Swakane

[Skyvalhunter]

+1

[bobcat]

But you have to buy a modern tag to do that. NO thanks!!!

No you don't all the wilderness areas are open for the general archery season!!

Brandon

Well that's not completely true, but close. The Pasayten (GMU 203) is not open for archery. But Clark (244) which is the Glacier Peak Wilderness above the Entiat and Swakane units, AND the Alpine (249) which is the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, is open for early archery season from Sept. 1 to Sept. 25, for 3 pt. minimum or antlerless. That is prime time to be hunting the wilderness and gives archers 14 days of hunting BEFORE the modern firearm/muzzleloader "high buck" hunt begins.

I'd say archery hunters have it pretty good.

[gasman]

I'd say archery hunters have it pretty good.

 
Sounds like some one is needs to try archery huting for a few years.............

[bobcat]

Sounds to me like if you don't feel the opportunities available for archery hunting are good enough, then switch to rifle or muzzleloader, whichever you feel has the better seasons and units available to hunt. Do you not agree that the first week of September is prime time to be hunting in the high country? Just think you can be the first to go after those big bucks before they migrate down into what used to be the late archery Swakane hunt. Or is the problem that there isn't any road access into the Glacier Peak Wilderness? Hey, it may not be easy, but you do have to admit that would be a great hunt, as long as the bucks aren't over-harvested while chasing does on their winter range in late November.

Need tips on hunting mule deer with a bow? I recommend "Hunting Open Country Mule Deer" by Dwight Schuh.

Oh, and if backpacking isn't your thing, I'd recommend doing a drop camp with Icicle Outfitters.   http://www.icicleoutfitters.com/hunting.html

[Ironhead]

Bobcat, what are the success rates for the modern rifle hunters during the sept. high hunt? Now how do you think the archery guys will do?

[bobcat]

The success rate is usually somewhere between 10 and 20 percent. Not bad, for Washington. For 2007, Clark had a 16.5 % success rate, and Alpine 18.7%. The first week of September is going to be better hunting than the rifle season which is the 15th to the 25th. Deer will be in the open more and easier to spot.

Besides, why does it have to be about success rates? I thought guys hunt archery for the challenge and not because they feel they have to kill something every year? The point is the archers have the opportunities to hunt good country at the best time. If they don't take advantage of it, well that is not the WDFW's fault. They are giving them the opportunity.

By the way, another good book to read is Backcountry Bow Hunting by Cameron Haines.

http://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Bowhunting-Guide-Wild-Side/dp/0977883701

And, Hunting High Country Mule Deer by Mike Eastman.

http://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Bowhunting-Guide-Wild-Side/dp/0977883701

[spin05]

But you have to buy a modern tag to do that. NO thanks!!!

No you don't all the wilderness areas are open for the general archery season!!

Brandon

Well that's not completely true, but close. The Pasayten (GMU 203) is not open for archery. But Clark (244) which is the Glacier Peak Wilderness above the Entiat and Swakane units, AND the Alpine (249) which is the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, is open for early archery season from Sept. 1 to Sept. 25, for 3 pt. minimum or antlerless. That is prime time to be hunting the wilderness and gives archers 14 days of hunting BEFORE the modern firearm/muzzleloader "high buck" hunt begins.

I'd say archery hunters have it pretty good.

Yea pasayten is what i was thinking.I forget those other areas are GMU's. Why dont they just list it like the do for modern,as wldernes areas??  We archery guys HAD it good you mean..Next year it will be all gone except the high hunt.Even for all that good we still have one of the lowest success rates. Most do hunt for the challenge.If it was up to me i would hunt the whole season  then kill a deer on the last day before dark.....In the end we are out for the reason of killing something.......

[WABONEHNTR]

Can someone tell me why they hunt the way they do?  Weapon wise.  If you hunt with a bow you should expect to have it harder and not have as much success.  Why does everyone think each weapon should have the same sauces? This mentality kills me!

[rougheye]

The reason i bow hunt is because of the challenge it brings . Im aware that it is harder but i also get alot more out of my hunt knowing i beat the odds because of my hard work . It is already hard enough , but to take away the prime seasons we have now is a bunch of b.s.     success rates will drop .  I could live with a permit only late season but they should bump up the tags alot . To go with what we have now to what they are proposing is a direct slap in the face to bowhunters in this state . I dont expect the modern guys to understand .

[bobcat]

Even for all that good we still have one of the lowest success rates.

I wouldn't say the archery success rates are low. Right between muzzleloader and rifle, 25% doesn't seem all that bad.

WASHINGTON
Statewide Deer Harvest Statistics
for the 2007 Hunting Season
 

Weapon Type        
 
                                General Season         Permit Season     Total                Hunter
                                    Harvest                 Harvest          Harvest              Success
  
Modern Firearm                   26,234                   4,165           30,399                27.8%
 
Archery                              4,535                      429             4,964                25.1%
 
Muzzleloader                        1,818                      259             2,077                23.3%
  
Statewide Total                  32,999                    4,893           37,892                27.2%
  

[rougheye]

Even for all that good we still have one of the lowest success rates.

I wouldn't say the archery success rates are low. Right between muzzleloader and rifle, 25% doesn't seem all that bad.

WASHINGTON
Statewide Deer Harvest Statistics
for the 2007 Hunting Season
 

Weapon Type        
 
                                General Season         Permit Season     Total                Hunter
                                    Harvest                 Harvest          Harvest              Success
  
Modern Firearm                   26,234                   4,165           30,399                27.8%
 
Archery                              4,535                      429             4,964                25.1%
 
Muzzleloader                        1,818                      259             2,077                23.3%
  
Statewide Total                  32,999                    4,893           37,892                27.2%
  

  Well when they take away our top producing late hunt away and reduce the top producing permit area from 230 permits to 17 , success rates will drop

[WABONEHNTR]

Well I think if all hunters say were like you and me rougheye then a success rate number would mean something to me.  You and I both know the majority of hunter like to drive and look out the window.  I know not all hunter (rifle, muzz and bow) are not dedicated.  I find it hard to cry over success when we are not all equal.  I do think there were too many people in the swakane and entiat units both rifle and bow.  I remember when the entiat had 5 tags then 500, then 150, then 50, then 15 for rifle.  Plus in the last 5 years having 300 possible bow hunters every year.  Things like this are why is it at the stage it is now.  Lots of does and mediocher bucks. 

[spin05]

Now you will have take the 1st good animal you see in the early season.Instead of hunting it.I have never hunted does before but if i dont get drawn for a tag then i will have to think  about it.I use to only think about it around christmas.

[Ironhead]

Bobcat, I am not trying to pick on you but, you can't really believe a September archery hunt is any where close to the same as a November hunt .What month did you kill that buck in your avatar? Bet it wasn't September. You do realize that when they take the late archery hunts away that the success rates will drop drastically. Why should we be happy about losing the best archery Mule deer hunts in the state? You defend the new proposals as if you were getting more oppurtunity for your weapon of choice, could that be possible?

[bobcat]

Which hunts have been lost other than Swakane? That's the only one I'm aware of. No I don't believe a September hunt will have the success rate of a November hunt. Of course not. In November the bucks are chasing does and most of the deer are concentrated at low elevations. Apparently this is why they are cutting back on the late archery mule deer hunts, maybe too many bucks are being killed? And yes, I feel I may get more opportunity if the Chelan mule deer numbers and buck to doe ratios are kept at reasonably high numbers, as someday I would like to hunt the September "high buck" hunt in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, and the more bucks killed by archery hunters in November out of the Swakane unit means less bucks for me the following September. I suppose if you feel the rifle seasons are so much better you do have the option of buying a rifle tag rather than an archery tag. Right?