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.

[gasman]

Personally, i have never hunted the east side in the rut.

Yes some times there are some bugeling but the rut starts after the season is over. I have been in the same area a week after the season is over and the rut is in full swing and itis 100% different from the week before  

Just like this season, the elk are talking and bugeling before the season starts and as soon as teh hunters hit the woods, they shut up and split up in to small groups. Hide shut up, stop bugeling, no talking from the cows, and totally shut the ruting activity off.

I would not call this the rutt at all  

The game dept has us all by the balls. Archery season before the rutt. Muzzy season after the rutt, and modern before any migration from the higher hills start.

Either weapon you hunt, they keep us out of the prime hunting, unless you draw permit.

 

[cmiller85]

Either weapon you hunt, they keep us out of the prime hunting, unless you draw permit.

They still do have you by the balls on the Eastside even if you do draw a permit, they just let you shoot a big bull in what is otherwise the general season; jammed packed with hordes of hunters. 

[elkbuster]

Personally, i have never hunted the east side in the rut.

Yes some times there are some bugeling but the rut starts after the season is over. I have been in the same area a week after the season is over and the rut is in full swing and itis 100% different from the week before  

Just like this season, the elk are talking and bugeling before the season starts and as soon as teh hunters hit the woods, they shut up and split up in to small groups. Hide shut up, stop bugeling, no talking from the cows, and totally shut the ruting activity off.

I would not call this the rutt at all  

The game dept has us all by the balls. Archery season before the rutt. Muzzy season after the rutt, and modern before any migration from the higher hills start.

Either weapon you hunt, they keep us out of the prime hunting, unless you draw permit.

 

[spottedhand]

I shot a 300 class Rosie in 1997 in the Willipa and several lesser bulls over the years.  The problem was when the word got out too many people started to show and it was closed to muzzies except for cow permits.  There for a while the top three muzzle rosies came from there and mine was tenth in the state. 

[Tony 270]

I don't think archers have the best elk season in Washington, it ends before the rut really gets going. There is what, a week and a half of early archery season before the rut? Big deal.

Oregon, on the other hand, does get the great elk season. Runs till the 26th, which will catch some, or most of the rut.

[Bigshooter]

Personally, i have never hunted the east side in the rut.

Yes some times there are some bugeling but the rut starts after the season is over. I have been in the same area a week after the season is over and the rut is in full swing and itis 100% different from the week before  

Just like this season, the elk are talking and bugeling before the season starts and as soon as teh hunters hit the woods, they shut up and split up in to small groups. Hide shut up, stop bugeling, no talking from the cows, and totally shut the ruting activity off.

I would not call this the rutt at all  

The game dept has us all by the balls. Archery season before the rutt. Muzzy season after the rutt, and modern before any migration from the higher hills start.

Either weapon you hunt, they keep us out of the prime hunting, unless you draw permit.

 

You did a very good job of explaining the rut.  Before season elk talking.  During season elk not talking.  After season elk talking.  I don't care when the dates are.  When you have every Tom, Dick and Harry out in the woods with a bugle and hochie mamma in there hand the elk stop talking.  Move the season a week later your gonna have the same problems.

[BlackRidge]

I just took it up to increase my time in the woods. Better chances of filling a tag is a nice bonus though

Plus its a sweet new hobby! Just wish I had more places nearby to shoot without terrifying some neighbor...

[Jellymon]

I do archery because I love it! I shoot year round with a break usually in January. I also do as many 3d shoots as I can. I used to hunt Rifle but now that I hunt bow I see a lot more animals.

[Alan K]

You did a very good job of explaining the rut.  Before season elk talking.  During season elk not talking.  After season elk talking.  I don't care when the dates are.  When you have every Tom, Dick and Harry out in the woods with a bugle and hochie mamma in there hand the elk stop talking.  Move the season a week later your gonna have the same problems.

Exactly.

[USAFpj]

You did a very good job of explaining the rut.  Before season elk talking.  During season elk not talking.  After season elk talking.  I don't care when the dates are.  When you have every Tom, Dick and Harry out in the woods with a bugle and hochie mamma in there hand the elk stop talking.  Move the season a week later your gonna have the same problems.

Exactly.  I could not have put it any better.  I thought this past rut hunt was not in full swing because of the lack of elk talk.  Wrong.  I learned it was going on, they were just silent.  On the 16th, I was ghostwalking through my usual stand of old growth, when a cow and calf trotted right by me.  Thinking that they must have winded me, but didn't know where I was at, they just trotted by at 10yds... apparently nobody told the 6x6 behind them that the rut wasn't going on...  if I had been walking with a nocked arrow, I would have had a nice one.   I actually met a very nice archer that had a necklace of cow calls and a power bugle at hand.  When I asked him if he felt that the elk were 'herding up' yet, he replied "No", but that the call maker who had sold them the calls said to initiate the rut if you have to by using all the calls...  I laughed and walked away puzzled about how he was going to pee estrus scent...

[Special T]

I switched to archery and have never looked back..There are more areas where there are firearm restrictions that provide decent hunting... Might as well go with the silent version... I believe there are less Elmer Fuds  in the archery game.. yes they come and leave, but to see animals you must develop the skills to stalk silently or the fortitude to sit patiently...You can March thought the woods with a rifle or muzzy and get lucky from time to time without developing the skills.. I also believe access is a major issue and Archery gear will open more doors for you than any other kind of gear.

[C-Money]

I swiched from archery to modern when WDFW took away cows/calves in the Colockum.

[nontypical176]

Well it seems that I switched for a different reason than y'all.  I work construction, have several other buddies that do the same and some loggers too.  I have been putting in for special permits for 19 years, finally got drawn for a unit thats only a half hour from my house.  My buddies won't even put in for special permits.  The minute the WDFW started making us designate weapon of choice after we submit a permit I had to switch my weapon of choice.  With construction many times you work when you can and designating in the spring, when you will have time to hunt in the fall is impossible, especially in this economy. 

I am good with a bow(my favorite), hunted rifle a while(lots of friends do it), but now hunt muzzle loader because I  usually "Usually", have time off in the late season and the Coweeman unit(where I live) is muzzle loader late.  Now that I have finally drawn a bull permit, I will never apply for one again.  2 years ago I had bow season off and couldn't hunt because I applied for a muzzle loader permit, but ended up working all muzzle loader season, what a crock of sh...

I called the WDFW to ask why even if not drawn we were stuck with that weapon and they replied "Overcrowding" and I asked where, and they said "We can't remember because its been several years since we started making you designate at the time of permit purchase."

Now like this year, I finally drew a permit for Toutle bull in early October, and I am taking time off work for that.  That don't bug me because its a Special Permit and apparently the only time I'll be drawn in my life, because I'm done putting in for permits because of that WDFW rule.  I just can't afford to be taking time off for a general season hunt, I just hunt when I can.

Next year I will designate whenever the hell I want, and hopefully don't cause "Overcrowding".  They are making it hard on the working man.

[Special T]

I have a buddy that doesn't buy his tags until he has time to hunt... he isn't picky will hunt with a bow muzzy or rifle... just like many people like NT176  and my buddy, time is the most valuable comodity....