stupid!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[longstevo]

Personally I would like to see them do away with general seasons altogether and go to permit only for all deer and elk hunting.

Never going to happen.  Because then, the tag sales would go through the basement. 

And the WDFW's primary job is to make money. 

[bobcat]

Personally I would like to see them do away with general seasons altogether and go to permit only for all deer and elk hunting.

Never going to happen.  Because then, the tag sales would go through the basement. 

And the WDFW's primary job is to make money. 

Why not? Most all of the other western states have gone to draw tags only for deer and elk. They still sell tags. Why would Washington be any different? The hunting would be better and that would create more demand for the tags. They could double the price and sell only half the tags and still make the same money.

[EastWaViking]

Why not? Most all of the other western states have gone to draw tags only for deer and elk. They still sell tags. Why would Washington be any different? The hunting would be better and that would create more demand for the tags. They could double the price and sell only half the tags and still make the same money.

I've got another great idea.  What if the state made you buy gas by drawing only!  Wouldn't that be great, we'd have more gas supply and they could quadruple the price and make lot of money!!! 

[hrd2fnd]

Maybe....just maybe....the deer, and Elk are getting smarter, or someone has notified them its that season....just a thought. Same problem for me every year. I see Elk in deer season, and deer in Elk season....go figure.

[bobcat]

I've got another great idea.  What if the state made you buy gas by drawing only!  Wouldn't that be great, we'd have more gas supply and they could quadruple the price and make lot of money!!! 

Now that's just plain STUPID.  

Well all I know is most of the western states do not have unlimited numbers of over-the-counter deer and elk tags like we do. Must be something to actually MANAGING wildlife rather than just having a free for all like this state does.

[EastWaViking]

It's far from a "free for all"  I think our state does try to manage the wildlife.  They added a lot of doe tags for our area a few years back when the numbers of deer were insane, they backed off a bit this year on the doe tags since there has been some winter kill... Not enough winter kill to warrant chopping a week out of late archery season IMO.  Pend Oreille county maybe, Spokane county, no way.

[Axle]

Not a chance that will happen unless the herds statewide are in dire straights due to some exceptional series of events that cause game numbers to be drastically reduced.

You mean like - introducing another predator like the wolf? Boy, I can't imagine our game department doing something stupid like that. Man!, that would really screw things up!

[longstevo]

Personally I would like to see them do away with general seasons altogether and go to permit only for all deer and elk hunting.

Never going to happen.  Because then, the tag sales would go through the basement. 

And the WDFW's primary job is to make money. 

Why not? Most all of the other western states have gone to draw tags only for deer and elk. They still sell tags. Why would Washington be any different? The hunting would be better and that would create more demand for the tags. They could double the price and sell only half the tags and still make the same money.

You say most other Western States, but I can go over to Idaho and buy a non res tag straight over the counter.  And they have lots of game.  I do know Oregon is draw only.  But I'm honestly not sure of the other states. 

It just seems to me that with an OTC tag system, more 'fair weather' hunters are tempted to buy a tag, and then end up not going for some reason.  If I put myself in a 'business' frame of mind, and not 'game management' train of thought, the OTC tag system seems to me like it generates more $$$ than a draw only system.

Um...I hope that makes sense?  I have a tendency to ramble.

[400out]

"Do they realize those 6 days are the absolute best 6 days of the whole year... peak rut???  I tell you the department is messed up."

the department is not messed up..........it is actually one of their better decisions as one of the earlier posters said.   In the late 80's and early 90's you used to be able to hunt the Okanogan units up until the first week of November;  you used to be able to the Grayback unit until the 2nd week of November, all on general tags.........why not bring that back also?

Somebody has to step up and be the adult and take the candy away from the kids........

  this state has very few deer herds that can support general season November hunts, and that goes for archery seasons also.  So many rifle hunters have switched to archery seasons just so they can hunt in the rut it is ridiculus, many of these guys are "weekend warrior" archery guys and end up "sticking" 3 does and 2 bucks during their week of hunting and not recovering any of them.   And, before the archery guys get on my case, I realize there are some very dedicated archery folks out there who are diligent about the sport.  I am not talking about you;  but, the fact remains that hundreds if not thousands of deer are "stuck" during archery season and never found.  So, while harvest levels appear to be low, that is not really the full story.

This state has the biggest population base relative to its land mass of any of the Western states, and it is only getting worse.  Deer in this state are extremely vulnerable to November hunts, and it has to be managed very closely.

Hell of way to put it there is reason gun powder was invented so when you shot something it would stop,drop,and drool! if stick flicking was the best way , a indian would be running the country!

[PolarBear]

I know that I will get flamed for this but who cares.   I am in favor of shutting down hunting for a week or two during the peak of the rut to allow the deer to breed without being chased around.  To make up for it, extend the season a week or two longer after the closure.  I know that I am in the minority here but I don't like hunting "dumb" deer or elk.  I always wait until late archery, well after the rut is over. 

[Galpster]

I know that I will get flamed for this but who cares.   I am in favor of shutting down hunting for a week or two during the peak of the rut to allow the deer to breed without being chased around.  To make up for it, extend the season a week or two longer after the closure.  I know that I am in the minority here but I don't like hunting "dumb" deer or elk.  I always wait until late archery, well after the rut is over. 

I agree with extending reg season for all methods of hunting and reducing the peak season a week or two. I think we would get more deer and I am in favor of making all areas 2 point to 3 point or better to get more mature bucks in the field. They did this to an area I hunted back home in Montana and it really improved the quality of deer we would see daily. Saw alot of poachers shooting little bucks though but still the bucks got to grow up a little and the numbers increased. It would take about 5 years to see the results but it would be worth it.

[PolarBear]

I'm also for raising the point restrictions in certain (most but not all) units.  I think that the 667, 101, 204, 636 and few other would be a good place to start.

[Axle]

I do know Oregon is draw only.  But I'm honestly not sure of the other states.

Colorado had to go to draw only after cougars ate up the deer there. It was a deer paradise for a while and the annual harvest reached a high of about 165,000 deer but after cougar numbers exploded, it went down to around 27,000 or less annual harvest (though it has slightly increased since then). That is sad and poor management. Back then it was estimated in Colorado and California that cougars were eating 350,000 deer per year. Again - poor management.

More 2 cents: Oregon put a 3 point restriction on for mule deer and it didn't work. Why? because eastern OR is very open with little brush for the deer to hide. When WA put on the 3 point restriction, there was an extreme backlash because hunters thought it would end up like OR and all the breeder bucks would get shot.

I knew it would work because of the amount of brush the mule deer had here in this state to hide in. The little ones were able grow up and get smart. Too many spikes and two points were being harvested here. Now the problem is predators.

I do disagree with a point restriction on the west side though. I used to be opposed to shooting spikes on the wet side but have changed my mind on that. There are enough big blacktails that make it through and the genetics are great here. I got a spike this year and got 53 lbs of meat off of it. Not bad and I can't eat the rack!

[Galpster]

I got a little 2 point and weighed in bones and meat at 96 lbs. I think it would still increase more matue bucks on the west side. And for the predator thing, open it up to year round and kill kill kill all those little kitties. Get their numbers down and mature bucks up. I can't see where we could go wrong with that.

Anyone?

[RUTNBULL1]

Actually mossback, some of that info is false. 38 bucks were killed by archers in 388, 29 by rifle special permit. I would venture to guess that over half of those archery bucks are late season, if not most of them. So a small percentage compared to the late rifle??? I'm no math major, but that doesn't seem to add up. I fully agree that cougars and hair loss have resulted in a somewhat smaller deer herd, but that isn't at all what is being talked about on this thread.

I said large mature Blacktail bucks, not just any legal buck. And do we believe that these actual numbers are correct with actual kills, or just the ones that have actually reported their harvests. It's pretty much an known within the area most of the local kills are not reporting anymore harvests, due to the fact that they suspect more kills shown within the area may show an over harvest resulting in shorter season's and restrictions, so even if they do harvest they just report a big goose egg on their report card, this is happening trust me I have known alot of people proceeding with this.  People aren't stupid and they will always find a method or reaction to the WDFW actions. It's pretty easy you shoot a buck every year, but far as your report card it might just say no harvest. And if this is becoming the norm maybe it's just showing that the archery hunters are number one better hunters or just more honest.