I was looking at the game regs for Elk and I just don't think they are complicated enough yet. I have an idea to make them far more complicated, and also generate more money for the department from fines. This is a win/win idea.
This concept comes from the new ling cod reg that was put in place this year for spearfishermen. Spearfisherman are now subjected to the slot limit for ling. They must be able to tell if a ling is between 26 and 36 inches before shooting. Now keep in mind that many ling sit waaaaaay back in rocks and under structure. Not only that, but everything is 25% larger underwater. Visibility in the Puget sound is usually 15 feet. The "spear and release" technique has a very poor survival rate too. Ever try to measure a live fish that is swimming in the water? Sure, it sounds easy, but....
Building off the wisdom this great new law, I am thinking we should implement a slot limit on Spike Elk. to be a legal spike, the spike must be between 12 and 3/8ths inches long, and 13 and 1/8th.
What do you think?
