Washington State Mule Deer Hunting Future (poll)

[mfswallace]

There are no known wolves that frequent some mule deer areas (ie; Entiat) So I have a really hard time buying the "all because of the wolves" mentality. I am positive they are a contributing factor(where they are present) but winterkill, human harvest, cats, and habitat loss are by far more detrimental to the Mule deer herds.

   

[tgomez]

    Instead of a draw for bucks,  how about only getting to hunt a mule deer ever 3 years.  So in a 12 year period you would get to take 4 mule deer and 8 whitetail or blacktail.
    I think there are plenty of deer around still (atleast in the GMUs I hunt) overall. I still see a good 20-25 mulies a day on my hunts, and this is an area that has lots of whitetail mixed in.  The problem is the QUALITY of the bucks is going down hill.  I really think 1 mule deer ever 3 years would help the herds overall.  I also think that youth should be able to shoot mule does to even out the buck to doe ratios.  I see 1 buck to every 7 does most of the time.  We want it to be more like 1 to 3 or 1 to 4.
    The 3 point minimum is a good thing and keeps us able to enjoy mule deer.  4 point minimums won't help because a lot of these mule deer will never have more than 3 points.  In my hunting area there are more 3 points than 4 points.  I see a TON of healthy younger 2 points every year.  I passed on a BIG 2X2 with a kicker that made him legal because I wanted him to make it until next season when he should be at the least a 150" 3 point if not a even bigger 4 point.  When I was young I remember a lot of 4 and 5 points in this particular area. My father says that the mule deer are definitely not of the same quality as years past,  but the number of deer are still their.
    IT'S A INTERSTING TOPIC THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FOR SURE SO OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS CAN ALSO ENJOY MULE DEER! I VOTED YES.

[Jpmiller]

From what I can gather wolves can coincide with ungulates elsewhere in the country. It takes time to adapt to a new predator on the landscape but historically and currently deer herds exist alongside wolves. Like it or not wolves are here to stay and probably should be. I hope for state controlled management one day but honestly don't know that if hunting was allowed that I would go after one and at the end of the day I don't know that a state hired sharp shooter managing populations is any worse than hunter harvest.

Washington does not have the quality or quantity of winter range that other areas with successful mule deer populations have. Improving winter range and reducing competition on it would certainly help and that's something we can do something about.

[luckyman]

I voted a big No!
The only way I would support any more restrictions is if they start  more aggressive predator control starting with wolves and allowing use of dogs.
 Hunt while you still can because the end is near. Thats how I see it. 

[huntnphool]

I voted a big No!
The only way I would support any more restrictions is if they start  more aggressive predator control starting with wolves and allowing use of dogs.
 Hunt while you still can because the end is near. Thats how I see it. 

  So in a nutshell, be damned you all, I'm hunting every year until they are all gone.......got it.

[jstone]

All late season units permit only. No more general late hunts

[X-Force]

I voted no because I haven't seen a plan or heard of a plan.

Washington is a great state for hunting because of the OTC opportunity.

I could change my vote if there was an actual plan that still provided opportunity, expanded predator harvest (mainly cats and spring bears), provided state wide winter range protection and extirpated whitetails from traditional mule deer areas.

[kellama2001]

Tagging to read the entire thread when I have time, before I vote

[fishngamereaper]

Its sad to see but the introduction of wolves seems more and more like it was mainly to decimate the deer herd and in the long run shut down hunting as a sport.

[Jpmiller]

Its sad to see but the introduction of wolves seems more and more like it was mainly to decimate the deer herd and in the long run shut down hunting as a sport.

What makes the wolves in Washington worse than the wolves in Montana Idaho or Wyoming? I don't get the wolf argument.

[JimmyHoffa]

Its sad to see but the introduction of wolves seems more and more like it was mainly to decimate the deer herd and in the long run shut down hunting as a sport.

What makes the wolves in Washington worse than the wolves in Montana Idaho or Wyoming? I don't get the wolf argument.

They were really bad (still are to some degree) in MT, ID and WY.  Then they got some wolf control.  Yellowstone elk herd went from 20,000+ elk when wolves arrived and dropped to 5,000 as of a few years ago.

[Magnum_Willys]

5000 ? I think that was few years ago. Not nearly that many now I believe

[wolfbait]

Yellowstone is Dead Theatrical Trailer


 

Are Predators Killing Your Hunting Opportunities

 
http://idahoforwildlife.com/Charles%20Kay/63-%20Are%20predators%20killing%20your%20hunting%20opportunies%20.pdf




In Washington, Some Mourn The Arrival Of New Fish and Game Director

http://tomremington.com/2015/01/30/in-washington-some-mourn-the-arrival-of-new-fish-and-game-director/

[huntnphool]

Yellowstone is Dead Theatrical Trailer

 Dude, love your passion but can you take your 6 year old videos and links and start your own thread, I'd like to stay on topic.

[wolfbait]

Yellowstone is Dead Theatrical Trailer

 Dude, love your passion but can you take your 6 year old videos and links and start your own thread, I'd like to stay on topic.

Kind of figure this is on topic, wolves on top of other predators is the reason for poor deer hunting etc.,  changing season etc. won't help the predation problem. Everyone seems to be looking for the solution through changed seasons, the links above explain what has/is happening to WA hunting. Some of us covered this quite extensively for several years right here on H-W.

 

Hunt while you can, because if predator control isn't implemented nothing will change the outcome.