Early archery elk dates?

[JPhelps]

That and....Bowhunters tend to be your more devoted group of hunters (rifle and muzzleloader hunters don't beat me up). A lot of the Bowhunters were very successful as rifle and muzzloader hunters who have switched for the challenge.

[bobcat]

A lot of the Bowhunters were very successful as rifle and muzzloader hunters who have switched for the challenge.

For the challenge? Really? Or do most switch for the better seasons, better units, and more either sex opportunity?

[JPhelps]

Regardless of weapons, seasons or sex of animal, in my opinion good hunters are good hunters. The 10% I know will be successful regardless of weapon, the 90% will still be unsuccessful with a multi season tag.

[kentrek]

The 10% I know will be successful regardless of weapon, the 90% will still be unsuccessful with a multi season tag.

  or special permit for that matter

[bobcat]

So there's no need for a later archery season then. If the "good" hunters are successful in killing a bull every year, why do they need an "easier" season?

[blackveltbowhunter]

   I can't tell if your Or just starting dialogue. Either way, I'm in...... For one the math on BULLS doesn't pencil out to 12 percent its more like 5%. So yes even "good" hunters need cows seasons to bring stats up.

 

[nw_bowhunter]

At some point Elk season was on the 8th- Archery hunters we need to make the effort push Fish and Game to change the start date to Sept 8th and stop this stupid rotating time frame

Bobcat- I VOTE no for permit only .

[blackveltbowhunter]

I'm a slow typer....  My  I archery hunt because I enjoy archery hunting I have never killed an elk with anything else, (not that i'm opposed) but thats why I do it. Not real motivated to practice alot with a rifle and if a muzzy ever misfired on the OIL bull I would break it. Although I agree with you I am sure plenty of others switch for the reasons you mention .

   If the archery hunt wasnt important and I wanted to kill a BULL as often as possible. Westside Modern is the tag I would pick. For a variety of reasons.

   Since you kicked the door open on the late season..... Personally I would give up at least some of it, to procure better dates/moretime in September. I really dont understand the logic behind not allowing cows to be taken in some early season units while they are tender and fat and most importantly not bred, but applying a ton of pressure in the late season. I know thats a whole other topic and I want to stay on the subject of season dates. I agree with you about the last week in August being a killer time to slip an arrow in a good bull. especially if you have done your summer homework. I really thought the 8-21st dates were a great compromise.

[JPhelps]

 

[Fullabull]

so here are the numbers for branch bulls 4, 5, 6+ taken between Archery and Firearm:

                                      4 point      5 point    6 point   Total
 Archery                             221            272            106     599
 Modern                             729            545            187           1461

The Modern Success % is higher on branch bulls then archery and has been, especially when it come to permit hunting. I noticed the WDFW does not post the permit hunt success the same way they do the general season. I believe there is a reason for that. Because they do not want everyone to see how good the Modern hunters have it when it comes to hunting branch bulls.

Bobcat: please do not say, "why don't you change to Modern then" that is old and us archery hunters know when the best time to actually hunt elk is. I believe you hunted muzzy before (which actually has the best season but their hunting unit restrictions help keep them from even higher percentages). If you are now hunting archery, you need to hunt later in September and see the difference it makes.

[steeliedrew]

If elk was permit only I'd pack up the family and move to another state. Plain and simple. I've only been hunting for 2 years and elk is already that important to me. It would crush me every year I didn't draw. thank goodness that draw idea is far fetched for the foreseeable future.

[buck man]

If elk was permit only I'd pack up the family and move to another state. Plain and simple. I've only been hunting for 2 years and elk is already that important to me. It would crush me every year I didn't draw. thank goodness that draw idea is far fetched for the foreseeable future.

Actually the foreseeable future does hold more permit seasons. So don't hold your breath.

[et1702]

Rather than fixing the start date on the 8th  (i.e., 8th to the 21st option), I think it would be best to start early archery every year on the second Saturday of the month and run for 15 days, which would allow two full weeks, with three weekends).  It would also allow a start date later than the 8th on some years.  If it started in 2015, it would be as follows:

2015:  12th thru 27th
2016:  10th - 25th
2017:  9th - 24th
2018:  8th - 23rd
2019:  14th - 29th
2020:  12th - 27th

This would allow some years to be better hunting than other and still be a good compromise.  ML guys would still have early Oct hunts and Modern hunters would still have approx. the same times too.  FYI, The above is what I put in the WDFW survery for consideration.

ET

[BOWHUNTER45]

X2 

[et1702]

BTW, the only "eastside" user group that the proposal I outlined would potentially affect would be the lucky SOBs that get drawn for the ONE and only "Quality" rifle bull tag that usually happens the last week of Sept before the ML guys go into the field.  As an archer of 34+ years, I could care less if there is one guy out there with a rifle tag hunting during archery season.  Bear hunters are already out there too.  Plus, the only people he or she would be competing with are the archery Quality bull tags.  Again, not really a concern.

ET