436-4/8 points bull elk out of eastern washington

[boneaddict]

I used to be publicly against this hunt, even being quoted in Eastmans Journal.  I am happy to say I have changed my opinion, mostly from the enlightenment from folks on this site.  I am thankful for that.  I am also thankful to hear of Dans adventures and am hoping he doesn't shy from sharing them with us.  I appreciate his contributions to conservation.   

[PlateauNDN]

So correct me if I'm wrong , but this bull was miles from a road and had never been seen near a road and they set out to get him only to find him near a road unexpectedly??? Sounds like right timing by a man who was ready to walk to get it and didn't have to.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

So correct me if I'm wrong , but this bull was miles from a road and had never been seen near a road and they set out to get him only to find him near a road unexpectedly??? Sounds like right timing by a man who was ready to walk to get it and didn't have to.

    GETEM WHERE YOU GETEM!

[idahohuntr]

I used to be publicly against this hunt, even being quoted in Eastmans Journal.   

??  Against the sale of a governors tag in general or you specifically were critical of the actual hunt that resulted in the harvest of this 436 bull?

[boneaddict]

Govenor tags in general, not any specific hunt.

[coachcw]

I'd buy it every year if I could but of course i'd rotate states to keep it fresh  It's unbelievably addicting to be able to pass animals and hunt for the one and almost becomes a curse.

[idahohuntr]

Govenor tags in general, not any specific hunt.

Gotcha.  Yea, I think at the root of some of these negative comments is a legitimate criticism/concern about selling these tags.  The criticism should definitely be directed at the system/process that allows sale of tags (i.e., wdfw)...not the hunters who buy and use them. 

I'm on the fence about whether governors tags are a good thing or not...actually probably more to the side of not a good thing.  I'm not sure the benefit to sportsman is quite there in terms of auctioning our most prized resources to the highest bidder. 

[vandeman17]

Here are my two cents so take them for what you will. I have no problem with this hunt and would congratulate him on a fantastic bull. If I had the money to buy the tag, heck yes I would do it in a heartbeat. The only thing I would change would be that I would enlist the help of friends and try to do much of the scouting on my own. To me, that is my favorite part of hunting is all the work it takes to try and be successful. Every person has a different view of what a "trophy" is in their book. If a guy wants to shoot a bull that has the most inches of bone on his dome, by all means go for it and take every avenue to make it happen. I personally would rather shoot a 350" bull that myself or one of my friends helped me find and that I worked to get. Maybe Dan is friends with the Mossback guys or I would assume he is now that he has used them so much so maybe it is similar for him. Just the opportunity, the anticipation and all the time I got to spend out in the field would make the tag worth it to me and final score of the bull would just be a bonus.

[jackelope]

Pretty positive that Mossback had nothing to do with this bull.

[vandeman17]

Pretty positive that Mossback had nothing to do with this bull.

I can't recall but even if they didn't, my point is that I would rather a smaller bull experienced with friends and family versus paying guides to find one for me but to each their own. I have 100% no problem with what he did. Hopefully that bull passed his genes on to numerous cows too!

[longstevo]

Mr. Agnew's bull is on display in the new Cabela's in Tualitin, OR. 

I was admiring the life sized mount, and then read the tag on the ground with the information.  Something about "Washington State Record, the score, Dan Agnew, 2008"

It is a nice bull.

Didn't he get it with the Governor's tag?

[Legacy]

Noted Rockwheeler's post and pictures on here indicating that "Dan" had been on a moose hunt with the inference that its the same Dan Agnew whose elk is the subject of this post. Must be a different "Dan" as I spoke to Dan Agnew after he returned from 2 weeks of elk hunting on the San Carlos Res in AZ and he indicated he had no additional hunts this year other than for mule deer in AZ and NM. So, not sure who the "Dan" was that Rockwheeler was talking involved on the moose hunt.

[longrangehunter338]

From the comments, hunting is hunting whether it is a game ranch that grows 500+ bull elk or 200+ deer. If all I got to do is walk out and shoot it I guess that is all that counts right? I mean who really wants to spend the time scouting anyway.
Its all good gents.

I guess I missed the part that says this was on a game ranch. So lrh would you shoot a trophy if you spotted it while driving?

No I would not shoot a trophy nor have I shot at large bucks as well as the oryx in new mexico when driving out in the desert.

[Odell]

I don't like the idea of auctioning off a special hunt. It doesn't raise that much money in comparison to what our state wastes and there are plenty of reservations and other hunts rich guys can go buy.  It would be way cooler if they just gave it to a deserving average joe. Essay contest or something

[longrangehunter338]

Govenor tags in general, not any specific hunt.

Gotcha.  Yea, I think at the root of some of these negative comments is a legitimate criticism/concern about selling these tags.  The criticism should definitely be directed at the system/process that allows sale of tags (i.e., wdfw)...not the hunters who buy and use them. 

I'm on the fence about whether governors tags are a good thing or not...actually probably more to the side of not a good thing.  I'm not sure the benefit to sportsman is quite there in terms of auctioning our most prized resources to the highest bidder.

Like bighorn sheep tags-for A hunter from Utah has raised the value of big-game hunting with a record bid of $480,000 for a special Montana bighorn sheep permit.

Selling coveted bighorn tags to the rich generates fallout from some hunters who’ve failed for decades to get a permit the regular-guy way – in a lottery drawing.

Tree farm prices will just contine to go up.