New archery season proposal?????

[Fullabull]

Here is mine

Hello,
 
I moved here to WA eight years ago. I have archery hunted for elk all but one year and cannot understand why the commission keeps moving the season back for archery as well as the removal of one day from the length of the season during that time. WA is the only western state that does not allow the archery season to go until later into September when archery hunters actually might have a chance to hunt during some prime rutting time. Archery hunters have the most difficult hunt (even if it's during the rut) then either MF or ML as their weapons can reach out well beyond that of a bow.
 
The MF hunters are getting more days and now have permit hunts during the prime late September rut period.
ML hunters are now getting their season moved further back INTO the prime rutting period of early October.
 
There is absolutely no reason why the Archery season could not start on the 8th or 10th even and run until the 21st or 23rd (preferably). It would not increase the harvest of elk anywhere near what the changes to the ML and MF seasons will !!!
 
These changes obviously have nothing to do with the amount of elk harvested.
Can you please explain what the reasons are for moving the archery seasons?
Can you explain the reasons why we are the only state that does not allow archery season to go later into September (like all the other states)?
Please show me the data to support your answers.
 
Thanks and best regards,
Fred Talbot

[bobcat]

ML hunters are now getting their season moved further back INTO the prime rutting period of early October.

Not true.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Keep sending the emails! 

Muzzy is also rotating... 2012 is Oct 6-12, 2013 is Oct 5-11 and 2013 is Oct 4-10th

[bobcat]

Muzzleloader elk season was October 1st in 2011. Maybe we should complain because they're moving us further from the rut.    It's all due to the changes in the calendar. The season wasn't moved forward or back.

[sakoshooter]

Pretty simple ... they do not want us killing the bigger bulls .... they want your money and then maker harder to harvst anything ...basically buy your sheet ,take your money and sit on the porch and drink coffee !!! all believe me all the sheet I have been putting up with lately I am about ready to give it up in Washington... They are maggots !!! seriously ...not joking ....100% speakin the truth 

Pretty much covers my feelings.

[Fullabull]

Bobcat, my appoligies ML did get moved forward but is still in prime rut time. Over all there is now reason for what they are doing to the archery season...

[Fullabull]

Question... Has anyone ever received a response from your emails?

[bobcat]

Bobcat, my appoligies ML did get moved forward but is still in prime rut time. Over all there is no reason for what they are doing to the archery season...

I wouldn't say it's prime, at least I have not had any luck finding rutting elk during muzzleloader season. But admittedly, I don't try that hard.

There actually is a reason for them having the archery elk season early, before the rut. It's just like Bowhunter45 said, it's to keep archery hunters from killing too many of the mature bulls. I'm not saying I like it, I'm not saying I necessarily agree with it, but that is the reason for it. Maybe if they did away with the general season and went to permit only elk hunting, they could allow archery hunting during the rut. 

[lokidog]

"It's all due to the changes in the calendar. The season wasn't moved forward or back."

It's actually due to our artificial placement of a holiday.  It is actually earlier in the month as the holiday falls earlier in the month.    

They don't move the turkey opener around based on a holiday, they leave it in place, theoretically, because it fits with the biology/management of turkey hunting.  Why should this season bounce around?  Other, somewhat shorter, seasons bounce a bit to open on a weekend and end on a weekend to maximize hunter-in-the-woods time.  If this is the goal, then set a date, say the 7th, and start it on the first saturday after or including the seventh, or something like that.  Personally, I like it when it does not open on a weekend as I can get the time off mid week and I think it keeps some hunters out of the woods so there is less competition.   

[bobcat]

Personally, I like it when it does not open on a weekend as I can get the time off mid week and I think it keeps some hunters out of the woods so there is less competition.   

I agree with that! I wish they would change all seasons to open on a Wednesday. (Can you imagine the complaints they'd get?)

I actually have often heard the complaint that early archery elk season does not open on a Saturday. No matter what they do, they can't please everybody.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

They actually changed the day in response to complaints from bowhunters about too many "other" users in the woods during Labor Day Weekend.
Also, Elk dont look at calendars, they dont care whether it is the 5th. 6th, 7th, etc.. they only care about photoperiod, weather, estrous cycle, etc...
anybody else notice this is a "leap year", so we get an extra day in the calendar year, so the 2 days it has been "moved forward" is actually only 1...

[popeshawnpaul]

The early archery season is one that should not start on dates based on shifting holidays.  This season backs up to the elk rut and the last 4-5 days of this season are important ones that overlap part of the pre-rut.  The early part of this season is often hot and pushing the season back helps ensure the season is in the coolest period possible.  They cut one day of the elk season making this season a tad shorter but the shift from floating start dates does not make sense for this hunt.  They would love to start us on Sept 1 but we put up a fight on that so they start us after the holiday weekend.  It would be nice if we could convince them to go back to the 8-20/1 dates.  We are fighting a perception that bow hunters kill more large bulls than the other user groups.  Some people cherry picked data to try and show this and it was influential to the WDFW.  Some of the changes we have seen were efforts by the WDFW to try and address this perceived problem with regard to archery elk.

The reality is, until allocation is determined based on these new dates we might be out of luck.  Having some data to show the WDFW that these changes had drastic or no effect on the archery season will help.  In the meantime, we will keep pushing them to make the change.

[bobcat]

Just remember, they probably will not even consider making any changes, due to the "rule moratorium" put in place because of budget issues. (see number 11 in the attached pdf)

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

This subject just adds more wood to the fire to BOYCOT buying fishing and huntin licenses and hit the state in the pocket book!

[bobcat]

This subject just adds more wood to the fire to BOYCOT buying fishing and huntin licenses and hit the state in the pocket book!

Please do!  I'll be the only hunter in the woods!