Can't Believe the WDFW!!!!

[dreamingbig]

Gee, this last season in southwest Washington, all the private timber companies shut down the woods on September 8th. If the season had started on the 4th, archery hunters could have at least gotten in 4 days of hunting before they were locked out of the woods.

My opinion is that they would have shut it down earlier if the season was open.

[bullfisher]

Howdy folks, new here.
 animal flesh breaks down faster due to inconsistent temps. Hot to cold and back to hot again. The more extreme the temp gap the quicker it spoils. Even an August Arizona bull packout can be lengthened by maintaining a consistent temp on boned out meat. Granted cooler is better. Even a hide reheated by sitting in the back of a pickup over the differential for a hundred miles can cause the hair to slip and lose the cape.
As for the original topic, I know of a strong argument made by mf hunters is that when the archery hunters are put on top of a rut, they cause stress to the herds, imparing the reproduction outcome. It sounds valid enough and if it proves to increase quantity then great. But their motives show different when they move ml to oct-1 and introduce the biggest elk depleting tag system we've ever had. And for what? Fairness?

[Fullabull]

Bullfisher,

Welcome and thanks for the post.
There really is no reason for them to do what they have done to the archery season. Stress is not a reason or all other western states would do the same thing. They still send out MF hunters during the rut and ML's starting in early October would create the most stress. Elk will just move further into the country when pushed and do what they driven to do.

[Wildsau]

I don't know; the report of a bow release is not as loud asn a ML or MF, so where to they get the idea that archery puts more stress on the herds than ML or MF?

It seems to me that we need to organize better and when the meetings are open for public comment/debate, the word should be put out to all archers, we sit down and decide what we want (within reason) prepare our arguments (producing tons of facts from MDFW records) and select those with the experience to argu our case for us.  If we have some lawyer archers, that would be prefect.

From what I am reading, on this thread, as well as some of the other threads, on this site, covering this subject, the MF hunters have put together a very convincing arguement with made up 'facts' and the WDFW has swallowed it, hook, line, sinker, and pole.

I would be happy to argue the archery case, given the true facts and knowing enough time, in advance, to prepare.  I love a good factual arguement where I can plant the 'seed of doubt' and get the mission accomplished.  No, I am not a lawyer; for the same reason I am not a politician; my mother taught me NEVER to lie. 

[bobcat]

Gee, this last season in southwest Washington, all the private timber companies shut down the woods on September 8th. If the season had started on the 4th, archery hunters could have at least gotten in 4 days of hunting before they were locked out of the woods.

My opinion is that they would have shut it down earlier if the season was open.

Why? The weather hadn't been hot and dry, until they shut it down. August was actually fairly wet and cool.

[Fullabull]

I have nothing against the timber companies shutting down their land for fire danger. It is their business and their land. There is a lot of public land out there to hunt 

I like it when they open it for hike in and leave the gates closed which is most of the time.

But that is one thing MF hunters do not have to worry about, they gate always get opened for that time of year. It would sure discourage road hunters though if they only allowed hike in like archery.

[Echomules]

Gee, this last season in southwest Washington, all the private timber companies shut down the woods on September 8th. If the season had started on the 4th, archery hunters could have at least gotten in 4 days of hunting before they were locked out of the woods.

My opinion is that they would have shut it down earlier if the season was open.

Why? The weather hadn't been hot and dry, until they shut it down. August was actually fairly wet and cool.

They didn't shut it down for fire danger. Weyco shut it down forever, if you've hunter there plan on it from here on out. Oh excuse me except for a couple weekends of the Modern seasons and open for company employees to road hunt. Its open for walk in, but they put in new mainline gates miles from hunting areas. Even with my mules its hard to get into a good area and hunt when you're not allowed to camp overnight. And pretty discourageing to get way back in and have a couple dudes drive by throwing bush cans out the window.
Sorry we are off topic here. It wasn't heat that shut it down in the SW, but it was pretty dang hot most of the season, right till the end.

[bobcat]

Gee, this last season in southwest Washington, all the private timber companies shut down the woods on September 8th. If the season had started on the 4th, archery hunters could have at least gotten in 4 days of hunting before they were locked out of the woods.

My opinion is that they would have shut it down earlier if the season was open.

Why? The weather hadn't been hot and dry, until they shut it down. August was actually fairly wet and cool.

They didn't shut it down for fire danger. Weyco shut it down forever, if you've hunter there plan on it from here on out. Oh excuse me except for a couple weekends of the Modern seasons and open for company employees to road hunt. Its open for walk in, but they put in new mainline gates miles from hunting areas. Even with my mules its hard to get into a good area and hunt when you're not allowed to camp overnight. And pretty discourageing to get way back in and have a couple dudes drive by throwing bush cans out the window.
Sorry we are off topic here. It wasn't heat that shut it down in the SW, but it was pretty dang hot most of the season, right till the end.

We must be talking of different areas. I'm talking St Helens area. They did shut it down due to the weather being hot and dry. The first couple days of the season it was open, not necessarily to vehicles, but to walk in hunting. Then the weather changed and they shut it down. People had to hunt state or National Forest land, or go home.

[Fullabull]

Bobcat,

I hunt up out of Cougar on the south side of St Helens and every year the weather dictates if you can hike in on timber land. Like I said I have no problem with it, there is lots of land to hunt. What frosts my but is when hunters take down the signs put up by the timber company and say they didn't see anything. I hate that as much as I hate road hunters (which is something I really like about archery, I have yet to see an archery road hunter).