If the East Side Went to Permit Only!!!

[Sawbuck]

"THey don't cater us hunters, they cater $$$$$$


 
That is exactly why we will probably not see a major change in the current system.

[bobcat]

I think other states can afford have lower prices on their resident tags, as they make a larger portion of their money from non-resident hunters. I'd rather pay $80 for an elk tag every other year and have elk to hunt, than $40 every year and have few to no elk to hunt.

[alanger]

I think other states can afford have lower prices on their resident tags, as they make a larger portion of their money from non-resident hunters. I'd rather pay $80 for an elk tag every other year and have elk to hunt, than $40 every year and have few to no elk to hunt.

Now i see where your coming from now. thanks for clearin that up.

I somewhat agree with you, but 80 bucks is pretty steep but like you said, every other year isn't too bad. I almost think they neeed to shut the colockum down for a couple years and just get the herd in order, they always get shot to chit everyyear.

[Sawbuck]

I think other states can afford have lower prices on their resident tags, as they make a larger portion of their money from non-resident hunters. I'd rather pay $80 for an elk tag every other year and have elk to hunt, than $40 every year and have few to no elk to hunt.

58,000 elk is hardly "few to no elk to hunt"
www.rmef.org/Hunting/Features/Articles/

[huntnphool]

58,000 elk is
hardly "few to no elk to hunt"

It is when you never leave the comfy comfines of your cab.

[rougheye]

 Hunt harder , lots of opportunities in Wa    .  Dont punish the few that work there arse off every year and ARE successful   

[sako223]

the only problem I see with even odd design is this.....if my number is the opposite of my pard/dad/son......etc, that is going to cause some heartburn

 Yes that could happen but friends and family can still go along and help. The odd/even would just be for deer/elk general season. The existing permit system would stay in place with single or multiple hunter entry. Success rates on permit hunts are much higher.

58,000 elk is hardly "few to no elk to hunt"

Sounds like a lot but that's not how many are available to shoot. WA is struggling to balance hunters/elk with a 10% general season success rate. Neighboring states that we always get compared to have 2-3 times as many elk.

[Karl Blanchard]

simple fix. If you live on the westside you hunt on the westside. If you like on the eastside you hunt on the eastside.  Eastside elk herd officially fixed!

[rougheye]

simple fix. If you live on the westside you hunt on the westside. If you like on the eastside you hunt on the eastside.  Eastside elk herd officially fixed!

woohoo  best idea ive heard yet 

[Sawbuck]

Hunt harder , lots of opportunities in Wa    .  Dont punish the few that work there arse off every year and ARE successful   

Right on Rougheye!!! This state has opportunity if you want to work for it. If someone has a problem with crowds they don't have anybody to blame but themselves.

simple fix. If you live on the westside you hunt on the westside. If you like on the eastside you hunt on the eastside.  Eastside elk herd officially fixed!

If that happened I would move to the eastside.   

[Karl Blanchard]

Call me a pessimist but wdfw will let every single elk be shot or die off before they would give up a single penny of revenue with a permit only system.  Its all about the dollars plain and simple.  Look at the proposed changes to the draw permits.  Anyone who thinks that is for increased draw chances is a fool. It is about tripling draw permit revenue.  Its so obvious its kind of insulting.

[CoryTDF]

I would be willing to try it for a few years. I archery hunt so it would not really change my hunting other than giving me a better chance for a big bull tag. We will, however, start seeing a decline in the number of enormous Washington bulls. That is just plain common sense. The reason units like Dayton have those huge bulls is because they are given plenty of time to get that big. Once a bull grows that second point he pretty much has a free pass to get as big as he can. People who draw those tags don't typically go after the smaller younger bulls. if we have more people hunting bulls and are able to hunt them more often i think we will see less people holding out for those big bulls. Thus lowering the chance for a bull to live and grow to his full potential. It would be interesting to try this and see how it pans out. It would be a shame to see a decline in the number of really big bulls, but that is just a risk that would have to be taken. If the plan wont work it can always be changed. It has my vote for now.

[3dvapor]

I would be willing to try it for a few years. I archery hunt so it would not really change my hunting other than giving me a better chance for a big bull tag. We will, however, start seeing a decline in the number of enormous Washington bulls. That is just plain common sense. The reason units like Dayton have those huge bulls is because they are given plenty of time to get that big. Once a bull grows that second point he pretty much has a free pass to get as big as he can. People who draw those tags don't typically go after the smaller younger bulls. if we have more people hunting bulls and are able to hunt them more often i think we will see less people holding out for those big bulls. Thus lowering the chance for a bull to live and grow to his full potential. It would be interesting to try this and see how it pans out. It would be a shame to see a decline in the number of really big bulls, but that is just a risk that would have to be taken. If the plan wont work it can always be changed. It has my vote for now.

Arizona already has a permit only system. For the amount of elk habitat that they have to work with, i would say it is very successful.  if our state adopted similar management strategies elk numbers and revenue would go up.  some units 20-30 bulls per hundred cows and others 40-50bulls.  our system is not based on healthy herd management.  this would work wether or not you were a meat hunter or trophy hunter.  ive been in units like 1 in arizona with 54 bulls per 100 cows and it was awesome.  150-200 any bull permits just for archery and 300 for cows.  the best part was the success rates.  our state has way more habitat which would expand hunting opportunities and wait times between tags would be much less than arizona.  everyone wants to hunt there for one reason and that is they manage game first.

[huntnphool]

How has your permit only system worked out for the White River unit?

[sako223]

Arizona already has a permit only system. For the amount of elk habitat that they have to work with, i would say it is very successful.  if our state adopted similar management strategies elk numbers and revenue would go up.  some units 20-30 bulls per hundred cows and others 40-50bulls.  our system is not based on healthy herd management.  this would work wether or not you were a meat hunter or trophy hunter.  ive been in units like 1 in arizona with 54 bulls per 100 cows and it was awesome.  150-200 any bull permits just for archery and 300 for cows.  the best part was the success rates.  our state has way more habitat which would expand hunting opportunities and wait times between tags would be much less than arizona.  everyone wants to hunt there for one reason and that is they manage game first.

Arizona has less than half the elk of WA.  Arizona has problems too, like WA elk herd reduction for predation on agriculture. There will be plenty of complaining this year when tags are cut in half to increase herd size again.
you cannot increase herd size by harvesting. So where is the increase in revenue? High success rates, but for how many hunters and how often.
A low success year or simply high gas prices can cut license sales in half.
Several surrounding states with 2-3 times the elk we have manage with the same or lower ratios than WA. They are often referred to as great hunting states.
Elk are not the only ones sharing the resources and mother nature plays a big role. Easy winters seem to help but the corresponding dry summers don't.