4 point restriction GMU's 117 & 121

[thatdamguy]

My first hand experience the last few years as well as my cameras have told me that the rule is helping. I am seeing more mature bucks on my cameras as well as in the field.

 

I am seeing more mature deer and more bucks. However I am not a fan of the APR sticking around for a few reasons, 1 it limits the opportunity for young, senior and new hunters which we need. 2 Units 121 and 117 are the best units for hunters to harvest game. 3 There have been less hunters in those units and it is hurting local economy's that rely on the annual income from out of area hunters.

[MuleDeer]

Now is the time to make your opinion heard at the WDFW meetings over the next 10 days.  The APR was put into place by the commission, not WDFW, so they can change it back just as easily.  Whether you support it or not, it's a great time to put in those 2 cents that you all like to refer to on here.

[PA BEN]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,129556.msg1756520.html#msg1756520

[jasnt]

As I've said before...i like the rule. Im seeing better buck to doe ratios and youth and seniors can still harvest doe's. The newbie's can always hunt 124 or 113 for any buck. Jmo

[Dhoey07]

I don't really understand why they chose a 4pt min instead of a 3pt min like mica. 

[boneaddict]

I think it has increased the number of bucks over here significantly and is helping the herd.  I like the regulation and want to give it a couple more years to really see the harvest levels increase and stabilize.

x ten

[boneaddict]

Would anyone be open to allowing any buck for youth/senior/disabled only?

No, not really.  I have never bought into the PC garbage about the youth needing to be able to harvest any deer.  There is more about hunting than having to kill something.   I havent broken those three groups apart and isolated whether it would be ok if one got it and one didn't.   You are going to have all sorts of opinions on that.   

[jasnt]

Would anyone be open to allowing any buck for youth/senior/disabled only?

No, not really.  I have never bought into the PC garbage about the youth needing to be able to harvest any deer.  There is more about hunting than having to kill something.   I havent broken those three groups apart and isolated whether it would be ok if one got it and one didn't.   You are going to have all sorts of opinions on that.   

Its all about the hunt not the end result,plus those groups can harvest doe's. 

[Dhoey07]

I think it has increased the number of bucks over here significantly and is helping the herd.  I like the regulation and want to give it a couple more years to really see the harvest levels increase and stabilize.

x ten

I just hope that WDFW doesn't give credit to APR's when it's just Mother Nature doing her job   

[smalldog]

4 point min. should be for all Whitetail. Youth and Seniors and Disabled should be able to shoot smaller bucks. I agree 100% on that.   If you want really good whitetail hunting you have to manage the bucks and the number of does.   I have hunted Whitetails for almost 30 years and can remember when their was a 3 point min. and the bucks were of great numbers and the quality of bucks  was great.

[jasnt]

It really doesn't take much for a whitetail to be a 4point. I have 2 1/2 year olds right now visting my plots that are 4x4 and 4x5's  one is even 5x6. As early as 3 years ago I had mainly spikes or fork horns. Also my buck to doe ratios where 1:5.  Now im seeing closer to 1:1.5   I wouldn't mind if this rule continues indefinitely.

[Bucks2Ducks]

I love the antler restriction and the improvement it has made. Doe's need to be harvested too, that where the youth, and senior hunters come in if they want to take that option. I know I loved to have that option when I was kid; and it really didn't matter to me at that point if it was a 1 1/2 year old buck or doe. I just wanted the opportunity to harvest something.

[jasnt]

[boneaddict]

Its a lot more fun to be in the whitetail woods with a ratio like that of older bucks as well.  The rut is CRAZY. 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

So I was just reading the Hunting prospects put out by the Washington Dept of Game.  http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/2014/district01.pdf

Down on page 19 were some interesting graph that show the number of deer harvested in each of the units in District 1 since 2006. The 4 pt restriction was put in 117 and 121 in 2011 for varying reasons depending on who you talk to, but was either to build the herd, increase hunter success, create trophies. It may be building the herd back up and creating trophies, but by reading these charts, it isn't translating into hunter success.

After three years, the harvest in these two units still isn't back to where it was pre four point rule. So any bigger herds aren't translating to hunter success. Meanwhile in the units that are still any buck a couple (101 and 105) are holding their own, but in 108, 111, and 113 the buck harvest since 2011 has steadily climbed and in 2013 units 108 and 111 had higher buck harvests than any of the previous years since 2006. In 113 the harvest in 2013 was second only to 2006. So the 4 point only rule has decreased harvest which was expected the first year, but after three years of no shooting spikes, 3 points, and forkhorns, where are all those big bucks everybody should be shooting by now? Remember? All those small bucks were going to grow up and create a hunting bonanza. But instead, the harvest is way down and it was self inflicted. Meanwhile the non restricted units have been coming back quite nicely as far as the number of deer harvested.

My friends in Metaline tell me they haven't seen as many deer as they are seeing this summer in years in 113. Of course that isn't scientific. Just local observation.