Youth antlerless only moose.

[Jackjr]

Any clue why the youth tags were cut back so much?  Went from 18 tags for how many years and now down to 1 youth tag this year. 

[Jackjr]

Guess I found a post that answered my question.  Just seems to cut it back that much is a shame.  Rather see cut more out of the regular draw ones and give the youth more than 1.

[bobcat]

Declining moose numbers and complaints by some that too many moose tags were going to kids. So the youth antlerless tags decreased from 18 to 1 while the regular antlerless tags increased from 32 to 33.

[bobcat]

Guess I found a post that answered my question.  Just seems to cut it back that much is a shame.  Rather see cut more out of the regular draw ones and give the youth more than 1.

Yeah I sent my complaint in regarding this. I have no problem with a reduction but only 1 tag is crazy. They should have just dropped it to zero then but they still want people to buy those youth applications.

[DaleVR]

  this frustrates me. I would much rather let my kids have an opportunity at a cow moose than myself. I would still get the fun of pres scouting and doing homework and being out in the woods. To have my kids be with and have that experience of setting up on a big animal like a moose completely priceless. WDFW is missing out not providing opportunities such as this for youth, hook them while they are young!

[Bob33]

It is unfortunate but youth can still apply in the antlerless and “antlered bull” categories as well.

Odds in all the moose categories are low. Without considering of points odds are roughly 1 in 850 for antlerless, 1 in 550 for “antlered bull”, and were 1 in 325 for youth antlerless when there were more permits.

[bobcat]

The issue is mostly because of the point system, in my opinion. They created an unnecessary "youth antlerless moose" category, and people have accumulated points in the category, and want to continue using those points in that category. Now the category is essentially gone, but if you want you can still purchase an application for odds of 1 in 1800.

[Jackjr]

I get it.  If the numbers are down the numbers are down so cuts need to be made.  If cutting tags take half from the youth and half from regular draw or something close to that.   But take all but 1 from the youth.  The youth are the ones they need to keep hunting to collect there pay checks correct?

[Rainier10]

this frustrates me. I would much rather let my kids have an opportunity at a cow moose than myself. I would still get the fun of pres scouting and doing homework and being out in the woods. To have my kids be with and have that experience of setting up on a big animal like a moose completely priceless. WDFW is missing out not providing opportunities such as this for youth, hook them while they are young!

Times one million.

WDFW knows it has a problem with the average age of hunters going up each year and hunter numbers decreasing every year.  If they really want to recruit new hunters they shouldn't be taking away these hunts  from the youth.

[Timberstalker]

this frustrates me. I would much rather let my kids have an opportunity at a cow moose than myself. I would still get the fun of pres scouting and doing homework and being out in the woods. To have my kids be with and have that experience of setting up on a big animal like a moose completely priceless. WDFW is missing out not providing opportunities such as this for youth, hook them while they are young!

Times one million.

WDFW knows it has a problem with the average age of hunters going up each year and hunter numbers decreasing every year.  If they really want to recruit new hunters they shouldn't be taking away these hunts  from the youth.

You are spot on.  Horrible choice for them to cut the youth tags.

[Bob33]

The youth moose hunts had 1 in 100 odds. I wouldn't depending on those odds to ensure our youth continue to hunt .

[Colville]

I have hunting kids.  Let's be honest. The upping average age of hunters has ZERO to do with youth only OIL permit opportunities. The number of kids that will ever draw such a tag are a rounding error in the total hunter recruitment.  Even if kids who drew an Oil tag were 1000% likely to hunt every year till they are 80, it'd have no meaningful affect on hunter recruitment. There's too few oil tags. Fact is most of the kids whose parents put them in for the permits are from hard hunting families.  The kind which turn out future hunters regardless.  Kids that get a tradition with family, extended family and friends with enough time to enjoy the trip and with enough competence and success in the group to generate excitement are the ones who'll keep the tradition.  Those that wait around till dad says we finally got a special permit before getting deeply invested are probably not going to buy in long term.  Doe opportunity like that in NE WA are the best opportunity to get kids involved with a better than average shot at success.  If that won't sell them, i doubt anything will.  Matching up a modern rifle opportunity to mid winter break dates would also be a good call. Kids are in school during modern seasons.  Of course, there's only so much opportunity to go around so anything that improves the take of youth, has to come out of someone else's opportunity.

[Rainier10]

This is one we may just disagree on but my thought is if a kid draws or even has the chance to draw a moose tag it has a better shot at improving recruitment than giving that chance to an aging group of hunters.

12 year old kid draws and dad and probably one or two other aging hunters go along on the hunt to help out.  Now you have 3-4 people on the hunt.  Those people are going to talk about that hunt to everybody they know.  That kid is going to talk about it to the youth at their school.  Increasing discussion about hunting with other youth.  Those kids are going to talk about it with their parents again spreading the word.  The two guys that went along on the hunt are going to tell their kids, "hey Sarah drew a moose tag, are you sure you don't want to try hunting with the old man?"

54 year old male that has been putting in for 25 years draws that same tag.  Takes his buddy that he has hunted elk with for 20 years.  They talk about the hunt when they are together or with their other hunting buddies.  Pretty sure in most cases a kid is not going to be involved in this hunt.

Just seems to me that the youth having the opportunity has a better chance of recruiting new hunters or at least getting the word out there about hunting in a positive light.

As for whether youth only OIL permits being taken away will lower hunter recruitment even farther than it is now and increase the average hunter age, only time will tell.

My guess is even though WDFW says recruitment and an aging pool of hunters is a problem they don't think that taking away this opportunity will further drop hunter numbers.

Or maybe they do think it will....

[Stein]

Looks like I just saved some money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bob33]

This is one we may just disagree on but my thought is if a kid draws or even has the chance to draw a moose tag it has a better shot at improving recruitment than giving that chance to an aging group of hunters.

12 year old kid draws and dad and probably one or two other aging hunters go along on the hunt to help out.  Now you have 3-4 people on the hunt.  Those people are going to talk about that hunt to everybody they know.  That kid is going to talk about it to the youth at their school.  Increasing discussion about hunting with other youth.  Those kids are going to talk about it with their parents again spreading the word.  The two guys that went along on the hunt are going to tell their kids, "hey Sarah drew a moose tag, are you sure you don't want to try hunting with the old man?"

54 year old male that has been putting in for 25 years draws that same tag.  Takes his buddy that he has hunted elk with for 20 years.  They talk about the hunt when they are together or with their other hunting buddies.  Pretty sure in most cases a kid is not going to be involved in this hunt.

Just seems to me that the youth having the opportunity has a better chance of recruiting new hunters or at least getting the word out there about hunting in a positive light.

As for whether youth only OIL permits being taken away will lower hunter recruitment even farther than it is now and increase the average hunter age, only time will tell.

My guess is even though WDFW says recruitment and an aging pool of hunters is a problem they don't think that taking away this opportunity will further drop hunter numbers.

Or maybe they do think it will....

They can still apply for moose in other categories, and Sarah shooting an antlered moose would probably even be more exciting.

I don't think anyone denies youth hunters are important, but there are so many other opportunities that don't depend on Powerball odds. I've been told that WDFW has offered mentored youth hunts for turkey this year and they can't even get enough hunters to match the mentors. Last year a local Safari Club chapter offered ten free youth deer hunts, and barely got ten applications.

I think that suggesting WDFW is trying to harm recruitment is, well I just won't say.