Washington Mule Deer

[hal]

ANSWER: Close to $1000.00 for big and small game for NR. I can hunt all big and small game as a NR in PA for less than $150.00. Many family hunters cannot afford those prices. I am 72 and on a fixed income. It costs me close to $400.00 including specials and multi as a resident. Most eastern states have a one time fee for all over 65 hunters and fisherman. WA just has MORE fees. That doesn't count the taxes I pay on owned property for hunting only purpose. """"Greed is not always good"""""

[Sandberm]

Most deer harvested ever and most hunters ever in district 5 I believe.

I know i didnt see many deer.

[trophyhunt]

With 15 or 16 points for deer, I almost feel like I should just ghost point till it gets better, but then reality is, it may never get better. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Most deer harvested ever and most hunters ever in district 5 I believe.

I know i didnt see many deer.

Sometimes I question their results.

[dvolmer]

With 15 or 16 points for deer, I almost feel like I should just ghost point till it gets better, but then reality is, it may never get better.

it’s only going to get worse. And that is sad for me to say and come to terms with.

[Timberstalker]

With 15 or 16 points for deer, I almost feel like I should just ghost point till it gets better, but then reality is, it may never get better.

Jerry, these will be just like your elk points.  LOL
Talk to me in 8 years.

[trophyhunt]

With 15 or 16 points for deer, I almost feel like I should just ghost point till it gets better, but then reality is, it may never get better.

Jerry, these will be just like your elk points.  LOL
Talk to me in 8 years.

lol, yeah, I hardly even get angry anymore when I don’t draw.    I remember years ago the post I’d make right after the draws, mad at the world, lol. I just expect it anymore, to be disappointed that is. 

[trophyhunt]

But this year will be very different!! I’m drawing my bull elk for sure!!!  Lol

[Timberstalker]

Can't thread jack anymore, but wow, with all the quality bull permits in the Blues, how could you not draw??!!!!!!!!!!!



 

[wolfbait]

You need to change the mentality of your hunting community. I prefer predator hunting lions,bears, coyotes and wolf. We hunt Idaho and Montana successfully every year for deer and elk but we spend more time killing predators in Idaho than anything. There is an ingrained mentality of hunting deer and elk in most hunters but Washington really is a predator hunting Mecca. I realize you can’t hunt wolves or use hounds on cats but you have probably the best spot and stalk bear hunting and season of any state. I think me and my boy will pay the out of state for bear this year. Washington has to be the best state in the nation to kill a cat without hounds. Coyotes numbers appear to be ridiculously high when I am driving around eastern Washington.Hunt what is in abundance and leave the deer alone or just strictly hunt for only trophy deer and kill the heck out of predators. You are in the best predator hunting in the lower 48 in my opinion. Shift your focus and enjoy. Killing stuff with fangs and claws is more fun and bears and lions taste great 👍

After reading the entire thread with some good ideas addressing the lack of mule deer, I came to the conclusion that the only option that we have is the one above by Idaho Guy. As BigMacc mentioned when the "game Department" changed to WDFW the policies changed also, and they didn't favor mule deer management of the past, they favored pro predator policies, along with multiple seasons, WDFW has done everything they could possibly do, to kill off the mule deer etc. and it will continue until upper management is replaced.

Bones idea would be getting back to the "Game Department" policies, WDFW will never go there. With the one exception of buying up land, and then pretending it is mule deer habitat, as they dump wolves on both ends

Predator control
Stop the antlerless harvest. (Little johnnie can learn to hunt like the rest of us did). 2nd deer tag, really?
Get a grip on Tribal harvest.  You all are just going to improve the jerky market.  Look what cutbacks did in the clockum (for elk).
Stop the multi season tag
Put funds into buying land to secure for range versus hiring wolf study guys. 

This would be a start.   I’m guessing very few hunters are willing to make the sacrifice.   Every time I see someone excited about killing a doe I want to puke.  Oh and in this woke world you can’t say anything because you might hurt someone’s feelings and you get lectured on how we have to stick together.   Hold hands like those on the deck of the titanic.

[Skyvalhunter]

That sounds all fine and dandy to get rid of Multi Season tags, Doe tags, second deer tags, etc. But the problem is hunters in Wa are in decline. When you team that up with the fact that WDFW is already operating in the red and removing those tags will put them in the red even more. So another source of funding has to occur.

[Ironhead]

Hunter numbers across the West have risen, why are Washington hunter numbers in decline?

[grundy53]

Hunter numbers across the West have risen, why are Washington hunter numbers in decline?

Piss poor management. It's all a money grab for our game department. And we are so close to better states...

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[Ironhead]

Hunter numbers across the West have risen, why are Washington hunter numbers in decline?

Piss poor management. It's all a money grab for our game department. And we are so close to better states...

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I get it, but quite a few on this site think its the greatest management ever. ( Except for the Predators.) It is unfortunately so much more... than just the Predators.

[Farmer72]

I don't know that I blame the WDFW for the piss poor management as much as I do the Game Commission. When the game Commission (Appointed by the Governor) don't listen to the recommendations of the biologists and just push their anti hunting agenda but still want to take your money hunting will never improve.