new info on 4 pt restriction

[huntnnw]

AHAHAHA....sure am....all u wanna do is argue on here with everyone..not just this topic..move on. I have brought up a great example to this APR issue within a general area that is divided by a 3pt and no APR area, also debated your points with facts! and all u can do is point out the same chit I have anwsered.

[Skyvalhunter]

Ok kiss and make up you two.

[Miles]

 

 This place gets a little slow from midnight on...

[bearpaw]

To answer your questions Muleyguy:

In 5 years if a group feels the 4pt APR needs removed, you can petition the WDFW for it's removal, this is what was done to get the APR considered. Then the commission will have to reconsider the rule.

I like the 3 pt APR for mule deer in our area. We don't have a lot of mule deer and they are stuck in a predator pit with cougar and coyotes eating them as fast as they can reproduce. But since the APR has been in effect at least we have some older bucks showing up in the harvest. Prior to the APR, I don't think we had many MD bucks that made it past 1.5 years.

The early and late whitetail seasons are both proposed to occur as always.

I agree we are much different than any other state or even the area south of Spokane which has APR's on whitetail, thus the need to try a test in 2 NE GMU's so that effectiveness can be analized here in NE Washington. Due to the sheer amount of cover in NE WA, the APR may work even more effectively than in those other other areas. Once you get these yearling bucks past that 1st year, they are much wiser and more likely to survive, especially in our cover.

Are you saying that APR was not effective at building a better deer herd south of Spokane? Most of the people seem to like the APR south of Spokane. 

[DBHAWTHORNE]

 

I love the whitetail APR south of the river. Some of the biggest bucks I have seen were south of the river. In 2006 my friends and I took three P&Y bucks (140-150) from one stand location (in a period of less than two weeks) and saw at least a dozen others from the same stand.

[HornHoarder]

I guess I'll put in my  . I live and hunt south of the river. I see no shortage of mature bucks. 130 class bucks have become common, and 150+ class bucks are there. Also seems to be a well balanced buck to doe ratio. I got to think that the APR has helped create this. Also a limited late season. I am a fan of APRs and think similar results could happen in NE WA.

[bearpaw]

I have to tell you, I did not used to support this APR idea. I'm not sure I will support it forever. But, I would like to see how it will help our herd, and if it doesn't help the herd you can bet I will want to end it.

I do know this, if noone took a chance, the US would not even exist, it was discovered, pioneered, settled, and protected by people who all took a chance and tried something which they did not know the outcome. This APR is an unknown for NE Washington, science is all about trying and learning, so let's try and learn from this in 117 and 121. Then we can let science tell us what to do. 

[walt]

I'm just not sold on the idea that we need to do something right now.  From what I have seen the population hit a low a few years back but is back on rise, just like it has done over and over and over.  I also don't believe the ratio is as out of whack as people say.  I spend quite a bit of time up there, as do many people I know, and have for many, many years.  (throughout the year, in the woods)  Maybe we just get lucky and see the only bucks left.  Some on here will have you believe that there 60 does to every buck, the only bucks are yearlings, and the cougars, wolves and bears out number them all.     I also don't believe this is about the deer, if it was dropping the late season, even for 1or 2 years, would have a far better impact on the herd.  But what do I know...... 

[grundy53]

But if you drop a few days off the rut and made those last few days a permit hunt then you would be creating a trophy unit...   and that would be bad....

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Walt,

They already knocked a few days off the late season during prime time in the last few years. The bow season used to begin 20 Nov. Now it begins 25 Nov.

Do you think the herd is in any shape to handle another back to back hard winter or blue toungue outbreak? Eastern Montanta whitetails population has been decimated by such things. I don't want us to be where they are. At the same time I don't think it is necessary to remove a whole late season. However, if we ended up like Eastern Montana maybe that would be an option that would need to go on the table. The herd is recovering but I would rather help it recover quickly. The APR is one way to do that and it has the added benefit of creating a higher quality hunt a couple years down the road.

The downside I see is that guys on very limited time may not harvest their deer due to this and it may present issues for new hunters who are figuring it out on their own....but... we aren't talking about making every unit in the state a 4pt minimum so they have places they can go to harvest their animals. That being said I can't see the downside nor have I seen it articulated here...but I do see an upside for everyone.

[1bugman]

Even with an APR, bad winters and deases will hurt the deer population.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Of course they will. APR's is also a method to help them recover.

[1bugman]

APR will help the Doe to Buck Ratio. Not really help Population.
Less antlerless permits will help population.
More deer meant more deer competing for food, bad winter means more dead deer. APR won't change that Just Saying

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Nice buck in your avatar bugman

[1bugman]

Thanks DB. Got him in GMU 121.