Changing weapon of choice, due to the regs.

[gasman]

I ran in to 8 people in the Little Naches unit this season that chaged from muzzy hunting to archery hunting because of the "Better season" and First time opening of LN.

One guy i talked to told me they were under the impression thet the archers had it made. Hunt the rut and kill a lot of animals   well, they found that they had the wrong impression of archery season. All the guys that told me they chged weapons thought it was a mistake after doing it and were very disapointed.

Did any hunters here switched to archery or from another weapon believing they would (or will) have a better season?

Did you talk to or know of any body that changed weapons for a better season?

[superdown]

i changed from modern to muzzy just so i did not have to share the mountain with so many other people.

[Curly]

I switched from ML to modern for elk this year.  WDFW eliminated the elk season in the unit that I just started to figure out the last couple years.......

[Sneaky]

I switched to archery this year after hunting multi-season the last few years as I was drawn for montana and planned to hunt around the same time as my usual rifle late buck hunt here in washington. The last couple years of multi-season hunting I had passed several deer during the archery season looking for the right buck. The year I just wanted meat so I could concentrate on montana, they change the regs to buck only in 121 and 117  

[bobcat]

Archery hunters do have the best season for elk. They hunt before anybody else, and they get to hunt while elk are rutting. Plus, they get to hunt all the good units, while only the poor to mediocre units are open for muzzleloader. So I can understand why people would want to try archery hunting.

[bighorns2bushytails]

i switched to muzzle loaders this year for elk to give something new a whirl... figured there might be less people on the mountains like Superdown said.

--bh2bt

[wapiti hunter2]

i changed from modern to muzzy just so i did not have to share the mountain with so many other people.

i switched to muzzle loaders this year for elk to give something new a whirl... figured there might be less people on the mountains like Superdown said.

--bh2bt

 

[highside74]

Archery hunters do have the best season for elk. They hunt before anybody else, and they get to hunt while elk are rutting. Plus, they get to hunt all the good units, while only the poor to mediocre units are open for muzzleloader. So I can understand why people would want to try archery hunting.

I smell a rat with this post. LOL.

The weather has had the elk rut getting going so much later that muzzy has been where it's at. I won't switch from archery to muzzy because I only want to hunt with a bow. I tell you what though, if I draw a multi-season tag look out muzzy season. Much less hunter's in the muzzy season. The fewest of the 3 by far.

[bobcat]

Archery hunters do have the best season for elk. They hunt before anybody else, and they get to hunt while elk are rutting. Plus, they get to hunt all the good units, while only the poor to mediocre units are open for muzzleloader. So I can understand why people would want to try archery hunting.

I smell a rat with this post. LOL.

The weather has had the elk rut getting going so much later that muzzy has been where it's at. I won't switch from archery to muzzy because I only want to hunt with a bow. I tell you what though, if I draw a multi-season tag look out muzzy season. Much less hunter's in the muzzy season. The fewest of the 3 by far.

Much less hunters? I don't think so. Muzzleloader season is crowded in areas where there are any elk. The problem is very few units are open for muzzleloader. And besides that the rut is pretty much over by the time muzzleloader season starts.

[superdown]

I am actually just a deer hunter so for me there is a lot less people. not that i wouldn't hunt elk i just don't know anyone who does it.

[AKBowman]

Archery hunters do have the best season for elk. They hunt before anybody else, and they get to hunt while elk are rutting. Plus, they get to hunt all the good units, while only the poor to mediocre units are open for muzzleloader. So I can understand why people would want to try archery hunting.

Bobcat, i have to completely diassagree with you. Unless I am mistaken a lot of the better (most productive) units in Western WA are open for Muzzy. I.E. Ryderwood, Willapa Hills and others, these units are generally the high producers for western WA.

I dont dissagree with you that archery gets the best of the seasons but the Muzzy hunt can be (and usually is) during the rut, some of the time it is during the peak of the rut in these SW WA units. The muzzy hunt can be a premier hunt in these units.

Best of luck!

[AKBowman]

Archery hunters do have the best season for elk. They hunt before anybody else, and they get to hunt while elk are rutting. Plus, they get to hunt all the good units, while only the poor to mediocre units are open for muzzleloader. So I can understand why people would want to try archery hunting.

I smell a rat with this post. LOL.

The weather has had the elk rut getting going so much later that muzzy has been where it's at. I won't switch from archery to muzzy because I only want to hunt with a bow. I tell you what though, if I draw a multi-season tag look out muzzy season. Much less hunter's in the muzzy season. The fewest of the 3 by far.

Much less hunters? I don't think so. Muzzleloader season is crowded in areas where there are any elk. The problem is very few units are open for muzzleloader. And besides that the rut is pretty much over by the time muzzleloader season starts.

I think a lot of people would dissagree with you but not want to post it on this site b/c they want to keep it their secret. There are tons of elk in almost all the western wa units (south) and they are mostly gated keeping the muzzy guys (and archery guys) limited. I guess if I was muzzy hunting a unit with a lot of poeple and not many elk I would most likely have the same feeling. I've never hunted East side so I cant speak of that and if you are talking about east side than I'm sure you are correct in your statements (I wouldn't know). Of course there are a lot of things i wouldnt know having only hunted archery west side the past 4 years. 

[WSU]

Archery hunters do have the best season for elk. They hunt before anybody else, and they get to hunt while elk are rutting. Plus, they get to hunt all the good units, while only the poor to mediocre units are open for muzzleloader. So I can understand why people would want to try archery hunting.

I smell a rat with this post. LOL.  
The weather has had the elk rut getting going so much later that muzzy has been where it's at. I won't switch from archery to muzzy because I only want to hunt with a bow. I tell you what though, if I draw a multi-season tag look out muzzy season. Much less hunter's in the muzzy season. The fewest of the 3 by far.

Much less hunters? I don't think so. Muzzleloader season is crowded in areas where there are any elk. The problem is very few units are open for muzzleloader. And besides that the rut is pretty much over by the time muzzleloader season starts.

The rut is definitely not over for muzzy season.  They may not be bugling a ton, but the bulls are still with cows.  Last year I killed a bull with a heard of a dozen cows in a SW unit.  Definitely less units though.

[markts]

Where I muzzy hunt there are no elk and tons of hunters

[chester]

Bobcat, i have to completely diassagree with you. Unless I am mistaken a lot of the better (most productive) units in Western WA are open for Muzzy. I.E. Ryderwood, Willapa Hills and others, these units are generally the high producers for western WA.


[/quote]

Willapa HIlls has never been open for muzzy.