It looks like archery seasons in Yakima and Colockum herds is being shortened

[HoofsandWings]

NEWS RELEASE
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/
April 5, 2018
Contact: Commission Office, (360) 902-2267
Commission will set hunting seasons,
consider other issues at public meeting
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to approve new hunting seasons through 2020 for deer, elk, waterfowl, and other game species during a public meeting April 12-14.
The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will meet in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building at 1111 Washington St. S.E. in Olympia. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. April 12 and at 8 a.m. the following two days.
A complete agenda is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/.
Changes in hunting rules proposed by WDFW wildlife managers for the commission's approval include:
•   Scheduling special seasons for hunters under age 16 so they can participate in hunts for game birds on both sides of the state.
•   Reducing the time bowhunters can hunt for antlerless elk in the Yakima and Colockum elk herds during the 2018 early general season to six days from 13. This change, as with previous reductions in permits for hunts with modern firearms and muzzleloaders, is designed to meet and sustain population objectives for those herds. The season for bull elk would not be affected by this change. 
•   Providing hunters an opportunity to take antlerless white-tailed deer in game management units 101-121 in northeast Washington. Special permits would be available to seniors and hunters using modern firearms, while other hunters could take antlerless deer during general hunting seasons.

[grundy53]

Sounds like they are compromising their earlier plans. Which was to take away all early season antlerless in those units.

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[dreamingbig]

6 Days is better than 0 days but worse than the 13.  You still get more days afield in muzzie or modern firearm to fill a cow tag.  The trade off is OTC vs permit.  WA is a last resort for me this year.

Sure wish they would publish some herd stats instead of pulling the 50% reduction out of the air by “gut feel”!


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[HoofsandWings]

6 Days is better than 0 days but worse than the 13.  You still get more days afield in muzzie or modern firearm to fill a cow tag.  The trade off is OTC vs permit.  WA is a last resort for me this year.

Sure wish they would publish some herd stats instead of pulling the 50% reduction out of the air by “gut feel”!


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Introduction The Colockum elk herd area is located in central Washington along the eastern foothills of the Cascades and consists of 6 GMUs, which includes 249 (Alpine), 251 (Mission), 328 (Naneum), 329 (Quilomene), 330 (West Bar), 334 (Ellensburg), and 335 (Teanaway) (Figure 1).   
 
 
Figure 1. Dominant land use cover types within the 6 game management units that comprise the Colockum elk herd area. Management Guidelines and Objectives The Department’s current objective is to maintain elk abundance in the surveyed winter range during spring between 4,275 and 4,725 elk (i.e., 4,500 ± 5%) (WDFW 2006). Additional objectives include maintaining a post-hunt population with a bull:cow ratio of 12–20 bulls:100 cows and maintaining an annual survival rate of 0.50 for bulls when bull mortality is monitored (WDFW 2014).   

[dreamingbig]

Not sure I follow.  The Yakima herd was my reference and they admitted they haven’t done any surveys yet this year.  The GM plan produced last summer said the herd was at objective.

So they are using their “feel” right now to guess the Yakima herd pop.  Unless you have facts that suggest otherwise?


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[MADMAX]

I’m happy they didnt totally eliminate all cow hunts

[elkchaser54]

Here are the "stats" to back up their claims

https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01961/

[trophyhunt]

I’m happy they didnt totally eliminate all cow hunts

[rainshadow1]

Well... they have to feed the wolves... right?

[jdb]

6 Days is better than 0 days but worse than the 13.  You still get more days afield in muzzie or modern firearm to fill a cow tag.  The trade off is OTC vs permit.  WA is a last resort for me this year.

Sure wish they would publish some herd stats instead of pulling the 50% reduction out of the air by “gut feel”!


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correct me if I'm wrong but I think you only get 5 days to gill a cow tag with modern and neither muzzle or modern have over the counter late hunts

[Special T]

Not sure I follow.  The Yakima herd was my reference and they admitted they haven’t done any surveys yet this year.  The GM plan produced last summer said the herd was at objective.

So they are using their “feel” right now to guess the Yakima herd pop.  Unless you have facts that suggest otherwise?


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As i have come to understand there are a couple issues at hand. 2 winters ago there was a bad  winterkill in the 4 or so units in the Yakima herd. Bumping, Nile, Rimrock ect. this last winter there wasnt enough snow to do a good survey as most of the elk were too dispersed for an accurate count. The Colockum herd is at objective. It would appear that the WDFW first move to do away with all the anterless take in both the Colockum herd and Yakima was overly cautious and they were worried about all the hunters that normally hunt the Yakima herd moving up to hunt the Colockum units.

[dreamingbig]

6 Days is better than 0 days but worse than the 13.  You still get more days afield in muzzie or modern firearm to fill a cow tag.  The trade off is OTC vs permit.  WA is a last resort for me this year.

Sure wish they would publish some herd stats instead of pulling the 50% reduction out of the air by “gut feel”!


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correct me if I'm wrong but I think you only get 5 days to gill a cow tag with modern and neither muzzle or modern have over the counter late hunts

Your are correct.  I thought the cow permit got all 9 days but is only the last 5 days.  So 1 more day for archery.  For some units there is no early season for cows during archery (346) and no late season (356 and 360.  Looks like a little over 100 cow tags still given out for Yakima units during MF which is zero reduction from last year.  Similar story for Muzzy.


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[jdb]

6 Days is better than 0 days but worse than the 13.  You still get more days afield in muzzie or modern firearm to fill a cow tag.  The trade off is OTC vs permit.  WA is a last resort for me this year.

Sure wish they would publish some herd stats instead of pulling the 50% reduction out of the air by “gut feel”!


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correct me if I'm wrong but I think you only get 5 days to gill a cow tag with modern and neither muzzle or modern have over the counter late hunts

Your are correct.  I thought the cow permit got all 9 days but is only the last 5 days.  So 1 more day for archery.  For some units there is no early season for cows during archery (346) and no late season (356 and 360.  Looks like a little over 100 cow tags still given out for Yakima units during MF which is zero reduction from last year.  Similar story for Muzzy.


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zero reduction from 2017 to 2018 but there was a huge reduction from 2016 to 2017. On one of these threads someone post that in 2016 there were around 150 cows reported killed in the 300 series gmu's in 2016. So if that number is correct and for sake of argument we use it as an average and rifle/bp hunters have 100 or so tags now I'd say the field is probably as level as it's gonna get

[Skyvalhunter]

With that being said do you agree with their quota set?

[dreamingbig]

With that being said do you agree with their quota set?

If you are asking me... in general my answer would be no.


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