discouraging future......

[sneakysneaky]

Hey all..

      After receiving the grim news of "no draw" again for the 8th year in a row, it kinda hit me.....   "this" is the best we are ever gonna see in our lifetimes. Human populations are growing, wild-lands are depleting, and wild game numbers are declining. We are living in the " Good Ol' days" of our time. With draw odds at around 1 in a 1000 ( give or take) for goat, sheep , and moose in Washington, most of us will never draw the tags we are hoping for....    At 27, I like to tell myself that I will eventually draw some "kickass" tags...,   but the odds get worse and worse every year, and I coincidentally get the itch to do something rash...   Alaska.. 

      Should Washington adopt a Utah type policy and require that all tags are special draw? I know it would piss off a LOT of people... but where will we be in ten years if we don't change the hunter to game ratio?   Don't get me wrong..., I thoroughly enjoy laying the "smack down" to a legal buck or bull, but Washington's population continues to grow and the hunting opportunities continue to get smaller and worse...       Lets hear some opinions

[PolarBear]

Dude don't rely on drawing a special permit to bag a great animal!  There are a lot of us who have never drawn a permit and still manage to take book bucks and bulls, just do some research and scouting.  You are way too young to be throwing in the towel!  Hell. I've been putting in for oil tags since you were 2 and still haven't drawn.  I honestly think that hunting "quality animals" in WA is actually getting better for those willing to burn off some boot leather and worse for those who don't.  I know that I see better bulls and bucks of all species every year.  You never heard of a 350-400 class bull  or a 180+ whitetail in this state 20 years ago.  Mule deer have been hit hard but seem to be recovering and there are more trophy class blacktails being shot.  Hunter numbers are actually dropping (so I have read) which give us more opportunities.  Maybe it's just me but I think that we could do better but are far from bad.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I agree, I have seen more "quality" animals in the last 5 years than ever.

[NWBREW]

The biggest buck and the biggest elk I've ever killed have been without being drawn for a permit.........then again I have'nt gotten drawn for a buck permit. 

[jameslong]

The same animals are out there regardless of "season" or "tag". If you work your ass off and do your research you will succeed...I'm 48 and I don't feel the need for a "special" tag to get what I'm after this fall

[NWBREW]

The same animals are out there regardless of "season" or "tag". If you work your ass off and do your research you will succeed...I'm 48 and I don't feel the need for a "special" tag to get what I'm after this fall

I don't need it......I WANT IT. 

[Snapshot]

If every man were on the same, level playing field I would say the future would be pretty rosy. There is plenty of opportunity to get a good buck or bull, especially for anyone who is willing to follow the advice layed down up above by PolarBear and work for it. But when we have a certain walk of people out there playing with a whole different set of rules, knocking down critters and leaving all but the choice parts, or taking more than one animal per person per year, we might have a tough row to hoe ahead of us. I wish for a resolution to the specific problem of any one man talking more than one deer and one elk per year.

[colockumelk]

I'm working on just that same thing snapshot.  I think if even half the newspapers in our state do a story on the paper I'm currently writing I think alot of the public will be shocked and what you speak about will finally be brought into the public spotlight.  Also the angle that I'm writing about it it will be very tough for the WDFW and the people that you speak of to protest what I am writing and say that I am wrong. 

We need more people like you snapshot.  Too often people tell me that I'm naive and that nothing can be done.  I say those people are quitters and are wrong.  I'll post the paper I write sometime in August. 

[Snapshot]

It was the swipe of a pen that created the problem and another swipe could undo it. I am not alone in longing for an undoing of the inequity.

[Wenatcheejay]

I have scored with and without special permits, JUST HUNT!

[MIKEXRAY]

Amen,   also well said Polar Bear. Mike

[bowhunterforever]

I have scored with and without special permits, JUST HUNT!

I have scored on two P&Y bucks the last few years, but not elk!!!!!they are there though

[PA BEN]

There is no way they will go to draw only. A lot of hunters in this State are not happy now and will take up Golf and stop hunting if they do that, including me.

[MMMike]

The glass is half FULL...

[let.it.fly]

if things get much worse im moving to alaska. losta pipeline work up there.