Is it time to make Bow Seasons same rules as Rifle and Muzzy?

[Bango skank]

And I would give a preference point for elk or deer (hunter's choice) for every cougar or bear harvested in WA state.  Incentivize people to harvest predators by giving them more preference points for elk and deer.   That would go a long way to improving ungulate populations by having guys spending time hunting predators more.   My 

While i dont see this as a possibility just from the negative publicity it would get from the non hunting public, i do like the idea.  A lot of guys dont even buy bear or cougar tags.  This might encourage people to do so (and increase wdfws revenue a little,) just incase they get a chance to snag an extra deer or elk point while out deer or elk hunting.  There are also guys that buy the tags that pass up opportunities to take a bear so as not to interfere with their deer or elk hunt.  But the bonus point might be all it takes to get them to fill that tag instead of letting it walk.

[kselkhunter]

And I would give a preference point for elk or deer (hunter's choice) for every cougar or bear harvested in WA state.  Incentivize people to harvest predators by giving them more preference points for elk and deer.   That would go a long way to improving ungulate populations by having guys spending time hunting predators more.   My 

While i dont see this as a possibility just from the negative publicity it would get from the non hunting public, i do like the idea.  A lot of guys dont even buy bear or cougar tags.  This might encourage people to do so (and increase wdfws revenue a little,) just incase they get a chance to snag an extra deer or elk point while out deer or elk hunting.  There are also guys that buy the tags that pass up opportunities to take a bear so as not to interfere with their deer or elk hunt.  But the bonus point might be all it takes to get them to fill that tag instead of letting it walk.

I think the guys putting boots on the ground taking out predators should be rewarded.  I've increased my predator hunting the past few years, but I suck at it.   The guys that are good at it should get an extra bonus in my opinion, because it's not easy.  Predator hunters should be the hero's of ungulate hunters and rewarded as such.  As those guys are doing more for our deer/elk populations than the guys complaining on hunting forums.  I know it would never get approved, but there should be a master hunter category for bear/cougar hunters that they're allowed to harvest multiple predators per year beyond what the rest of us are allowed, as it takes years to learn predator hunting without the use of bait or dogs.

[NOCK NOCK]

There are a lot of bow hunters out there hunting elk. It’s already hard enough to be successful archery hunting elk. Take away the incentive of being able to shoot a cow and a little longer season and a lot of guys will just switch back to modern or muzzy making those seasons more crowded. As someone who’s bow hunted elk for 35 years I can tell you as bow hunting has gotten more popular the last 10-15 years, there are A LOT of them out there. You might want to keep them there and not in your already crowded modern and muzzy seasons.

FACT.

[Pegasus]

And I would give a preference point for elk or deer (hunter's choice) for every cougar or bear harvested in WA state.  Incentivize people to harvest predators by giving them more preference points for elk and deer.   That would go a long way to improving ungulate populations by having guys spending time hunting predators more.   My 

While i dont see this as a possibility just from the negative publicity it would get from the non hunting public, i do like the idea.  A lot of guys dont even buy bear or cougar tags.  This might encourage people to do so (and increase wdfws revenue a little,) just incase they get a chance to snag an extra deer or elk point while out deer or elk hunting.  There are also guys that buy the tags that pass up opportunities to take a bear so as not to interfere with their deer or elk hunt.  But the bonus point might be all it takes to get them to fill that tag instead of letting it walk.

I think the guys putting boots on the ground taking out predators should be rewarded.  I've increased my predator hunting the past few years, but I suck at it.   The guys that are good at it should get an extra bonus in my opinion, because it's not easy.  Predator hunters should be the hero's of ungulate hunters and rewarded as such.  As those guys are doing more for our deer/elk populations than the guys complaining on hunting forums.  I know it would never get approved, but there should be a master hunter category for bear/cougar hunters that they're allowed to harvest multiple predators per year beyond what the rest of us are allowed, as it takes years to learn predator hunting without the use of bait or dogs.

Actually those extra points would act as a bounty and WDFW could control the interest by the amount of points assigned to each species that needs controlling. After all, how many elk and deer are taken each year by specific predators versus a few hunters filing their tags once every ten or twenty years? Bounties have been very effective in the past in controlling predators. The point system boost would probably draw less negative animosity from anti-hunting groups than a real cash bounty would.

[Piscatory_5]

There are a lot of bow hunters out there hunting elk. It’s already hard enough to be successful archery hunting elk. Take away the incentive of being able to shoot a cow and a little longer season and a lot of guys will just switch back to modern or muzzy making those seasons more crowded. As someone who’s bow hunted elk for 35 years I can tell you as bow hunting has gotten more popular the last 10-15 years, there are A LOT of them out there. You might want to keep them there and not in your already crowded modern and muzzy seasons.

Yup, of it comes to that I'll just stop, not going to the modern crowd again.

[Piscatory_5]

Let's make one season, same dates for everyone and separate units for each type with same harvest rules. Which unit will run out of animals first?

[duckmen1]

Let's make one season, same dates for everyone and separate units for each type with same harvest rules. Which unit will run out of animals first?

Oh I know I know pick me.  just look how it is now state wide as it is without it even being that way. I know my guess.

[Piscatory_5]

That archery harvest is higher than I thought.

[Special T]

A couple of things. 2018 archery elk harvest was over allotment with 6 days instead of 14. It was also the first year of this change.

Some have suggested some kind of incentive to harvest more cats. The governor has thwarted  past attempts at increasing the quotas. The current cougar proposed changes have ZERO increase in cats. 95%+ of cat harvests are incidental. Meaning I'm hunting deer or elk and see a cat so I shot it. This percentage of incidental take does not lend hunters to being a solution to overpopulation of cats.

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[jnordwell]

Is it time that bow hunters start getting drawn for cows or spikes?

In a state with too many hunters, too many predators , liberal native hunting and too little game ,can we continue to allow bow hunters to shoot either Spike or Cow when everyone one else has to draw for cows.

We all pay the same money. So shouldn’t we have the same opportunity?

The question is how far can you shoot with your weapon of choice. 50-60 yards for compounds 30 for traditional..
muzzleloader 100-200
Modern rifle 300-900+ but all hunters should help each other. Maybe we can swap years.. if your last name is a-m you get tags even years and n-z odd years..

[Fullabull]

I think maybe you should switch to archery and see how easy it is. What is the only group to hunt at the prime of the rut in WA? It's not archery.

[Jellymon]

I’m still trying to figure out why a trolling, argument inducing thread full of assumptions was deemed important enough to qualify as a sticky. 

[Mudman]

I have the solution...….   ALL of us don't buy deer/elk tags.   This makes big statement to State n wdfw, then we ALL buy cougar/bear tags and only predator hunt for 1 year.   Hopefully reducing predator #'s and also allowing prey to grow!   2 birds 1 stone.   No Disc pass purchase either...

[Jellymon]

 
 

[Matth]

I have the solution...….   ALL of us don't buy deer/elk tags.   This makes big statement to State n wdfw, then we ALL buy cougar/bear tags and only predator hunt for 1 year.   Hopefully reducing predator #'s and also allowing prey to grow!   2 birds 1 stone.   No Disc pass purchase either...

Best idea i have heard in a while. I could just hunt antlered game out of state for a year or two.