Margaret--should it go general or stay permit

[nailbender]

Stay permit only. We need more on the westside. I'd be a fool to think it'd get managed properly tho..

[bowhuntersd]

  
I'm in agree-ance with making more GMU's draw areas. I voted to have it stay the same. I feel if it goes general then that would give Agnew a free pass to start farming out high $$ hunts and Weyco will lease out the rest to the highest bidder.

[sneakyjake]

And..........then they will have to permit surrounding units and you will get to hunt  every five years or so in the same areas.  If you are for this, then we don't have much in common.   I can't imagine the Winston and coweeman being the ones that get slapped with the permit.  With wey now controlling the access into the units, they will control the herds and the cash flow.  No need for a permit there.   The units that will get hit will be the USNF ones.  Now to hunt south of pierce county if you don't want to hunt the Yelm herd, you will either need to draw or pay wey/outfitter.  Worst case thoughts for me.   

[swanny]

Keep it permit only and make more permit only units as well.

With all the westside land locked up, and the east side being spike only, I've come to the conclusion that I will most likely only hunt elk if drawn.

[dewandgin]

Keep it permit only and make more permit only units as well.

With all the westside land locked up, and the east side being spike only, I've come to the conclusion that I will most likely only hunt elk if drawn.

Yep

From the Wetside. like the darkside only Wetter!

[sirmissalot]

They need to make more units special permit not less. I would be all for a statewide draw for everything but predators.

That sounds great!  Then we could just hunt a mature bull once every ten years or so!  I cannot believe I never thought of that!    

If you honestly think our elk numbers are so low, that just to draw a bull tag if the state were to go to a statewide draw would take 10 years, then we have a serious problem.

[westsidehntr]

They need to make more units special permit not less. I would be all for a statewide draw for everything but predators.

That sounds great!  Then we could just hunt a mature bull once every ten years or so!  I cannot believe I never thought of that!    

If you honestly think our elk numbers are so low, that just to draw a bull tag if the state were to go to a statewide draw would take 10 years, then we have a serious problem.

I cant speak for bugle brush, but IMO it could go that way not because of elk numbers but because of management issues. I just couldn't support taking away the right to hunt every year freely like we have for decades. A draw only state would discourage people from starting to hunt and make a lot of people stop hunting. Not good for the sport IMHO.

[bobcat]

"Not good for the sport." 

Kind of like when seasons and limits were first implemented, and hunting licenses and tags required, it was bad for the sport? Lots of people probably quit hunting at that time.   

[westsidehntr]

"Not good for the sport." 

Kind of like when seasons and limits were first implemented, and hunting licenses and tags required, it was bad for the sport? Lots of people probably quit hunting at that time.   

Making the whole state draw only is a lot more limiting than that. Do you not think a lot of casual hunters are going to say ahh its just not worth the time anymore? Same for some new hunters? Not only that, but its kind of like the other thread about baiting. Some hunters wanting to take away other peoples rights because of their own views. I think we all have a right to hunt the public land every year. Im not saying some special tags for high quality areas is bad. I feel margaret should stay draw only. But for the whole state to go draw only to me is taking away from alot of people who just want to meat hunt, enjoy shooting any legal buck, or even just enjoy camping during hunting season and hiking around a little. These people have the same right to hunt as the hardcore trophy hunting people who want a statewide hunting utopia serving their own special needs. Sorry for the rambling rant.

[sirmissalot]

Nothing would stop anyone from hunting. There are a lot more animals to hunt here in Washington than elk. Some of the best states to hunt in the country require you to draw a tag to hunt. Wyoming for example is my favorite state to hunt. Residents and nonresidents all have to draw a tag to hunt, but some areas not all areas have enough applicants in the draw to fill the quota of tags, which leaves leftover tags available to purchase. The best areas of the state have the most applicants, the less attractive areas have less. Same goes for deer, antelope etc. 

[swanny]

If it went draw only, that doesn't mean you can't still hit the field. Go out with your buddies that get drawn, take pictures of the creatures you love, or scout your butt off for when you turn comes. Besides, isn't it mostly about being outside and in the woods or wilderness? Having the chance to harvest an animal and fill the freezer is just a bonus.

[Hunterman]

If it went draw only, that doesn't mean you can't still hit the field. Go out with your buddies that get drawn, take pictures of the creatures you love, or scout your butt off for when you turn comes. Besides, isn't it mostly about being outside and in the woods or wilderness? Having the chance to harvest an animal and fill the freezer is just a bonus.

The main reason people hunt is to put meet in the freezer that is why we buy a hunting license. It was just to just spend time in the woods camping we can do this with out a hunting license.

Instead of a draw state why not a "Play to Play" state. It makes just about as much sense as a "Draw State"

Hunterman(Tony)

[buglebrush]

I asking an honest question here.  Do those of you advocating turning the whole state permit not live in elk country?  I hunt elk less than an hour from my house every year, and have been drawing for a special permit for five years now.  No tag drawn, but i have killed three bulls during that time.  How could it possibly be better to do away with otc hunting?   Would complete the transformation to a rich man only sport for sure.   I say hone your skill and fill your freezer on otc while waiting for your draw.   As for there being other game to hunt.....  SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!  Nothing even begins to compare to elk.  You can gripe because you live in the city, but don't forget that is your choice.  I took a huge, HUGE  pay cut to stay in the mountains.  Your life.  Your choice. 

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[shorthair15]

i agree keep it permit only dont have enough permit units now. especially on the wetside. i would be fine with more permit only unit's.

[judojudd]

Having drawn the Margret bull tag this year and spending the last 3 days up there has convinced me that it should stay a draw unit. Bulls in every basin screaming their heads off as soon as you touch off a bugle is quite the different experience, especially after you've spent the past several years in units where you only hear bulls bugle at night or infrequently throughout the day. The quantity of bulls up there makes hunting it one of the most exciting hunting experiences of my life, even if the quality of bulls is a bit subpar. I may never get drawn for this unit again but getting this tag once is worth putting in for. And I, for one, love that it's a bull unit and not a quality bull unit. I think they got this one right. I hope it stays that way.