using illumanock in Wa

[Snapshot]

If you don't see need, you should look at the wounding statistics from other states that have compiled the information.

Provide the sources and I’ll take a look; until then I suspect you are blowing smoke up my skirt.

I just don't see how it will have ANY effect upon wounding …
A bad hit will still be a bad hit.
Poor shot selection will still be poor shot selection....
Poor tracking skills will still be poor tracking skills, the nock has no effect on blood trails.
A wounding loss will still be a wounding loss, you just won’t lose your arrow.

…Just won’t lose the arrow. That is a big part of this; and being told you can’t do something is another part. If conservation was so damned important these folks might do some research to learn that there is a game recovery tool available that about half of the states in our union allow but Washington does not. And, IF it were really about wanting to recover hit animals, they would ask for that STATISTICLY PROVEN tool to be legalized instead of changing archery regulations to allow electronics, because it would benefit muzzleloader and rifle hunters, too. Read that again; ALL hunters would benefit. It would be about recovering animals and not about being allowed to use another gadget.

I would think that any tool that helps in the retrieval of wounded game would be supported by all…

So how about this one? http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/

No one is saying that a lighted nock will improve anything besides increasing someones chance of finding an arrow.

Not true: testimony was given to the WDFW Commission claiming otherwise. Listen for yourself...

http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2010/12/audio_dec0410.html
http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2011/03/audio_mar0511.html

[Lowedog]

Snapshot, I only had time right now to listen to the first clip where Jim Sutton gave a presentation for lighted nocks.  Maybe I missed something but I didn't hear anything where it is claimed to do anything but help a person find their arrow.  He did say something along the lines of they can help with finding an arrow therefor allowing the hunter to address how an animal was hit. 

Sounds like he made a pretty sound case and at least one of the commissioners was in agreement. 

I would think that any tool that helps in the retrieval of wounded game would be supported by all…

So how about this one? http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/

Is this not currently legal?   

If you don't see need, you should look at the wounding statistics from other states that have compiled the information.

Provide the sources and I’ll take a look; until then I suspect you are blowing smoke up my skirt.

Snapshot, I have read many of your posts and it surprises me to learn that you are a woman.  I guess it just goes to show how little we know about the person behind these posts.   

[popeshawnpaul]

Wow, bowhunters sure get pissy after their season shuts down. Remember this come mid-november when I do...

We have been losing seasons/opportunity for years without lighted nocks.  The cause is not related to lighted nocks.  I wish bow-hunters could get as fired up and emotional and have a 26 page thread on the reasons for the loss of seasons/opportunity. 

Did you enjoy hunting elk until only Sept. 18 this year instead of the 21st?  Your early archery deer season went to Sept. 18th or the 23rd.  Would you enjoy it more if it went to Sept. 31st?  Your late season is 9 days this year.  It use to be 2 weeks.  Is it fun having more people crammed into a short amount of time or would you prefer to have the same number of hunters spaced over twice the amount of time?  Success rates stay the same, relatively, while opportunity and the enjoyment/experience is going down.

Use whatever nock you want in your 9 day season... next year 8, next year 7, next year 6...0.

[Machias]

Wow, bowhunters sure get pissy after their season shuts down. Remember this come mid-november when I do...

We have been losing seasons/opportunity for years without lighted nocks.  The cause is not related to lighted nocks.  I wish bow-hunters could get as fired up and emotional and have a 26 page thread on the reasons for the loss of seasons/opportunity. 

Did you enjoy hunting elk until only Sept. 18 this year instead of the 21st?  Your early archery deer season went to Sept. 18th or the 23rd.  Would you enjoy it more if it went to Sept. 31st?  Your late season is 9 days this year.  It use to be 2 weeks.  Is it fun having more people crammed into a short amount of time or would you prefer to have the same number of hunters spaced over twice the amount of time?  Success rates stay the same, relatively, while opportunity and the enjoyment/experience is going down.

Use whatever nock you want in your 9 day season... next year 8, next year 7, next year 6...0.

So what are the reason(s) they are whittling away the seasons.  No one is saying lighted nocks have had an impact on our seasons.  We are worried, maybe wrongly, that they will be ANOTHER reason to shorten our seasons and cram us into few GMUs.  So what have been the reason(s).  I can get fired up about more than one thing at a time.  Point me in the right direction and light the fuse.   

[pianoman9701]

Wow, bowhunters sure get pissy after their season shuts down. Remember this come mid-november when I do...

We have been losing seasons/opportunity for years without lighted nocks.  The cause is not related to lighted nocks.  I wish bow-hunters could get as fired up and emotional and have a 26 page thread on the reasons for the loss of seasons/opportunity. 

Did you enjoy hunting elk until only Sept. 18 this year instead of the 21st?  Your early archery deer season went to Sept. 18th or the 23rd.  Would you enjoy it more if it went to Sept. 31st?  Your late season is 9 days this year.  It use to be 2 weeks.  Is it fun having more people crammed into a short amount of time or would you prefer to have the same number of hunters spaced over twice the amount of time?  Success rates stay the same, relatively, while opportunity and the enjoyment/experience is going down.

Use whatever nock you want in your 9 day season... next year 8, next year 7, next year 6...0.

Popeshawn, have you joined WFW? We're addressing these issues with the WDFW now and have been during their season-setting period over the last few months. I personally sent letters to the WDFW requesting the old season lengths be brought back. Kain has be hammering them on the cougar seasons. We've all been hammering them on wolf introductions.

No one on this forum wants shorter seasons, lighted nocks or not. If you're truly passionate about hunting and want to do something to change the trend of shortening seasons in our state, join us in the WFW and get involved with us. http://www.washingtonforwildlife.org/cgi-bin/oc/register.cgi

There is something you can do. Please put your registration to work for that which you believe. Registration is either free or $30, whichever you choose. PM me if you have questions.

John W
WFW Legislative Committee Chair

[TheHunt]

Archery hunters are killing too many bulls.  And so are muzzlestuffers.

[Machias]

Wow, bowhunters sure get pissy after their season shuts down. Remember this come mid-november when I do...

We have been losing seasons/opportunity for years without lighted nocks.  The cause is not related to lighted nocks.  I wish bow-hunters could get as fired up and emotional and have a 26 page thread on the reasons for the loss of seasons/opportunity. 

Did you enjoy hunting elk until only Sept. 18 this year instead of the 21st?  Your early archery deer season went to Sept. 18th or the 23rd.  Would you enjoy it more if it went to Sept. 31st?  Your late season is 9 days this year.  It use to be 2 weeks.  Is it fun having more people crammed into a short amount of time or would you prefer to have the same number of hunters spaced over twice the amount of time?  Success rates stay the same, relatively, while opportunity and the enjoyment/experience is going down.

Use whatever nock you want in your 9 day season... next year 8, next year 7, next year 6...0.

Popeshawn, have you joined WFW? We're addressing these issues with the WDFW now and have been during their season-setting period over the last few months. I personally sent letters to the WDFW requesting the old season lengths be brought back. Kain has be hammering them on the cougar seasons. We've all been hammering them on wolf introductions.

No one on this forum wants shorter seasons, lighted nocks or not. If you're truly passionate about hunting and want to do something to change the trend of shortening seasons in our state, join us in the WFW and get involved with us. http://www.washingtonforwildlife.org/cgi-bin/oc/register.cgi

There is something you can do. Please put your registration to work for that which you believe. Registration is either free or $30, whichever you choose. PM me if you have questions.

John W
WFW Legislative Committee Chair

I believe he's pretty involved already as the President of the WSB.  Not that we couldn't use him in the WFW, just thought you should know he's already fighting pretty hard!

[pianoman9701]

Thanks for the heads up, Machias.

BTW, I saw you were at Loring. My mom lives in ME. I've killed quite a few Moosehead lake whitetails and more than my share of red squirrels as a kid. Great country. I do miss the hunting in the remote spots there.

[huntnphool]

 Yes he is the president of the WSB and is very involved. By the way, WSB supports the use of luminoks.

 You guys are missing the big picture, the hunting opportunities are still there, you simply need to apply to hunt them. The seasons have been shortened in the name of "revenue generation". Rather than being able to hunt those later dates in the general hunts you are used to, you now have to pay, in an attempt to draw either a multi weapon tag or a late hunt permit. $$$$$$$$$$$

 Its all science based alright, "political science"

[Machias]

Yes he is the president of the WSB and is very involved. By the way, WSB supports the use of luminoks.

 You guys are missing the big picture, the hunting opportunities are still there, you simply need to apply to hunt them. The seasons have been shortened in the name of "revenue generation". Rather than being able to hunt those later dates in the general hunts you are used to, you now have to pay, in an attempt to draw either a multi weapon tag or a late hunt permit. $$$$$$$$$$$

 Its all science based alright, "political science"

Not entirely correct, the WSBs position is they do not support or object if the WDFW wanted to allow lighted nocks, at least that is how Shawn explained it to me.  I could be wrong, but I believe a majority of WSB members do support lighted nocks but a sizeable portion does not.  If they will have no impact on the seasons and on the sport of bowhunting in WA I will withdraw my objection.  Might not be any "studies" that say folks will take risker shots with lighted nocks.  But since the growing trend, at least what I read here at HuntWa, the trend over the years has been longer and longer shots (which in my "elitist snobish mind" equals riskier).  I believe it will result in an increase in wounding, but hey at least you guys will be able to find your arrows now. 

[pianoman9701]

You've always seemed like an elitist snob to me, Machias! 

[Machias]

 

[huntnphool]

the trend over the years has been longer and longer shots (which in my "elitist snobish mind" equals risker).

 Confirming my original comment! These guys are taking these shots anyway, without the use of lumenoks. Its an ethics issue not a equipement issue, unless you want to debate the increased technology in the bows they are using, which enables them to take these shots. That, in no way, should be confused with a lighted nok but rather subject to an entirely new thread.

[JimmyHoffa]

I think part of the reason for shrinking seasons is the increasing percentage of people going to archery.  You can go get numbers from past years harvest reports.
The numbers are arranged differently over the years, but I found last years to be in an easy grab format.  Well:
2001--I came up with the following
-78,419 elk hunters (eventhough close to 100k tags were sold--they say not all of them hunted)
-13,759 archers (17.5%)
-53,972 modern (68.8%)
-10,688 muzzy (13.6%)
2010
-71,418 elk hunters  (-7,001 hunters 9% drop)
-16,582 archers (23.2%)  (+3,003 hunters 22% increase)
-45,122 modern (63.2%)  (-8,850 hunters 16% drop)
-9,714 muzzy (13.6%) (-974 hunters 9% drop)
I just used the numbers that covered the longest time span that my computer could view--I couldn't open earlier harvest reports.
I noticed overall the years in between there is a general climb in archery, but the other two are up and down, but the downs were lower than the highs were high.  So from 2001 to 2010 it went from 1 in 6 elk hunters using a bow to 1 in 4.

[pianoman9701]

During the season setting meeting in Centralia, the WDFW elk guy told me that they decreased archery seasons because archery hunters were taking a larger percentage of bulls than rifle hunters.