2020 Archery Elk....fact or fiction

[nwhunter]

Good example is going on right now here in the Forks area where we as sportsmen are completely shut down from all hunting and recreational fishing. Natives have their nets in the rivers and doing as they please killing springers and native steelhead while we tell our kids sorry the boat has to sit in the driveway until the government says we can go fishing.. If this trickles into fall it will be the same story but by then most of us will have had enough and maybe these issues will come to a head because many of us will be going hunting... I heard fish and game was out in their boat patrolling the water in Sekiu and I have seen more game wardens driving thru Forks the last three weeks than ever to be sure we are staying home but no control over natives...

[Karl Blanchard]

I might be selfish here, but I feel this is a good thing. Archery hunting has become a zoo. Camps with big "Rainier" signs up, rigs running the roads with guys in beds of trucks, people everywhere, etc. 
I am looking forward to having less people in some of the areas I hunt, spikes are not ghosts they are out there in decent numbers, and they grill up just fine for me. 

I do feel it should be spike, not true spike rules though. 

this was my thinking too  spikes are pretty easy to call in.  We used to hunt the Colockum when it was spike only and did just fine.

With that said, the removal of otc cow and the reduction in cow permits is unwarranted in my opinion. WDFW said it themselves, they did not do winter aerial surveys. And their surveys the year before were fake news as well. I can't and won't speak to the Colockum as it's been several years since I hunted that direction but there is no shortage of elk in the Yakima GMU's. Not even in the slightest 

[cb1989]

Amazing how quickly these conversations always devolve into arguments about native rights... like it or not they are exercising rights provided to them in fair treaty with the united states government. How can you suggest they should not be allowed to exercise those rights? Amazingly hypocritical to defend your own rights in one breath and then with the next say that other's should be taken from them. We either live in a land that defends the rights provided to us by our government or we don't. Before you go saying that someone's rights should be taken away, remember there's someone out there that wants to take away yours.

[nwhunter]

No argument here just sharing facts.. Apologize for getting off topic though..

[trophyhunt]

Nobody is talking about taking away anyone’s rights, we are talking about sound management and “in common with”! 

[NOCK NOCK]

I might be selfish here, but I feel this is a good thing. Archery hunting has become a zoo. Camps with big "Rainier" signs up, rigs running the roads with guys in beds of trucks, people everywhere, etc. 
I am looking forward to having less people in some of the areas I hunt, spikes are not ghosts they are out there in decent numbers, and they grill up just fine for me. 

I do feel it should be spike, not true spike rules though. 

this was my thinking too  spikes are pretty easy to call in.  We used to hunt the Colockum when it was spike only and did just fine.

With that said, the removal of otc cow and the reduction in cow permits is unwarranted in my opinion. WDFW said it themselves, they did not do winter aerial surveys. And their surveys the year before were fake news as well. I can't and won't speak to the Colockum as it's been several years since I hunted that direction but there is no shortage of elk in the Yakima GMU's. Not even in the slightest 

I agree 

I think one of the issues in the Colockum is that its not all open for each weapon. The elk are not dumb, they head to units or reserve where they are safer. After the 1st day or 2 it can really change where the elk are living.

[TriggerMike]

I might be selfish here, but I feel this is a good thing. Archery hunting has become a zoo. Camps with big "Rainier" signs up, rigs running the roads with guys in beds of trucks, people everywhere, etc. 
I am looking forward to having less people in some of the areas I hunt, spikes are not ghosts they are out there in decent numbers, and they grill up just fine for me. 

I do feel it should be spike, not true spike rules though. 

this was my thinking too  spikes are pretty easy to call in.  We used to hunt the Colockum when it was spike only and did just fine.

With that said, the removal of otc cow and the reduction in cow permits is unwarranted in my opinion. WDFW said it themselves, they did not do winter aerial surveys. And their surveys the year before were fake news as well. I can't and won't speak to the Colockum as it's been several years since I hunted that direction but there is no shortage of elk in the Yakima GMU's. Not even in the slightest 

Why have the success rates in the Yakima units been so markedly low the last few years? Any why so many less hunters as well?

[TriggerMike]

Archery hunters in the Colockum kill BY FAR the most cows than any other season, including special permits. According to the harvest stats for last year, archery hunters killed about 50% more cows than the Mod Fire and Muzzy special permit cow seasons combined. If the herd numbers are down, then limiting archery cow opportunity is a no brainer  There's nothing you can do about indians up there, or running dogs, so in the real world you have to make a real world decision to get a real world solution.

[lokidog]

Nobody is talking about taking away anyone’s rights, we are talking about sound management and “in common with”!

This should be the focus. It is hard to justify "managing" only 1/3 of the harvesters....   

[cb1989]

Nobody is talking about taking away anyone’s rights, we are talking about sound management and “in common with”!

right... not taking them away  just chipping away at them because they are old and outdated, not keeping with modern times. Funny that's the same argument I've heard about other rights we like. Just find it funny that the same guys that defend their own rights tooth and nail turn around and talk about taking away sorry, changing someone else's.

[trophyhunt]

Nobody is talking about taking away anyone’s rights, we are talking about sound management and “in common with”!

right... not taking them away  just chipping away at them because they are old and outdated, not keeping with modern times. Funny that's the same argument I've heard about other rights we like. Just find it funny that the same guys that defend their own rights tooth and nail turn around and talk about taking away sorry, changing someone else's.

If you think ZERO limits on deer and elk harvest doesn’t deserve to be updated, you’re nuts or you have native friends that take you hunting for weed! We’ve updated our right to carry full auto machine guns if you want to talk semantics! 

[hughjorgan]

Nobody is talking about taking away anyone’s rights, we are talking about sound management and “in common with”!

right... not taking them away  just chipping away at them because they are old and outdated, not keeping with modern times. Funny that's the same argument I've heard about other rights we like. Just find it funny that the same guys that defend their own rights tooth and nail turn around and talk about taking away sorry, changing someone else's.

If you think ZERO limits on deer and elk harvest doesn’t deserve to be updated, you’re nuts or you have native friends that take you hunting for weed! We’ve updated our right to carry full auto machine guns if you want to talk semantics!

What if the treaty is updated to follow the BOLDT decision and they end up getting half the take of our elk? I don’t know if it is a wise of a fight to pick.

Back on topic...

The game department isn’t doing their job very well. Like has been mentioned their spring surveys aren’t being done and then they make a management decision based off what data?

They gave out to many cow tags for several years. And now they are doing the the polar opposite by restricting opportunity.

There are going to be far fewer archery hunters for the foreseeable future. I don’t see many guys wanting to chase a spike around with a sharp stick. Last time they did this to the nile and bumping GMUs those units were a ghost town.

I think if there is a silver lining to having to apply for a cow tag is that possibly they will allow permits in the Little Naches, Bethel and Cowiche units that have traditionally only been open for those that drew a branched antlered tag.

I’ve stopped putting in for branched antlered permits since it is basically like applying for an oil permit. I’ll be giving my money to another state from here on out. No reason to waste hard earned money for less and less opportunity in Washington. The WDFW has whittled away the archery seasons since the early 2000s when I began hunting with a bow.

[cb1989]

you’re nuts or you have native friends that take you hunting for weed!

haha that one got me. Is that a thing? Here I was wasting my time hunting under the white man's regs and youre telling me I can hunt bulls with a rifle in December and all itd cost is a square bale of pot and a case of corn likker? Hell... I got buddies that grow. Anybody need jerky?

[Special T]

Huh, solutions?  We are all ears! If what’s happening doesn't piss you off than you’re missing it completely or you’re a saint.  I’m leaning more towards you are more passive than some of us, which is a good thing, don’t take that wrong.  But, I’ll never get past actions that are just plain wrong, no matter how long it goes on it never gets to be numb to me.

Many of the folks i have talked to and reply about tribal stuff have not investigated any further than surface level. I'm far from an expert but barking at the Tribal tree accomplishes nothing. I dont even think it makes them feel better. 

The YTC has not been included in the surveys. Why is that?

The Yakimas could run hounds on cats. Has anyone approached the tribe, or tribal members to start cat hunting? Couldnt that do more for everyone?  What about Trapping? I bet they could do that as well.

I dont have the answers to these questions, but focusing on what CAN be done is much better than  over tribal harvest.

[jstone]

We still have a long time till we even get drawn.!!!