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

[weatherbow21]

The south sound area has had such a drastic drop in deer numbers in the last several years its not even worth my time anymore, and its my backyard.

Two things I know:

1-Branch antlered deer are tough to find anymore, much less a mature buck.

2-I think my odds of seeing a cougar are higher than seeing a mature buck. Cat sightings USED to be rare.

[Sandberm]

150,000 deer hunters in 2000
112,000 deer hunters in 2017

25% decline.

Most archers ever in my little honey hole however 

[PolarBear]

My guess on 667, is that more deer were taken out of the Vail tree farm since Weyerhaeuser began the access permit system, and now, after a few years of excessive harvest, there are simply less deer. In the past Vail was only open to hunting a few weekends during modern firearm season. Now people can drive in there and hunt or scout 7 days a week, year around. That has to have had a negative affect on the deer population in there.

The poaching is also out of control in VAIL.  Add that to more predators and the vast majority of bucks taken are 6 moths to 1, 1/2 year  olds and yeah, the hunting has fallen off a cliff.  2015 we we picking and choosing what bucks we wanted, last year we worked our butts off for nothing.  Tons of folks coming out of the woods at daylight, headed in after dark and brush picker vans with blood running out from under their salal.

[Sandberm]

My bro in law likes to go up to the dayton unit.

162 archers tried to get an Elk, only 2 were successful! Jeez
691 modern firearm elk hunters with a 1% success rate! Jeez, futile.

1571 rifle deer hunters with a 19% success rate. Sea of orange eh?
261 deer archers with a 24% success rate.

[bigtex]

The poaching is also out of control in VAIL.

About 15 years ago Oregon St U. did a study on poaching in Oregon. They found that for every 1 animal legally taken, 1 animal is illegally taken.

While that study was in Oregon I would think the same would go for WA, maybe even more so since the population is higher in WA.

[Special T]

The poaching is also out of control in VAIL.

About 15 years ago Oregon St U. did a study on poaching in Oregon. They found that for every 1 animal legally taken, 1 animal is illegally taken.

While that study was in Oregon I would think the same would go for WA, maybe even more so since the population is higher in WA.

I would love to see that study... any link?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[PolarBear]

The poaching is also out of control in VAIL.

About 15 years ago Oregon St U. did a study on poaching in Oregon. They found that for every 1 animal legally taken, 1 animal is illegally taken.

While that study was in Oregon I would think the same would go for WA, maybe even more so since the population is higher in WA.

Yep.  I also know of at least 2 dozen deer and elk that were shot in Vail and never recovered.  Several of those were because the shooter was too lazy.  I helped at least 3 guys look for their deer and every time they gave up in less than a half hour.  I bet there is a lot more of that crap going on than you would think.  I personally know one guy who killed 3 does before he recovered a single one of them and that one was a fawn.   

[fishnfur]

Part of those numbers could be a reflection of rut timing, in 2016 the rut seemed to line up with late buck and we saw branched bucks all 4 days . In 2017 that wasn't the case, we did not see a single branched buck during that time and the 2 buck that we known got shot in our area were forkies. Cameras we had out 2017 showed the majority of the rut movement was between Nov.4 - Nov.9 . We had 11 different bucks on one camera moving daily during those dates. I think it was 2014 the same thing happened and a lot of bucks got killed that year skewing the numbers the next year.

Good thought there.  That could also be a significant reason.  It was definitely different last year.  I had a ton of fun last year and saw more bucks than normal during the general season.  I only saw a few solo doe (no bucks in tow) during late buck season.  If you remember, the rut thread during general season was generally endless complaining about the lack of action - it never really seemed to pick up. 

I also wouldn't  argue about the poaching issue.  On my property in Kitsap, I used to see does virtually every time I was there over the last several years.  I saw just one fawn and and only had one doe on the trail cam during a 4 month soak in 2017.  Something has dropped the doe numbers way, way down out there.

[npaull]

Hair loss disease, maybe? I'm seeing lots of fawns with that around here in the south sound. Most seem to be doing ok, but then, obviously I'm only seeing the ones that AREN'T dying...

[Webfoot]

The elk #'s reported are not right. I have a hard time believing that there was only 1 bull taken in the Clearwater!

[Webfoot]

I recant my last statement. I was reading special permits.

[fishnfur]

Well, I went to the horses mouth.  I contacted Eric Holman, the head WDFW Biologist and asked the reason for the sudden downward trend.  Here's his response:

"This is a combination of the effects of the very severe winter of 2016-17 and fewer hunters trying for black-tails (which is itself a combination of Fee Access Systems by Industrial Forestland owners, development and the reduced number of hunters overall).

 

Hope this helps,


Eric "

I assume "development" refers to loss of habitat due to development of neighborhoods/businesses etc. 

[Mudman]

Ya know what this means right??  Less hunters=less $$$.  So being its WA they will raise fees to gather more revenue.   We lose again while $ pours into timber Co.'s  I wonder if they can still afford worthless million dollar restrooms in places like Elbe?  Discover pass discover thru discovery that discover isn't discovering as much $!

[buglebrush]

The poaching is also out of control in VAIL.

About 15 years ago Oregon St U. did a study on poaching in Oregon. They found that for every 1 animal legally taken, 1 animal is illegally taken.

While that study was in Oregon I would think the same would go for WA, maybe even more so since the population is higher in WA.

And for every poached animal the Bloody Tribes "Poach" two more of them. 

[Tjv28]

Part of those numbers could be a reflection of rut timing, in 2016 the rut seemed to line up with late buck and we saw branched bucks all 4 days . In 2017 that wasn't the case, we did not see a single branched buck during that time and the 2 buck that we known got shot in our area were forkies. Cameras we had out 2017 showed the majority of the rut movement was between Nov.4 - Nov.9 . We had 11 different bucks on one camera moving daily during those dates. I think it was 2014 the same thing happened and a lot of bucks got killed that year skewing the numbers the next year.

I think this is a big part of it.