PLease Forward this Letter!!! In regards to 346,352 and 356 Changes

[colockumelk]

Not bad......But we have to remember, these are the same managers that purposely decreased the elk poulation by 35% by giving out more cow tags, now they seem to be reversing past decisions.  It is always the same you, The game needs tobe managed Proactively not reactively when they get that things might get better

Where did you hear our herd got reduced by 35%.  Do you have any links to back this up?  I've done alot of research and kept my finger on the pulse of the herd and looked at all the reports and numbers for the past ten years and have not seen a reduction in 35%.  If you talk to most people that get out alot they'll all tell you that there are more elk out there right now then ever before.

Rick WTF? That is so awsome that you got a response.  I'm excited for you.  As for me I still havn't heard jack from them.  Did you write them another letter.  If so forward it to me and I'll send it up as well.  Anyways could you pass something on to them if they do in fact call you???


Just let them know that no matter what if they close one GMU down and open up another they will upset someone.  But if the GMU they open up is GMU 346 they will piss off far more people than if they were to open up GMU 368, 360 or 342. We are upset because GMU 346 is considered a golden unit because during the rut there isn't any general season allowed.  If they open this GMU up to general season tag holders during the rut it will once again prove that they do not care about what hunters think or want and only care about one thing, MONEY!!! Thanks Rick.  Go get em!!!

[Rick]

Rick WTF? That is so awsome that you got a response.  I'm excited for you.  As for me I still havn't heard jack from them.  Did you write them another letter.  If so forward it to me and I'll send it up as well.  Anyways could you pass something on to them if they do in fact call you???

The only thing I sent was the letter you originally wrote,with the only change being that I added my name on the bottom as opposed the link to this site.

I'd love to talk to them,hopefully they'll come through. I'll give them a day or two before I call and start harrasing them.

[colockumelk]

That's awsome Rick.  Give em hell.  Maybe they're sick of hearing from me.  I did talk extensively to Jeff Tayer last year about the Colockum so maybe he's avoiding me like the plague.  I am about to commence operation 10 of the same emails a day if he doesn't responde though.  Go get em Rick 

[ribka]

Forwarded letter. Thanks for doing this

[brianb231]

I sent in mine as well and also referenced your letter Colockumelk.


It can't hurt. Everyone should take minute and send something in.

Regards,


Brian

[luvtohnt]

What they are doing makes sense to me. If they are over their objective on numbers in a given area they open it to bring the numbers down. They have to think like the elk, if they move into 346 during the hunting season due to lack of pressure then open it up. There is no reason to let the elk get habituated to running to a quasi reserve so the tag holders can have the upper hand. If the archery harvest stats are not were they need to be for the given region there needs to be changes to keep the archery harvest at it's goal. I boils down to those who want or have the golden tags for the area being selfish and not wanting to compete with the general season guys. It has way more to do with herd management then revenue, and honestly if you have a tag during the rut you already have the upper hand!!

Brandon

[colockumelk]

LIke I said the WDFW probably put about 2 seconds of thought into.  As far as if there are "too many" elk in GMU 346 then give out more tags.  The point is, is that this THE ONLY GMU that if you draw a rut permit for archer/muzzle/rifle you don't have to worry about a general season ruining your hunt or fighting the hordes or every retard with a call.  All I want and all alot of people want is 1 quality hunt.  Just one.  And if they add a general season there then it wont be a quality hunt anymore.  What is wrong with a GMU that is a quality unit, one that is permit only? Most other states have them.  We don't.  THen again the WDFW doesnt manage for quality it manages for $$$$$$$$$

[luvtohnt]

I think you may have missed my point. If the elk numbers are high, and this is due to the elk traveling into a permit only unit then what other option is there to bring numbers down. You can't fence the elk out. How many of the areas around 346 is WDFW closing? On the other hand maybe the harvest rates for tag holders were too high so they neede more pressure to scatter the elk. I am sure that there was more than 2 seconds of thought put into this. There is absolutly nothing wrong with a permit only unit, it probably is a good thing for people who want a quality hunt. But again if the numbers don't add up then they have to do something. Maybe they should make an area adjacent to 346 permit only and switch every other year or something so the elk can not get habituated to the same routine. 

Brandon

[colockumelk]

I think you missed my point.  If the numbers are TOO high then raise the amount of permits.  GMU 342 is adjacent to it and does not have an archery general season.  However there are only some locals there and most elk don't go there until the winter hits. 

There ARE a bunch of elk there because during the rut it's permit only.  Thats why people like it.  Elk get pushed there from GMU 336, and 340 because those two places do have a general season unit.  Again this is why it's such a popular permit to draw and why the hunting is so good.  If you allow a general season rut hunt it WILL RUIN this quality hunt.  There is one true quality rut hunt.  And that's in GMU 346.  If the WDFW continues with their proposal this quality hunt will be gone.  Then we wont have any.  Again why change it if its not broke.

[colockumelk]

Rick did they call you yet.  If not they are cowards.

[stickthrower]

 Iv read thru this post and i understand what your saying BUT I think the upper western end of 346 should be open for an early hunt. Im talking about the hike in only end of the GMU. There are those of us that would love to pack in and hunt in a roadless area. Get a goat tag and more better!!!  Lets face it you need to get 40 yards or so to get a good shot off. ALMOST imposable in 336-340 with all the quads and bird hunters spooking the elk..
 
  I think that if i guy is willing to hump into an area like 346 and hunt for a week he should be able to. THAT GMU SHOULD NOT BE FOR OUTFITTERS ONLY.

 jcl
     

[dreamingbig]

I have had my head in the sand for the past 5 weeks with the birth of my daughter but I am getting up to speed.

The proposal to close 352 and 356 to anterless harvest for archery hunters while keeping 40 cow permits between modern firearm and muzzleloader for the same unit is an absolute joke.  This is not about herd management; it is a redistribution of harvest opportunities from archery hunters to other user groups for additional revenue gain.  You can try to hide it beneathe other reasons but it is about money, pure and simple.

I have hunted 356 for the past 7 years (each year without a bull tag in hand).  From personal experience, I can tell you that the population is very healthy.  I have been fortunate enough in those 7 years to harvest 2 cows and 1 spike all with my bow.  Apparently myself and others have been too successful and now they want to limit us to spike only.  This is an outrage.  Bowhunters now have only 123 opportunities to take a branch antlered bull while modern firearm has 105 when you combine bull permits and cow permits on top of the spike only season.  Anyone else shocked by this proposal???

I will be writing a letter and sending it off but I am sure it will fall on deaf ears.  We can't go down without a fight.

[colockumelk]

First off congratulations to your new daughter.      Also please take the time to also send off my email to the two listed email addresses listed above.  But also go ahead and write your own and explain what you see and how the herd has not gone down lately.  Thanks for your support.

Dreamingbig what you fail to understand is that there ARE fewer elk.  Just look at the feeding station there's way less elk than in previous years.  And I'm Sure that none of that has anything to do with our mild weather.    (In case anyone was wondering this above paragraph is said in 100% sarcasm.)

[dreamingbig]

Thanks Clockum; parenthood is fantastic.

As to the feeding stations... exactly!  Making these decisions prior to publishing 2009 harvest data is also absurd.  Anyone can stick their finger in the air and come up with a guess.  This decision smells very very fishy.

I have a ton of anecdotal experience walking many square miles of this unit and let me just say that there are still a ton of elk in GMU 356.  I would be happy to show the biologist around this summer.

[hughjorgan]

Not bad......But we have to remember, these are the same managers that purposely decreased the elk poulation by 35% by giving out more cow tags, now they seem to be reversing past decisions.  It is always the same you, The game needs tobe managed Proactively not reactively when they get that things might get better

Where did you hear our herd got reduced by 35%.  Do you have any links to back this up?  I've done alot of research and kept my finger on the pulse of the herd and looked at all the reports and numbers for the past ten years and have not seen a reduction in 35%.  If you talk to most people that get out alot they'll all tell you that there are more elk out there right now then ever before.

Rick WTF? That is so awsome that you got a response.  I'm excited for you.  As for me I still havn't heard jack from them.  Did you write them another letter.  If so forward it to me and I'll send it up as well.  Anyways could you pass something on to them if they do in fact call you???


Just let them know that no matter what if they close one GMU down and open up another they will upset someone.  But if the GMU they open up is GMU 346 they will piss off far more people than if they were to open up GMU 368, 360 or 342. We are upset because GMU 346 is considered a golden unit because during the rut there isn't any general season allowed.  If they open this GMU up to general season tag holders during the rut it will once again prove that they do not care about what hunters think or want and only care about one thing, MONEY!!! Thanks Rick.  Go get em!!!

You don't remember them reducing the yakima herd from 12000 elk to 9000? That is your 35% decrease right there. Now they are supposedly trying to maintain their objective of 9000 animals....