Boneaddict Entiat deer management plan

[WDFW-SUX]

WDFW has already cut back E. WA. to a nine day season. Regular rifle season is always open to early. If we are going to have a nine day season lets make it the last nine days of OCT! That might give us a chance to get some weather and a big migrator buck. Most Okanogan GMU only give 15 late permits. That number should be 50! WDFW would rather let poachers, prediators and cars get most of the deer. That season runs all year long. I guess we could cut the season and permits even more. Then when we have bad winters even more deer will die. Even the 4X4 bucks we did not get to hunt. I think if season went to permit only we would get to hunt about every 5 to 7 years not good!

I rest my case.

[boneaddict]

Yeah!

[boneaddict]

and that by the way is WHY SKOOKUM didn't see any bucks of trophy caliber this year versus the last time he was there.  They were slaughtered 3 years ago.  I'm not sure how many times I have to say that.

[Lowedog]

There were actually about 60 more bucks killed in the Entiat during the general season in 2003 than 2004.  265 bucks reported killed during the 2004 general season and only 164 during the 2005 general season and down to 97 in 2006.  I'm not sure that a large number of mature bucks killed 3 years ago is necessarily having an impact on the number of mature bucks we are seeing now.  In 3 years there should be enough bucks grow into maturity to have taken the place of the ones killed in 2004 especially with the way lower harvest numbers.  My opinion is that those replacement bucks are being killed during the late hunts before they have a chance to reach enough age to grow a set of antlers to their potential.

-Lowedog

[boneaddict]

Your opinion stands correct.....three years ago, a cross-section of bucks was essentially removed.  I'm speaking Methow now, but assume Entiat was similiar.  It was due to the late general hunt. A whole class of deer was destroyed.  Obviously a few made it.  With the 8,7,6,5,4,3 year olds all killed that leaves a WHOLE bunch of hunters looking for a trophy buck. None seen, or a rare one, Boom, continue to crop that group of mature bucks.  Those with less selective trigger fingers target the three year olds.  This has continued to happen now for 3-4 years.  On average this year the biggest bucks folks were seeing during the permit hunts were 4 year olds(they were the spikes two points of that devastating year) that have survived this continueing assualt.  Guess who got shot or permit tags hanging in their ears.  Until this cycle is interupted, the cropping will continue.  Plus you have guys like me that keep the pressure on them during the general season in the back woods  targetting what big bucks that are left.  Meanwhile you have the legal big two points that aren't being killed.  They are getting the jobs done mixing their %50 of dna with those does. 

[WDFW-SUX]

So why not permit all of the late archery? make it for chelan okanogan and grant county and give out 750 tags?  Only 25 % of the archers would hunt the entiat and then the burden is spread out and wont hammer one specific spot.

[rougheye]

Give the archery hunters more units and less tags on the four units they give us already
 

[wab]

Last pretty good deer years 03 and mabey 04? Not near as good now! (Methow and Entiat) Winter of 05-06, 06-07, and probably winter of 07-08, DEAD DEER!!!! Game dept hasn't feed deer last couple of years in the Okanogan or Methow, road kills has probably AT LEAST TRIPLED, DOMESTIC DOGS have done their damage, Coyotes having a pretty good year so far.  We will have good deer when we have a bunch of easy winters. 

[dbllunger]

Hey WAB don't be such a downer.  WDFW knows exactly what they are doing.  Gosh I remember feeding the deer in 06 near Bear Mountain. I had a key and had a feeder that I requested and was given.  One PU load a week.  I never saw a dead deer that entire winter, until Scholfield (Dick Head who owns a lot of Bear Mountain and the Butte) took the feeder.  WDFW did nothing about it, and I told them exactly where it was (right next to one of his shops)  He took it because the deer were off from the property he owned, and he wanted them to stay on his property for the skiers and stuff.  Deer can not adjust quickly to new feed, but they digest the pellets just fine.  No they can not feed them hay alone, but things can be done to help them out.  Other states do it just fine.  Oh we don't want to concentrate the deer, so put out more feeders you fricken morons.  I loved seeing 2-3 feeders within sight of each other because WDFW or who ever was taking care of those feeders were too lazy.  Put a feeder in several drainages and the deer will spread out, but it will require a little more work to stock them  Gotta go now that I ranted a little.

[boneaddict]

Anyone remember when Alta was a late archery hunt.  NOW those were the days.

[Lowedog]

did i mention 310 late archery deer tags for the entiat and 572.5 people huntin the swakane unit ( crazy)

Too bad the harvest report doesn't say how many hunted the late archery only.  684 hunters reported hunting the Swakane archery for 2006.  Taken into consideration the people who forgot to report it's probably over 700 and most of them in the late season.  I wonder how many hunters per square mile that is? 

If they would go to permit only for late archery with a low amount of tags per unit I would burn my 10 bonus points in a heartbeat for one of those tags. 

The WSB would scream bloody murder if they did that though.  It's amazing how much pull that organization has with the WDFW.  To have a unit open for an unlimited general hunt that time of year is rediculous!  I don't care if it is archery.

-Lowedog

[WDFW-SUX]

Boneaddict, would you be in favor of permit only if you could hunt the alta unit in mid November every other year? I know I would.

[Bigshooter]

Check out the new thread under polls for entiat deer.

[bornforhorns]

I didn't read all the pages and I myself have spent a lot of time in a lot of areas in this state.  I am most impressed by two people so far and their ideas...that being Lowedog and Colville.  Yep, we've had harsh words before Colville but you and Lowedog are right on. 
Our problem is not really a "problem", the fact is there is a science to this and it doesn't start with " Well, I'm seeing this, or I'm seeing that".  Even theories in science need to be based on a lot of facts...I can't say anything for a matter of fact on this situation other than what the harvest report and spring counts tell us.  Any changes should start and end there, with that being said, I am not a fan of those who want 100% success on big bucks and a cut in the late permits and along with a few other minor adjustments would be a great start. 

[Ridgerunner]

Here's THE Plan -

Keep a short 9 day general season.  Then offer 200-300 permits in each Chelan and Okanogan counties gmu for any buck Oct. 24-31.  The offer a limited number of November tags (20) limited to 4 point or better.  If you draw a tag you need to wait 2 years to apply again. 

Everyone has the ability to hunt during the general season, a good number of people could potentially have a good hunt in late October depending on the weather that year and for those who elect the November tags, a true trophy type hunt.  This would eliminate bubba joe putting in for the November hunts because he can shoot a deer from the truck.