Goose Prairie Early Archery

[dreamingbig]

I never said anything about being entitled to more opportunity, just equal.  We have had zero anterless opportunity the past two years and the proposal does the same for the next 3 years.  Permits remain for modern firearm and muzzie.

As to the percent decline in permit numbers for archery vs. modern and muzzie it is a fact.  The archery bull permits in GMU 356 have declined at a much greater rate than those in modern firearm and muzzie.  Do I need to do the math to prove it?

[Fullabull]

I do not believe they use permit success in their bull percentages per user group, I believe if they did it would show how unballanced it is! Archery is getting the short end of the stick all over the state...

[popeshawnpaul]

May catch some flack for this, but I think the archers are right were they should stay (maybe even a little high).  Return some of those permits to the smokepole hunters. What a joke.

TAGs:                                                  ALLOCATED %:
Archers: 310                                                     54%
Rifle: 222                                                          38%
Blackpowder: 38                                                06%


- As far as I'm concerned, your not paying for success.  Your paying for opportunity; the possibility of harvesting that big bull.  I understand that archers have to work harder per se than other user groups, but thats a choice you voluntarily made when applying for that "chance".  Look at the drawing success rates for each user group. 

You may have lost a "higher percentage" of tags, but whos to say the archery user group didn't have to many to begin with. 

As far as I'm concerned, the tags should be divided in a way that would better equalize the opportunity for each user group to have the "opportunity" to participate in the hunt.   

It's now how it works.  You can't take the stats you want and claim they support your position.  Or you can, but people will call you on them.  I'll let you figure this out yourself...  Look at overall allocation, then we'll talk about adjustments...

[Chase 1]

  I just decided to save my breath rather than helping him see the errors of his ways.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

May catch some flack for this, but I think the archers are right were they should stay (maybe even a little high).  Return some of those permits to the smokepole hunters. What a joke.

TAGs:                                                  ALLOCATED %:
Archers: 310                                                     54%
Rifle: 222                                                          38%
Blackpowder: 38                                                06%


- As far as I'm concerned, your not paying for success.  Your paying for opportunity; the possibility of harvesting that big bull.  I understand that archers have to work harder per se than other user groups, but thats a choice you voluntarily made when applying for that "chance".  Look at the drawing success rates for each user group. 

You may have lost a "higher percentage" of tags, but whos to say the archery user group didn't have to many to begin with. 

As far as I'm concerned, the tags should be divided in a way that would better equalize the opportunity for each user group to have the "opportunity" to participate in the hunt.   

The allocation process is a long drawn out formula... and it is double checked by a member of the GMAC.  The permits are based on a percentage of hunters in each user group and fairly divided by that percentage.

[dreamingbig]

Has the formula been adjusted since the introduction of the multiple season permit or is it assumed that the impact is minimal?  I have a theory that says since there are more modern firearm hunters, they naturally get more of the multiple season permits and thus have a greater impact on archery permit success rates and hunters afield but count still count as modern firearm numbers when it comes to permit allocation between user groups.  It is kind of complicated but do you get where I am coming from?

[dreamingbig]

We made some progress!  It isn't great and some of their logic leaves you scratching your head but we did get 50 cow permits for 2012 in the bumping and nile and they will consider going back to anterless/spike for 2013.  We need to keep the heat on!

The head scratcher is that bull permits went up for Little Naches and Rimrock but Goose Prairie went down for all but muzzleloader.  Muzzie got a bump in permits for bumping while MF went down by 3 and archery by 5.

Looks like they also offered up Sept 1 to the 15th instead of 8-21st a few years back but our archery coalition declined.  I support that rejection.  However they are using that as the reason for us having the rotating season of first Tues post Labor Day.  They failed to address why we can't get our day back (from 13 to 14).

[Machias Bowhunter]

They have done the same for archery hunting whitetail deet, muzzle loaders and modern firearm are given doe permits, and a youth hunt which I am totally for mind you, but the reason for buck only was a decline in deer population, but you give the hunters with the weapons that have the most range and the easiest to shoot a doe the permit tags, makes no since when the reason is decline in population, there shouldnt be any permits given.

[Chase 1]

We made some progress!  It isn't great and some of their logic leaves you scratching your head but we did get 50 cow permits for 2012 in the bumping and nile and they will consider going back to anterless/spike for 2013.  We need to keep the heat on!

The head scratcher is that bull permits went up for Little Naches and Rimrock but Goose Prairie went down for all but muzzleloader.  Muzzie got a bump in permits for bumping while MF went down by 3 and archery by 5.

Looks like they also offered up Sept 1 to the 15th instead of 8-21st a few years back but our archery coalition declined.  I support that rejection.  However they are using that as the reason for us having the rotating season of first Tues post Labor Day.  They failed to address why we can't get our day back (from 13 to 14).

The real head scratcher for me has been how archers have lost half of our bull tag allocation in Goose Prairie the last three years. If anyone has an explanation I would like to get your take. I sent this report to everyone in the game dept. and have followed up a bunch of times with zero response. 

[dreamingbig]

Chase 1 - I hear you.  I can't really explain it either and have also received zero response when I have inquired.  We need to keep asking.

[dreamingbig]

My cousin and I drew cow tags.  Anyone else on here?

[brianmtsinc]

5 guys out of our group of 9, drew cow tags.  1 was lucky enough to draw the bull tag as well!!!!

Should be a great season!!!

[dreamingbig]

Same boat here.  Cow and bull tag.

[Chase 1]

Four of us hit the big goose egg...again.    Frustrating...not even a cow tag?  Four of us trying to fill spike tags puts a bit of a downer on our hunt considering we have only stuck one over the last decade. I really hope we can push to make this unit more accessible to early archers next year. 

[dreamingbig]

I hear you.  We have taken 3 spikes in the last 7 years in our group of 4/5.  A hard hunt for only spikes.