New archery season proposal?????

[D-Rock425]

That's what I was thinking.

[flinger]

man I wish i could turn back time to early in my bowhunting career EARLY Archery Deer Sept.1 -30 Elk Sept.15 - 30

[Fullabull]

They could have just as easily gone from Sept. 11th to the 23rd and had just as many weekends and move the dates around each year to get enough weekends in and keep the season ending on a decent day instead of this silly cycle (if that's what it is).

[GEARHEAD]

the deptartment of wild life here is filled with anti hunters, but they also like our money. bow hunting above all else is what they hate the most. they feel its the one hunting method that makes the easiest target, because its cruel.
lets not forget, its these same folks, who were never fired btw who attempted to close a forest by placing lynx hair from a captive wdfw lynx that was available, on a tree, and falsified data on the murlet. i never heard the names of those responsible for the lynx hair episod, but would sure like to find out to see how high up they are now.

[dylanb]

is this a for sure thing or just a idea   

[D-Rock425]

Not for sur yet but most likely will be.  Better keep sending letters.  If you've sent one already send another just put it in your wifes name of something.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

man I wish i could turn back time to early in my bowhunting career EARLY Archery Deer Sept.1 -30 Elk Sept.15 - 30

I been hunting Archery since 1987, closest to that for me was Deer, Sept 15-October 15, Elk, October 1-15th, either sex, no antler restrictions.

[huntndad]

If they let us hunt until the end of September they wouldn't be able to offer all the hunt opportunities for modern rifle.  I think there are 25 or so quality bull hunts during the rut (end of Sept) for modern rifle.  I bet there are over 10,000 hunters who put in for those tags.  I cann't see how it's about anything other than money. 

[Rainier10]

Just sent my letter requesting set start of September 8th.  The last two years I hunted Montana and didn't even notice the date last year was the 6th and the year before the 7th.  Last I hunted here for early elk was 09 and it started on the 8th just like the 3 year cycle before that.

[sled]

  Not trying to start anything here, as i am to a bow hunter, also muzzy,and rifle.  I hunt the season that best suits me and the time of year i want to hunt.
  I do agree the dates suck.  Hell i dont think there has been more than a dusting of snow in rifle season for the last three years.

[JimmyHoffa]

So is it more important to have archery season separate from other hunters (special permit/muzzy/etc) or to have the season closer to the rut?  i.e.--bowhunt when you know there are modern permit holders (orange required) and the additional presence in the woods

[huntndad]

They only give out 1 or 2 tags for most those early season quality bulls hunts, so I'd have no problem sharing the woods with a rifle hunter.  However, I don't think the hunt would be as "quality" for the rifle hunters if a bunch of bow hunters were running around.  Right now, those early season rifle hunts are some of the most sought after in the state.  They get the bulls in the rut and the woods to themselves. 

Sled, I agree that we all have the choice to hunt whatever weapon we want.  Obvioously, we're all going to be a little biased about our preferred weapon.  Every year I consider changing things up and switching weapons, but I just love being able to hunt right around my house during the early season.  If they ever changed which units I could hunt, I'd definitely switch.

[MAVsled]

you think WA is bad, at least there is a general weapon season to hunt if you don't draw the big bull tag or a cow tag permit. Should WA go to a permit hunt only....I hope not. If not drawn, I still like the general spike season, at least I'm hunting elk.

Today, I submitted my AZ archery bull application. You get 5 hunt choices but the first two choices listed are your best chance of draw success. At least now you can submit online, but you need to have the $151* hunting license to apply. That's the *non-resident rate. Now if you get drawn, it's another $595* for the elk tag in addition to the hunt license. And the non-resident tag availability is capped off at 10% of the permit tag allotment. So in an area with 25 archery tags, in prime rut from mid Sept to Sept 27th for 2012, only 2.5-3 permits can be drawn by non-residents. But the quality of 320-370+ class bulls, numbers and success rates are very high due to permit hunting only in the prime game units.
but if you don't draw an elk permit, you don't hunt.

Although there are a few public OTC elk hunts open to all with long 3-4 month seasons, these are in less than prime elk habitat and lessor elk populated units and generally not worth that much ($714 total for non resident). more of a control elk hunt to keep elk from establishing herd populations in these OTC areas. Most residents don't bother with these hunts either.
However you can buy the indian reservation permits issued by the tribal authorities, but that can range upwards from $7000 to $10,000 for a tag and only so many tags are sold; first come, first buy. There the tribes hunt on their reservations and guide on them too.

my 4th year of applying DIY-public land AZ; 4 bonus points, 4 years of upfront, nonrefundable hunting license & application fees....and still waiting to draw!
Maybe for 2012, if my non-resident status can get by my odds of 2-3%, now with points about a 5% chance of drawing my #1 or #2 choice!!
gotta hope.

[canyelk48]

Here's the reply I just received to the email I wrote WDFW regarding the archery seasons (typical government blowoff):

Thank you for taking the time to email your comments to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. Each commissioner will receive a copy.

Opinions and comments such as yours provide the Commission with valuable insight into fish and wildlife issues of concern to communities throughout our state. The Commission relies on public testimony, email, and correspondence to help determine what is working well and what requires more concentrated efforts. 

Thank you for your interest in the conservation and management of the state’s precious fish and wildlife resources. 

Sincerely,

Erin Gariépy, Administrative Assistant
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
Mail: 600 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
Phone:             (360) 902-2267      ; Fax : (360) 902-2448
Email: commission@wdfw.wa.gov

From: canyelk48@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 7:58 AM
 To: Ware, David A (DFW); Nelson, Jerry P (DFW); Commission (DFW)
 
Subject: Elk Archery Seasons for 2012 thru 2014

I am writing to voice my concerns over the proposed archery elk hunting seasons (2012 Sept 4th-16th; 2013 Sept 3rd-15th; and 2014 Sept 2nd-14th).  As an archery hunter on the Eastside, I would like to see the seasons start on the 8th of September EVERY YEAR.  The earlier the season starts in September, the hotter and dryer the weather is, resulting in possible forest fires, closures due to forest fires, and possible loss/wastage of game meat due to the warm weather and the time it takes to pack a harvested elk out of the woods and get it to a game processer.  The earlier starting dates also moves the season further away from the rut (perhaps this is by intent), which makes it even more difficult to harvest a bull elk if drawn for a tag.
 
Almost every archery hunter I've spoken to has these same concerns, so please reconsider the proposed start dates and return the archery seasons to start on the 8th of September every year.
 

 

[Wildsau]

I have been doing a lot of reading, in the many, many threads in this site; most especially subjects dealing with Archery Hunting of Bear, Deer, and Elk.  I have been picking up a lot of information from all of you more experienced hunters out there and I thank you ALL very much.  As I become more learned and experienced, I, too, may feel knowledgable enough to offer my  worth.  For now, I will just continue to read.

In this thread, I read a lot about how we Archery Hunters - me being a novice - are not getting as much of the Elk Rut as the ML and MR Hunters are.  In my search to understand my prey more, I found a site,  http://www.trmichels.com/ElkActivityGraphs.htm and in there I read that the rut is well into the Archery Hunting Dates.  At this site, charts were offered and explainations were given to help understand the rut, the times and why the bugeling occures, etc.

Now, unless the author of this site, "T. R. Michels",  is out there without a bow, and doesn't even know how to spell elk, what he is saying makes a lot of sense and, rather than getting 'shafted' on the hunt, we are getting the best time for the hunt.

In order to ensure that I don't join those out there without a bow, I would like someone, on this thread, to explain to me why the information on the furnished site is wrong, if it is.  I am not interested in any ranting and raving about this, that, or something else, I am one who needs to know the facts to understand the rating ant raving.  Once I have all the, accurate, information, I will digest it and, may, if I find it is warrented, join those doing the ranting and raving.

If there is a problem (only determinable after gathering all of the facts and digesting them), there are only two ways one can proceed; 1) One can rant and rave, without providing a solution, and be a part of the problem; or 2) One can identify the problem and a, viable, solution, and present it to those who make the decisions.  I have always believed you are either part of the problem or part of the solution.  I, for one, would rather be part of the solution.

Just my  woth.