Goose Prairie Early Archery

[NWWABOWHNTR]

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.

Resource allocation ... chase talk to Pope he can explain how the WDFW does it,  if not I can put you in touch with someone on the resource allocation committee, not saying I agree with it, just to answer how they do it.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

ALso, the resource allocation committee will be giving us the allocation review and committee report at this Saturdays GMAC meeting.

[dreamingbig]

Do they ever discuss the reliability of the stats at the meeting?  For example the results for Pmu 35 don't seem to add up for 2011.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Yes,  and I will look at that, what doesn't add up?

[dreamingbig]

Yes,  and I will look at that, what doesn't add up?

Looking at the bull permits they gave out in PMU 35 and the harvest reports it suggests that the archery hunters are the worst at taking bulls which is counter to the department's view that archery hunters take a higher percentage of the mature bulls.

2011 PMU 35 results

Hunt  # taken     total permits     success rate   Weapon
2025     1                1                       100%      MF Quality
2065     9                70                      13%       Archery
2091     4                13                      31%       Muzzleloader
2807    25               77                      32%       MF Bull
Total    39               161                    24%

These results has MF taking 67% of the mature bulls and at a whopping 32% success rate.  Archery only accounts for 23% of the mature bulls harvested and the success rate is still dramatically lower even though we have a season in September.

Might be good to point the abysmal general season success rate in PMU 35 last year for archery as well.  It has 1 spike being harvested total.

[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.

Resource allocation ... chase talk to Pope he can explain how the WDFW does it,  if not I can put you in touch with someone on the resource allocation committee, not saying I agree with it, just to answer how they do it.

If you mean explain the formula, I understand it. If you mean how it was applied in the Bumping unit in 2010, a change that cut archer bull tags in half...then I would love for you to put me in touch with someone who could explain it. Do you understand it? I have worked on this issue for the last three years and have yet to find anyone who can explain it. If your serious then let me know who you have in mind and I will gladly follow up. This issue will be on the table for discussion again this year and I will take any information that sheds light on the issue.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Chase... I am Pming you some info... by the way we have made seriousw progress on the cow issue for bumping... Sending you the email of the gentleman who verifies all the permits for equity amongst all user groups, he is a great guy who pulls no punches..... no he does not work for the WDFW, he is a volunteer and very good at resource allocation.

[dreamingbig]

by the way we have made seriousw progress on the cow issue for bumping...

That is great to hear.

[Chase 1]

Chase... I am Pming you some info... by the way we have made seriousw progress on the cow issue for bumping... Sending you the email of the gentleman who verifies all the permits for equity amongst all user groups, he is a great guy who pulls no punches..... no he does not work for the WDFW, he is a volunteer and very good at resource allocation.

Thanks, I will follow up. That's great news from the meeting, keep us posted.

[Chase 1]

Yes, it passed!!!

Just want to thank everyone who got on board with this issue and wrote letters to the Dept. and Commission. Also want to thank the Washington State Bowhunters representatives that pushed this issue for the last three years... your efforts are greatly appreciated!

Now about those Bull Tags that disappeared...?

[dreamingbig]

It did pass but we lost early Naches.  What did we gain other than cramming all the bow hunters into bumping instead of little Naches?  Plus, as you mentioned we lost even more bull permits!  I knew it was to good to be true.  The state keeps asking the archers to take it for the team.  I am fed up.

[Chase 1]

Yes I understand how you feel. The decision was based on returning to the rules in place in 2009 and that did mean that general archery was not open in Little Naches. When I petitioned for the change, I requested Goose Prairie to be re-established as an antlerless and spike unit but... that both units should remain open to archers during the general season. I felt that it was a great opportunity to spread out the 1500 archers that had traditionally hunted this area. Unfortunately the department didn't agree.

I realize that every change effects people in different ways, and I feel your pain. In general, I feel that those effected by the original change are looking forward to their return to these grounds. I also understand and sympathizes with those that have spent the last couple years figuring out the other side, only to see it striped. I don't agree with the closure, but I am very happy with the opportunity for those who had hunted Goose Prairie for most of their lives, to return to this area with a renewed sense of optimism about their opportunity.   

[dreamingbig]

Did they ever give you a good reason for the closure in 2010?  I personally think that keeping little Naches closed is to pacify the modern crowd and their Oct 1st bull season.  My assumption is that they want it to be a prime bull only unit.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

The closure in 2010 was based on the calf recruitment being low.  If you remember that winter was not very bad and not as many elk went to the feeding stations and the survey by the Dept showed a drop in calf recruitment.  The biologist reports were what allowed the Archery Coalition to gain the Bumping unit back for early archery cow and spike.  Closng of the Naches has nothing to do with the MF crowd, it has to do with the elk herd goals.  However many bowhunters were happy to see Little Naches get re-closed to allow it to be as good as it once was for a Quality Bull area.  There was no over crowding in the bumping previously, it is a huge area wth alot of wilderness to get away from the crowds. 

[dreamingbig]

Oh I remember that was the reason but as you said it was a poor snap judgement due to bad survey data.  The herd can survive both units being open for early archery but that is my  .  Once the wolves show up it will probably go to 100% permit because we all know the wolf mgmt plan is a joke.