Washington State Mule Deer Hunting Future (poll)

[wolfbait]

For those that voted NO...
What is it going to take for you to realize that the Mule Deer in Washington State are in serious trouble and that we need to change from the status quo.
I am embarrassed by this mentality in our state. Go hunt any other Western State(except CA) and see what descent Deer hunting is like. It is night and day from Washington.
The 139 people that said no change, should be ashamed, that their opportunity to Mule Deer hunt in Washington every year is more important than the over all health of the Herd.
I thought hunters were conservationists, not these 139 people.

I think more restrictions couldn’t be put in place before a lottery, or every other year senerio system. No doe tags period, archery 3 point min, modern and muzzle loader 4 point minimum etc....

Heck freeze quality tags across the board for 5-7 years.

I like the idea of no doe tags for 4 to 6 years and only when needed after that, no more quality tags, absolutely . As far as point restrictions go, stick with the 3 point rule, IMO going to 4 point min. just means we will have 3 points and probably still some 2 points left out to rot . Heck, having a 2 week season brought back , 3 point min but doing the odd/even(every other year) idea might even work, no doe tags, no late hunts. have the season end on October 31st every year(no later) the amount of hunters would be cut in half because of the every other method and the hunters that are hunting that year will be spread out over 2 weeks, would eliminate the "pumpkin patches", help with escapement and should help the overall herd by not being under pressure for months. The archery guys would be the same, every other year, 2 week season September 1st to the 15th. Yes the predator issues still need to be handled, encroachment and habitat issues also, like I said, its a multi headed snake....

I think it is too late, even if you cut deer hunting down to just the general season every other year, the predators are going to keep whats left of the herds in a predator pit. Nothing will change at this stage of the game without strict predator control.

I highly doubt WDF&wolves will recognize a need for change until they have no choice in the matter, meaning the public outcry will force change.

[hunt2hunt810]

IMHO, I'm not sold on the high amounts of animal loss due to predators, just because there isn't much talk or many comments about deer carcasses being found or seen while people are out in the woods. I'm still under the belief that Mule Deer hunting from  Sept to Dec. with which ever weapon is rather lengthy, especially with late archery season lining up with Mule Deer rut. The deer are being chased for 4 months of the year. Hunting during the rut not only increases opportunity of successful harvest (bucks are dumb and have one thing on their mind and it's not running from hunters), the mating of bucks and does are interrupted/prevented due to higher interruptions from hunters in pursuit. The bucks are being chased to exhaustion before winter causing possible higher winter kill. I have no scientific proof, but I'm sure there is an effect of what sex of the 'to be' fawns are due to the stress levels of even the does during conception.
While everybody wants to jump on the blame the predator train, we need to look at the 2 legged predators over harvesting.

Plus it doesn't help, when DNR does prescribed burning removing potential grazing and hiding habitiat in The Sinlahekin (a highly populated mule deer winter migration area) in November just before snowfall. Smart.

[hunter399]

I would like to see a lot more enforcement of regs that we have now,we all know there are two points being shot,mule deer being shot durring late whitetail,hunting in the dark,and only god knows what else.we need to look at the 2 legged predators over harvesting.This is true,we need a mule deer task force ,of more enforcement.With all the money wdfw gets can't think there should be more enforcement.

[bigmacc]

IMHO, I'm not sold on the high amounts of animal loss due to predators, just because there isn't much talk or many comments about deer carcasses being found or seen while people are out in the woods. I'm still under the belief that Mule Deer hunting from  Sept to Dec. with which ever weapon is rather lengthy, especially with late archery season lining up with Mule Deer rut. The deer are being chased for 4 months of the year. Hunting during the rut not only increases opportunity of successful harvest (bucks are dumb and have one thing on their mind and it's not running from hunters), the mating of bucks and does are interrupted/prevented due to higher interruptions from hunters in pursuit. The bucks are being chased to exhaustion before winter causing possible higher winter kill. I have no scientific proof, but I'm sure there is an effect of what sex of the 'to be' fawns are due to the stress levels of even the does during conception.
While everybody wants to jump on the blame the predator train, we need to look at the 2 legged predators over harvesting.

Plus it doesn't help, when DNR does prescribed burning removing potential grazing and hiding habitiat in The Sinlahekin (a highly populated mule deer winter migration area) in November just before snowfall. Smart.

I,ve posted in other threads that we found over 20 cached cougar kills in a 10 day period between 2 different units in the Methow this year and I totally agree about shutting down all quality late hunts at least in the Methow.

[Oh Mah]

I also have posted in several threads that i have seen numerous carcasses in the field from cougar and coyote,Also have stated in other posts that i saw on more than one occasion (deer ooops)coyotes chasing down deer and also elk.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I also have posted in several threads that i have seen numerous carcasses in the field from cougar and coyote,Also have stated in other posts that i saw on more than one occasion deer chasing down deer and also elk.

What? Deer chasing down deer, and elk.

[Oh Mah]

wow. sorry about that,modified lol

[2506]

Somebody with these great ideas point out the good deer winter range in the Methow!  Guess what, there isn't any, it got toasted in 2014. No, I don't have the answer to fix the problem,  talked to some people about different fires in the early 70s and said the bitterbrush never has come back. If it doesn't come back Methow deer won't either. Need all the help we can get from mother nature.

[lemondog]

This is the 1st time in my 37 year hunting career that I have not notched a WA deer tag, not for lack of trying.
I voted no, and am sticking with it.........until I see a comprehensive plan.

There are multiple issues affecting the MD herds, addressing 1 or 2 of them (doe harvest/ every other year hunting) etc. is not the fixall  IMO.

I believe the vast majority of these issues (wolves is not one of them) can be achieved with a bit of coming together from all sides/positions of each issue. If all sides are willing to give a little, I feel that all sides can get a bit of what will make them happy, and more importantly, will benefit the herds in the long run.

I have what I believe is a well thought out plan, but it is still bouncing around in my head, I work 2 jobs and am trying to find the time to get it all compiled on paper.

Here are a couple of glimpses;
Some do not want to give up multi permits. They need to go bye bye, too much additional pressure.

Reduce time afield for all user groups. Allows all an opportunity to hunt, but takes away additional pressure/harvest.

Taking pressure off 1 herd (ie Methow) will only put more pressure on others (robbing Peter to pay Paul.) 

Reduce Late permit quotas. Cant keep taking out the good breeders

Stopping all antlerless(doe) hunts will only serve to overpopulate holding capacities of limited habitat.


That is only a very small portion of issues that need to be addressed, (and that are still in my head)

Wolves is one of the problems. We just have not seen it yet.....

[NOCK NOCK]

I meant wolves are one of the problems that we can have zero effect on.  Guess I should have typed it like below. 


"I believe the vast majority of these issues  can be achieved with a bit of coming together from all sides/positions of each issue.......(wolves is not one of them) that we can get changed

[Salmonstalker]

I voted Yes. It is time for change. No doe tags, 4 pt minimum (at least for a while), bring back hound hunting for predators, issue tags for wolves, and get the indians in the same fish and game rules we follow. NO MORE SEGREGATION AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I voted Yes. It is time for change. No doe tags, 4 pt minimum (at least for a while), bring back hound hunting for predators, issue tags for wolves, and get the indians in the same fish and game rules we follow. NO MORE SEGREGATION AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES.

You might as well leave the native rights alone, it ain’t going to change. But I believe they need to have smaller quotas for deer, and elk hunting due to the herds dwindling.

Yes to everything else.

[huntnphool]

 For those of you that actually think baiting and/or hound use will EVER be allowed in this state again.

 http://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/timber-farm-bear-hunts-illegal-humane-society-says/281-497147713

[bigmacc]

For those of you that actually think baiting and/or hound use will EVER be allowed in this state again.

 http://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/timber-farm-bear-hunts-illegal-humane-society-says/281-497147713

Yep phool, I,m afraid its true, we probably won't see hound hunting again until maulings, attacks and such start to occur , and the public demands that something be done and even then who knows , bears and cougar have already populated to the point they are showing up in neighborhoods and other higher "people" populated areas and the majority seems to think they are "so cute" and "how cool" etc. etc. etc.

[huntnphool]

For those of you that actually think baiting and/or hound use will EVER be allowed in this state again.

 http://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/timber-farm-bear-hunts-illegal-humane-society-says/281-497147713

Yep phool, I,m afraid its true, we probably won't see hound hunting again until maulings, attacks and such start to occur , and the public demands that something be done and even then who knows , bears and cougar have already populated to the point they are showing up in neighborhoods and other higher "people" populated areas and the majority seems to think they are "so cute" and "how cool" etc. etc. etc.

 Well it doesn't help when the "scientists" spoon feed BS "science" to WDFW, saying the reason we are seeing "neighborhood" interactions is because hunters are killing "too many" cats......and if we are to see less neighborhood interactions, we need to limit harvest and increase numbers......which WDFW based their current plan on.