Ok I have had enough

[bigtex]

Nobody should pay to hunt private property. The WDFW should not issue tags where a landowner is going to charge Hunters who pay for a Hunting license. Let the Landowner resolve thier own overpopulation of bears but if they break the law by harvesting more than the license they hold they should be accountable. 

I somewhat agree with what you are saying. The three tree farms in this area all charge between $225-300 per person per year and they all sell out of permits. However 20 years ago it was free, you would just drive on their property. What made them charge the fee? The thousands pounds of garbage that was left on the property. Was it left by hunters? Probably not, but it's one of those situations where everyone is "punished" for the actions of a few. Unfortunately this is becoming more of a trend on the westside of the state with private timber companies charging an access fee, give it time and it will make it's way to the eastside. I will say though, I'd rather have the companies charge a fee then not allow anyone to hunt their property.

[allboy]

whoa! easy there Tex...I have put in for units in Montana that I have never stepped foot on. who gives a chite, really? There is nothing that says you have to give info to these people, so guess what? DON'T REPLY!
[/quoWAY

read this Tex, then read it again

[alanger]

someone sounds mad they didnt draw what they wanted

[bigtex]

someone sounds mad they didnt draw what they wanted

Nope. I drew two tags, both were my first choices 

[alanger]

someone sounds mad they didnt draw what they wanted

Nope. I drew two tags, both were my first choices 

Good for you, then why does it matter if people ask for help! you dont have to help, you've asked for help before, IF YOU DONT WANT TO HELP DONT READ IT.

[alanger]

Sounds like someone just wanted to rant in spare time until their hunts 

[PA BEN]

So, if I put in for a tag that I have no idea about and draw it. I am wasting that tag because I don't know the area.   With that said, the only draws one should put in for are areas you only know? Because guys like you don't get the tag. Well before this web site, guys had to look at maps, scout the area and O YEAH, talk to locales. This all being said, this web site is just one tool to help a hunter who draws a tag, no mater what area or how much the hunter knows about the area. BTW, I drew an elk tag, (THE ONLY ONE), SEPT. 20th to 25th, rifle. I don't know the area that well and will ask all the questions I want on this web site to help my odds of filling my tag with a good bull. I, like most people here like to help others with there tags. I don't give out my honey holes, but I will help get them on quality areas to hunt if I can.  

[GoldTip]

I've helped and been helped by plenty on this site, and will continue to help and ask for help when I need it.  To be honest, I put in for a Goat Rocks Goat tag this year, don't know the first damn thing about that area. Why?  Because I don't have a Goat tag!  If and when I draw a tag for that area I will be asking for help from people on this site who have hunted Goats there, or live in the area and hunt deer and elk there and know where the Goats are.  I've been sent probably 4 pms from guys who drew the Selkirk Moose tag this year, the same tag I had this year.  And yep, I've pointed them in a couple directions, now if they sit in their trucks and drive through those area's, my help will probably not do them any good at all.  But last year I was given advice by several from this site, and I made multiple scouting trips, found several area's I felt were hot and ended up setting my camp where I thought best.  I guess the point I'm trying to make here is we can all offer some help without giving up our honey holes and without screwing the unit up.  If you don't want to give help, then don't and I understand that as well.

[ICEMAN]

Good points from alot of you. I have been quick to criticize someone looking for help on their first few posts on this site. If I have offended you, this may have been my motive at the time...   

On the other hand, I have helped guys out in the field many times. Great story here...; we were done hunting a favorite area in Central Eastern WA and were convoying down the mountain with a few bucks in the truck, three trucks convoying down together. We came around a corner and were flagged down by a man and his son. The father, a black man in his 50s was taking his teen aged son hunting, and were having problems with the carbine someone loaned them. (They left Seattle that AM and were just heading up into the "woods" to go hunting.  They had street tires on their rusty old van, no good hunting clothing to be had, really a motley crew for sure. They had hunted a bit that day and had a problem with the gun and could not get the hammer to fall and unload the gun. They did not want to drive with the gun in that position and they had tried to get help from several hunters on this main mountain road to no avail.  These guys stuck out like a sore thumb. I even joked with them that we didn't see very many black hunters out here... Really nice guys, just ill prepared.  Me and my two buddies spent well over an hour with them. Dismantled the gun on the hood of the truck, found the issue, fixed it. They were wary now of the gun....so I test fired it a few rounds, took the time to make sure the young man could work the carbine, had him shoot it...... took the time to give them some clues as to where we were finding game, gave them all the warnings about the area, did everything we could in one hour to help get these two guys on the right track to shooting a deer. Shook their hands and continued on our way. I still smile thinking about these guys. Hunters in the making....  They needed a little help and there was no way we were not going to give it. If I could have done more, I would have. I may have even named a canyon or two if they had a detailed map... My point is, I think we all are willing to help, just wary to do so over the internet as we cannot verify the type of guy we are helping, and we cannot control how many folks are going to take advantage of the information.

I have recently asked for help regarding the Chilliwist area, and have taken a bit of assistance in PM's. Sometimes I wish others would keep the specifics in private so as not to saturate any given area with pressure.

  

[Wenatcheejay]

To not help a special tagholder is a choice but to be critical of them or critical of helping them is pathetic, on this site that is what we should do. The only thing about direct locations has been to PM instead of broadcasting info to lurkers. Also there is a ton of information in past threads. But new people might not know that. 

[halflife65]

I joined the site like many of the new people do - as PART of the research that I was doing on a new unit.

I've only been annoyed once when someone posted that they drew the Entiat tag and wondered why it was such a big deal.  Then asked for help.  The asking part wasn't the issue, you have to start somewhere, it was the casual attitude towards a great tag - to the point of not even knowing that it was a great tag.

That person then followed up with other posts that led me to believe that they were now taking the tag seriously, understood the opportunity, and were going to do something with it.  At that point, I don't have any problems offering info about draw tags to that guy or someone else, if I have something worthwhile for them.

Good luck to everyone that drew and I'll help you if I can.

[huntndad]

I've been a "reader" on this site for a while, and I've seen many more positive responses than negative.  Helping others is a personal choice, but one that most hunters I've encountered are willing to make.  My hunting partners and I spend countless hours and miles scouting each year, usually hiking or biking behind locked gates.  Every year, during hunting season, we run into hunters who are in the area for the first time.  We're always willing to help.  Sure, we don't tell them everything, but we help any way we can.  This last year, for example, I spent the first 3 days of archery elk season chasing the same small herd with a nice 5 point bull.  I had watched the group 3 times leading up to the season and had a pretty good idea of their habits.  The first two morning of the hunt, I located the elk, but just couldn't make it happen.  On the third morning, I snuck in through the timber before light, but unfortunately the elk were in a different area and I spooked them in the timber.  I heard them crashing away and had a good idea of where they were heading.  To make a long story short, about an hour later, as I made it to my destination, I ran into 2 excited hunters who had just shot a bull.  They were riding their bikes down the gravel road and the herd crossed in front of them.  The bull was the last in line, and it paused long enough for one of them to shoot it.  The hunters told me it was their first time down this road ever.  They had waited at the gate until light because they didn't know where they were going.  I was a little upset at first, but I helped them track down their bull, took pictures for them, and helped them pack it out.  It was probably my favorite day of this past hunting season. 
As far as doing research and scouting is concerned, it's not always reasonable or practical.  There is only so much time in the year.  Between little league games, dance classes, birthday parties, etc, I only get a few weekends for me.  I'm not going to waste that time scouting some place where I'm more than likely not going to be able to hunt.  That's what makes this site so great.  I can get help with something I couldn't do on my own.
This year, for the first time ever, I drew a tag.  I did a little research on the WDFW website (hunter #s, success, etc.) before applying, but not much.  Since the archery "buck" category only had 5 choices and only 2 of those were durring the late season, I decided to apply for those two.  The game regs does provide some code letters for hunt notes.  For example "C" means lots of private land.  My hunt choices didn't show any hunt notes.  I ended up drawing Ritaville (Unit 284) late archery.  After doing a bit more research, it seems like the entire unit is private property.  I wish I'd done a little more digging before applying, but I'm not going to feel bad when I ask for some assistance from people on this site.  Should I?

[halflife65]

Nope.  I wish I had info for you but I don't know anything about that unit, either.

[bigtex]

For example "C" means lots of private land.  My hunt choices didn't show any hunt notes.  I ended up drawing Ritaville (Unit 284) late archery.  After doing a bit more research, it seems like the entire unit is private property.  I wish I'd done a little more digging before applying, but I'm not going to feel bad when I ask for some assistance from people on this site.  Should I?

Well there is actually a lot of BLM land on the eastern half of the GMU. There is also a TON of land available to hunters under the Hunting by Written Permission Program in this GMU. Getting this info took me less then 5 minutes on the WDFW website....

[haus]

For example "C" means lots of private land.  My hunt choices didn't show any hunt notes.  I ended up drawing Ritaville (Unit 284) late archery.  After doing a bit more research, it seems like the entire unit is private property.  I wish I'd done a little more digging before applying, but I'm not going to feel bad when I ask for some assistance from people on this site.  Should I?

Well there is actually a lot of BLM land on the eastern half of the GMU. There is also a TON of land available to hunters under the Hunting by Written Permission Program in this GMU. Getting this info took me less then 5 minutes on the WDFW website....

5 minutes, wow fantastic. So how long is it going to take you to post a link to the info?