Free: Contests & Raffles.
Perhaps if everyone weren't able to hunt deer every year, they would focus on predators during those years that they didn't draw a deer permit?I fear that most would just give up hunting maybe in that area but maybe all together. I know I would. I like the idea of earning points for every predator that you kill. I just don't think that's something the WDFW would ever get behind.We agree on that! That's the other thing I noticed in southeast Washington. Coyotes are thick! We'd see them and heard them all the time, everywhere we went. Funny how when I hunt in Wyoming coyotes are a rare sight. I wonder why that is?Possibly because Wyoming allows trapping and coyotes are actually about the only thing with enough value to trap right now. Add to that Aphis is a coyote killing machine in WY. Denning, aerial shooting, M-44 cyanide guns, traps and snares. Lot of pressure from the livestock industry to kill coyotes in WY.
no mule deer (bucks) due to way to many hunters on little habitat shooting the first legal buck they see. A 1-3 yr old muley is the dumbest animal in the woods.
Perhaps if everyone weren't able to hunt deer every year, they would focus on predators during those years that they didn't draw a deer permit? I know I would. I like the idea of earning points for every predator that you kill. I just don't think that's something the WDFW would ever get behind. That's the other thing I noticed in southeast Washington. Coyotes are thick! We'd see them and hear them all the time, everywhere we went. Funny how when I hunt in Wyoming coyotes are a rare sight. I wonder why that is?
Just do a google search of cause specific deer mortality studies. The first one that comes up shows 57% of Male mule deer mortality in central oregon is the result of hunter harvest...keep looking and you will see similar results across many parts of the country.One of my complaints about wa deer management is the lack of quality bucks, particularly mule deer in gen season hunts...even during the rut it's rare to see a 3+ pt deer running with the 50+ does I see regularly. So are the cougars selectively eating bucks with 3+ points or do you think maybe hunter harvest is playing a significant role? I'll give you a little hint...there is a 3 pt minimum in many of the units I'm describing.
Quote from: huntnnw on November 28, 2018, 09:21:03 PMno mule deer (bucks) due to way to many hunters on little habitat shooting the first legal buck they see. A 1-3 yr old muley is the dumbest animal in the woods.Do you know the odds of a mule deer buck even reaching 3 years old? Most are killed before they even loose their spots.
Quote from: Hot Lunch on November 28, 2018, 08:39:50 PMQuote from: bobcat on November 28, 2018, 08:36:11 PMI hunted a unit near Pomeroy two times this year, once in October with my daughter, and then again with my brother during a special permit late hunt. The problem I see there is the buck to doe ratio. We'd see at least 30 to 40 does for every buck we saw, and the bucks were almost all spikes and two points. And I was there during the rut, from November 14th to the 18th. There should have been some mature bucks hanging around with all the does. But there just weren't any. We saw one 3 point buck and hundreds of does. I'm sure the bad winter two years ago has something to do with it. And all the coyotes certainly don't help. Mule deer need to be permit only statewide, in my opinion, at least temporarily, until things improve.Unlimited tag OTC unit, I see the same stuff when I hunt over there and wee have private property. There is bigger whitetails that survive but like you said mature deer are basically non-existent. If they went to limited tags you would hunt maybe every 10 years. I have also heard there is a solid mtn lion population in the lower country taking out many deer.Well, I have to question whether the few bucks left can get all those does bred. I doubt it. The buck to doe ratio is seriously out of whack.
Quote from: bobcat on November 28, 2018, 08:36:11 PMI hunted a unit near Pomeroy two times this year, once in October with my daughter, and then again with my brother during a special permit late hunt. The problem I see there is the buck to doe ratio. We'd see at least 30 to 40 does for every buck we saw, and the bucks were almost all spikes and two points. And I was there during the rut, from November 14th to the 18th. There should have been some mature bucks hanging around with all the does. But there just weren't any. We saw one 3 point buck and hundreds of does. I'm sure the bad winter two years ago has something to do with it. And all the coyotes certainly don't help. Mule deer need to be permit only statewide, in my opinion, at least temporarily, until things improve.Unlimited tag OTC unit, I see the same stuff when I hunt over there and wee have private property. There is bigger whitetails that survive but like you said mature deer are basically non-existent. If they went to limited tags you would hunt maybe every 10 years. I have also heard there is a solid mtn lion population in the lower country taking out many deer.
I hunted a unit near Pomeroy two times this year, once in October with my daughter, and then again with my brother during a special permit late hunt. The problem I see there is the buck to doe ratio. We'd see at least 30 to 40 does for every buck we saw, and the bucks were almost all spikes and two points. And I was there during the rut, from November 14th to the 18th. There should have been some mature bucks hanging around with all the does. But there just weren't any. We saw one 3 point buck and hundreds of does. I'm sure the bad winter two years ago has something to do with it. And all the coyotes certainly don't help. Mule deer need to be permit only statewide, in my opinion, at least temporarily, until things improve.
Quote from: KFhunter on November 28, 2018, 09:26:59 PMQuote from: huntnnw on November 28, 2018, 09:21:03 PMno mule deer (bucks) due to way to many hunters on little habitat shooting the first legal buck they see. A 1-3 yr old muley is the dumbest animal in the woods.Do you know the odds of a mule deer buck even reaching 3 years old? Most are killed before they even loose their spots. pretty much none here, unless on huge tracts of private or the high country where not many venture.I will not blame predators for the lack of game, getting rid of them will help, but we still had tons of predators a long time ago and had really good herds of deer. Its way to much pressure, hunters have gotten way more efficient at taking animals, from inline muzzys, to the long range craze and super fast accurate bows. Its a combo of alot of things contributing to lack of deer, predators,hunters and winters.
100% agree with huntnnw...kf...I'm thinking you don't leave your little corner of the woods very often...probably don't hunt anywhere else in Wa or out of state?? Not a criticism, but I think the folks you see telling you it's not just predators have a lot of experience hunting many parts of Wa and many other states...i.e., they have a lot more experience to draw on than you when it comes to observations of quality mule deer hunting. In defense of your position...I'm sure there are no greater predator impacts to deer populations in this state than in ne wa.
Of all the western states with mule deer excluding CA we have the highest population of people the fewest acres of habitiat for mule deer and then add in huntable amount of acres for the avg hunter who doesnt have the luxury of hunting private and you are cramming alot of hunters into small areas. Yet its a general free for all with a rifle! absurd its so easy to shoot a dumb 1.5 yr old buck. I hunt outta state alot and seeing the crap this state offers is a joke! hardest part in this state is just filling your tag on any legal mule deer, not due to cause they are smart and great at hiding, because there is no deer. Most here are losing their minds when they see a 2X3 yet you go outta state and hunt and its hard to not run them over in the roads!
Lock those areas up tight and charge $300 a key for limited amount of keys and see what happens to the deer populations.
