3 point or better units

[huntnphool]

 Well making antler restrictions and shoving all the modern guys into a 8 day window sure as hell isn't the brightest idea they have come up with.

[boneaddict]

I'd say thats a lazy approach.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I love Doublelungs input.  Always offers ideas and explanations.  Now...what do you know about bullfrog tadpoles.  

Thanks Doug.  Let's see ... hatch from eggs, 2 years to develop into little bullfrogs.  Majority are detritivores, but some transform into a crnivorous life form.  Fresh water, near neutral pH I believe, mud bottom.

Eventually, they grow legs that are rumored to taste like chicken!

[elksnout]

Can't stand it...been watching this one for days, so I'll bite. Face the facts guys. If you want to hunt mature bucks and bulls you need to reduce the number of hunters trying to kill them. Screw the point restriction nonsense. Look how Oregon does it. Pretty much all Blacktail hunting and to a fair degree, Roosevelts are over the counter tags because of the difficulty of the terrain just like our home state. Those animals are harder to find. And those units that are a draw aren't hard to get. Their eastside units and central units are draws. No point restictions. If you want to shoot a meat buck or look for a brute, they are there to find. They limit the hunting pressure. You will not draw every year but they do have units that a guy can draw every other year or so. I know, cause I've done it. Just takes some planning. What alot of guys do is apply for the rifle tags and if they do not draw they bowhunt that unit to learn and enjoy that unit until they get the draw tag. Even their spike bull { first season } is a draw. And those are pretty liberal in tags numbers so what I see is that guys apply for the any bull tag on their first choice and the spike only tag for their second so that groups can still hunt and camp together. Oregon also doesn't take your preference points away from you on anything other than your first choice. And unlike our state you only need to purchase a hunting license to apply. Didn't get drawn Plan another hunt. Spice it up......
What I'm trying to say is that we all want our cake and eat it too { myself included } but we need to put the resource ahead of our own wants and wishes.

[blackveltbowhunter]

WTG elksnout, you summed it up perfect. # of HUNTERS is the only constant in any equation. Controlling winterkill, fawn recruitment, B to D ratios, and predation are all variables, which makes them more difficult to control. Although predator control IMHO is HUGE!!!

[DOUBLELUNG]

WTG elksnout, you summed it up perfect. # of HUNTERS is the only constant in any equation. Controlling winterkill, fawn recruitment, B to D ratios, and predation are all variables, which makes them more difficult to control. Although predator control IMHO is HUGE!!!

Be careful what you wish for ... the only easy-to-control predator walks on two legs and buys tags.  US!

[steen]

I agree that the only way to make it good for trophys is reduce the hunters but if it was 4 point or better you could still meat hunt but you could shoot a 3 year old 4 point instead of 1 and 2 year old 3 points.  Before they made the alta unit 3 point or better I never saw a 3 point but did after the change. 
It would also be nice to draw cow tags for elk without having to give up points for a big bull tag.  At my age mid 40s I'd like to draw a few more any bull tags before I can't pack it out anymore but having meat in the freezer is great.  I guess putting in the kids for cows will have to do for now. Sounds like Oregon has a pretty good system.
Great answers, I didn't expect such a huge response. 

[TheHunt]

I like a few units being 4 point or better for deer and 6 point or better for elk.

[boneaddict]

Screw the point restriction nonsense. Look how Oregon does it

Lets see, I;ve killed a mature buck the last 15 years here in Washington........and I have applied in Oregon to hunt and haven't drawn in 5 years.   You guys do the math.   

[huntnphool]

At the very least I would like to see Gardner, Pearrygin and Entiat go to 4 point restrictions.

[elksnout]

Well, all these pages of responses pretty well sums it up to me anyways. Just the few members who replyed cannot agree over this topic.....so how in the heck does the game department dudes and dudettes set forth regulations to please all of the hunters of this state ? But I'll bet in a ten year span from now it wouldn't be too far fetched that we have some type of draw system and/or shorter seasons for us all to bear. The varibles mentioned { increased cougars, poaching, habitat loss and now wolves } will only increase with time. It won't matter much which one of us does the math.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Well, all these pages of responses pretty well sums it up to me anyways. Just the few members who replyed cannot agree over this topic.....so how in the heck does the game department dudes and dudettes set forth regulations to please all of the hunters of this state ? But I'll bet in a ten year span from now it wouldn't be too far fetched that we have some type of draw system and/or shorter seasons for us all to bear. The varibles mentioned { increased cougars, poaching, habitat loss and now wolves } will only increase with time. It won't matter much which one of us does the math.

Could not agree more.  Well said.

[bobcat]

But I'll bet in a ten year span from now it wouldn't be too far fetched that we have some type of draw system

We can only hope! 

[banannaclip]

4-point or bigger,move the season to mid november to four days,close all roads,walk in only,no rigs off pavement,2 shell limit,violaters lose hunting privaleges for life including all family members. hunting hours 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, no hunter orange needed.

[Pathfinder101]

Screw the point restriction nonsense. Look how Oregon does it

Lets see, I;ve killed a mature buck the last 15 years here in Washington........and I have applied in Oregon to hunt and haven't drawn in 5 years.   You guys do the math.  

Well, to be fair, part of that is because OR only allocates non-residents a very small percentage of the tags.  I am also going to guess that you are putting in for premium units, aren't you?  As much as it might suck, I would be surprised if we don't wind up reverting to an Oregon-type system, at least for mule deer, in the next few years.  On the other hand, Oregon has far fewer whitetails than we do, so for us, whitetail tags would probably remain OTC.