Quality elk tag numbers

[ridgefire]

I was just looking at the news regs and it looks like their is a total of 114 quality elk tags for archery in all of Eastern Washington combined. It doesn't seem like it was all that long ago they gave out that many tags in just the Rimrock unit itself. Unfortunately, the way it's trending I really don't see it getting any better with what we're dealing with. What a shame. I think its time to get rid of the people that run the department and start new. Between mismanagement, Indians and predators elk in Washington is doomed. What are your thoughts and what can we do about it?

[Bullmoose]

Muzzleloader Take a Hit and Archery Gets more again,

[Stein]

It has been a multi-year trend, 50-75% reductions in the units I was looking at every year. 

My solution was to stop applying and go elsewhere.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no management plan, they do a half-hearted count and then issue tags off of that.  In my mind, that isn't management as they are doing nothing to understand the problem or remediate it. 

I'll give my money to states that do a better job.

[Mtnwalker]

I did a quick count and it looked like around 450ish quality elk tags for the entire state between all methods of take. Pretty sad to see. I try to stay optimistic but it gets tougher and tougher to do!

[ridgefire]

It sucks because i will be at 14 quality elk points this year and i don't even hunt elk in Washington anymore. I hate donating to the state but almost to vested to give up on the draw. Decisions.

[D-Rock425]

Muzzleloader Take a Hit and Archery Gets more again,

what does archery get more of?

[jstone]

I am in the same boat 14 quality archery elk points. I keep applying for the same unit. Thinking of changing just to draw something and hunt bulls.!!

[Katmai Guy]

Muzzleloader Take a Hit and Archery Gets more again,

BS! We all took cuts.

[92xj]

It sucks because i will be at 14 quality elk points this year and i don't even hunt elk in Washington anymore. I hate donating to the state but almost to vested to give up on the draw. Decisions.

If you could retrain yourself to look at your percent probability of drawing instead of the number of points you have, you might change your tune.

I completely get the thought and feeling of having "so many" points that you can't leave until you burn them, but turn that point figure into a percentage figure and it should be pretty easy to walk away and fund other states.

I still fund this state and buy the application because I don't look at my point number to determine my expectations or hopes of drawing.  I look at this as putting my one name in the hat ( no matter how many points I have) and at any given time with any given animal my one little single ping pong ball might shoot up.

I also look at it that I have horrible luck in a lot of things and I'm just throwing money away.

Catch 22

[WSU]

The draw for quality or bull tags (and quality deer) only makes sense if you plan to hunt general season and treat it like a bonus chance to draw a tag.  If you don't look forward to general season, it makes no sense to spend the money hoping to draw a tag unless you simply don't mind throwing that money away annually.

[vandeman17]

The draw for quality or bull tags (and quality deer) only makes sense if you plan to hunt general season and treat it like a bonus chance to draw a tag.  If you don't look forward to general season, it makes no sense to spend the money hoping to draw a tag unless you simply don't mind throwing that money away annually.

  and especially for elk if you don't draw the multi season tag since you are stuck hunting a side of the state with a specific weapon. I drew a quality tag a few years ago and haven't applied since because I hunt elk in other states each year. Key word there is "hunt" elk and not "kill" elk 

[ridgefire]

With 474 total quality elk tags combined and let's be generous and say their is a 25% success rate that is only about 119 bulls killed by hunters with quality bull permits in Washington combined. There was 333 antlered elk killed in unit 1 in Idaho last year by itself. That is dang near 3x as many elk killed in Idaho in one unit than all of Eastern Washington combined. We are screwed.

[Rainier10]

I did a quick count and it looked like around 450ish quality elk tags for the entire state between all methods of take. Pretty sad to see. I try to stay optimistic but it gets tougher and tougher to do!

I was at the drawing last year, there were like 600 tags and 27,000 applicants if I remember correctly. Odds were brutal then and even worse this year.

[WSU]

For me, I've been having good success here in WA recently (6 elk in the past 5 years) and look forward to general season.  Someone usually draws a tag every few years in my family and we get a bonus hunt.  I drew a bull tag 2 years ago and my dad drew quality deer the same year.  Then he drew a bull tag last year.  Those were fun hunts that were just a bonus.

Plus some people are just damn lucky.  My dad has drawn 3 quality deer tags while I've drawn none.  If your name is in the hat there's a chance.

[bigfish51]

Heck, I just did the Blue Mountain region quality bull tags for all 3 methods, and that totals 114 tags (counting the Watershed).  Just a few years ago that number was in the 200's and a little further back it was in the 300's.  Sad is the word that I use to describe what has happened to the Blue Mountain hunts (deer and elk).  Now it's just cool to say that you saw a legal animal while out in the field there.  Bummer!

Talked to a local bio yesterday and asked him what's up on the theory that the Blues (and other regions) are at or above the carrying capacity.  BS deal!  He agreed.  Couldn't really tell me what was considered a good herd # for anywhere in this state.  I laugh, as I think WA is shooting for a herd of "0".

As others have stated, start looking at other states if you want to enjoy a hunt with some chances of success.  I've been hunting in a number of other states and have had great times with family and friends and even killed or had chances of killing some nice animals.

Good luck to all!