Tradition only unit

[JBar]

Snapshot the only problem I see with that idea would be the multi season tag holders

As an traditional archery hunter I never have and never will buy a multi-season tag raffle ticket. No other method of hunting interests me and I don't think I'm alone in my thinking, although sometimes I wonder.   The whole point of a lifetime traditional license (or whatever it would be called) would be that the hunter foresakes all other methods of hunting all big game in the state in exchange for a broader range of time afield. To quote a now defunct archery organization; "An opportunity, not an advantage."

I understand what you're saying snapshot but what I am saying is the other way around. If you create another user group the guys that get drawn for that multi season permit would have the right to hunt that unit as well if they choose. A regular modern firearm hunter could pick up the old recurve in the closet he shot when he was twelve and hunt the traditonal unit / season with the multi season.

[Snapshot]

If you create another user group the guys that get drawn for that multi season permit would have the right to hunt that unit as well if they choose.

Adding a user group isn't of any interest to me. If a traditional unit were established with a criteria of "traditional only for life (or ten years or whatever) for all big game" an exclusion would have to be made for the multi-tag holders because they wouldn't qualify.

[fethrduster]

I'm all for it.  It isn't adding a user group, it's just giving one that already exists an opportunity it didn't have before, on a permit basis only.  There's no reason to make mountains out of mole hills.  If it works in Oregon, and it does, it can work here in WA. 

[sakoshooter]

I agree with Machias. This topic was discussed pretty thoroughly about 2 months ago. I'll bet you could do a search and get plenty of opinons.

I think we should have a scoped rifle deer season and an open sighted rifle deer season. Elk too.
No, just kiddin.

[jstone]

SAKO... Already do Modern and Muzzy

[dreamingbig]

This is a bad idea.  We (archers) would be better served as a user group and protect our dwindling seasons.  We are losing more and more opportunities (season length, special permits) each year to MF and Muzzleloader.

[Snapshot]

We are losing more and more opportunities (season length, special permits) each year....

...Because we have become more and more efficient at taking big game.

[hughjorgan]

We are losing more and more opportunities (season length, special permits) each year....

...Because we have become more and more efficient at taking big game.

Or could it be that there are just more archers afield than 20 and 30 years ago, therefore more archery hunters mean more animals harvested?

[jstone]

Yes i agree there are more archers in the field. I used to see almost no one where i go . Now sometimes i have to squeeze between people to get any where.

[PA BEN]

I say why? Most everyone can shoot a gun, most everyone can shoot a compound bow and most everyone can shoot a muzzleloader. BUT, most everyone can't shoot a traditional bow.

[dreamingbig]

We are losing more and more opportunities (season length, special permits) each year....

...Because we have become more and more efficient at taking big game.

Do you really think that is the reason?  My humble opinion is a horrible economy, a state budget that needs to be cut, a game department that has been force to cut back has them scrambling to find MONEY.  More opportunities for the biggest user group leads to more permits purchased and more MONEY.  Did I say MONEY?

[Snapshot]

Do you really think that is the reason?

The explanation we were given for the shortening of our elk season was that we bowhunters were killing a disproportionate amount of mature bulls. The reason we almost lost the late Swakane general deer season was the same; we took too many deer out of there in the previous three-years.
In my opinion if we continue seeking ways to make hunting easier we will continue to suffer cuts in our season lengths. And the only conceivable way to reverse the trend would be to set stricter limits on ourselves; to stop looking for greater and greater advantages. 

[jstone]

I really don't believe that its the archers killing all of the deer in a unit or big bulls. It is thePOACHERS that are killing the animals in the wintering grounds.The game dept. just wants to blame it on hunters for over hunting NOT the real problems. Look at the Clockum and the Entiat when they where in the height of there population. AWESOME. Then the animals started to get POATCHED OUT. You can pull over around Oklahoma Gulch and other places in the area and find Deer carcases.  . Its Not the Hunters who try do do the right thing...

[Lowedog]

Do you really think that is the reason?

The explanation we were given for the shortening of our elk season was that we bowhunters were killing a disproportionate amount of mature bulls. The reason we almost lost the late Swakane general deer season was the same; we took too many deer out of there in the previous three-years.
In my opinion if we continue seeking ways to make hunting easier we will continue to suffer cuts in our season lengths. And the only conceivable way to reverse the trend would be to set stricter limits on ourselves; to stop looking for greater and greater advantages. 

Can't comment much on the elk much but have you been in the Swakane unit in the last 5 years during late archery?  You would think every archery hunter in this state is there for that hunt.  So yeah, the reasoning may be that archers are taking too many animals on that hunt but I would lay 10-1 that it is because of the amount of hunters over tech. 

I was in favor of that hunt going permit only.  I don't think that any user group should be able to hunt the rut as a general season. 

[jstone]

Yep i would agree with going to permit, to get the populations up. I see deer but not what it was just 10 years ago. Even the Entiat. I dont know when i had the 06 Late archery permit, Saw lots of deer but not the quality bucks that i used to see when it was the General late archery?