Washington elk draw

[Buckrub]

 

The elk aren't in trouble... the hunter on the other hand 

90 /10 rule goes beyond fishermen...

[724wd]

southeast has been spike only for many years.  anyone see a way to go back to hunting the big boys?  you can't just open it up one year... everybody and their dog would be out and massacre them!    

[JCClement]

I voted yes.  Only read to Bobcat's comment on page 1.  Pretty much sums up my thoughts.

I would like to believe this could happen with all entities and hunters in the state for the good of the game.  Maybe I am too optimistic.

[agchawk]

  I voted yes. I've seen what it can do in other states for the heard and harvestable bulls. Heck, I buy my tag every year and seldom fill it so anyway so personally see no issues with a draw-only system. Bobcat and few others are pretty much thinking along the same lines as I am. Better quality hunt for fewer folks.

 Just my opinion.

[Buckrub]

"better quality hunt with fewer hunters"


I am pretty much done with this topic...one last comment.

I can't believe hunters would sacrifice other hunters to enhance thier chance at a bull.  Seems selfish 

Antler restriction (like the rest of the state) enhance escapement... (close roads, reforest, shorten seasons)
Hunting shouldn't be about improving hunters chances... it should be herd management to insure future hunting for ALL.
my last 

[hunterofelk]

I voted yes because that is how my elk hunting has been here in Washington, get a permit, go elk hunting.  When I hunted in Montana, as a non-resident,  in a branch-antlered area, all I would see were spikes and forks, when I hunted in an any bull, I would see only cows.  When I grew up in Montana and could spend more time scouting and hunting I got some spikes and rag-horns.  With a bull permit in Washington my hunts were a quality experience and I would rather skip a few years and hunt deer in between.

[Jack Diamond]

Well this is interesting, what I can make of it is that most want to kill a big bull, and some are happy with a elk, and some want to camp with their friends, sooo lets make 3 pt or better tags available for 1500.00 and spikes up to 3 Pt's 1000.00, and any cow 500.00. I know,I just pissed everybody off, however coming from a livestock background ,that's the way I think. The current spike only on the Colockum is a JOKE, actually had a Biologist tell me while we were loading cattle in Kittitas, that the spikes were inferior animals, that the WSDW wants 3 point or better breeding , not spikes. It"s obvious that our colleges are teaching theory, rather than fact. how many points is a matter of age, I have had a yearling Simmental bull calf jump the fence and produce really big 'TOO BIG" Babies. so much for WSDW biology, and if you really think hard about it , camp somewhere else with your friends, apply for the permit hunt you want, cow 500.00 spike to 3pt 1000.00 and 3 pt or better 1500.00. Or Go to another state and pay equal or better. Or let me know and i will allow you to shoot one of my beef cows for cash money. The above  mentioned price structure is way cheaper than most spend looking for elk. I used to believe that as citizens of this state We had a right to the wildlife, and now the masses move in and you know this is not sustainable, oh but then the alleged high rollers want to brag about hunting other states, but then bitch about the resident tag rates, sometimes I just don"t get it.  Or just close the elk deal down for 5 years , and start over, WDFW won"t go for that , the only thing they want to manage is dollars, and they do a piss poor job of that!

[bobcat]

"better quality hunt with fewer hunters"


I am pretty much done with this topic...one last comment.

I can't believe hunters would sacrifice other hunters to enhance thier chance at a bull.  Seems selfish 

Antler restriction (like the rest of the state) enhance escapement... (close roads, reforest, shorten seasons)
Hunting shouldn't be about improving hunters chances... it should be herd management to insure future hunting for ALL.
my last 

Permit only elk hunting wouldn't be about improving hunter's chances. It would be about having healthy elk herds. Good hunting would just be a benefit of that. It's pretty obvious the Colockum elk aren't doing well when we have a "true spike" only season.

[BlackRidge]

"better quality hunt with fewer hunters"


I am pretty much done with this topic...one last comment.

I can't believe hunters would sacrifice other hunters to enhance thier chance at a bull.  Seems selfish 

Antler restriction (like the rest of the state) enhance escapement... (close roads, reforest, shorten seasons)
Hunting shouldn't be about improving hunters chances... it should be herd management to insure future hunting for ALL.
my last 

Permit only elk hunting wouldn't be about improving hunter's chances. It would be about having healthy elk herds. Good hunting would just be a benefit of that. It's pretty obvious the Colockum elk aren't doing well when we have a "true spike" only season.

I'd support the idea more, if a tougher stance was taken on poachers/tribe members illegally taking them. Seems we're being forced to deal with a sh*tty situation they've help to create

[buckhorn2]

Seems more like a East vs West sort of thing with guys in the West wanting things to stay the way they are and the East side guys wanting a change in the regulations.We have good access on the west side and can shoot branch antlered bulls and have liberal cow permits so I vote No for me. Not knowing the Eastside and the spike only rule it might be a different story if I lived over there but I hunt the wet side and don;t want to go east so hopeing things don;t change.

[Buckrub]

"Permit only elk hunting wouldn't be about improving hunter's chances. It would be about having healthy elk herds. Good hunting would just be a benefit of that. It's pretty obvious the Colockum elk aren't doing well when we have a "true spike" only season."

The only problem with the clockum herd is access...close some friggin roads and see what happens.
Turn the management over to me... hunters may bitch about access but I would ensure escapement.

[Buckrub]

"What a lack of roads WILL do is to allow deer and elk to survive, in good numbers. Look at the Colockum and how poorly deer and elk are doing in there. A large part of that is due to the poaching by indians and others because they are able to drive throughout the entire area. If the roads did not exist and motorized vehicles were not allowed, just think of what a great deer and elk area it COULD be."

I wonder who posted this on another thread??  maybe Bobcat? The one who said this at the start of this thread..

Bobcat says: I voted yes.

Look at what we have for a general season on the eastside of the state: spike only, with a success rate of around 5% for most GMU's. I'd rather see the number of hunters cut in half (by limited permit hunting) and have it be open for any bull, so a guy could actually go on an actual elk hunt instead of just a camping trip.

We could have some great elk hunting if hunters would be willing to accept not being able to have an elk tag in their pocket every single year. In years that you don't draw a permit you could still go hunting with others who did draw a permit. Or you could just spend more time hunting deer, bears, birds, predators, etc.

The number of permits could be very high still- high enough that everyone could hunt every other year. "

Sorry Bobcat...had do do it...buckrub out

[NWwildman]

I have to say yes also. I live in the Wenatchee area I have been here my whole life I wish i could take a picture of want the colockum  area us to be and what it is now everyone would be signing up for the draw system. When i was young we could drive the colockum and see 500 elk in a day with no problem. Now i see maybe a 300 a year. I know that there is other variables. But when you can't walk 30 feet with out seeing another hunter or a camp something should be done. Opening day i walked a ridge for the first time in 5 years that I used to hunt  we heard in the first hour and a half of opener we counted 98 shots and by noon we stopped counting at 134. I have seen more fights then i can count on my hands and feet of people fighting over what shot killed a elk. This year i heard of 4 different people shooting the same elk. I am the same as the next person I want the chance to kill a elk every year like we used to. But only reason we even buy a elk tag now is to get points so that we can get a chance to a draw. I would rather have a chance to hunt a elk rather then using dumb luck as my hunting tool because that what elk hunting has turned into my area is dumb luck. I know other will see this different but that what i think 

[trophyhunt]

Cant believe how many of you voted Yes.  Just think how much the tribes would love it it we all had to draw to hunt, except them. Not a good Idea. And forget about it- the tribes wont go along with it.

[Jake T]

if it was draw only for everyone you'd still have a chance at hunting every year.  but rather than accruing a point for the next year, maybe they could just make it a rule that everyone who didn't draw this year automatically gets to hunt next year.  then the left over permits could be put into a draw and the guys that hunted last year would have a chance at hunting again this year.

that way the most you would every lose out on would be one season, but you'd have a chance at every year.  tag fees would probably go up to preserve the revenue.

another thought...do you think going to draw only would make a lot of people mad and increase the number of poaching incidents?