It should be archery season today

[BULLBLASTER]

AK, thank you for your input but please play again. i am an avid bowhunter and have been very successful at bow hunting,  and i dont bitch about the season. pretty mature of you to attack a person that you know absolutely nothing about on a public forum. there are some things that i could make up about you and post all over here, but i dont want to slander anyones name in that way. i think you should get over yourself and the internet tuff guy that you apperently are and take this sight for what it is, a entertaining and very helpful place with plenty of good people.

[bow4elk]

I'm going to Lock this post if you guys don't start using some manners!   A passionate debate is fine, but quit the name calling and 3rd grade tactics, please.

[alwinearcher]

I support all ethical hunting.

Really?  You just attacked the hell out of Bullblaster for what you assumed was his style of hunting just from a name on a forum.  Get over yourself.

Whoa Whoa whoa, your not kidding...
For the record Chris (bullblaster) is a hardcore bowhunter and a very ethical hunter at that.
And the reason his name is Bullblaster isnt because he blast them with a rifle, its because he shoots a PSE and it hits them so hard its like blasting them with a rifle.

So much anger on here over a little deer season.. I am pissed as all get out about what they did to the archery season for whitetail this year, but getting on here and fighting with fellow hunters about it sure as hell is only going to make everythign worse for everyone.

[joebear]

I'm sure someone posts this every year so sorry in advance...but there is no where else in the universe other than Western WA where modern season is during the peak of the rut, then, as the BT's bucks become nocturnal and super hard to even find they allow archers to get after it.

If were lucky we can find a doe that was not bred during the first rut and we can find a buck or two in a second rut.

I wrote to WDFW about this last year and got a "thanks for your letter we will take your thoughts into consideration". I hope they do because this is complete bull s#&t mismanagement.

I am in with you Ak. We should start a petition and see what we come up with. You are correct about the rut not many states allow rifle hunting during the rut. I think if this is how they want to run the system then they should allow all tags to be all seasons like Montana. And as for the comment about hunting with a bow during rifle pull your head out of you ass !!!

Pull your head out of your own ass. There is opportunity to hunt the blacktails during the rut with what ever weapon you want it just requires to buy a different tag. And if that isn't good enough for you then draw the multiple season permit and quit your bitching. 

What I meant by "too many idiots dont want to get shot" is there are too many idiots during modern season and I dont want to get shot at, or scoped etc.

If you are going to argue about the fact that the peak of the rut is in modern season in Western WA you are barking up the wrong thread. Just check the thread about tracking the BT rut.

Why the hell should I have to buy a modern tag and hunt with my archery tackle if I want to hunt BT's during the peak of the rut? That makes zero sense, and I shouldnt have to "draw" a multi-season tag either, that makes no sense, let the modern hunter have to go above and beyond not the archer. My and Joe's point is that we dont want to have to deal with the hords of people who are out during modern season, for arhcers like us its not necessarily about killing an animal as it is about hunting the animal. I dont have any problem with hunting with a gun I just am looking for explanation of why the state of WA doestn look at moving the seasons around.
It is an absolute fact that this is backwards as far as a management point of view. Maybe it is a $ thing I dont know.

I am with you Joe let's start a petition...PM me about what we would have to do to get started.

It is what it is. The season is set up right now that what I suggested is your only opportunity to hunt them during this time of year with that specific tag.

I have no idea when the blacktails rut. Just going off what you said. You are inferring that they are rutting during this time of the year and have the elitist attitude that only archers should be able to hunt animals during the rut. If you really hunt archery because there are less people in the woods during our archery seasons, then why would hunting during the rut even matter? If you want to get better archery seasons look into joining the groups that represent us as a whole and lobby for our seasons. The WSAA and Washington Bowhunters Association.

Personally I think they should just do away with Choose Your Weapon this way there would be less bickering over the seasons. Everyone will be able to hunt when they want and we won't have the issues that we have now. Every user group whining about the other users groups opportunities.

Bow that is what I said. And I dont think I  have an eleatist view I just think it should be fair for the animal. I have hunted many times in Montana .with my rifle witch is a 300 um and let me tell you 400 yards at a ass sniffing buck is not hard to find !

[bowhuntin]

Fair enough Joe. I don't think your an elitist. Just seems to me that it is ridiculous to give all the best times of years to just one user group with the way the seasons are and having to pick a weapon.

I think it is quite fair to the animal as long as it is fair chase and people are ethical with shots they take. No high fences and such. There are still plenty of animals to pursuit.

I don't think to many guys are shooting those distances on the westside. It isn't open like areas in montana or eastern washington are. Even if they are taking shots at those distances and can make that shot good for them. Everybody makes their own choices of what seasons to hunt and what weapon to use. If you like getting close or you like slinging lead there is a season for everyone.

[rasbo]

you guys could trade the elk rut for the buck rut

[AKBowman]

AK, thank you for your input but please play again. i am an avid bowhunter and have been very successful at bow hunting,  and i dont bitch about the season. pretty mature of you to attack a person that you know absolutely nothing about on a public forum. there are some things that i could make up about you and post all over here, but i dont want to slander anyones name in that way. i think you should get over yourself and the internet tuff guy that you apperently are and take this sight for what it is, a entertaining and very helpful place with plenty of good people.

Yeah got a little fired up I wasnt the first one to poke but it doesnt matter I'm over it. I see this site for hunters to get together and speak about the success of our hunting adventures. I agree we need to stick together as a group and hold strong regardless of method of choice.

I still think the seasons should be adjusted. Bull, glad you're an ethical hunter it is appreciated. Best of luck the rest of the year.

[joebear]

Well that got out of hand. Bottom line I think we all agree. And really if a hunter puts in his time sweat and the miles to pursue any animal then he is respected in my book. I hope we all have some great stories to tell at the end of this year.

[bankwalker]

i love how people always cry about not getting to hunt the rut. if you switch it then the modern firearm guys will be crying. either way someone will always be crying.

the way i see it is this. the people who cry about not getting to hunt the rut with thier weapon of choice are the poeple who cant kill a deer anyway.

so buy a modern firearm tag and hunt with your bow. if the rut is so great then you should have no problem.

p.s. im an archery hunter first, and modern firearm second. and i have had no trouble at all finding bucks all the way into december. frankly i love hunting late november and if it wasnt for my parents and girlfriend then i would be archery hunting deer aswell.

[AKBowman]

i love how people always cry about not getting to hunt the rut. if you switch it then the modern firearm guys will be crying. either way someone will always be crying.

the way i see it is this. the people who cry about not getting to hunt the rut with thier weapon of choice are the poeple who cant kill a deer anyway.

so buy a modern firearm tag and hunt with your bow. if the rut is so great then you should have no problem.

p.s. im an archery hunter first, and modern firearm second. and i have had no trouble at all finding bucks all the way into december. frankly i love hunting late november and if it wasnt for my parents and girlfriend then i would be archery hunting deer aswell.

Good point but I dont necessarily agree with your statement about the people who request the season changes are the people who cant kill deer. I've lived here for three years and killed a deer with my bow all three years. I just think if you choose to hunt with a weapon that can effectiely kill an animal at 300+ yards than you shouldnt be allowed to kill that animal when they are in their most vulnerable state i.e. the rut. To me that just does not seem fair to the animal.

Again, I am thrilled when someone gets a kill and they have a great story and fill their freezer with delicious meat. But I do not think that killing an animal at 300+ yards is very sporting. Note how I said sporting NOT ethical. If a hunter can shoot accurately out to that yardage than I believe it is an ethical choice to take the shot I jsut dont think it is sporting.

Anyhow...best of luck this year and good hunting!

[jackelope]

this is a great thread. now rifle hunters aren't sporting either.

[AKBowman]

this is a great thread. now rifle hunters aren't sporting either.

It's just my opinion that it is not very challenging and therefore not as rewarding. I think people are getting too caught up with the instant gratification that the modern world has bestowed upon us. It's good for a person to get skunked, it builds character and makes the time when you get a kill that much more rewarding which, again my opinion, enables people to respect the game they harvest and heritage of hunting that much more.

I dont think or want everyone to be a bow hunter I just think that because the modern season falls in the peak of the rut that modern hunters are not challenged enough. There are just too many advantages in modern technology combine those technologies with a deer that has breeding on his mind and things can get pretty easy.

[jackelope]

you ought to try it some time.

i haven't killed a buck in the last 3 years, all rifle seasons.

i know a few rifle hunters that could likely teach you a few things about respect.

[Little Dave]

Instant gratification with a bow can look just as ugly as it does with a rifle.

There's a lot of modern technology at play in bow hunting.  Just about all bow hunters use razor sharp, highly refined metal broadheads.  A lot of other popular bow hunting tackle is also significantly influenced by modern technology.

I don't like the notion hunters using archery tackle need a handicap for whatever reason.  What might work better is to put certain game units on rotation with all hunting methods so that there is an archery season somewhere in the state, September through December.

[Tony 270WSM]

I hunt rifle and bow and hate to see the greedy attitude that sometimes comes up from (some) archers thinking they should have the best of everything. We already have the elk rut. I'm happy with that. If you want the deer rut, either go modern or catch the tail end of it for late archery. You have a choice, just don't expect for you to get the best of everything and anyone not hunting with a bow to get the leftovers.