Allocation Comparison of Antlered Elk & Deer Hunting Data
WDFW Harvest Statistics
Respectfully Submitted by Chip McBroom
WDFW GMAC Member & Allocation Committee Member
Over the past several years it has become apparent to me from data compiled by the WDFW that the allocation formula as it exists is inherently flawed. I believe it has become outdated and biased in favor of one user group and the following WDFW Spreadsheets, Data, Charts, Statistics, and summaries will illustrate and support this opinion. All data used is from the WDFW website and hunting pamphlets and compiled with the author’s best effort at accuracy. I would also like to state that I have held licenses and tags in all three user groups in Washington State and enjoy all methods of harvest and the experience it offers equally.
The current allocation formula does not take into consideration the “Timing” of the season by user group or the “Length” of the season by user group or the “Antlered” game available by user group. The allocation formula also does not consider technology advancement by primitive weapons. The following are points of contention with the current system;
1. The fairness of distribution of general seasons and access for the general hunting opportunity and overall hunter harvest and success rates for all user groups based upon total license sales by user group.
2. The distribution of all special antlered Deer & Elk permits to all user groups for hunting opportunity and subsequent equitable Antlered harvest rates by individual user group based upon total permit sales by user group.
3. The quality of the experience derived from the opportunity by user group to participate in a high quality hunt by pursuing Mature Buck Deer & Mature Bull Elk during the peak breeding season and how those opportunities are distributed by user group and permit sales.
At the conclusion of this document I will make recommendations and suggestions on general and permit hunting season changes that I feel will change the direction of hunting in Washington State. I believe that the last several three year packages have drastically altered reasonable harvest and success rates for primitive weapon hunters in our state. Unless the game division of WDFW and the WDFW Commissioners change the equitability of allocation in this next three year package then it will continue to spiral out of control and become a harder problem to fix in the future.
GENERAL DEER & ELK SEASONS
The distribution of License/Tags sold over the past 3 years by user group are as are follows:
2005 2006 2007
Deer Tags Elk Tags Deer Tags Elk Tags Deer Tags Elk Tags
Modern 81% of Tags 69%of Tags 79% of Tags 67% of Tags 78% of Tags 67% of Tags
Archery 13% 18% 14% 19% 14% 19%
Muzzleloader 6% 13% 7% 13% 7% 13%
These numbers by user group distributions tend to be fairly consistent over time but the recent slight rise in total hunters using archery & muzzle loading equipment is due to the following factors. Length of season for pursuit, opportunity to pursue during peak breeding seasons, increased success in mature antlered bucks & bulls, increased success and animal harvest rates due to technology advancement and overall increase in antlered age class and animal quality. Modern Firearm hunters have decreased for the exact opposite reasons! If approximately 80% of all General Deer Tags & 67% of all general Elk tags are sold for the modern firearm user group then it stands to reason that their portion of opportunity should be representative of that percentage or at least approach that number in some fashion.
It also stands to reason that Modern Firearm user’s success rates on mature antlered game should be significantly higher due to the use of a modern firearm as a more efficient weapon. However that is far from the case as you will see in the following graphs and data. I believe many hunters shift user groups from year to year depending upon the quality of opportunity available and not necessarily due to their proficiency with that weapon. I also believe this sets a dangerous trend toward inefficient harvesting of game and a higher percentage of wounded and lost game. It also is assumed that some hunters are single weapon users no matter the situation and will only hunt within a single user group. We have however seen the recent success of the multi-season tag.
The greatest discrepancy in the available data arises from a hunter with a general Elk or general Deer tag and the days in the field in which to have an opportunity to pursue these species.
Total Statewide General Deer Days in the Field by user group
Western Eastern Mule Deer
Modern Firearm 23 days 31 days 9 days
Archery 61 days 49 days 34 days
Muzzleloader 32 days 27 days 18 days
Total Statewide General Elk Days in the field by user group
Western Eastern
Modern Firearm 10 days 9 days
Archery 39 days 39 days
Muzzleloader 32 days 25 days
BULL ELK HUNTING DATA BY USER GROUP
Total Statewide Combined General/Permit Elk harvest Success Rates
2005 2006 2007
Modern Firearm 8.7% 6.5% 7%
Archery 10.3% 10.2% 11%
Muzzleloader 10.7% 10% 8%
Mature Bull Elk Antlered Harvest Summary by Season (5 points or larger)
Bull Elk Antlered Harvest Summary by District (2006, 2007)
PERMIT ELK SEASONS
The following data will show the discrepancies over the distribution of quality Elk permits issued by drawing over the past 3 years by user group. It also will expose the unfairness of the quality opportunities for modern firearm hunters even though they purchase the vast majority (67% ) of special permit Bull Elk applications.
All Quality Bull Elk Permit Rut Hunts from Sept. 8-Oct. 10 2006
# Permits % of opportunity Bull Harvest % of Quality Bull Harvest
Modern Firearm 21 4% 17 Bulls 11.5%
Archery 569 76% 80 Bulls 54%
Muzzleloader 153 20% 50 Bulls 34.5%
Totals 743 Permits 147 Bulls
All Quality Bull Elk Permit Rut Hunts from Sept. 8-Oct. 10 2007
# Permits % of opportunity Bull Harvest % of Quality Bull Harvest
Modern Firearm 21 2% 11 Bulls 7%
Archery 614 73% 88 Bulls 60%
Muzzleloader 211 25% 48 Bulls 34.5%
Totals 846 Permits 147 Bulls
As you can see the quality of opportunity for the modern firearm Elk hunter to be in the field during the breeding/bugling season barely exists in Washington State. If 67% or nearly 130,000 of all Elk tag holders choose a modern firearm as a weapon then there should be a much greater opportunity to hunt Elk during this peak rut season.
This illustrates the unfairness of the allocation system and formula that WDFW is currently using and has no correlation to Timing of the hunt, Length of season by user group, ultimate herd health, harvest rates, or population controls as well as herd bull to cow ratios.
In 2007 the district graph chart on the preceding page shows success rate of 56% for those archers harvesting a bull that was a Mature 5 point Bull Elk and 34% for Modern Firearm hunters harvesting a bull! This should point out the obvious fact that archery hunters are killing most of the quality mature bulls in Washington State, which in counter intuitive to common sense as based upon all things being equal Modern Firearm hunters should harvest a higher percentage of Mature Bulls.
This downward trend of success rates for modern firearm hunters is directly correlated to the following and will continue if not corrected in the coming 3 year package.
1. The quality of the hunt opportunity with a modern firearm.
2. Length of general & permit seasons, the actual days able to be in the field hunting with MF.
3. The total length of time game is pursued by user groups other than modern firearm must be decreased as the pressure is much too intense for such an extended period of time.
4. Modern Firearm hunters are provided with the least desirable season for greatest possible elk escapement and needs to be addressed allowing higher quality hunting opportunities.
BUCK DEER HUNTING DATA BY USER GROUP
Total Statewide Combined General/Permit Deer harvest Success Rates
2005 2006 2007
Modern Firearm 25.1% 23.5% 24%
Archery 24.7% 24.2% 23%
Muzzleloader 27% 24.4% 20%
2006 Buck Antlered Harvest Summary by DISTRICT
2007 Buck Antlered Harvest Summary by DISTRICT
03-07 Mature Whitetail Buck Antlered Harvest Summary (4 points or larger)
03-07 Mature Mule Deer Buck Antlered Harvest Summary (4 points or larger)
03-07 Mature Black Tail Buck Antlered Harvest Summary (3 points or larger)
As you can see from the preceding two pages of statistics, the quality of opportunity for the modern firearm Buck Deer hunter to be in the field during the general & permit season for all three species of deer in Washington State is inadequate. If approximately 80+% of all Buck Deer tag holders choose a modern firearm as a weapon then there should be a much greater opportunity to hunt Buck Deer during general & permit seasons. These graphs and charts also illustrate the unfairness of the allocation system and formula that WDFW is using. The allocation formula has no correlation to timing of the hunt, length of season by user group, ultimate herd health, population controls or herd buck to doe ratios. Of all mature bucks to be taken during the hunting season then the modern firearm hunters should have the largest harvest percentage of all bucks, and the highest percentage of mature bucks harvested due to their efficiency and technological advantage along with sheer number of hunters! This however is not reflected in the preceding pages and graphs by district and state antlered totals!
Why is the archery hunting user group receiving a higher percentage of all Quality Buck Deer hunting opportunities in Washington State and harvesting a higher percentage of Mature Bucks with hunter success rates higher than rifle hunters with a more efficient weapon? The reason is simple…. the archery user group enjoys the best and longest seasons available to hunt mature buck deer and almost 50% of all available quality Buck Deer Permits awarded to that user group each year by WDFW!
Summary
In closing, it is my opinion that it is imperative that WDFW restructure the Deer and Elk allocation formula and system for all user groups for the coming 3 year package. This restructuring should also be specific to quality permit opportunities as well. By using historic data by specific GMU as shown by example in this report a very clear picture will emerge versus using generalities and general harvest statistics state wide. This increased level of specificity will allow for a more fair & equitable distribution of opportunities by user group and an increased level of efficient herd management.
WDFW & COMMISIONER ACTION ITEMS:
1. Increase General Season Deer & Elk Opportunities and Days in the Field for MF User Group.
2. Increase Quality Buck Mule Deer Rut Hunt Opportunities for Modern Firearm User Group.
3. Increase Quality Bull Elk Rut Hunt opportunities for Modern Firearm User Group.
4. Increase Percentage of Total Harvest of Buck Deer & Bull Elk for MF User Group.
5. Increase Hunter Success Rate Percentage for Deer & Elk Modern Firearm User Group.
6. Decrease Length of General Seasons for Archery User Group
7. Decrease Quality Buck Mule Deer Opportunities for Archery user Group.
8. Decrease Quality Bull Elk Rut hunt Opportunities for Archery User Group.
9. Increase Quality Elk and Deer Opportunities for Muzzleloader User Group.
Attachment A
2009-2011 Washington Big Game Hunting Season Recommended Changes To Hunting Pamphlet
NEW Quality MF Bull Permits
(In addition to existing bull permits allocated for MF bull permits)
Modern Firearm Bull Permit Hunts- Only modern firearm elk tag holders may apply. (Hunt Choices 2001-2032)
Hunt Hunt Hunt Dates Restrictions Elk Tag Boundary Permits
Choice Name
2001Q Quality Prescott Sept.22-30 Any Bull. EF GMU 149 1
2002Q Quality Blue Creek Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 154 1
2003Q Qlty Watershed Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 157 1
2004Q Qlty Dayton Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 162 2
2005Q Qlty Tucannon Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF Elk Area 1014 1
2006Q Qlty Wenaha West Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF Elk Area 1008 2
2007Q Qlty Wenaha East Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF Elk Area 1009 2
2008Q Qtly Mountain View Sept. 22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 172 1
2009Q Qlty Peola Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 178 1
2010Q Qlty Couse Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 181 1
2011Q Qlty Mission Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 251 1
2012Q Qlty Clockum Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 328,329 1
2014Q Qlty Teanaway Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 335 1
2015Q Qlty Peaches Sept22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 336 only 5
2016Q Qlty Little Naches Sept 22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 346 only 10
2017Q Qlty Oservatory Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 340, 342 5
2018Q Qlty Goose Prairie Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 352, 356 5
2019Q Qlty Bethel Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 360 2
2020Q Qlty Rimrock Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 364 10
2021Q Qlty Cowiche Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF GMU 368 1
2022Q Qlty Klickitat Mea Sept.22-30 Any Bull EF Elk Area 3068 1
2024Q Qlty Green River Sept. 22-30 3 pnt min WF GMU 485 1
2025Q Qlty Margaret Sept. 22-30 3 pnt. min WF GMU 524, 520 5
2026Q Qlty Toutle Sept. 22-30 3 pnt min WF GMU 556 10
2027Q Qlty Clearwater Sept. 22-30 3 pnt min WF GMU 615 2
2028Q Qlty Matheny Sept. 22-30 3 pnt min. WF GMU 618 2
2029Q Qlty Olympic Sept 22-30 3 pnt min. WF GMU 621 2
2030Q Qlty Skokomish Sept. 22-30 3 pnt. min WF GMU 636 1
2031Q Qlty Wynoochee Sept. 22-30 3 pnt. min WF GMU 648 1
2032Q Qlty White River Sept 22-30 3 pnt min. WF GMU 653 2
2096Q Qlty Pennisula Sept. 22-30 3 pnt min. WF GMU 602, 607, 612 10
2097Q Qlty Quinault Sept 22-30 3 pnt. Min WF GMU 638 1
2098Q Qlty Cathlamet Sept 22-30 3 pnt. Min. WF GMU 506, 530, 550 10
2099Q Qlty Packwood Sept. 22-30 3 pnt. Min WF GMU 516, 560 10
TOTAL 112
NEW Modern Firearm Quality Rut Hunt BULL ELK OPPORTUNITIES
** In preceding years of the 2009-2011 package additional tags should become available to MF user group as opportunities arise in populations of Elk across the state. In addition, in specific units where Elk are currently hunted but no quality opportunity for MF users exist in this initial recommendation, I suggest that a hunt be instituted as science will allow.
Not all of this one showed up in my cut and paste job but if you want to look at the graphs that are presented here is the link.
http://washingtonarchery.org/cp/Scripts/ASP/discuss/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=151&FID=1&PR=3