Boneaddict Entiat deer management plan

[boneaddict]

A plan.....might even be reasonable.   

[bornforhorns]

Great plan Ridgerunner, I would even be willing to wait longer after being drawn...just let me hunt something.

[HighCountry10]

What would it take to get together and get these opinions, plans, this knowledge heard by someone who would listen?  I know the experience and time spent in these areas by a couple of the guys posting on this topic and really trust them.

[huntnphool]

Thats actually not a bad plan Ridgerunner, obviously the numbers would have to be checked out but the general idea is very good, IMHO.

[HuntingFanatic]

I would not consider myself a trophy hunter by any means. I do however like the thought of being able to shoot a trophy animal.

First
I think that we should make the general rifle season longer. Not later....but longer. Keep it 3pt or better.The poor deer are being pushed back and forth directly into the sights of other hunters. I think if we were to disperse the concentration of orange some of the local deer would be able to make it through the season.

Second.
Give better seasons for the other species of deer. More option = less people that feel they have to shoot a mule deer. I think we all agree that there are plenty of whitetails around to absorb some of the lead.


Third
Have a 2 point or less draw tag. For how long? dunno How many? no clue. But I do agree that there are too many mature 2 points breeding. I think that youth hunters would have a blast with this tag. But i think there are too many jerkwads that would drag their child out into the field just so "pops" could get his deer. So I say keep the tag open to anyone.


Fourth
Cut down on the number of late tags and Have a rotating late tag draw. Every 2 to 3 years have no late tags in certain units. So that every year there would be a handful of units that are closed for late tags.  I would be game for that. I mean really! The way its going now Im never going to get drawn for a late tag anyways. Having a handfull of the breeders we want surviving may not sound like a lot now, but, 6 to 10 years from now would be very noticeable.

Nothing is going to happen overnight. I know the thread was directed for the Entiat area.....but I think that the other areas are suffering as well.

[tmbrline]

Cut all permits in halve. All west side hunters apply for limited mule deer tags. Pressure solved.

[HuntingFanatic]

All west side hunters apply for limited mule deer tags.

lol yeah right!

[lemondog]

You guys have some great ideas but I'd like you to consider this: There are approximately 100,000 new residents moving into Western WA each year. This compounds the game management problem.  The place I used to go for quality archery Elk hunting up around Stampede pass is now loaded with people from every kind of user group you could think of - and it is not going to get any better. If you want "Quality" (my definition of quality is to hunt and see top end bucks and bulls with not much competition), we will have to go to a statewide full permit draw system. You will not carry a tag every year. You would find that 2 people would draw and 4 other guys would go along, and every one would have more fun than they are having now! You will all see big critters!

Yes, it will cost more (everything does), and you better get used to it. If you really want better hunting we need to take extreme measures - not band aids. If that riles you up (like it does my Dad) take a look around at States that are doing well. This state has too many people to be successful under the current hunting system.  We can move the State towards change but we all have to be able to agree on what change is necessary.

I was involved as a representative for the Washington State Bow Hunters at the Commission meetings when we went to separate user groups (Archery, Modern, and Muzzle Loader).  There was a lot of in-fighting which left the Game Commission frustrated and the different user groups disappointed.    We need leadership and a large backing with everyone agreeing on a common plan.  Then we can start campaigning and be ready when the game commission hearings come up for the next season setting.

[tmbrline]

Lemondog is right. Too many people for the area that the mule deer roam. At some point, doesn't matter where you live you may not get to hunt mule deer in WA.

[bobcat]

Good post. I agree. I would love to have permit only hunting for deer and elk in this state, and like you said, the guys who don't draw can just go along with other guys that do. To me that's almost as much fun as having the tag in my pocket myself. I'd love to go along just to do the glassing and spotting game, and at least with a limited permit system, there just might be game to be spotted.

[WDFW-SUX]

Im not quite sure where the idea comes from that you would not be able to hunt if you didnt draw your muley tag??? You could leave the Whitetail and blacktail hunts open for general seasons so if someone really wanted to hunt they still could

[bobcat]

I have to wonder how much more pressure would be put on the blacktails and/or whitetails if mule deer was no longer a general season? Maybe too much pressure? It may be that if mule deer went to permit only that blacktail and whitetail would have to as well. Although of course, the permit numbers could be much more liberal than with the mule deer.

[wallerinelk]

we should all just wait and let our governor take the lead and also the local indian council's come up with their plan before we do this

[lemondog]

There is a lot of ways to do it. You have to do the science (as has been stated) and you have to do the math (for the money). But one thing for sure, the way the population is growing we are all ready way behind.

[bobcat]

wallerinelk,  you bringing up the indians brings something to mind....when certain areas become known for trophy mule deer, it becomes a place where the indians might concentrate their hunting efforts, usually during the winter when the deer are most vulnerable. So this could be one reason it might not be a good idea for the state to go to mule deer hunting by permit only. I believe this is what happened in the Umtanum unit, at least that was one of the theories I heard. They made it a permit-only unit back in '99 (?) and that only lasted a few years. The indians were killing all the good bucks in the winter and the WDFW decided why bother and opened it back up to the general season. Remember I don't know this for a fact, just one theory I heard as to why it went back to a general season. The limited permits were also very unpopular with all the locals who could no longer hunt where they had hunted for years.