Quality Elk (and deer) - 2 Choices

[dreamingbig]

I havent looked over archery yet. I primarily hunt muzzy and they got raped. This year its rifle for me and maybe archery after that, havent decided. If they keep flogging archery every 3 year cycle like they have bean I might just stay with rifle.
[/quote]

Interesting, I have tried to illustrate a similar point but it seems to be the unpopular opinion on this site.

[dreamingbig]

I didn't see crap for the bull cat in archery also.  Not sure what the point of the choices was. 

They made that category for the modern firearm user group but they needed to be equitable and let all user groups waste $6.

[bobcat]

That category is not needed. Even the modern firearm tags barely have any options in the bull category. There should have only been two categories for elk: bull, and cow.  IMO

[shanevg]

I think having 2 choices in the quality hunts may help odds a little bit.  I am willing to bet that nearly every single meat hunter applied for at least one quality hunt, and most of them probably 2 quality hunts.  Combined with the fact that every trophy hunter applied for four hunts and we have a recipe for slightly better odds.  I don't think it will be a big improvement, but it will be something.  The buck, cow moose, and ewe sheep categories are going to be the ones with really screwy odds.  Not enough hunts for the number of potential applicants. 

And yes, archery and muzzy hunters did get screwed.

[WDFW-SUX]

I just had a thought that the reason for the buck bull applications is so that they can move the general seasons into draw only. Now they have the framework to do it

[WDFW-SUX]

That's the reason they are rolling all of the points is because they know it won't matter in a year or two because those will be general season points for the buck bull section.  Think of all the extra money they can raise if we have to apply for any season

[Curly]

Sux, that is the same line of thinking that I have. 

I think that is the reason why they didn't allow people to choose where their points would go.  Guys with 14 points that now have them in all categories will have a pretty good chance of at least drawing something in the next couple years (at least an antlerless permit).  Then when they go to draw only general season they will start everyone out at 0 points.  And they will say that at least almost everyone has drawn something in the past........

[bobcat]

I think what Sux is saying, and I agree, is that if they do away with general deer/elk seasons, they now have a category most of the general hunts can now fall into... the regular buck/bull categories.

[Curly]

Ok, I was getting too much into a conspiracy theory thing.  Yeah, that must be their thinking on those categories......damn, know I'm going to have to buy ghost points in those categories....

[Chesapeake]

Thats what I think is happening. Thats why I paid my $6.50 and got the points option for everything even if I didnt want to try for a tag this year. Those points may become real important in the next few years.

I bought points for everything I qualify for except Doe deer. No intrest there.

I'm interested to see how the "2 choice for Quality" comes out. It wont surprise me to see that there are hunts that dont have enough applicants to fill the tag quota. I suspect most of us WF boys put in for the same 4 tags, 2031, 2032, 2033 or 2034. I thought of trying to seccond guess every one and put in for tags I though I might draw due to lack of applicants, but decided I'd just go for the gusto and collect the point for next year. Then I can look at this years stats and better judge whats going to happen.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[Chesapeake]

Here is a question for everyone:

Do you ever lose your points, other than if you draw?

In Wyoming if you dont put in for 2 years, you lose your points, but for Washington I cant see anywhere that it says. I never thought about it before, but now I'm wondering cause I all the sudden have all these points in these different categories.

[Curly]

No you don't ever lose your points..........unless they change the rules (which wouldn't surprise me).

[carpsniperg2]

no you never loose then here

[WSU]

What I got from this whole thing is that I'm going to start focusing more on out of state hunting.  It seems dumb to spend 15 years trying to draw a tag when you buy over the counter tags in other states that are just as good. 

[WDFW-SUX]

The more I think about the new system the more it makes sense to me.  The Buck/Bull category is going to be the framework that they use to make areas/units of the state permit only.  

Its the only explanation of why the choices for archery and Muzzy are so poor.  The really unfortunate thing is that I dont think the rifle seasons are far behind.

  As soon as the wolf damage in the methow creates a situation where harvest drops below 10% which is not far off (average is 13% last year)  They will say that there are too many hunters and it needs to go to draw and they will create the "Methow permit"  and put 1000 tags in the buck catigory.

It also explains why the only decent tags in the Bull catigory are basically general season yakima units... Im sure the westside elk tags wont be far behind.  They will use our complaints against us..."there are no good tags for archery and muzz"  so they will make some of the general seasons draw bull hunts.

I had hopes that the buck catigory would be the special permits that receive less than 1000 apps the previous years and that there would not be crap westside permits in the quality catigory but that would be too smart.