Spike only units

[Jimmy33]

Elkchaser54...I know I said I would stay mum on this topic...however, you clearly don't understand that if we went to a branch antler OTC tag, it wouldn't mean not getting to hunt but every five years. As far as knowing more than the bios...I will tell you that the bio that I actually talk to will tell you that I spend more time in the field and have lived in this state longer and am less biased than the biologists who work for the politicians that are trying to figure out more and more ways to spend your money so you don't kill an animal in this state. You are completely uneducated on this subject.


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[Jimmy33]

Now I'm done...anyone else have their heads so far up this states butt and are happy to hunt spikes when you absolutely should be hunting big bulls every year? If anyone wants to say" then you should do something about it"...I would say that I have written many emails, spent hours on the phone, been involved in the master hunter program, and hunted the northeast corner of the state all in an effort to get things changed. There are too many people that care more about walking around the woods with a gun in their hands and hunting spikes to no avail than real hunters in this state. That is why it will never change. We have the elk numbers, just not the elk hunters.


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[dscubame]

The big difference between Idaho and Washington that nobody mentioned is HABITAT.

Idaho has better elk hunting due to having much more elk habitat. Period.

Spot On!

[hughjorgan]

Now I'm done...anyone else have their heads so far up this states butt and are happy to hunt spikes when you absolutely should be hunting big bulls every year? If anyone wants to say" then you should do something about it"...I would say that I have written many emails, spent hours on the phone, been involved in the master hunter program, and hunted the northeast corner of the state all in an effort to get things changed. There are too many people that care more about walking around the woods with a gun in their hands and hunting spikes to no avail than real hunters in this state. That is why it will never change. We have the elk numbers, just not the elk hunters.


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I take you aren't a meat Hunter? You could always apply for a cow tag or if you have such a hard on to hunt branch antler bulls just hunt western Washington...

[Jimmy33]

I'm a meat hunter and have a cow tag this year, just can't believe that there are so many people in this state that enjoys being taken advantage of. I don't even hunt in a spike only unit. Just concerned with freedoms we are missing out on here in Washington.


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[Jimmy33]

Are you guys all voting for Hillary too?


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[hughjorgan]

Are you guys all voting for Hillary too?


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I AM WITH HER!

 

[Igor]

[Jimmy33]

I knew it...it all makes sense now.


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[Jonathan_S]

I'm a meat hunter and have a cow tag this year, just can't believe that there are so many people in this state that enjoys being taken advantage of. I don't even hunt in a spike only unit. Just concerned with freedoms we are missing out on here in Washington.


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So Idaho sells OTC second deer and elk tags. I guess Washington should too huh?

Would it make you feel better if I sent you one of these? 

[dscubame]

WA does not have the elk numbers, simply don't.

[csaaphill]

I would say it needs to change. Not just the Elk but deer too. Spike and 3pt minimums have been in Eastern Washington for far too long now. I will admit I have seen far more big elk and two point deer since these changes, but believe it's time to change.
Don't they have those questioners anymore? I know if not last year, but the year before I filled one out, because they posted it here in the Outdoor thread. It seems like some of those opinions I put in might have came to pass, so....?
I think if they were serious every few years they'd change it but they don't.
20 years or so is enough In my opinion.
I don't begrudge the spike only though, but I do thing it's time to change again.

[buglebrush]

To me the biggest issue is that WDFW has their head in the sand on predators, and creates so much hunting pressure by cramming us all into short seasons that I find it impossible to give them the benefit of the doubt here.  If they were aggressively managing predators in an effort to bring game numbers back to where we could get more opportunities it would be different.   

That is the part we can compare to Idaho.  There they do everything to promote predator harvest which increases the amount of elk for hunters to hunt.  WDFW does just the opposite.  No OTC spring bear, no bear baiting, no hound hunting lions, ridiculous lion quotas,  no Wolf hunting, no Wolf trapping, etc...  Every elk those extra predators eat is directly reducing present and future hunter opportunity. 

How can you say an organisation that is making no effort to increase hunting opportunity, but making boat loads of extra cash by limiting opportunity can be trusted?  Aggressively manage predators, and make it 6x or better. 

[csaaphill]

To me the biggest issue is that WDFW has their head in the sand on predators, and creates so much hunting pressure by cramming us all into short seasons that I find it impossible to give them the benefit of the doubt here.  If they were aggressively managing predators in an effort to bring game numbers back to where we could get more opportunities it would be different.   

That is the part we can compare to Idaho.  There they do everything to promote predator harvest which increases the amount of elk for hunters to hunt.  WDFW does just the opposite.  No OTC spring bear, no bear baiting, no hound hunting lions, ridiculous lion quotas,  no Wolf hunting, no Wolf trapping, etc...  Every elk those extra predators eat is directly reducing present and future hunter opportunity. 

How can you say an organisation that is making no effort to increase hunting opportunity, but making boat loads of extra cash by limiting opportunity can be trusted?  Aggressively manage predators, and make it 6x or better. 

except not the 6x or more at least not yet. make it a OTC for 2pts or branch antlered only for a few years then work your way up. 5 years at each level would be good enough to up the cow to bull ratio's and or buck to doe. I'd appreciate a 4pt minimum for deer for a while and branch antlered for elk for a while but then change it to something else.
I agree too bring back in hound hunting, and bear baiting drop the tag fees on them, but offer 2nd and third tags for Bear, cougar, wolf. 

[Jimmy33]

 Jonathan...all you're trying to do is making this about something it's not. Oh by the way, my game packages were done by me not some butcher I take my meat in to. This whole discussion is about freedoms we legitimately should have. Bugle brush....absolutely we should have an OTC spring bear hunt. Or do you guys also believe what the state tells you that we don't have enough bears? I will say it again, you guys who think we don't have an elk population in Washington that supports OTC branch antlered hunting trust their government too much and roll over way too easily. Vote for Hilary and continue to shoot spikes. I'm certainly not.


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