 24% percent success statewide, excluding the multi season tag, (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/harvest/2007/deer_general.htm ). This has been the target for many years… so it is not likely to change drastically… but it is always good to provide input. Here is the latest efforts for the 2009-2015 Game Management Plan (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/management/2009-2015/index.htm )

As far as the Post-hunting season escapement... “A post-hunting season goal of 15 bucks per 100 does has been established as a state-wide benchmark per the Game Management Plan.” (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/regions/reg5/reg5wild.htm and look under Feb 4, 2008.

Please don’t think that I am saying things are perfect.. because as a current Smokepole shooter I would love to have more days out hunting…. But I also know that based upon the states method this is more than likely not going to happen. (But I will keep trying as should you all).

And lastly… I hope and pray that the state keep the user groups days in the field separated… it made me nervous (and was the cause of changing weapon choice) when I was rifle hunting, even when further than 3-5 miles from a road (dirt), that I would end up with several occasions a season with guys using their scope as binoculars…. I also love the fact that currently only about 18,000 hunters users are in the field with me…

Cheers… and shoot straight 

(P.S. a closing concern is I was on a cruise this past September and talked with hunters from the Midwest and Southeast, and I am very concerned that we are headed in their direction with development and human population getting so large and city people not understanding hunting that we will have more deer and less hunting area, and then the over population of deer that will cause more and more problems)

Shawn

[bigv518]

I agree with w Sanjuan kelso on this 1. Scrap the early season bow; without baiting its somewhat a waste of time. Baiting should be out, and deer bowhunters should get the first 2+ weeks of Nov. exclusively w/no guns goin off. I suppose we could share this time w/ muzzleloading but let the bowhunters have a real opportunity, before letting the yahoos of modern firearms put the spook on. Late (rut) bowhunters cant even scout, without interupting someones gun hunt. What a joke!

[M_ray]

Follow along Tony I am not complaining about the season we have. I am in fact willing to sacrifice total # of hunting days for quality. How about this september 1-21 Archery, september 22-october 8 muzzy, october 10-31 modern, Nov 1-30 archery, Nov 20-december 10 muzzy, december 20-31 modern.  I am not at all opposed to either modern firearms or blackpowder hunters or hunting, I have pursued the blacktail for over 20 years with four different weapons and now choose to use a bow. I also hunt whitetail with my rifle in this state occasionaly when i have the chance to take a nephew or niece over to the Nw corner for their first deer. The discussion on this forum will have no more effect on the outcome of the subject than will any of the jabs at me on my love for pursuing the BT, I Love my Rifle, I love my bow and  I love to hunt period. If only  a couple of archery hunters  who read this contact the state and the idea is considered, great!! If not come the 19th I will climb into my stand, sit in the rain for hours on end and still enjoy every minute I have out there. Like I said before it doesn't hurt anyone to ask.

So let me follow along with you sanjuankelso ... you come off as a very intelligent and articulate guy so let me see if I can get this into my little pea brain:
How about this september 1-21 Archery, september 22-october 8 muzzy, october 10-31 modern, Nov 1-30 archery, Nov 20-december 10 muzzy, december 20-31 modern.
Humm??? now you see why you are in the minority here? lets put a 4 month slaughter on the animals with at the most a two day break in there and a cross over on a couple of methods ... Oh whoops I almost didn't see the 10 day break you are giving them after 121 days of pressure just so the modern guys can mop up the remainder of the year!
The WDFW eliminated the permits in the Umtanum because of a triple jeopardy on the heard due to the fact that they were hunted up high then during the general season then during the permit they also eliminated the permits in the Teanaway for Archery and Muzzleloaders in Sept and October because the herd size had shrunk ... Do you really think that there isn't a reason there is a week or two between seasons to give the animals a break from the pressure? Or did you think that no-one had thought "gee we could lengthen the season here and there with no regard to the animals and keep all user groups happy?"

So let me ask you ... in two years when the heard size diminishes what do you propose then? Whats your grand plan to bring the herd size back?

In two years when you cant find a deer you'll want it changed back to the way it was in the first place!
  I gotta wonder sometimes At least this may give you a clearer picture as to why you are in the minority on this one.

Good luck!

[bucklucky]

Hunting that first week of september with a bow is better than the rut IMO. Bucks everywhere trying to pack on the pounds in the clearcuts and are pretty easy to see that time of year, I wouldnt mind hunting with a rifle that first week. I gaurantee a big blacktail down  I vote keep ot how it is. Oh by the way, my wife buys a rifle tag and hunts with her bow during the rut.

[M_ray]

I agree with w Sanjuan kelso on this 1. Scrap the early season bow; without baiting its somewhat a waste of time. Baiting should be out, and deer bowhunters should get the first 2+ weeks of Nov. exclusively w/no guns goin off. I suppose we could share this time w/ muzzleloading but let the bowhunters have a real opportunity, before letting the yahoos of modern firearms put the spook on. Late (rut) bowhunters cant even scout, without interupting someones gun hunt. What a joke!

It's pretty well known that Blacktails do not come into baits well and that the baiting works well to control the Whitetail herd sizes so that's not an issue.

I suppose we could share this time w/ muzzleloading

Wow that's mighty kind of ya considering the muzzy's get a 6 day season!

but let the bowhunters have a real opportunity, before letting the yahoos of modern firearms put the spook on. Late (rut) bowhunters cant even scout, without interupting someones gun hunt. What a joke!

So you are above other methods cause you are a bowhunter? and moderns are yahoos? I hunt with all methods so what does that make me? You should rethink your post a bit. You are coming off as disrespectful and unintelligent. This is exactly why others have said let it go!!!! there is no reason to sling mud between user groups and this is a perfect example! You don't even know who you are offending when you make a comment like that, and we are better off being on the same side than splitting up the groups on this one.

[bigv518]

Dont mean to be offensive and not petitioning for anything. Sorry i'f i came off that way. I'm no expert and you clearly are more knowledgeable than  me. Not trying to divide anyone, but i personally feel that bowhunters should get first shot during the rut even if it was for 1 weekend

[huntnphool]

and deer bowhunters should get the first 2+ weeks of Nov. exclusively w/no guns goin off.

"Tonight when I chase the dragon, The water may change to cherry wine, And the silver will turn to gold, Time out of mind"

I can see you are a fellow Steely Dan fan but short of tonights pipe dream it will never happen, very funny statement though, I can only assume you were joking

You have forgot one very important point too, F&W are not dummies, any hunting done in the frist couple to three weeks of November will forever come at a premium from now on, whether its a raffle tag, permits or auction tag. It is by far too big of a revenue stream for them to give away for free and the days of old are long past. Best you forget how it used to be if you have been hunting as long as I because those days are gone. If you werent hunting back then then you will never know the difference, and you're going to be better off for it too. For those of us that did its a major source of frustration.

[M_ray]

You know the more I read this post the more it looks as a classic case of the few that don't harvest are bitter and it must be someone else's fault so I'll have better odds if I could hunt during the peek of the rut!
Well I shot a 4 point BT with my bow on Dec 5th one year that was rutting heavily and is the only reason I got him! So I don't see whrere the problem is with the seasons. Oh except for the fact that if you are sitting in a stand all season and not seeing anything sanjuankelso did you ever think of moving your stand location and not the seasons? 

[bigv518]

At first i didnt have the plus on two weeks so that part was a joke! lol But, one weekend b it a pipe dream or not shouldnt cause such an uproar. I guess your right about the business though. Never seen something so complicated. That's what money does it complicates things

[M_ray]

Dont mean to be offensive and not petitioning for anything. Sorry i'f i came off that way. I'm no expert and you clearly are more knowledgeable than  me. Not trying to divide anyone, but i personally feel that bowhunters should get first shot during the rut even if it was for 1 weekend

It's all cool Thanks for that ... I'm not trying to act more knowledgeable I'm just trying to point out the big picture. It's easy sometimes to have blinders on epically when you are passionate about something but that makes it hard to see the whole picture as others have pointed out they have worked very hard to get and keep the seasons we have and again this isn't most of the guy's first rodeo so they know that revisiting it may mean steps backwards just so a few can have their BT season changed? Sometimes the change isn't for the better ... and another thing I can see your passionate about bowhunting but don't forget you have more opportunity than all others! And in days of old in the Colockum it's proven that even bow hunters know how to put the spook on heards too! 

[bigv518]

OH yeah,  i forgot to appologize to e1 i offended. I  was wrong to call Hunters Yahoos, I just meant to joke about the hussle, bussle and craziness of opening day. Also we all know theres a rare few hunters who let's just say aren's the safest lol.

[huntnphool]

But, one weekend b it a pipe dream or not shouldnt cause such an uproar.That's what money does it complicates things

Well when you have all three groups wanting to hunt the same two weeks its always going to cause an uproar. Kind of like giving one of your kids a piece of candy and not the other

As far as the money complicating things, not really. If they can get people to pay more for it why would they give it away, not complicated at all really

[bigv518]

no static at all you joker