Got opinions on WA deer management?

[no.cen.wa]

I went to the Dept. of Fish,,,and wildlife meeting in Montesano on the 13th, pretty much was 2 hours of listening about how the dept was mismanaging Fish, looks like no one is happy! It broke down to groups and I talked to two gamey's about the mule deer in NCW. Yes, I complained about the whole mule deer problem, told them the wolves are doing quite well, and that seems to be the only species they have been able to increase the size of the herd. They recommended going to meetings early this next year when they set hunting seasons. He said there are fewer people and you can explain your views without all the noise. So, I'll probably be in Arizona till April and won't make it.
But, maybe some will, 

[hunter399]

Maybe we should all email the new director with some ideas ,that all of can agree on.

 And those ideas are what exactly?

Thats the problem there is none.100 different hunters screaming different management plans and we just end up in the same boat year after year with nothing really being done.

I'm not gonna post any ideas or mangement plan cause I'm sure some of you may disagree.

[BULLBLASTER]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

[hunter399]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

[hunter399]

I think some of population decrease may be do to so much pressure on deer then a hard winter.
You wanna hear my ideas ,ok.
Doe permits gone .
Choose a species,or east or west
Opening weekend is youth and disabled,65 over only for doe,
Then everybody goes to any buck.
A even-odd system in some gmu that your only allowed to hunt certain days .Without reducing the number of days in the field total.

4pt min back in some gmu.whitetail
4pt min for mule deer.

I know nobody likes 4pt min,but after a year or two as buck numbers rise you can do every other year 4pt min,then 3pt or even 2pt then back to 4pt. Keeping buck/doe ratios good for oppertunity.or keep it 4pt min ,and do spike whitetail hunts for youth.
3pt min for mule deer youth.


Multi tags gone for some gmu .
Clearcutting in eastern wa done,no cover means no deer out in daytime these timber company's are not replanting fast enough or at all .15 seed trees need to be left per acre.

More enforcement of gated areas.These areas set aside for wildlife are getting hit hard or harder then areas that are open to drive in.

I'm sure I can come up with more.

[luckyman]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

This would suck big time unless they offered one of each tag. I want a blacktail and a whitetail tag.

[ellensburgpo]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

 

[Jonathan_S]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

This would suck big time unless they offered one of each tag. I want a blacktail and a whitetail tag.

You’re saying you want the opportunity to buy two OTC tags?

[blackveltbowhunter]

Pick a species is one of the few options that makes sense IMO. I also think the species that have multiple seasons ( late Buck) should be a pick season as well eg.... You choose BT and then late buck or general season.

    The issue we Washington hunters face is the WDFW is not going to be willing to give up the main revenue stream. I would like a draw system, but that would mean revenue loss. Cut multi permits ( I am for BTW) revenue loss. No more OTC tags being sold, revenue loss.  I know a lot of HUNTERS that would not mind it as there could be lots of options for those who wanted to play every year and options for those who preferred to wait and hunt a more "quality" hunt. But we look at the side of the coin that says"no impact to my wallet, only impact to my season". The department sees it as a huge budget cut. As an unknown amount of tags now become potential permit applications. You could possibly sell them on the idea if we made permit application fees match the current cost of a tag, BUT there is the rub. It flies against wisdom and common sense for someone to pay more and get less.

[luckyman]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

This would suck big time unless they offered one of each tag. I want a blacktail and a whitetail tag.

You’re saying you want the opportunity to buy two OTC tags?

Absolutely. If they want to separate the tag into 3 species. I hunt whitetail or blacktail depending on early or late.
To restrict tags is not the answer here. There is an answer and we know what that is. Letting a deer walk won't bring the numbers back it only increases predators survival. 30 years ago it was common to seen 80-100 blacktail a day during the season. Ten years after the ban on hounds and baiting two a day was the norm and seeing a cougar or bear while deer hunting became somewhat common. If no one was to buy a deer tags from here on out it wouldn't bring the numbers back. My last years whitetail cameras had 4 different deer and 11 different predators on it. gmu 101

[Bobvernon2]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

This would suck big time unless they offered one of each tag. I want a blacktail and a whitetail tag.

You’re saying you want the opportunity to buy two OTC tags?

Absolutely. If they want to separate the tag into 3 species. I hunt whitetail or blacktail depending on early or late.
To restrict tags is not the answer here. There is an answer and we know what that is. Letting a deer walk won't bring the numbers back it only increases predators survival. 30 years ago it was common to seen 80-100 blacktail a day during the season. Ten years after the ban on hounds and baiting two a day was the norm and seeing a cougar or bear while deer hunting became somewhat common. If no one was to buy a deer tags from here on out it wouldn't bring the numbers back. My last years whitetail cameras had 4 different deer and 11 different predators on it. gmu 101

You kill any of those predators? And I assume you're killing two deer a year right now since you're demanding two tags in this hypothetical situation.

[jackknife]

Unfortunately this is a no win situation until predators are under control.

[luckyman]

Choose a species for deer tag. Mule deer, or Whitetail, or blacktail.

I would agree with this idea
Or  choose species or east or west.But species would be best.

This would suck big time unless they offered one of each tag. I want a blacktail and a whitetail tag.

You’re saying you want the opportunity to buy two OTC tags?

Absolutely. If they want to separate the tag into 3 species. I hunt whitetail or blacktail depending on early or late.
To restrict tags is not the answer here. There is an answer and we know what that is. Letting a deer walk won't bring the numbers back it only increases predators survival. 30 years ago it was common to seen 80-100 blacktail a day during the season. Ten years after the ban on hounds and baiting two a day was the norm and seeing a cougar or bear while deer hunting became somewhat common. If no one was to buy a deer tags from here on out it wouldn't bring the numbers back. My last years whitetail cameras had 4 different deer and 11 different predators on it. gmu 101

You kill any of those predators? And I assume you're killing two deer a year right now since you're demanding two tags in this hypothetical situation.

Yes I do try to kill predators.
You are only allowed one deer regardless of what you hunt at the time. There is no guarantee that you will harvest one.
This is why Breaking the tag choice up makes No sense.

[ellensburgpo]

It would cut down on the people who hunt multiple seasons/species to get one. There's no silver bullet for what's going on in this state but increasing tags sure doesn't seem like any kind of option.

[singleshot12]

Unfortunately this is a no win situation until predators are under control.

Unless you wait for predators to over-populate and eventually succumb to decease and starvation. But who wants to wait that long?


I think in the natural scheme of things man was meant to hunt with the aid of dogs and trap predators any way he damn well pleased to control them, but that was in the day when things made sense.