RTSPRING"S thoughts on the Yakima elk herds.

[kirkl]

I am agreeing with Rt on what all he is saying. IMO people who draw bull tags should only be allowed to shoot 2 point or better elk.

why waste all your money you've spent trying to draw the tag? I will never shoot a spike if I draw a bull tag. to me, that is un-sportsmans like manner. If you want to hunt spike, buy a general spike tag.

Lmao, now its un-sportsman like to shoot a spike (which is legal mind you) instead of a big bull. Man you guys kill me.

[rtspring]

By not allowing the any bull tag holder to kill a spike you would be taking oppurtunity away there.

Whats worse? Taking away from 125 Any Bull Tag permit holders or 5,000 Otc guys in say a 50 square mile area?   This is strictly about unit 346.   Look at the numbers and it shows the effects..  Unfortunately no one has the real numbers..

[boneaddict]

Too much regulation.  A bull is a bull.   If he notches on a spike, then that's one more branch antlered bull for me to watch, and to be available as a bigger bull next year.     I get the whole, man why did you "waste" that tag, but its their tag.  Whats the real difference between a two point elk and a spike.   Heck, just better genetics, let them take the spike.

[kirkl]

 

[JPhelps]

So you are talking success not opportunity.

[JPhelps]

Waste of a tag can only be defined by a hunter looking down on another.

[Rainier10]

So how big of a bull do I need to kill with my "any bull" tag?

Answer please

Any bull that doesn't take away from the OTC crowd. So  2x2 or above.. I will fun some numbers here in a bit to show the dramatic changes each spike taken by a Any Bull tag holder makes on the general season crowd.

If there are 20 any bull tag holders and 5 of them shooting spikes greatly reduces OTC tag holder chances then the 15 guys that don't fill that any bull tag or fill it "drastically" increase the OTC tag holder odds.  That is 15 guys that if they only had OTC tags would be shooting spikes or at least reducing the odds of the other OTC guys.

I just don't see how an elk hunter that would be an OTC spike shooter without a permit drastically reduces everyone else's odds when he has an anybull tag and shoots a spike.  Without the any bull tag he would be an OTC guy and shoot the spike anyway.

[rtspring]

Waste of a tag can only be defined by a hunter looking down on another.

WASTE.  Was a bad choice of wording on my part!! For that I offer an apology. Any elk killed by anyone is dang sure not a waste. It was well earned!!! 

I just wish I could help all of them get a bull of a lifetime in this unit.  By far my greatest hunt ever was the 4x4 Rosie in 08. Trophy? Not to some but he hangs on my wall to this day as a Trophy..

[JPhelps]

So how big of a bull do I need to kill with my "any bull" tag?

Answer please

Any bull that doesn't take away from the OTC crowd. So  2x2 or above.. I will fun some numbers here in a bit to show the dramatic changes each spike taken by a Any Bull tag holder makes on the general season crowd.

I just don't see how an elk hunter that would be an OTC spike shooter without a permit drastically reduces everyone else's odds when he has an anybull tag and shoots a spike.  Without the any bull tag he would be an OTC guy and shoot the spike anyway.

You are stealing my ammo

[rtspring]

So how big of a bull do I need to kill with my "any bull" tag?

Answer please

Any bull that doesn't take away from the OTC crowd. So  2x2 or above.. I will fun some numbers here in a bit to show the dramatic changes each spike taken by a Any Bull tag holder makes on the general season crowd.

I just don't see how an elk hunter that would be an OTC spike shooter without a permit drastically reduces everyone else's odds when he has an anybull tag and shoots a spike.  Without the any bull tag he would be an OTC guy and shoot the spike anyway.

You are stealing my ammo

Easy, so the Any Bull tag holder shoots a spike on the opener. Which is 5 days prior to the OTC guys opener. Your telling me that don't take away from the OTC tag holders numbers of success? 

Also, would the Any Bull tag hunter have went hunting without drawing the Any Bull tag?? I know alot of people that don't bother hunting unless they draw a special permit..

[Rainier10]

So how big of a bull do I need to kill with my "any bull" tag?

Answer please

Any bull that doesn't take away from the OTC crowd. So  2x2 or above.. I will fun some numbers here in a bit to show the dramatic changes each spike taken by a Any Bull tag holder makes on the general season crowd.

I just don't see how an elk hunter that would be an OTC spike shooter without a permit drastically reduces everyone else's odds when he has an anybull tag and shoots a spike.  Without the any bull tag he would be an OTC guy and shoot the spike anyway.

You are stealing my ammo

Easy, so the Any Bull tag holder shoots a spike on the opener. Which is 5 days prior to the OTC guys opener. Your telling me that don't take away from the OTC tag holders numbers of success? 

Also, would the Any Bull tag hunter have went hunting without drawing the Any Bull tag?? I know alot of people that don't bother hunting unless they draw a special permit..

I don't think an Any Bull tag holder "takes away" anybody's success rate.  I think the Any Bull tag gives the hunter more options and is a privelage that you don't get very often.

No matter what the tag holder does someone is going to have a problem with it.  If they shoot a spike you think they have shot an elk an OTC only guy could have shot.  If they shoot a raghorn they get grief for shooting a raghorn on a quality tag.  If they shoot a small 6x6 they hear, "there are way bigger elk than that out there".  And if they eat the tag they hear" man you should have at least put some meat in your freezer."

Every keyboard jockey out there including me has an opinion on how they should fill or not fill that tag.  I say to each his own and if you are lucky enough to draw the tag you should be able to shoot a spike, raghorn, wall hanger or eat the tag if you want.

[JPhelps]

So would it be taking opportunity if the any bull tag holder waited until the first light of the general season to kill a spike?

I would absolutely love it if only spikes were killed up until I draw an any bull tag!!!

[rtspring]

So would it be taking opportunity if the any bull tag holder waited until the first light of the general season to kill a spike?

I would absolutely love it if only spikes were killed up until I draw an any bull tag!!!

That makes sense!!!   please shoot only spikes tag holders!! I have seen the light..

[Curly]

It's their points, their choice. It's not a "big bull" permit as many like to call it. It's an "any bull" permit. It gives you an advantage in hunting 5 days before the general season starts. If someone is happy to take a spike with the permit that they burned their points on, then that's all that matters.

 

It is in the quality category.  The term quality hunt is likely different for different folks.  For some, a quality hunt may mean being out hunting with only a handful of other hunters in the area which may make the experience much better than a general season spike hunt would with all the crowds.  (A quality permit doesn't have to mean tagging a record bull.)

Some people may only have a couple days to take off from work (if any), so with their limited time to hunt maybe they'd be content to take a spike.  Whatever their reasons are for taking a spike instead of a big bull, I don't have a problem with it.  I prefer that they (WDFW) have the any bull permit vs. say a 5 point minimum permit.    

[Buzz2401]

Curly you summed it up for me.  A quality hunt for me is one in which I don't see a guy around every corner.  And don't give me that *censored* that guys don't get off the road.  I hunt just about as deep as you can get and you would be surprised at how many guys are around.  There are plenty of road hunters for sure but there are a good percentage of guys who hunt hard also.  Met a guy on horses this year and he was like " how did you get in here" and I said I walked. He proceeded to tell me he was really hoping to get away from the crowds, I told him "your gonna have to get a whole lot deeper then this", we were 6 miles in and there were at least 10 guys in the area. Guy was dumbfounded.