Can't Believe the WDFW!!!!

[ghosthunter]

Well for me I hunt the ML elk 342 and Modern deer Twisp. Most the time there is a week before the two seasons. this year they are back to back.

[billythekidrock]

In regards to the whole "too hot" thing, I'm not buying it. Sure if you dilly dally around some of the meat may spoil. I shot my bull this year opening morning 9:00am on the dot. It was hot that day. We jumped the bull twice throughout the day and he was not in good shape, he just wouldn't die. We made the call to pull out and come back in the morning. We found him in the morning and were back at the truck by 12pm headed to the butcher the meat was fine and tastes as good as any elk I've ever eaten.

You're not buying it?  Ok, but I have heard of lots of elk that have sat out in similar conditions and spoiled.  Elk more than most animals needs to get the hide off and the bone away from the meat.  Some early Sep temps in the past never got below the lower 80s in the ealry season for the highs.  Personally I'm not going to chance it, too much to lose...for me at least.

I agree Fred. It doesn't take long for an elk to bonesour. In the above quoted situation the elk died over night and packed out in the am which are much cooler temps then Sept afternoons.

My 2011 archery bull was shot and killed at 9 am a couple miles from the gate. Took us most of the day to get it to the truck and the temps hit the 90's. I drove straight home (100 or so miles) with the meat on 20 bags of ice. Hung it in a cooling room at about 35 degrees over night and butchered two days later.

We should have butchered the next day as I had to throw away about 5 lbs that was too far gone. The rest was packaged with "TAC" (for Thaw And Cook) written on them so they don't sit around in the fridge thawing for a few days.

Tastes fine, but a couple hours longer in the heat or an additional day in the cooler and the whole thing could have been ruined.

[billythekidrock]

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.

Yes, this year they would have gotten more, but in years past the closures have started in August so in theory the whole early season could be a bust due to weather. On the positive side, the late season never gets shut down due to fire danger and is plenty long.

[bobcat]

No matter when the season is in September, it's always at risk the woods being shut down for fire danger. Funny thing is in 2010 and 2011, I helped on elk hunts that were the 2nd week of August, and we didn't lose any meat on either elk.

[windygorge]

i remember when they had sep 1 start dates and the seasons were tough.  when they moved them to the 9th, thats when i started killing elk.  usually the last few days of the season.  i guess thats when scouting and maybe tree stands will be better.  i dislike tree stands very much.  gotta keep moving with my ADD.

[windygorge]

Did someone get voted in who is a muzzy hunter???  do you remember when they had early start archery seasons and early start muzzy seasons, what happened to the elk??  the muzzy hunters slayed them and if im not mistaken, was why they pushed the seasons a week to 10 days later.  not sure when or if the muzzy season gets pushed back as well, but if it does.....well, we all know the outcome. 

[Swatson]

No matter when the season is in September, it's always at risk the woods being shut down for fire danger. Funny thing is in 2010 and 2011, I helped on elk hunts that were the 2nd week of August, and we didn't lose any meat on either elk.

I'll take my weather chances on the later part of the month than the earlier!  Bottom line, you shoot an elk in the backcountry(a long ways from a road) and it takes you a day or 2 to get it out you can kiss your meat goodbye!  Thats what everyone is trying to get across!  Yes if you shoot an elk not too far from a road or have a bunch of guys with you to help you pack it out it can be done but thats not really practical for most bow hunters!

[bobcat]

No matter when the season is in September, it's always at risk the woods being shut down for fire danger. Funny thing is in 2010 and 2011, I helped on elk hunts that were the 2nd week of August, and we didn't lose any meat on either elk.

I'll take my weather chances on the later part of the month than the earlier!  Bottom line, you shoot an elk in the backcountry(a long ways from a road) and it takes you a day or 2 to get it out you can kiss your meat goodbye!  Thats what everyone is trying to get across!  Yes if you shoot an elk not too far from a road or have a bunch of guys with you to help you pack it out it can be done but thats not really practical for most bow hunters!

I guess we should tell the WDFW that we don't need bear season in August then. What's the point if the meat can't be saved?

[Swatson]

I can bone a bear out and get it out in one or two trips by myself!  Elk are just a bit bigger!

[windygorge]

swatson......humm.  kinda wonder why you go through the trouble of going backcountry if you can't get the animal out.  really?   if you bone the animal out, your chances of getting the animal out will multiply.  the main thing is to be patient and quit trying to rush down the hill so you can show your horns off or tell a story.  take your time, get the meat quartered,boned, bagged, and hung.   leave things at the site that you don't need for your first trip, carry out as much of the meat as you can.  call a buddy or two to help, if you have coolers back at the truck..good, if not,  get a tarp and lots of ice.  if that means going to town.....do it.  make a shallow pool in your truck out of the tarp.  cover the bottom of the "pool" with the ice still in the bags.  place your first load of meat on top of the ice.  wait for your buddies, if none, then go in after your second load.  you should be able to get a boned out elk in two to three trips.  after you have it on ice, go back in after all your other stuff.  bivouac stuff, etc....head and horns last
be patient, be prepared

[Limhangerslayer]

Fullabull, I am a ML hunter, we are not getting more of the prime rut, we started on the 1st last year, which is closer to the rut than the 6th like it is this year   

[Swatson]

swatson......humm.  kinda wonder why you go through the trouble of going backcountry if you can't get the animal out.  really?   if you bone the animal out, your chances of getting the animal out will multiply.  the main thing is to be patient and quit trying to rush down the hill so you can show your horns off or tell a story.  take your time, get the meat quartered,boned, bagged, and hung.   leave things at the site that you don't need for your first trip, carry out as much of the meat as you can.  call a buddy or two to help, if you have coolers back at the truck..good, if not,  get a tarp and lots of ice.  if that means going to town.....do it.  make a shallow pool in your truck out of the tarp.  cover the bottom of the "pool" with the ice still in the bags.  place your first load of meat on top of the ice.  wait for your buddies, if none, then go in after your second load.  you should be able to get a boned out elk in two to three trips.  after you have it on ice, go back in after all your other stuff.  bivouac stuff, etc....head and horns last
be patient, be prepared

No one said anything about not being able to get the animal out, the concern is getting it out in a timely manner.  Yep, all good stuff but the simple point being made is that when the weather is hot, last year 90 degrees at 4500' feet on opening day meat spoils real fast!  A lot of guys hunt a lot of miles in where you shoot an elk in the morning and your not going to get that meat out in the same day, at least not all of it, especially if you're by yourself.  Yes, we can't control the weather and it could be 90 degrees on Sept 4th or 90 degrees on Sept 15th but odds go in our favor for a little cooler weather the later into the month that we go.  That is the simple basic argument that is being made here by most.  I know some people can't fathom or understand the idea of hunting so far away from the truck but their are a lot of people that do go in quite a ways where this can become a problem if the weather is hot.

[popeshawnpaul]

Hot early Sept weather is also about the rut.  Ever hunted 90 degree Sept 1 vs 65 degree Sept 21?  You are more likely to get a cold snap mid September which helps hunting and the rut.  Hot 90 degree days in the early season shuts the elk down and they are more difficult to take.

[bowhunterty]

Still had good hunts when the season was the 1st thru the 14th. Would like to see it later in the month due to timber companies shutting the woods down for access and forcing more hunters to hunt NF.

[dreamingbig]

I agree 100% that are archery season needs to be set back to the 8Th-21st but the biggest problem is half the guys on this thread just get on and bitch about it and do nothing to help areselves.

My letters have been sent and the WDFW has responded.  Whether they read it or not is another question.