Permit vs General, East vs Westside

[asl20bball]

It is my understanding that when submitting a special permit for elk you first have to buy your tag AND declare East or Westside. Am I S.O.L. if I want to apply for a special permit Eastside but if not drawn hunt Westside? Is this correct and if so why do they make u declair so early when there's plenty of time between drawing results and begining of the general season.

[Bob33]

Am I S.O.L. if I want to apply for a special permit Eastside but if not drawn hunt Westside?

Yes.  Once you apply you cannot change.

[asl20bball]

That sucks. They need to allow you to purchase a elk license at the time of the speical permit then later declare east/west unless u get drawn....I will be filing a suggestion/complaint to WDFW

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

They make you choose because the west side would be flooded by people, not like it isn't already. But it prevents everybody from applying for eastern big bull and then hunting west side if you don't hunt... Look at it as risk Vs. reward. If you want to take a chance to hunt big bulls you might get stuck hunting little bulls...

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

asl complain all you want. that issue will not change...
 
I like it the way it is, although i would love to apply for a eastern bull permit with my points but i don't wanna hunt spikes.

[asl20bball]

Good point...guess I'll just have to wait until I have more points accumulated they take the risk. West side for now.

[bobcat]

asl complain all you want. that issue will not change...
 
I like it the way it is, although i would love to apply for a eastern bull permit with my points but i don't wanna hunt spikes.

   They've already heard from plenty of people who don't like that they can't apply for eastside permits, and then when not drawn, hunt the westside general season. But it's that way for a reason, and I think most people agree with it and like it the way it is. They COULD make the general season spike only on the westside too like they tried to a few years ago.

[pips4bucks]

I made a phone call to the WDFW a couple of years ago about this very topic. I was told that you could apply for an east side permit and if you didn't get drawn, go swap tags for the west side, as long as you did it before the seasons began.  I should probably confirm that again just in case. 

[bobcat]

I made a phone call to the WDFW a couple of years ago about this very topic. I was told that you could apply for an east side permit and if you didn't get drawn, go swap tags for the west side, as long as you did it before the seasons began.  I should probably confirm that again just in case. 

Whoever told you that told you wrong. That would be against their own rules on page 13 of the 2011 Big Game regulations. Look at the upper left side of the page, under "Refunds/Exchanges".

[B.G.hunter]

they did allow you to change one year i believe it was 2006 or something like that but then the change it the next year. i think the wdfw should split the eastside in to northeast and southeast because it is still terrible odds to draw a big bull tag over here. and the people who hunt northeast still hunt branch antler bulls OTC and can put in for colockum or blue mountains.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Say you hunt Archery and someday want a bull tag for the East side, but want points built up until you have say 12 or so before you applying. Cant you just put in for some WA tags to build points or just take point options with a WA tag. Then in a few years use them to start putting in for an EA special tag? I realize its still a gamble but you'd be hunting bulls on the West side while gaining points to hopefully draw a EA tag someday.

[grundy53]

Say you hunt Archery and someday want a bull tag for the East side, but want points built up until you have say 12 or so before you applying. Cant you just put in for some WA tags to build points or just take point options with a WA tag. Then in a few years use them to start putting in for an EA special tag? I realize its still a gamble but you'd be hunting bulls on the West side while gaining points to hopefully draw a EA tag someday.

Yes. You can do that.

[B.G.hunter]

you can apply for ghost points if that is your angle at the points system and you will not draw while hunting the westside. but even with 15 or 16 points the odds are still not in your favor to draw one of the premium eastside tags. when 600 people apply for 7 tags numbers are not in your favor.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Thanks guys. I just don't want to hunt spike or cows for the next 15 to 17 years.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Thanks guys. I just don't want to hunt spike or cows for the next 15 to 17 years.

then I guess you have 2 options, spend the next several years learning an Eastside "Any Elk" unit, such as 101, 105, 108, 121, 124, 127, 130, 133,
136, 139, 142, 372, 382, 388,203, 204, 209, 215, 218, 224, 231, 233,
239, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248,
250, 254, 260, 262, 266, 269, 272, 278,
284, 290, 373, 379, 381  seems to me there are a lot of options in Eastern WA if you dont want to hunt "just spikes..   
or hunt west-side.