Let The Methow Herd Destruction Begin

[MtnMuley]

Issuing an additional 1200 doe tags a couple months after the fire without actually having a problem, definately didn't contribute anything positive to "rebuilding the Methow deer herd".

[grundy53]

But it was totally sound science right?

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[wolfbait]

"science and sound management".........................far from it.

Exactly. If you, SB, are going to come on here and say Scott Fitkin, the local bio,  practice sound management, you're absolutely clueless. He's the biggest detriment to the ungulates in this county. Fact

Not too many years ago at this time of year we would see 50-100 head of deer in the alfalfa field and call it a "bunch"of deer, today we see 5-10 deer and call it a bunch.

We have wolf packs that WDFW refuse to confirm, and over population of cougars that WDFW protect and then add doe tags with extra tags thrown in whenever WDFW think they have a reason to get rid of more deer.

At the end of season Scott Fitkin will make his annual report of: For the amount of hunters that showed up the hunting was a great success, and perhaps better then last years hunt.

The mule deer are being wiped out by WDFW through mismanagement of predation and over hunting, and the whitetail will follow.

I commend those who have tried to prolong WDFW's predetermined outcome by tearing up their doe tags, as they save one to four deer every year.

[boneaddict]

the herd is in the worst condition I have ever seen.   

[Stickerbush]

Tag

[bigmacc]

the herd is in the worst condition I have ever seen.

I agree, a mere shadow of what it once was and apparently the way to revive it is keep killing does

[huntnphool]

the herd is in the worst condition I have ever seen.

apparently the way to revive it is keep killing does

 "Science and sound management" right there!

[boneaddict]

Im seriously dumbfounded of what the heck they are doing and then it amazes me that folks line up to do it.  I guess they assume if its sanctioned that its good to go. 

[xxlx7]

I apply for doe tags every year, since the animals I shoot is what feeds my family throughout the year, I didn't draw one this year, and never got an email.. Kinda bums me out. I like adding a nice whitetail doe to the mix. Plus I can usually take my kids and let them hunt with me

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Special permit applications are $7 and yes, some apply to get drawn and not use it.

Myself and my family have put in for doe tags since they have been around, before it was cool to do, politictly correct to do or as some perceive as the right thing to do.....when drawn or purchased everyone of them was burned!..Mr Sitka-I AM NOT AN ANTI. Be careful not to lump everyone into your statements without knowing them or their beliefs.

I'm sure you think your intentions are pure. So do the antis. You obviously think you know more about the herd than the managers. So do the antis.  What happens with someone drawing a tag they have no intent to use is that someone who would love to use it loses a chance. Doesn't matter which side of the fence you are on, the result is the same.  When hunters use the tactic, they are giving credence to antis using it too.

[Hilltop123]

Special permit applications are $7 and yes, some apply to get drawn and not use it.

Myself and my family have put in for doe tags since they have been around, before it was cool to do, politictly correct to do or as some perceive as the right thing to do.....when drawn or purchased everyone of them was burned!..Mr Sitka-I AM NOT AN ANTI. Be careful not to lump everyone into your statements without knowing them or their beliefs.

I'm sure you think your intentions are pure. So do the antis. You obviously think you know more about the herd than the managers. So do the antis.  What happens with someone drawing a tag they have no intent to use is that someone who would love to use it loses a chance. Doesn't matter which side of the fence you are on, the result is the same.  When hunters use the tactic, they are giving credence to antis using it too.

Doe tags have been purchased, drawn, what ever term you wish to use, for 40 years, in the Methow. It has always been a local practice to get the doe tag with no intention of ever using it. Locals, I mean old timers, born and raised in the valley,  for time and immemorial, have always thought the game dept, has never managed the herd correctly. 
This is hardly a recent trend with hunters. So I am not sure we need to be taking swipes at each other.

[grundy53]

Special permit applications are $7 and yes, some apply to get drawn and not use it.

Myself and my family have put in for doe tags since they have been around, before it was cool to do, politictly correct to do or as some perceive as the right thing to do.....when drawn or purchased everyone of them was burned!..Mr Sitka-I AM NOT AN ANTI. Be careful not to lump everyone into your statements without knowing them or their beliefs.

I'm sure you think your intentions are pure. So do the antis. You obviously think you know more about the herd than the managers. So do the antis.  What happens with someone drawing a tag they have no intent to use is that someone who would love to use it loses a chance. Doesn't matter which side of the fence you are on, the result is the same.  When hunters use the tactic, they are giving credence to antis using it too.

Give me a break.

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[Sitka_Blacktail]

Issuing an additional 1200 doe tags a couple months after the fire without actually having a problem, definately didn't contribute anything positive to "rebuilding the Methow deer herd".

This wasn't done to "rebuild" the herd. It was done to prevent a massive die off n the event of a bad winter. It's too late to use this tactic after the fact and a bad winter hits. By the time you can respond, most of the animals are in starvation mode and weakened and the resources are stressed also and won't support a recovery as quickly as an area that hasn't been overgrazed.

I saw a perfect example of this my last couple years in Alaska. The local moose herd out of Cordova had been growing to an all time high after a series of mild winters and the number of bull tags allowed for the drawing for the town side of the Copper River was also high. But the local biologists were doing studies on the willows the moose depend on and found that they were stressed.  If the winters stayed mild, they may have been able to get a few more years out of the high numbers without a problem, but they decided to be proactive and reduce the herd before something bad happened. So they gave out a massive amount of cow tags which was met with a good amount of negative feelings from some of the local hunters, the same way these doe tags for the Methow were viewed.  A few years of large cow harvest successfully knocked the herd back just in time for the winter of 2011-2012, Snopocalypse. It snowed over 30 feet that winter, but the moose herd made it through relatively unscathed and has quickly recovered. Hunting has remained good throughout and this year was exceptional. If the Bio's hadn't taken the action they did, (with the approval of the local advisory council) The herd would have been devastated and recovery would have been slow. We saw that there in the 70s when the same thing happened but without knocking the herd back beforehand.

The deer herd on the other hand suffered greatly from Snowpocalypse with estimates of up to an 80% die off.  The herd had grown too large for the limited winter feed to support it with that much snow. The deer herd is also recovering, but at a much slower pace than the moose herd, even with a much more restricted season for shooting does. (One month instead of three months) 

http://www.adn.com/article/brutal-winter-puts-hurt-deer-population-prince-william-sound

[boneaddict]

Could argue all day long Sitka, but why bother.  I'm sure you are the expert on the Methow.  I imagine you've logged a lot of time and miles there.  I'm sure you understand what burned and what didn't. I'm sure you are aware of current populations, andpressureon specific wintering grounds and so on......

[grundy53]

Except there isn't a population boom in the Methow.  The deer herd is low and doesn't need any help getting lower. Sitka, Do you even know the Methow?

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