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Lowedog,With the doe opportunity gone the number of hunters will likely plummet back to what it was pre-2006. D
Quote from: Snapshot on March 19, 2009, 09:08:24 AMLowedog,With the doe opportunity gone the number of hunters will likely plummet back to what it was pre-2006. DX2... and Mark, I really respect you but its not hard to get away from the hunters in Swakane and still get into plenty of deer. I know your comparing todays seasons to the 'good ole days' of past, but those days won't return. The buck harvest has been about equal since 2002. The doe harvest was the only rising statistic along with the number of hunters. I think going back to 3 pt or better and no anterless harvest is great. I know that it occurs during my thanksgiving break so if I can't get my ID residency, I'll still have a quality hunt to look forward to! I know we disagree on this matter, but I think after this next november we should talk again... If success rates don't have am impact on your opinion, and just hunter crowding, then throw in gates and/or do a little more walking...Michael
Quote from: MichaelJ on March 25, 2009, 06:47:08 PMQuote from: Snapshot on March 19, 2009, 09:08:24 AMLowedog,With the doe opportunity gone the number of hunters will likely plummet back to what it was pre-2006. DX2... and Mark, I really respect you but its not hard to get away from the hunters in Swakane and still get into plenty of deer. I know your comparing todays seasons to the 'good ole days' of past, but those days won't return. The buck harvest has been about equal since 2002. The doe harvest was the only rising statistic along with the number of hunters. I think going back to 3 pt or better and no anterless harvest is great. I know that it occurs during my thanksgiving break so if I can't get my ID residency, I'll still have a quality hunt to look forward to! I know we disagree on this matter, but I think after this next november we should talk again... If success rates don't have am impact on your opinion, and just hunter crowding, then throw in gates and/or do a little more walking...MichaelMicheal, I don't mean any disrespect but you just don't get it. What is your idea of getting away from other hunters and still seeing plenty of deer? The Swakane is basically in my front yard. I know the unit very well and I know what the deer do on a typical year during that hunt. Walking my ass off to get away from other hunters and seeing a few legal bucks is not my idea of a quality hunt. The big mature bucks will be chasing does. The majority of does will be concentrated low on a typical year. Guess where the majority of Mature bucks will be? The "good ole days" WILL NEVER RETURN when every swinging dick that has an archery tag has the attitude that because archers have a low success rate and they hunt with inferior weapons (compared to modern) that they deserve to have an open season every single year to hunt mule deer in the rut. The Swakane late archery hunt was an any deer hunt for years and years and you could go out and see a lot of big bucks every day that you went out. You could actually put a stalk on a big buck without ten other guys trying to hunt the same buck or running to cut you off as you make your stalk. The problem is that the hunt is overcrowded! It has too much access and it is the closest late archery unit to the west side. As archery hunters we have the whole month of September to get out and chase deer pretty much wherever we want to hunt. If you want to work your ass off and hunt big mule deer and prove yourself as a hunter you can do it then. That's what I'm going to do. You can have the late hunt. It's a joke! It is the Colockum of archery deer hunting! It's for all the whiners who don't want to have to hunt hard and bullied the WDFW into giving in and giving them what they want. What is the accomplishment of getting lucky and sticking a buck in late Nov/Dec that is too busy running from other hunters to notice that you just happened to be in the right spot?-Mark
Quote from: Lowedog on March 27, 2009, 04:37:18 PMQuote from: MichaelJ on March 25, 2009, 06:47:08 PMQuote from: Snapshot on March 19, 2009, 09:08:24 AMLowedog,With the doe opportunity gone the number of hunters will likely plummet back to what it was pre-2006. DMicheal, I don't mean any disrespect but you just don't get it. What is your idea of getting away from other hunters and still seeing plenty of deer? The Swakane is basically in my front yard. I know the unit very well and I know what the deer do on a typical year during that hunt. Walking my ass off to get away from other hunters and seeing a few legal bucks is not my idea of a quality hunt. The big mature bucks will be chasing does. The majority of does will be concentrated low on a typical year. Guess where the majority of Mature bucks will be? The "good ole days" WILL NEVER RETURN when every swinging dick that has an archery tag has the attitude that because archers have a low success rate and they hunt with inferior weapons (compared to modern) that they deserve to have an open season every single year to hunt mule deer in the rut. The Swakane late archery hunt was an any deer hunt for years and years and you could go out and see a lot of big bucks every day that you went out. You could actually put a stalk on a big buck without ten other guys trying to hunt the same buck or running to cut you off as you make your stalk. The problem is that the hunt is overcrowded! It has too much access and it is the closest late archery unit to the west side. As archery hunters we have the whole month of September to get out and chase deer pretty much wherever we want to hunt. If you want to work your ass off and hunt big mule deer and prove yourself as a hunter you can do it then. That's what I'm going to do. You can have the late hunt. It's a joke! It is the Colockum of archery deer hunting! It's for all the whiners who don't want to have to hunt hard and bullied the WDFW into giving in and giving them what they want. What is the accomplishment of getting lucky and sticking a buck in late Nov/Dec that is too busy running from other hunters to notice that you just happened to be in the right spot?-MarkMark,No disrespect taken... The years that I have hunted archery deer I've been out a LOT in september, I don't just buy an archery tag and wait till november to hunt the swakane. So DON'T mistake me for one of 'those guys'... I work my ass off when I hunt, most here know that.The late swakane archery hunt is a quality hunt. The two times I've hunted it, sure I've seen hunters ON THE ROAD, but in two days me and a buddy spotted over 40 bucks, 30 of them legal, and guess how many hunters I saw chasing those deer??? Yep you guessed it, I saw ONE hunter. And he wasn't even close to pushing them away and didn't interfere with my hunt at all. I could never close the deal because we kept bumping deer we hadn't seen when we were trying to get on different bucks... Was that a quality hunt?? You bet ur ass it was.As far as the deer ALL being concentrated in the lowlands, yeah they are but its a big unit and its a Chelan CO unit and there's deer everywhere during that time of year. You said "Walking my ass off to get away from other hunters and seeing a few legal bucks is not my idea of a quality hunt."Its WA state, how else are you going to get away from all the hunters? If your idea of a quality hunt is driving the road and not seeing other hunters and lots of deer? If so, then you'll either have to A: Hunt in September, or B: Draw a special tag and wait for that.Tell me, where are the deer during september? Are they readily accessible from a road? There's VERY few resident deer in areas accessible by road during that time. You're going to have to hike your ass off and get into the higher country. But like you said earlier, that wouldn't be a quality hunt for you...As far as the WDFW caving in to the hunters input... Well they do work for us, and are majorly funded by us. Why shouldn't they listen to us? Why didn't you show up to the WDFW in Eburg to voice your opinion? I was there and it was an OVERWELMING opinion if not wanting to lose that hunt. Many of the reasons were family tradition and how hard it is to be able to have young archers get passionate about the sport if they don't have a quality late hunt like the swakane to cut their teeth on...There's still another WDFW meeting coming up, if you'd like to show up in person and give them your input.MichaelMichael
Quote from: MichaelJ on March 25, 2009, 06:47:08 PMQuote from: Snapshot on March 19, 2009, 09:08:24 AMLowedog,With the doe opportunity gone the number of hunters will likely plummet back to what it was pre-2006. DMicheal, I don't mean any disrespect but you just don't get it. What is your idea of getting away from other hunters and still seeing plenty of deer? The Swakane is basically in my front yard. I know the unit very well and I know what the deer do on a typical year during that hunt. Walking my ass off to get away from other hunters and seeing a few legal bucks is not my idea of a quality hunt. The big mature bucks will be chasing does. The majority of does will be concentrated low on a typical year. Guess where the majority of Mature bucks will be? The "good ole days" WILL NEVER RETURN when every swinging dick that has an archery tag has the attitude that because archers have a low success rate and they hunt with inferior weapons (compared to modern) that they deserve to have an open season every single year to hunt mule deer in the rut. The Swakane late archery hunt was an any deer hunt for years and years and you could go out and see a lot of big bucks every day that you went out. You could actually put a stalk on a big buck without ten other guys trying to hunt the same buck or running to cut you off as you make your stalk. The problem is that the hunt is overcrowded! It has too much access and it is the closest late archery unit to the west side. As archery hunters we have the whole month of September to get out and chase deer pretty much wherever we want to hunt. If you want to work your ass off and hunt big mule deer and prove yourself as a hunter you can do it then. That's what I'm going to do. You can have the late hunt. It's a joke! It is the Colockum of archery deer hunting! It's for all the whiners who don't want to have to hunt hard and bullied the WDFW into giving in and giving them what they want. What is the accomplishment of getting lucky and sticking a buck in late Nov/Dec that is too busy running from other hunters to notice that you just happened to be in the right spot?-Mark
Quote from: Snapshot on March 19, 2009, 09:08:24 AMLowedog,With the doe opportunity gone the number of hunters will likely plummet back to what it was pre-2006. D
