Restrict Archery and ML seasons to 9 days.

[Dan-o]

Why not just do away with modern rifle seasons?

That would leave lots of game for us archers and muzzleloaders?

(sorry, but I thought as long as we were picking on each other that this actually made more sense, because we could all have longer seasons.)

I'm pretty sure you meant this as a joke but I would never be in favor of this.  The moment we don't need guns for hunting the Libs will think we don't need them period.  Plus, some hunters have injuries and such where muzzle loader and archery are not really options for them.  We certainly don't want to reduce our numbers or the antis will overrule us. everybody deserves the right to play we just have to find a happy balance.  If it were up to me, we would do more for the youth hunters though.

You are correct....   I was not serious.   I just get tired of one group of hunters trying to take away from another.... so I thought I'd try it.

Good night.

[Seahawk12]

Considering the data on animals harvested with bows I would actually be in favor of extending the archery late season by several days.
I have not seen a great reason for reducing the number of days in the archery season. I have seen several good reasons for keeping it like it is or even extending it out further.
1: Harvest numbers are miniscule as compared to the modern firearms numbers.
2: Hunters travel throughout the state and help many small communities economies.
3: A radical reduction in time allowed would cause many bow hunters to switch to MF. Considering the success rate of hunting MF the WDFW would then be forced to reduce the number of days for MF in order to maintain a sustainable herd size. (Then this debate could start over and we could go full circle.)
4: Extending the archery season may lure some more MF and ML hunters to switch to archery. Because of the vast difference in success rates the WDFW could then extend the seasons of all other hunting methods in order to keep the herd sizes manageable.
Those are just a few of the reasons that I personally find the most compelling.
This year, and for the last several years I have hunted modern, but I began hunting and hunted for many years with a bow. I still have the bow and find time to practice with it occasionally. I imagine I will use it again in the next few years. For this reason I don't think I am too biased one way or the other. Except maybe against those pesky ML people. (JK! I think ML looks fun too.)

[csaaphill]

Ok maybe not shorten archery season but then Do away with limiting what hunting method you are going to use. If you purchase a deer tag you get to go hunting with the weapon during the appropriate "Season" why restrict modern or ML to a few days when archery has all dayum late summer and fall....

ya go back to how it was years ago when you had a good long season for all and didn't have to chose just one weapon.

[bobcat]

Ok maybe not shorten archery season but then Do away with limiting what hunting method you are going to use. If you purchase a deer tag you get to go hunting with the weapon during the appropriate "Season" why restrict modern or ML to a few days when archery has all dayum late summer and fall....

ya go back to how it was years ago when you had a good long season for all and didn't have to chose just one weapon.

Then let's just go back to before there were any seasons at all. 

[idahohuntr]

Ok maybe not shorten archery season but then Do away with limiting what hunting method you are going to use. If you purchase a deer tag you get to go hunting with the weapon during the appropriate "Season" why restrict modern or ML to a few days when archery has all dayum late summer and fall....

ya go back to how it was years ago when you had a good long season for all and didn't have to chose just one weapon.

Then let's just go back to before there were any seasons at all.

[bobcat]

Ok maybe not shorten archery season but then Do away with limiting what hunting method you are going to use. If you purchase a deer tag you get to go hunting with the weapon during the appropriate "Season" why restrict modern or ML to a few days when archery has all dayum late summer and fall....

ya go back to how it was years ago when you had a good long season for all and didn't have to chose just one weapon.

Then let's just go back to before there were any seasons at all.

That's right. No hunting licenses, no tags, no seasons, no limits! It's gonna be great! All the OPPORTUNITY! I won't even have time to work anymore, I'll quit my job and hunt full time, year around!  Isn't that what we all want?   

[Skinnyguts]

Dude, REALLY??? Rifle (now days 500+ yards isnt uncommon perfect example last yr my sister shot her deer with my FULLY SETUP LONG RANGE .243 at 520 yards) muzzy 150 yards or so and the average archer 40 yards or so??? Cry me a damn river and make sure its filled with fish.

Well if you have to shoot 500+yards to get a deer or any game in WA it just shows that you lack real hunting abilities to be able to get closer Cripes why not just lob a howitzer round downrange.

As for those that say get a bow I have one and was extremely proficient with it. Why should archers get so much time??? just because they supposedly can't shoot 250 yards?. Get out do some scouting and become a hunter instead of an arrow slinger and quit being so dayum lazy.

Since you're apparently the Chuck Norris of hunting, why are you whining about how much time people get to hunt? You sound like you only need one day.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Yea this is gonna get a lot of flak and I'm probably gonna be called all kinds of things but I seriously believe that they should restrict the archery and Ml seasons to the same amount of time they allow for Modern.
If 9 days is good enough for modern deer season then it is good enough for Archery and ML.  The heck with this crap of the entire month then another season for late without having to draw special tags......

You're comparing apples to road apples, but of course you know that. Also, if you think primitive weapons hunters have some sort of an advantage over modern hunters, then just buy a primitive tag and go for it. There is nothing stopping you except your own stubbornness. We all have the same choices and make our decision on what is important to us. You sound like a guy who wants to have all the advantages of modern technology when you are hunting, like say a weapon that's going to go off every time you pull the trigger and a super powerful scope for next zip code killing. So you choose modern season. Some guys like more time or a challenge or maybe the season fits their schedule better than modern season, so they go with a primitive tag.

But it's pretty selfish and self centered to make your choice, then decide since you didn't want to choose differently that you get to pick the rules for the guys who chose differently than you.

I'll make a counter proposal. I say modern rifle hunters should be restricted to the same rules as primitive hunters just to make things equal. That means you have to hunt with a single shot and open sights because that's what muzzle loader hunters are restricted to. you also have to hunt deer with a .45 caliber or larger gun and other big game must be hunted with .50 caliber or larger.

[bobcat]

Dang, so my 338 Ultra Mag won't be big enough for deer? 

[washelkhunter]

I'll make a counter proposal. I say modern rifle hunters should be restricted to the same rules as primitive hunters just to make things equal. That means you have to hunt with a single shot and open sights because that's what muzzle loader hunters are restricted to. you also have to hunt deer with a .45 caliber or larger gun and other big game must be hunted with .50 caliber or
larger.

[Woods_Warrior]

Haha, good point Bobcat, I thought the same thing... 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Dang, so my 338 Ultra Mag won't be big enough for deer? 

Sorry Bobcat, that little pea shooter will be worthless when I am king.

[RadSav]

Let's make all seasons the same length and regulate weapons to a maximum velocity of 300 fps. 

Violators lose hunting privileges for life!


We just want to make things fare...right?

[elkoholic1]

id take 9 days over the season now if they moved it back to the end of sept or even oct1-9 

[Woods_Warrior]

If you are talking deer, I wouldn't.  The most productive time of the early season is the first few days when you can take advantage of the bucks being in their velvet stages.