UNDIVIDE WASHINGTON STATE

[theleo]

I don't want to belabor the point (But I guess I will...  ), but when I do a quick Google search, I find that in 2014 Idaho had 93,000 elk tags sold and had a harvest of 20,700 elk. Washington had 94,881 elk tags sold and had a harvest of 6,966. Just looking at those numbers, it seem that the elk hunter numbers are very similar, but the area in which to hunt in Idaho seems to be larger since it is less densely populated - I just figured that the overall pressure from a hunter per square mile was less.

One thing to keep in mind when you are comparing Idaho numbers to Washington is that in Idaho you aren't required to by a tag before you put in for draws. I know some hunters there just put in for certain hunts and if they don't draw then they don't worry about buying an elk tag. This really comes into effect with out of state rifle hunter wanting to hunt units that have no OTC general season tag. You also have to remember hunters can buy 2 OTC elk tags in many units.

The Idaho system is much different, but it's a whole lot easier to figure out than Washington.

[huntnphool]

I don't want to belabor the point (But I guess I will...  ), but when I do a quick Google search, I find that in 2014 Idaho had 93,000 elk tags sold and had a harvest of 20,700 elk. Washington had 94,881 elk tags sold and had a harvest of 6,966. Just looking at those numbers, it seem that the elk hunter numbers are very similar, but the area in which to hunt in Idaho seems to be larger since it is less densely populated - I just figured that the overall pressure from a hunter per square mile was less.

One thing to keep in mind when you are comparing Idaho numbers to Washington is that in Idaho you aren't required to by a tag before you put in for draws.

 You don't have to buy a tag for deer or elk, but you are still required to purchase a license, so it will cost you $155 + the cost of the permit just to apply.

 If applying for sheep, moose, or goats you have to pay for a license, permit and the tag up front.

[theleo]

 You don't have to buy a tag for deer or elk, but you are still required to purchase a license, so it will cost you $155 + the cost of the permit just to apply.

 If applying for sheep, moose, or goats you have to pay for a license, permit and the tag up front.

You're to use to Washington,

In Idaho you pay for your big game hunting license ($154.75), apply for any draw only tags ($14.75) then if you draw you can buy the permit if you want or buy an OTC permit if you didn't draw. To apply for a rifle tag for elk, where I hunt there I only pay the for the hunting license + application fee ($154.75+$14.75). If I do not draw the "ability" to purchase my rifle tag I can leave it at that and only be out $169.50 or I can buy an OTC general season tag for somewhere in the state. There is no weapon specification at time of application either. So my normal year for Idaho is this, buy the hunting license ($154.75), apply for my rifle tag ($14.75), don't draw the rifle tag  , add an archery endorsement to my hunting license ($20.00), then buy the elk tag OTC ($416.75) for the archery season ($606.25 total) . 

I can apply for deer, elk, antelope, bear, and mountain lion and be out $228.50 if I don't draw any hunts I don't want to travel there for. For a non-resident applying for elk Washington you will be out the elk permit ($497.00) and the special hunt application ($110.50) if you want to hunt east of the cascades and possibly have a chance to hunt branch bulls ($607.50 total).

So if you were looking at both states from a non-resident elk hunting perspective which would you rather have? Idaho where you pay $169.50 to apply for hunts and have the ability to buy OTC tags for different weapons if you don't draw the tag you want (or not bother buying tags at all), or Washington where you will have a $607.50 that's likely to be a spike only tag?

Idaho's system (for normal big game): Buy your license, apply for hunts, evaluate what you want to do for buying tags (if you want to) once you see the draw results.

Washington's system: Buy hunting license, buy tags, buy application, if you don't draw you are committed to using the weapon you specified at the beginning in that weapons general season on the half of the state you specified.

[huntnphool]

 You don't have to buy a tag for deer or elk, but you are still required to purchase a license, so it will cost you $155 + the cost of the permit just to apply.

 If applying for sheep, moose, or goats you have to pay for a license, permit and the tag up front.

You're to use to Washington,

In Idaho you pay for your big game hunting license ($154.75), apply for any draw only tags ($14.75) then if you draw you can buy the permit if you want or buy an OTC permit if you didn't draw. To apply for a rifle tag for elk, where I hunt there I only pay the for the hunting license + application fee ($154.75+$14.75).

 Is this not exactly what I said?

 My reply to the post was because you made it sound as though to apply you only needed to purchase a $14.75 application.........cheap.

 I was simply letting people know that the actual investment is more than $150, which to a lot of people is a substantial amount of money to shell out, only to find out you did not draw the hunt you wanted.

[theleo]

 You don't have to buy a tag for deer or elk, but you are still required to purchase a license, so it will cost you $155 + the cost of the permit just to apply.

 If applying for sheep, moose, or goats you have to pay for a license, permit and the tag up front.

You're to use to Washington,

In Idaho you pay for your big game hunting license ($154.75), apply for any draw only tags ($14.75) then if you draw you can buy the permit if you want or buy an OTC permit if you didn't draw. To apply for a rifle tag for elk, where I hunt there I only pay the for the hunting license + application fee ($154.75+$14.75).

 Is this not exactly what I said?

 My reply to the post was because you made it sound as though to apply you only needed to purchase a $14.75 application.........cheap.

 I was simply letting people know that the actual investment is more than $150, which to a lot of people is a substantial amount of money to shell out, only to find out you did not draw the hunt you wanted.

It's $155 for a big game hunting license plus the application fee ($14.75). The way you have it worded makes it sound like you need the elk hunting permit/tag ($416.75) before you can apply, which you don't. If you're hunting out of state $14.75 isn't that much money.

My point for comparing the two states is that I don't have to pay the tag/permit fee if I don't draw the tag I want. My guess is that Washington could get more out of state guys to play the game applying for the big bull units on the east side if the guys were only out around $200 for applying to have the chance, instead of $600 like it is now.

[Opportunist]

Washington state elk special permits should have no basis on my weapon choice or east/west tag. Apply for what I want, any weapon, any unit. Don't draw, purchase my OTC tag and go hunt. That is my opinion. That's why I love hunting Oregon.

[Maverick]

Washington state elk special permits should have no basis on my weapon choice or east/west tag. Apply for what I want, any weapon, any unit. Don't draw, purchase my OTC tag and go hunt. That is my opinion. That's why I love hunting Oregon.

That'd just make it even harder to draw an eastside tag...

[JM]

I don't want to belabor the point (But I guess I will...  ), but when I do a quick Google search, I find that in 2014 Idaho had 93,000 elk tags sold and had a harvest of 20,700 elk. Washington had 94,881 elk tags sold and had a harvest of 6,966. Just looking at those numbers, it seem that the elk hunter numbers are very similar, but the area in which to hunt in Idaho seems to be larger since it is less densely populated - I just figured that the overall pressure from a hunter per square mile was less.

The division of the state does help to keep the harvest numbers down by restricting where hunters can hunt. I don't think that this is done with malicious intent from WDFW, with them trying to keep us all from ..."Getting our fair share." I think it's a somewhat logical way of balancing hunting pressure vs. herd tolerance for harvest, since most people really like the OTC tag system and expect be able to hunt every year.

Obviously, Idaho has way more elk taken and a better success rate - can our herds support that kind of success? I would think if we averaged 25% harvest per year, we'd shoot ourselves out of elk pretty soon...

You also have to remember that your not comparing apples to apples when you look at those numbers. Most of Idaho is any bull while most of Washington is either spike or true spike only (at least the larger herds with the larger concentrations of people). So if you wanted to be more accurate you'd have to see what the percentage of huntable elk are for the herds in Washington and then use that number to see what the harvest percentage is.

I personally think that they should divide the state completely right down the PCT and you guys can keep your rain, liberals, $15/hr minimum wage and pay for your own public transportation. that's just my opinion though

[REHJWA]

Mission accomplished the have divided us...now we wait and see what else we loose.....

[Jonathan_S]

Mission accomplished the have divided us...now we wait and see what else we loose.....

You mean because the state is divided for different sub-species and herds of elk? 

[REHJWA]

No I mean because they have east and west hunters bickering amongst each other over small and smaller opportunities.....

[Jonathan_S]

O.I.C.

Well I don't think it is unhealthy to have the discussion.  Some people look at a piece of the management puzzle and say, "gee that is such a weird shape... why in the world would they make it like that?"  They don't see the bigger picture and haven't ever experienced enough to see the other pieces and how, just maybe, the system makes some sense.

I'm no big advocate for our state but it's important to note that we are a very unique western state.

[REHJWA]

O.I.C.

Well I don't think it is unhealthy to have the discussion.  Some people look at a piece of the management puzzle and say, "gee that is such a weird shape... why in the world would they make it like that?"  They don't see the bigger picture and haven't ever experienced enough to see the other pieces and how, just maybe, the system makes some sense.

I'm no big advocate for our state but it's important to note that we are a very unique western state.

I agree that being the smallest Western state with the second largest population creates unique challenges....

[buglebrush]

One thing I have often wondered is how many people in Washington buy an elk tag to apply, but never actually hunt if not drawn.  I was talking to some guys that said that is what they do.  Buy tags to apply, but basically just hunt deer half of the years.  Was totally incomprehensible to me     But made me wonder...?

[bobcat]

That's what I've done most of my life, is buy the elk tag just so I can apply for a special permit. Often I would half heartedly hunt for one or two days, but many years I didn't hunt elk at all.