If the East Side Went to Permit Only!!!

[Legacy]

I'm stumped! Are the guys on this thread who are complaining about the possibility of $80 elk tags the same guys who have tens of thousand of $$ invested in quads, pickups, trailers, campers, tents, firearms, bows, binocs, spotting scopes, hunting gear, etc? I'm guessing most hunters never quibble about making those investments but man, sure wouldn't want to overpay $50 or more for an elk tag or set aside a few more for auctions or draws???!!!!

[sako223]

Hasn't pheasant exceeded $80 now?

[huntnphool]

Are the guys on this thread who are complaining about the possibility of $80 elk tags the same guys who have tens of thousand of $$ invested in quads, pickups, trailers, campers, tents, firearms, bows, binocs, spotting scopes, hunting gear, etc?

Relax Legacy, the only one that expressed their opinion on an $80 tag is a 15 year old kid, and I highly doubt at his age he has accumulated "quads,pickups,trailers,campers,tents" so to him $80 IS a lot of money.

[WDFW-SUX]

Yeah there are more hunters out there that dont even own camo or a rifle than those that do...80 for a tag is a deal killer for some folks especially when you consider multiple hunters in the same family.

[3dvapor]

thinking you can manage game through tag sales and such is ridiculous.  it will never pay for itself.  just like me trying to justify taking 2-3weeks off a year spending hundreds on gas gear tags and food, to hopefully put meat in the freezer.  it seems that some guys are too scared of change without realizing the current management practices have had 15 years to work and they havent.  i try to look at game management like my ameritrade account and know the more i save and put into it now the more ill recieve later especially my kids.

[bearpaw]

I don't see how the state could make a change without upsetting the whole state, from what I can see there's no more than 2 or 3 on this one thread who can agree with each other, so it looks like a change would just be a big problem. 

[hughjorgan]

What would be the purpose of making the Yakima units permit only? Quality? Opportunity to hunt bulls more often? Personally that herd seems like it is doing just fine. No need to fix something that isn't broken, IMO. If it is to crowded for you then maybe think about switching weapon choice. Or if you want to hunt branched antler bulls hunt the westside. The only thing I think the WDFW needs to do differently is tweek the special draw system a little bit.

[3dvapor]

What would be the purpose of making the Yakima units permit only? Quality? Opportunity to hunt bulls more often? Personally that herd seems like it is doing just fine. No need to fix something that isn't broken, IMO. If it is to crowded for you then maybe think about switching weapon choice. Or if you want to hunt branched antler bulls hunt the westside. The only thing I think the WDFW needs to do differently is tweek the special draw system a little bit.

keep drinking the wdfw koolaid

[hughjorgan]

What would be the purpose of making the Yakima units permit only? Quality? Opportunity to hunt bulls more often? Personally that herd seems like it is doing just fine. No need to fix something that isn't broken, IMO. If it is to crowded for you then maybe think about switching weapon choice. Or if you want to hunt branched antler bulls hunt the westside. The only thing I think the WDFW needs to do differently is tweek the special draw system a little bit.

keep drinking the wdfw koolaid

Why don't you answer the question I asked instead of making some snide remark. What it comes down to people are lazy and they don't want to compete with others to get their animals. Tough luck if you are to damn lazy to work hard to get your animal. There is ample opportunity to hunt depending what you value in hunting. The herd is healthy in the yakima area and there is no reason that I can see for going to a permit only season.

[ThePascoKid]

What it comes down to people are lazy and they don't want to compete with others to get their animals. Tough luck if you are to damn lazy to work hard to get your animal. There is ample opportunity to hunt depending what you value in hunting. The herd is healthy in the yakima area and there is no reason that I can see for going to a permit only season.

For me it's not necessarily that i don't want to work hard to get an elk, it's that I would like all the time and effort to be spent chasing branched antler bulls a little more often than once in a lifetime, which is about the draw odds in the Blues.  Maybe I'm selfish but I would like a chance to hunt a big bull on my own property before I'm so damn old I can't get around anymore.  Now with the new system, all the meat hunters will be putting in for bull permits and my odds just went down even more.

[boneaddict]

Personally I think they should just intorduce wolves to this state, then we won't have to deal or worry about managing elk.  Just sell elk tags to those stupid enough to buy them......(tongue and cheek folks)

Argueing with Bobcat is in my mind like having a third wife. (more tongue and cheek)

WOnder if I can come up with any others other than reading this whole thread.

Management of the Nooksak...hey did they fix tribal hunting issue in the nooksack, or did going to permit only make their hunting better.  Just curious.  

By the way....who plans to go to draw only or even odd and still only hunt spikes.  

By the way, they could have increased elk tags to $80 a pop already and I wouldn't have noticed.  By the time I finished with my cart for the WDFW, it was almost $300 and I am a resident.

[carpsniperg2]

i hate to say it boys but this redneck might start hunting 90% of the time out of state if this crap keeps up. i don't fill like donating my money to the people that are running are management system and game into the ground.

[sako223]

By the way....who plans to go to draw only or even odd and still only hunt spikes.  

Odd/Even idea is for general season only and still allows for the current special permit system, which offers both cow and any bull permits. Same situation with deer.
Some people with a special permits skip general season anyway.

[3dvapor]

What would be the purpose of making the Yakima units permit only? Quality? Opportunity to hunt bulls more often? Personally that herd seems like it is doing just fine. No need to fix something that isn't broken, IMO. If it is to crowded for you then maybe think about switching weapon choice. Or if you want to hunt branched antler bulls hunt the westside. The only thing I think the WDFW needs to do differently is tweek the special draw system a little bit.

keep drinking the wdfw koolaid

Why don't you answer the question I asked instead of making some snide remark. What it comes down to people are lazy and they don't want to compete with others to get their animals. Tough luck if you are to damn lazy to work hard to get your animal. There is ample opportunity to hunt depending what you value in hunting. The herd is healthy in the yakima area and there is no reason that I can see for going to a permit only season.

I dont think killing 70percent of the total spikes a year is healthy herd management along with bringing the herd size down from 11,500 to 9,500 is either.  i believe low success rates reflect that but maybe they were just lazy.  remember the same management let herd numbers drop from several thousand elk to just a few hundred in the blues, which those numbers have not changed and the whole time considered the herd healthy.

[boneaddict]

Funny thing about elk hunters.  Many bitch and moan about elk management but then couldn't practice it themselves.  How many hunters let an animal walk because it wasn't big enough.  Well, thats kinda why its spike only now.