Why Early Archery Season Start Date Needs To Change

[brushhunter]

i switched to archery elk two years ago and have shot bulls both years and have had close calls with others.  i think archery is the best season you can get in Washington without a special permit.  and i like the early start date because it works out great for leave at work!

[vandeman17]

Another thing I have noticed and that seems a little odd to me is that the Eastern Archery quality bull tags are from sept 2nd-14th or 1st-19th yet rifle, though shorter, gets a much stronger portion of the rut from the 22nd-26th. That doesn't seem right to me but I could be way off base.

[buglebuster]

Another thing I have noticed and that seems a little odd to me is that the Eastern Archery quality bull tags are from sept 2nd-14th or 1st-19th yet rifle, though shorter, gets a much stronger portion of the rut from the 22nd-26th. That doesn't seem right to me but I could be way off base.

It's all about the $$ and quality apps.

[vandeman17]

Another thing I have noticed and that seems a little odd to me is that the Eastern Archery quality bull tags are from sept 2nd-14th or 1st-19th yet rifle, though shorter, gets a much stronger portion of the rut from the 22nd-26th. That doesn't seem right to me but I could be way off base.

It's all about the $$ and quality apps.

100% agree. They know the big money comes from the rifle hunters but still bogus. Why not at least let the archery guys overlap or something. A few rifle hunters out there is no different and doesn't pose a safety issue or orange requirement.

[Rainier10]

Another thing I have noticed and that seems a little odd to me is that the Eastern Archery quality bull tags are from sept 2nd-14th or 1st-19th yet rifle, though shorter, gets a much stronger portion of the rut from the 22nd-26th. That doesn't seem right to me but I could be way off base.

It's all about the $$ and quality apps.

100% agree. They know the big money comes from the rifle hunters but still bogus. Why not at least let the archery guys overlap or something. A few rifle hunters out there is no different and doesn't pose a safety issue or orange requirement.

I think if they moved the archery season back to the 8th through the 21st and let the rifle rut tags have the dates they have now or have overlap is the best way to go.  If you swapped timeframes and gave the archers the later timeframe and made the rifle guys hunt early then everyone would be up in arms that the rifle guys were shooting all the big bulls before the archery guys could get a crack at them.

[bullfisher]

Comparing washington to idaho, or any other elk state for that matter, is setting you up for disapointment. They have more habitat, twice the elk population and far less hunting pressure. Always have, always will.

[vandeman17]

Another thing I have noticed and that seems a little odd to me is that the Eastern Archery quality bull tags are from sept 2nd-14th or 1st-19th yet rifle, though shorter, gets a much stronger portion of the rut from the 22nd-26th. That doesn't seem right to me but I could be way off base.

It's all about the $$ and quality apps.

100% agree. They know the big money comes from the rifle hunters but still bogus. Why not at least let the archery guys overlap or something. A few rifle hunters out there is no different and doesn't pose a safety issue or orange requirement.

I think if they moved the archery season back to the 8th through the 21st and let the rifle rut tags have the dates they have now or have overlap is the best way to go.  If you swapped timeframes and gave the archers the later timeframe and made the rifle guys hunt early then everyone would be up in arms that the rifle guys were shooting all the big bulls before the archery guys could get a crack at them.

I see what you are saying but most of the rifle tags are a single tag so I can't imagine there would be much, if any gripe. It just seems like general season and quality, at least for central washington archery elk is a bit out of touch.

[RadSav]

But what they do not show you is how much disparity there  is in the success rates for Special Permit hunts.

There will always be a disparity between bowhunters and other user groups when you take does and cows out of the equation.  I don't think start dates would make much of a difference.  When you start hunting smarter, older animals with limited numbers and limited early season access due to fire dangers archery hunters will always have lower success numbers.  That's all part of the up-close/archery game.  It's not like eastern whitetails where everyone is shooting them from the same distance from their treestand.

[Fullabull]

I believe the early season use to always start on the 8th so not sure why they can't do that again. It's not going to bother the elk anymore than the ML's or MF guys shooting rifles in the woods during the prime runt. There aren't even any archery special permit tags during the prime rut. Now that doesn't make any sense.

[elkoholic1]

this state and all its supposedly wildlife management doesn't make any since 

[D-Rock425]

I'd like the season to go back to the 8th I think my success rate could get a little better.

[popeshawnpaul]

I'd like the season to go back to the 8th I think my success rate could get a little better.

That would be a great reason for them not to do it then...   

[RadSav]

Personally I liked it best when our season was the same every year - October 1-16th.  If I remember right deer season usually started two weeks prior.  Much easier to get those big herd bulls to leave their cows during the second estrus cycle!  Plus we could hunt Oregon for three weeks and not miss the opener here!  Those were good days

[D-Rock425]

Personally I liked it best when our season was the same every year - October 1-16th.  If I remember right deer season usually started two weeks prior.  Much easier to get those big herd bulls to leave their cows during the second estrus cycle!  Plus we could hunt Oregon for three weeks and not miss the opener here!  Those were good days

my dad tells me about those days but that was before my time.

[RadSav]

Personally I liked it best when our season was the same every year - October 1-16th.  If I remember right deer season usually started two weeks prior.  Much easier to get those big herd bulls to leave their cows during the second estrus cycle!  Plus we could hunt Oregon for three weeks and not miss the opener here!  Those were good days

my dad tells me about those days but that was before my time.

Cool thing was that we bugled bulls constantly in Oregon from end of August till the deer opener here.  My best days of bugling were always mid October, both here and in Oregon, but that doesn't mean we didn't have plenty of action on September 1st.  Just not the level of vocalism as in October.  Best part of October was the weather!  I'm one of those guys who starts complaining the moment the temperature breaks 65 degrees.  So October usually fit into my comfort zone a little more often than August 27th.  Though, I have killed more bulls in August than I have in October.  I think of my first 16 archery bulls (think that's where I was at when I got married) I believe 12 or 13 were taken either the last week of August or the first week of September.