NE buck/deer population.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Mismanaged predators and deer???

[hunter399]

You guys wanna know the reason.
Big bucks are gone.Hunters complain about the 4pt min rule here in the northeast a few years ago.The 4pt min was helping the doe/buck ratio along with populations in general.
When you put a rule like that in effect and don't stick with it this is what happens.Pretty much a lot of the big bucks shot in the past three years where survivors of the 4pt min rule from years ago .Kinda like a chalk board and you erase all the hard work from the 4pt min now this is what your left with.

Anyway doe permits need to stop .
Youth ,disabled,65 over are ok.
Predators do need to be keep in check.
That includes us hunters as well .
BRING BACK THE 4PT MIN IN NORTHEAST WA.
The 4pt min is not just about quality hunt , But population of whitetail ,if they would of keep it they could of been giving out spike permits to all the youth hunters to thin the buck ratio .Now we are left with tag soup and OTC spike hunt.
Hunters are own worst enemy .
Rant over.

[bornhunter]

Nobody mentioned wolves?

[mdbuck5x5]

This is strictly my opinion but until this state becomes serious about predator control then you are always going to have this problem. And by that I mean bringing back hound hunting for cougars, baiting for bears/spring bear hunts in all eastern units and real management of wolves. It really starts with these problem first!

[Bobvernon2]

You guys wanna know the reason.
Big bucks are gone.Hunters complain about the 4pt min rule here in the northeast a few years ago.The 4pt min was helping the doe/buck ratio along with populations in general.
When you put a rule like that in effect and don't stick with it this is what happens.Pretty much a lot of the big bucks shot in the past three years where survivors of the 4pt min rule from years ago .Kinda like a chalk board and you erase all the hard work from the 4pt min now this is what your left with.

Anyway doe permits need to stop .
Youth ,disabled,65 over are ok.
Predators do need to be keep in check.
That includes us hunters as well .
BRING BACK THE 4PT MIN IN NORTHEAST WA.
The 4pt min is not just about quality hunt , But population of whitetail ,if they would of keep it they could of been giving out spike permits to all the youth hunters to thin the buck ratio .Now we are left with tag soup and OTC spike hunt.
Hunters are own worst enemy .
Rant over.

lets be real in certain areas of each unit the four point rule did raise the maturity level of deer, HOWEVER in a lot of the agricultural areas it left a crap ton of deer destroying crops and property. so landowners culled (with WDFW assistance) alot of deer. overpopulation in areas created a prime habitat for disease deaths via bluetongue. when large populations of deer that used to have several different water sources use the same water source in areas that slowly dry up due to drought it creates a recipe for destruction. so between disease, predators (which no one targets), and overharvesting we have lost a massive amount of deer. I do agree with goodbye anterless tags with those exceptions you listed, we need to reduce the landowner tags available to whomever the highest bidder is. AND as much as it pains me to lose those glory days of shooting my first spike, 4pt minimum should come back until the popluation rebounds, (still support a East and West side deer tag)

[Seabass]

I was a HUGE supporter of the 4-point minimum rule. I was at the Clayton Fairgrounds meeting that lasted 3 1/2 hours. I was representing a now defunct white tail organization and took a verbal beating from lots of hunters. You are preaching to the choir when it comes to that rule.
 
My trail camera data from 2013/14/15 will absolutely support how effective that rule was. I wish it were still in effect. The area I hunt gets absolutely pounded during the gun season. It always has, before during and after the antler point restriction. That never mattered. There were also cougars and bears during that time.  I never had a problem finding a mature buck or 4 to hunt.

Despite my disappointment in the restriction being lifted, I don’t believe the rule change is the culprit of what’s going on today. I still have a lot of bucks on camera...most of them would be legal under the old 4-point restriction. They are the dumb deer that typically get killed. It’s the older age class that has disappeared and seemingly all at once...or at least in 2 years.

[bornhunter]

 

[Seabass]

This buck would have been legal under the restriction...not what I’m after.

[huntnnw]

4pt min is NOT the issue. I hunt units that have never had a 4pt min rule and NEVER had issues finding bucks and big bucks for decades.

[Bobvernon2]

4pt min is NOT the issue. I hunt units that have never had a 4pt min rule and NEVER had issues finding bucks and big bucks for decades.

You’re one of those rare no bait kinda guys who look for deer huh? Lol kidding.

[Seabass]

To my knowledge 121 and 117 are the only 2 units to ever have a 4 point restriction. They both had mature bucks before and after the restriction.

They both had high concentrations of bears and cats. The wolves are new but I haven’t noticed much change from the wolves either, to be honest.

I have personally killed or been part of at least 12-15 bear kills over the last 20 years...killed a cat too. It’s hard to envision that bears and cats have all of the sudden gone crazy killing deer. This kind of drop off seems more likely due to winter, disease or both.

[huntnnw]

i think its a combo of alot of things, predators,winters,disease and hunting have all taken their toll. I have very good friends who are avid whitetail guys complaining how bad it is. I have never witnessed whitetail hunting in this state as bad as it is today. 

[Seabass]

i think its a combo of alot of things, predators,winters,disease and hunting have all taken their toll. I have very good friends who are avid whitetail guys complaining how bad it is. I have never witnessed whitetail hunting in this state as bad as it is today.

I’m sure you’re right....it’s never one thing.

It’s a real bummer! My mind is consumed by two things....coaching football and hunting big white tails. When we got eliminated from the playoffs early I told my wife, at least I get to check my cameras and build a shooter list....nope!

[baldopepper]

I think it might be a good thing to at least make the late hunt a 4 point minimum (and honestly wouldn't be opposed to halting it completely for a few years). I actually see more hunters in our area for the late hunt than I do for the early hunt and most are looking for any deer with horns. Mule deer are doing very well around the house, most does trailing a fawn and many trailing twins, so not sure how much of the whitetail decline can be blamed on predators.

[boneaddict]

I got pics of a brute of a whitetail killed by wolves in a guys backyard in the Colville area.  Made me sick.   I dont think that was the units mentioned but Im sure they are impacting.   Drought and the B tongue has hit other areas.  Has before but whitetails recover pretty fast, when the doe arent being sold off as opportunity.   It slays me how many people on here sign up for second tags etc. then complain. "There arent any deer"   DUH    Im also not a PC feel good, let the kids and the old people kill doe either.  Sorry.       

Youll note how tribal policy is shifting in regards to wolf hunting.   They can see the impact and thankfully are doing something about it.