Comparison of 2009 Elk success rates

[grundy53]

wow... listen to all these bowhunters you guys like to just generalize and stereo type people to make you feel good? i hunt rifle and i bet i hunt just as hard as you guys. i hit the brush at day light and i hunt hard all day. i don't road hunt for elk and i don't sit in camp getting drunk all day. hell i probably have to work harder cause i don't get the to hunt the rut and i can't shoot a cow. and yes most of my shots are within bow range. I have seen many bow camps while driving in the woods in September and I've seen my share of bow hunters drinking in camp (nothing wrong with that as long as your done hunting). i just think when bow hunters start talking $hit about other hunters it makes them sound like elitist @$$holes.... sorry for the rant but it just pisses me off.

[dreamingbig]

Grundy, I will apologize for my bowhunting brothers.  I started this thread and that was not my intent.  As a general rule archery hunters have to hunt harder in order to be successful but that doesn't mean all do.  There are great hunters among all user groups.

Do note however that archery success rates are falling and will continue to do so given the recent changes in regulations.  That was my intent.

[NWBREW]

I used to bow hunt for elk but things changed in my life and now for the past decade I have been rifle hunting. And my plan is to get back into bow hunting in the near future. That's my personnel plan. Now as always I do not give a rats ass how many archers or smoke pole rs get their elk. We all are allowed one tag, who gives a flying rip what weapon we choose ?? 7%, 9% or 12 % success. Who cares ? I say enjoy your weapon and hunt of choice, hunt wisely and safely and let me do the same. I'll give you a thumbs up for the elk you called in and shot cleanly with your bow or smoke pole and give me the same courtesy when I out smart a timber bull that's out foxed you guys during the early seasons. Let 'er rip !!

I agree 100%. I do not care if some say rifle hunters are slobs or archers have more passion for the hunt. To me that is B.S.. I thought this was a discussion about elk success rates. Comments like those posted earlier in this thread.....belittling rifle hunters because some feel they know is crazy. There is a lot I could say about archery game loss or muzzy but that doesn't help in keeping the core group of hunters together. dreamingbig, I know this was not your intent but my god this seems to happen alot on this site. I have done both....rifle and bow, like a lot on this site have and I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly on both sides. There is not one group that is exempt from it.


There are hard core hunters and slobs in all categories and not one is any better then the other. We choose to hunt with the weapon we choose because we love the hunt and the wilderness. Hunters care......slob hunters don't....BOW OR RIFLE OR MUZZY. just my . Not meant to offend anyone.......unless your a slob hunter. 

[NWBREW]

  As a general rule archery hunters have to hunt harder in order to be successful but that doesn't mean all do.  There are great hunters among all user groups.

 

Sorry but I do not agree with that statement. Archers may have to get closer to the game they wish to harvest but they do not have to hunt harder. Archers have a longer season to harvest (as I believe they should ) but a hunter, no matter what his choice of weapon, still looks at topo maps, pays attention to the wind and the weather, may be gone from dawn till dusk....or later, put on just as many boot miles as the other and so forth. I will say that because a bow hunter must get closer the most successful of bow hunters do need to hunt smarter....but not harder. Again just my  . Not meant to offend anyone.

[bobcat]

Right. It could also be argued that archery hunters don't have to hunt as hard because they are able to hunt elk in the rut, which means they are vocal, and therefore easier to find, not to mention they haven't been hunted yet all year, so they're still following their normal routines, and very well could be in much easier to access locations than they will be later in the year when rifle season is open. Rifle season is at the most difficult time of the year to find bulls, as the rut has just ended, and the bulls are hiding out all by themselves in out of the way places where not many people are willing to go. The weather isn't cold enough yet (usually) to force them down to lower elevations. And when that weather does come, archery season opens up again, giving archers another chance at "easier" elk.

[dreamingbig]

Bobcat, you are assuming archery hunters have a bull tag or are hunting a GMU that allows you to shoot a bull.  I haven't drawn a bull tag yet for an eastern washington GMU yet (only been hunting/putting in for the past 7 years) so I have been forced to hunt cows and spikes in an OTC unit with a season that is only 13 days long.  My effective range is only out to 40 yards (yes I am accurate to 70 yards on the practice range but my personal belief that too many things can happen from release to impact when you get out past 40 yards).  This year, my GMU of choice has been changed to spike only.  I have taken 3 elk in those 7 years (2 cows and 1 spike) and each shot was less than 30 yards.

Therefore, for me hunting with my bow is pretty dang hard and harder than hunting with a weapon that has an effective kill range that is two to five times mine.  I don't think you or NWBREW will ever change your mind.

Archery success rates are trending down and they will continue to do so given the changes.  That remains my point and is one crutch that the WDFW will not be able to lean on during the next 3 year season setting process.

[bobcat]

Bobcat, you are assuming archery hunters have a bull tag or are hunting a GMU that allows you to shoot a bull.  I haven't drawn a bull tag yet for an eastern washington GMU yet (only been hunting/putting in for the past 7 years) so I have been forced to hunt cows and spikes in an OTC unit with a season that is only 13 days long.

Rifle and muzzleloader seasons are the same, they also can only kill spike bulls and they do not have the option of taking a cow, like the archery hunters do. Wouldn't you say you see a lot more cow elk than you do spikes? Rifle season in those units is 9 days, muzzleloader 7, while archery gets 13.

Archery success rates are trending down and they will continue to do so given the changes.  That remains my point and is one crutch that the WDFW will not be able to lean on during the next 3 year season setting process.

So they're trending down, but not a significant amount, and I have to ask: what are these changes you're talking about? The archery season is still 2 weeks in mid-September, just as it has been for a while now. There are many units to choose from if you want the option of taking a cow, and if you want to hunt bulls you can buy a westside tag and hunt almost any GMU in western Wa.

[dreamingbig]

Rifle and muzzleloader seasons are the same, they also can only kill spike bulls and they do not have the option of taking a cow, like the archery hunters do. Wouldn't you say you see a lot more cow elk than you do spikes? Rifle season in those units is 9 days, muzzleloader 7, while archery gets 13.

So they're trending down, but not a significant amount, and I have to ask: what are these changes you're talking about? The archery season is still 2 weeks in mid-September, just as it has been for a while now. There are many units to choose from if you want the option of taking a cow, and if you want to hunt bulls you can buy a westside tag and hunt almost any GMU in western Wa.

Yes I see more cow elk than spikes which is why the change to spike only for GMU 356 and 352 for archery will make the success rate their fall dramatically.  There are still cow permits in each unit for muzzleloader and modern firearm this year.

The changes are too many to document fully but the number of days afield for archery has been reduced dramatically.  The early season is now a day shorter than the last 3 year cyle and is being moved forward a day each year, it was the 8th to 21st and is now 7 to 19th (last year 8th to 20th and next 6th to 18th); the peak of the rut is after the season is over but right during the prime "bull" hunts.  There were also several late season opportunities lost.  It is clear that you think modern has been getting a raw deal for years and that you will never hunt with a bow.

I have a hard time figuring out how equity among user groups can be achieved while also maximizing revenue.  The WDFW has obviously chosen the latter.

[grundy53]

I used to bow hunt for elk but things changed in my life and now for the past decade I have been rifle hunting. And my plan is to get back into bow hunting in the near future. That's my personnel plan. Now as always I do not give a rats ass how many archers or smoke pole rs get their elk. We all are allowed one tag, who gives a flying rip what weapon we choose ?? 7%, 9% or 12 % success. Who cares ? I say enjoy your weapon and hunt of choice, hunt wisely and safely and let me do the same. I'll give you a thumbs up for the elk you called in and shot cleanly with your bow or smoke pole and give me the same courtesy when I out smart a timber bull that's out foxed you guys during the early seasons. Let 'er rip !!

I agree 100%. I do not care if some say rifle hunters are slobs or archers have more passion for the hunt. To me that is B.S.. I thought this was a discussion about elk success rates. Comments like those posted earlier in this thread.....belittling rifle hunters because some feel they know is crazy. There is a lot I could say about archery game loss or muzzy but that doesn't help in keeping the core group of hunters together. dreamingbig, I know this was not your intent but my god this seems to happen a lot on this site. I have done both....rifle and bow, like a lot on this site have and I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly on both sides. There is not one group that is exempt from it.


There are hard core hunters and slobs in all categories and not one is any better then the other. We choose to hunt with the weapon we choose because we love the hunt and the wilderness. Hunters care......slob hunters don't....BOW OR RIFLE OR MUZZY. just my . Not meant to offend anyone.......unless your a slob hunter. 

i agree too. and I'm sorry for my previous rant. i just really hate it when people generalize about modern rifle hunters. i hunt elk really hard as well as the rest of my hunting crew. i have nothing against bow hunters (a lot of my friends and family hunt with a bow). i would love to hunt elk with a bow but i would rather stick with my crew. i just hate when people talk *censored* about my choice of weapon... the same as I'm sure bow hunters hate it when we bring up the amount of lossed animals there are during bow season due to people taking poor shots. i feel there are good and bad in every hunting season and we need to stick together and stop the infighting.