Permits quotas rocking

[cem3434]

  if it makes you feel any better, I have 19 points and feel like my odds are about the same. I have been putting in for over half of my life and never drawn. A quality Eastside bull permit is starting to feel like a once in a lifetime tag for many of us at this point. I wish I had unlimited funds and vacation to hunt other western states because I would drop WA in a heartbeat. 

[huntnnw]

people complaining about not drawing premium rifle tags need to take up other weapon choices if you wanna hunt a good unit. I do not feel sorry or wonder why people do not draw when you look at the odds of some of these units. Hunt outta state and when you do draw a tag in a good units its a added bonus

[cem3434]

Not sure that this is a rifle tag problem and I don't think most are complaining that the tags have been cut rather that many tribal members seemingly don't care about the health of the herds. I have only put in for muzzy the last 5 years or so and I was archery for several years before that. The real issue is the number of hunters and lack of tags regardless of the tag designation. As others have said when tribal members are a small percentage of the overall hunting  population, but probably account for half of the overall harvest of mature bulls on the eastside then we have a problem. The non native tags have been cut severely, but the tribal hunters remain unregulated.  I honestly don't have a problem with subsistence hunting, but targeting only mature bulls and killing dozens of elk for a jerky business is ridiculous. If tribal members don't agree with that assessment then they are part of the problem.

Like I said before most of us can't afford to hunt out of state every year or don't have the vacation to do so. Telling people that is the solution and basically give up on your home state is not realistic for the majority of hunters. Its sounds like you're in a position to do so, which probably puts you in a very small percentage that can do so.

[trophyhunt]

If what the “tribal ticket” is saying is 1/2 true, then tribal branched bull take is likely greater than the quality/bull permit take throughout the state. I’m not gonna go through and do it but what are there 700 (I counted and ballparked) branched permits statewide and a 50% success rate (guess). That’s 350 branched bulls taken by permit holders...y’all got ballpark estimates on tribal harvest? How does it stack up?

I’m not a tribal hater. Numbers is numbers.

not sure we will ever get an honest harvest report from the tribes, yakamas anyway.  When one person alone takes 25-30 bulls, some years much more to support a business that’s even illegal under tribal law, that’s just one member. We will never know the real numbers.

[Skyvalhunter]

That's pretty much the same with all their harvests there pretty much is no accountability.

[Mr Mykiss]

people complaining about not drawing premium rifle tags need to take up other weapon choices if you wanna hunt a good unit. I do not feel sorry or wonder why people do not draw when you look at the odds of some of these units. Hunt outta state and when you do draw a tag in a good units its a added bonus

Your odds of drawing MTV last year with like 3 points was still probably less than 1%. That’s 100 years if you DON’T use statistics, probably 150 if’n you do.

That’s what I’m saying. WDFW will get their come uppins if/when people actually look at the odds.

[huntnnw]

Not sure that this is a rifle tag problem and I don't think most are complaining that the tags have been cut rather that many tribal members seemingly don't care about the health of the herds. I have only put in for muzzy the last 5 years or so and I was archery for several years before that. The real issue is the number of hunters and lack of tags regardless of the tag designation. As others have said when tribal members are a small percentage of the overall hunting  population, but probably account for half of the overall harvest of mature bulls on the eastside then we have a problem. The non native tags have been cut severely, but the tribal hunters remain unregulated.  I honestly don't have a problem with subsistence hunting, but targeting only mature bulls and killing dozens of elk for a jerky business is ridiculous. If tribal members don't agree with that assessment then they are part of the problem.

Like I said before most of us can't afford to hunt out of state every year or don't have the vacation to do so. Telling people that is the solution and basically give up on your home state is not realistic for the majority of hunters. Its sounds like you're in a position to do so, which probably puts you in a very small percentage that can do so.

it usually boils down to priorities in life

[jstone]

I have 13 archery elk points
. It doesn’t matter what you put in for it could take forever

[cem3434]

it usually boils down to priorities in life

So if I understand you, you are okay with the drastic cut in Eastside bull permits and tribal members being completely unregulated because you have the means to hunt out if state? I guess ignorance is bliss and you're definitely in the minority.

[Ironhead]

it usually boils down to priorities in life

So if I understand you, you are okay with the drastic cut in Eastside bull permits and tribal members being completely unregulated because you have the means to hunt out if state? I guess ignorance is bliss and you're definitely in the minority.

Its also coming from a guy that's drawn at least 2 quality Bull tags in the last 10 or 12 years.

I have over 20 quality Elk points and have only put in for Archery or Muzzy hunts. I put in for 10 Western states and have great hunts every year, but I would like to have a quality Elk hunt in my home state some day.

[HoofsandWings]

In 2017, there were 272 bulls 2 points or more taken in Eastern Washington via permits. Of that 169 were taken in the Yakima/Colockum herds. Plus another 125 permit holders who settled on a spike.

[180-GRAIN]

It’s to the point they just need to make every unit in the state draw only for deer and elk.

[trophyhunt]

It’s to the point they just need to make every unit in the state draw only for deer and elk.

Not that completly disagree, but then the non natives will be the only ones held back.  I’ve said this before, it’s radical and might seem crazy, but, I say open it up to any elk long enough to wipe out the elk. Maybe that will force the tribes to come to the table and agree on limits.

[bobcat]

 

In the Yakama tribe's hunting area, we should adopt the same hunting seasons and limits that they have. Year around for bull elk and cow elk from September 1st to December 31st. Kill as many as you want. No limits. Same for deer.

[Ridgerunner]

Permit quotas are very depressing actually.  Shows the sorry state that hunting in this state has become.