Read 'em and weep - 2017 Game harvest reports are out.

[dscubame]

Timing of the rut had to do with the Eastern WA deer statistics without a doubt....  But I would take the 18 inches of snow I was hunting in last year over the rut timing.

[jstone]

How many people don’t fill out there harvest report wrong so that it shows no harvest? I bet there are more kills than is reported

[PolarBear]

And some guys fill them out for the wrong unit on purpose

[jackelope]

I was particularly interested in the mountain goat hunts this year. I see Goat Rocks permit holders went 5 for 5. That's great. What's depressing reading that report is folks drew permits and didn't hunt at all. 3 tag holders in the Naches Pass hunt area and -0- total days spent hunting. I can think of 3 guys that would have loved those permits. People need to know what they're getting into before they apply. (I believe one of those tagholders killed a billy in the wrong unit, so I'm going to guess he didn't fill out a report like normal) Multiple units where folks didn't hunt at all, or didn't report which also sucks with these hunts.

 

[Bob33]

I was particularly interested in the mountain goat hunts this year. I see Goat Rocks permit holders went 5 for 5. That's great. What's depressing reading that report is folks drew permits and didn't hunt at all. 3 tag holders in the Naches Pass hunt area and -0- total days spent hunting. I can think of 3 guys that would have loved those permits. People need to know what they're getting into before they apply. (I believe one of those tagholders killed a billy in the wrong unit, so I'm going to guess he didn't fill out a report like normal) Multiple units where folks didn't hunt at all, or didn't report which also sucks with these hunts.

That may have been caused in part by the fire in that area which restricted access. It could also be that some didn't report accurately.

[ctwiggs1]

Didn't WDFW offer points back to tagholders who chose not to hunt?  May have been just elk.

[Bob33]

Didn't WDFW offer points back to tagholders who chose not to hunt?  May have been just elk.

I suspect they were offered to all permit holders that may have been open during that time period. The Naches Pass goat permit season started September 15.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,218001.msg2900652.html#msg2900652

[Bushcraft]

I was particularly interested in the mountain goat hunts this year. I see Goat Rocks permit holders went 5 for 5. That's great. What's depressing reading that report is folks drew permits and didn't hunt at all. 3 tag holders in the Naches Pass hunt area and -0- total days spent hunting. I can think of 3 guys that would have loved those permits. People need to know what they're getting into before they apply. (I believe one of those tagholders killed a billy in the wrong unit, so I'm going to guess he didn't fill out a report like normal) Multiple units where folks didn't hunt at all, or didn't report which also sucks with these hunts.

It's my understanding that all three were given the option to forfeit the opportunity and put in again next year with an additional point, or wait and use them this year. Uhmmm.......DUH!...Easy choice! 

The odd/crappy part is they've apparently (so I've heard) added another opportunity to draw a Naches goat tag for a total of four goat hunters, without knowing how many goats actually made it through the winter.  Science-based management much?   

[jackelope]

I was particularly interested in the mountain goat hunts this year. I see Goat Rocks permit holders went 5 for 5. That's great. What's depressing reading that report is folks drew permits and didn't hunt at all. 3 tag holders in the Naches Pass hunt area and -0- total days spent hunting. I can think of 3 guys that would have loved those permits. People need to know what they're getting into before they apply. (I believe one of those tagholders killed a billy in the wrong unit, so I'm going to guess he didn't fill out a report like normal) Multiple units where folks didn't hunt at all, or didn't report which also sucks with these hunts.

It's my understanding that all three were given the option to forfeit the opportunity and put in again next year with an additional point, or wait and use them this year. Uhmmm.......DUH!...Easy choice! 

The odd/crappy part is they've apparently (so I've heard) added another opportunity to draw a Naches goat tag for a total of four goat hunters, without knowing how many goats actually made it through the winter.  Science-based management much?   

Totally spaced out the fire. Thanks for reminding me. OK. I don't feel so bad anymore.

[Tbob]

I don’t know, these numbers seem really alarming to me! Meaning the  current overall harvest report numbers... dang!

[X-Force]

Maybe this should be its own thread but I just looked up some numbers District 1 only 101-121 general elk harvests every 2 years since 97. These are just the harvest numbers and number of hunters for the district.
Year - Harvests - Hunters
97 - 79 - 1946
99 - 70 - 4978
01 - 52 - 3296
03 - 119 - 3106
05 - 127 - 2439
07 - 167 - 1789
09 - 224 - 4833
11 - 234 - 4530
13 - 229 - 4377
15 - 229 - 4245* Multiseason harvests included but not hunters
17 - 222 - 3532

Looking at just one barometer it looks like elk in the Northeast are stable especially over the last 10 years.

[fishnfur]

Yeah, it's hard to draw concrete conclusions from a single year's report.  Trends are important.  I do think timing of the rut can be crucial to success though.  If the peak of the rut happens, say in the first two weeks of November, while the majority of the hunters are sitting on their thumbs waiting for the late season to open, numbers are going to be lower than if the peak begins on/around the 14th (or later) of that month.

[dscubame]

Maybe this should be its own thread but I just looked up some numbers District 1 only 101-121 general elk harvests every 2 years since 97. These are just the harvest numbers and number of hunters for the district.
Year - Harvests - Hunters
97 - 79 - 1946
99 - 70 - 4978
01 - 52 - 3296
03 - 119 - 3106
05 - 127 - 2439
07 - 167 - 1789
09 - 224 - 4833
11 - 234 - 4530
13 - 229 - 4377
15 - 229 - 4245* Multiseason harvests included but not hunters
17 - 222 - 3532

Looking at just one barometer it looks like elk in the Northeast are stable especially over the last 10 years.

Agree it should be it's own thread for elk since this thread is in the deer forums.  Super interesting for the elk perspective none the less.

[MAVsled]

agree, but didn't think I'd draw the unit as 2nd choice.
only because I know the Teanaway unit well, did well there in past regular rifle seasons. Thought late archery would see migrating bucks from the high country...not!

I was one of these 7 that reported, one of 5 that hunted....Zero success rate.
Perfect hunt weather. Cold, cloudy for first 4 days, then snowy days and dusting of fresh snow last 4 nights for quiet, cold conditions. In 10 successive days of Teanaway late archery buck, I saw only 2 bucks and maybe 5 does. Passed the 25 yard first day shot at the small 2 point. The other was a 4x4 at 600 yards away and on the move out of Dickey creek. Why? Wolves.
I spotted 2 wolves in a 3 day span, while hunting 3 miles on backtrails off the main roads. One black dark one, one grayish-white one. The 6" of fresh snow, their fresh tracks were right on Dickey creek and off a trail on Blue creek roads.


hunt #: 1085
Name: Teanaway
Unit: GMU 335
# applicants: 126
tags issued: 10
reports returned: 7
Number of hunters: 5
success rate: 0%
Antlered Harvest Total
1 Point : 0
2 Point : 0
3 Point : 0
4 Point : 0
5+ Point : 0

why do you think there were only 126 applicants? Not much of a quality hunt and hasn’t been for quite some time.

[Deerelk37]

The predation and hard winter on the east side would be my best guess as to why the numbers are so down in the short term. I haven’t hunted the east since 2015, however.

As far as the Westside goes...numbers dipped a little in my units but only by about 5-7% or so. This seems right to me for the weather this year. Opening weekend was hot. The entire second week, Sunday through Sunday at least was horrid hunting weather for blAcktails. Case and point the second Saturday it was good hunting weather (there was also a good day or two before that but I had to work) and we bagged 3 out of our 4 deer on one day. We filled our last tag at first light late season. I didn’t see another deer for 4 days when it was hot and I stay out all day. Then another 3 days with no sightings. 

Anyone who has hunted the westside and east side knows weather has more effect on the westside. When it’s hot on the westside you’re stuck to first light and dark only. The deer don’t move much and you can’t go in the thick after them like you can when it’s damp. So all in all there were only a few good days for blacktail this year. Plus everyone I saw were just driving roads or watching a clearcut and first light. Some massive clear cuts, hunters wouldn’t even get out and glass sometimes and there were deer in them. I’m not sure if people just think they’ll just jump in the back of the truck or what.

On the east side, even when it’s hot I can turn up deer all day. Less than when it’s overcast etc,  but it’s still possible. From glassing shady areas or kicking up deer in draws. You always see far more deer on the east, than west (For every deer on the westside I could spot 10-20 on the east). But you gotta pick through tons them for a legal buck  on the east, while the west you might only see 5 deer in a week but a legal animal is easier to find if conditions are right.

There should be a survey question on if you drive roads only or actually get out of the truck. The number of road hunters on the east and west alike is astounding. I have no issue with it if it gets you out there, but don’t complain about not seeing animals if you’re just driving the same roads as everyone else. I can’t tell you how many guys I see in the trucks just chatting and looking out the front windshield. I even see it with my hunting partners, I’ll keep an eye on them as my head is swiveling in all directions searching for an animal to and from locations. Needless to say I see/spot more animals than they do.

I’m no expert but try and talk to that buddy who always says they want to go, and take them. Even if just for a good time.  we need more hunters to fight the good fight. I have started two new hunters since last year, another this year and just had a daughter who I hope will love the outdoors as I do.