May 18th spring bear opener?

[Shooter4]

What would you do if you were a spring bear tag holder and they opened it may 18th? Would you get rid of it or keep it if you were getting put back to work your probably slammed and cant/ wont want to take time off so that gives you 4 days to hunt it givin you live around the gmu for the tag if you dont you would pick a weekend and go I guess that would suck Id return it for points personally. Whats everyones thought lets hear it!

[The scout]

Keep it for sure. If I only have a week to hunt I wait till the last week in may or the first week in June anyway

[High Climber]

I would probably turn it back in.

[buckfvr]

Given the low success rate for spring bear, if I only had a weekend or even a couple weekends I thought I might be able to hunt, Id not even put in for the permit.  It takes time and effort to be successful so if you don't have the time, there goes the effort too.

[jrebel]

All depends on your time and work schedule.  If you can hunt the amount of days you would have otherwise hunted....then keep it.  If you can't due to job, finances and shorter season....then get your points back and hope to draw again in coming years. 

[trophyhunt]

I’m keeping it, even if I only hunted one week, I only had 2 points so nothing to lose. I just hope I don’t see people on every ridge.

[mossback636]

If it all worked out for a guy and he was able to hunt, absolutely hunt. In my experiences that’s about the best luck I’ve had with spring hunts is in that time frame, low success rates blah. A lot of guys hunt a weekend or two. The guys that wanna harvest a bear generally harvest a bear. Not always but at the rate it’s going I’d encourage anyone to hunt whatever opportunity they have 

[HillHound]

I have been working way more during all this garbage so I would jump at the chance for a much needed vacation. Will probably do the same if they open turkey. Just itching to get out

[jrebel]

Wouldn't it seem reasonable, assuming they open the season at the half way point, that they allow hunters to hunt while reinstating half their point for the coming year.  You took away half my time to hunt and all of my points.  Example:  I had 6 points I get to hunt half the season due to the shutdown.....so I get 3 points back.  If you had an odd number you get rounded up 3 points would get 2 back.  To me this is super reasonable.  If they open it in June they would reinstate 3/4 points. 

This would solve the problem of the the shorter season for people who still wanted to give it a go for a weekend or two. 

option #1:  Get all your points back and don't hunt.
option #2:  Hunt the restricted season and recoup a prorated amount of your points. 

[trophyhunt]

Great idea, you should email that to Wdfw and the commission.

[jrebel]

Great idea, you should email that to Wdfw and the commission.

I have sent it WDFW though that likely fell on deaf ears.  I will forward it to the commissioners / commission. 

Email sent to commission, director and wildlife division. 

[BULLBLASTER]

IMO that is a ridiculous idea. Basically half of the spring bear season is nonproductive due to access issues and lack of bear activity.

If they open the season they already said they will let hunters decide if they would like to keep the permit and hunt or give it back and get their points back. That is plenty. 

Even if they dont open it till june 1 i am keeping that permit and hunting.

[jrebel]

IMO that is a ridiculous idea. Basically half of the spring bear season is nonproductive due to access issues and lack of bear activity.

If they open the season they already said they will let hunters decide if they would like to keep the permit and hunt or give it back and get their points back. That is plenty. 

Even if they dont open it till june 1 i am keeping that permit and hunting.

What is ridiculous about the idea.  If they take away half the opportunity....regardless of what you believe is the most productive time to hunt....they should make point reinstatement reflective of opportunity and dates they set.  Are you ok with them just cutting the season in half because "you" only like hunting the later half.  Pretty selfish way of looking at it in my opinion.  I have had bears on camera for the last 3 weeks (in the gmu I have a tag for)....and anyone who knows bears hunting knows the big boars come out earlier then the smaller boars, sows and cubs....so hunting early may give you a great shot at a big bore roaming looking or food or early love.   

[BULLBLASTER]

IMO that is a ridiculous idea. Basically half of the spring bear season is nonproductive due to access issues and lack of bear activity.

If they open the season they already said they will let hunters decide if they would like to keep the permit and hunt or give it back and get their points back. That is plenty. 

Even if they dont open it till june 1 i am keeping that permit and hunting.

What is ridiculous about the idea.  If they take away half the opportunity....regardless of what you believe is the most productive time to hunt....they should make point reinstatement reflective of opportunity and dates they set.  Are you ok with them just cutting the season in half because "you" only like hunting the later half.  Pretty selfish way of looking at it in my opinion.  I have had bears on camera for the last 3 weeks (in the gmu I have a tag for)....and anyone who knows bears hunting knows the big boars come out earlier then the smaller boars, sows and cubs....so hunting early may give you a great shot at a big bore roaming looking or food or early love.   

Yes, since i don't hunt until later in the season means i don't know anything about bears or bear hunting. Thanks for informing me.
If you feel like you missed out on your best chance to get the bear you want you should ask for your points back and forego the permit. If not keep the permit and hunt when you can.
Like i said i think they gave the best options they can and they are good options. They are giving you a choice and not asking for a decision yet.

I just dont think it meeds to be complicated even more by prorating the season length and then figuring out points to give back. They have better things to focus on. 

[trophyhunt]

A better decision they should have made was to let us go hunt, but that doesn’t matter now.  There aren’t enough spring bear tags to over whelm them to make adjustments to points, one day’s work.