Free: Contests & Raffles.
I switched because I liked bowhunting better but am really debating whether to go back to muzzleloader again because of the season timing.
no days were lost..archery is 4th-16th...same amount as last year
The big problem is where the season is headed. We've gone from the 8th as the opener and the 3 year proposal will have opening day Sept 2-14 in two years as we keep going back a day. Thats the chittiest elk season by far anywhere you look! I won't quit hunting in this state simply because I know the state won't miss me alone. I think the answer for me is an out of state archery elk tag and just go to rifle in Wa. I think it would be great if 90% of this states hunters took their business elsewhere for a year but unfortunately without something drastic like that happening it will never get any better and I know something like that will truly never happen. I love hunting and being out in the mountains too much to not take whatever time I can to do it so I guess I too will continue to encourage wdfw to keep doing what they are doing.
Quote from: Rainier10 on April 18, 2012, 06:23:57 PMI switched because I liked bowhunting better but am really debating whether to go back to muzzleloader again because of the season timing.you can buy a muzzleloader tag and still use your archery gear during muzzy season now.
Modern guys didnt gain any days on the eastside so not sure where your seeing that. Maybe westside. its october 27th-November 4th which is 9 days, the way its always been.
Quote from: kirkl on April 19, 2012, 11:21:22 AMModern guys didnt gain any days on the eastside so not sure where your seeing that. Maybe westside. its october 27th-November 4th which is 9 days, the way its always been. \Of coarse were talking west its the only side that counts
They did that in preparation for allowing luminoks. Upon further review it was decided that luminocks were such an advantage that more days would need to be taken away. Of course they couldn't take 3-5 days away in a single season, so they decided to spread it out over the course of several years. After the seasons are shortened to acceptable levels luminocks will be allowed and all will be right with the world.
they are making the archery season shorter because some of us archers are such good hunters !
I remember we could bow hunt statewide ; early season that lasted a month and a late season that lasted another month, more in places. Any animal within bow range was legal.Ya the wa archery hunt is a shadow of it's former self. Now the dept has user groups squabling about one day. Divide and conquer.
Early archery hunting season dates were the most commented on topic for the 3-year package. For the last three-year package 2009-2011, the Department believed the number of mature bulls being taken by archers as compared to other user groups was disproportionate. So in the last three-year package two changes were made. One was to create a very small number of prime time special permits for modern firearm hunters in the last week of September ending before the beginning of muzzleloader deer season. The other was to move archery general seasons to start the Tuesday after Labor Day. Because this date floats with the changing calendar, the start date does sometimes start early in September. Initially the proposal was to return early archery seasons to the Sept. 1-15 time period. But that was unacceptable to archery representatives, so the negotiated compromise was to start the Tuesday after Labor Day. With the creation of the multiple categories special permit system in 2010, the concept of quality special permits was expanded to all user groups within the limits of available calendar dates.Disproportionate mature bull archery harvest in western Washington was the issue in the last three-year package. It was disproportionate whether we looked at five point or better or six point or better bulls.Success rates for eastern Washington early archery branch antlered bull permits have been consistent by hunt regardless of start dates. This is largely because bull permits are allocated by a formula that considers the user group’s proportion of all hunters and their success rate.There are no 4 pt. minimum antler restrictions for elk in western Washington. The units in western Washington that have antler restrictions are 3 pt. minimum units. The Department is not considering a 4pt. minimum antler restriction for elk in western Washington nor have we received many requests from the public to do so.
Warm weather can be an issue throughout the entire month of September and into early October. Weather impacts every aspect of hunting regardless of the month. Hunters need to plan accordingly. The real issue is hunters wanting to be hunting closer to the breeding season when bulls are more vulnerable.If we continue with this system of opening the Tuesday after Labor Day, the opener in 2015 will be Sept. 8, the opener in 2016 will be Sept. 6, and for 2017 it will be Sept. 5. The Department offers a wide variety of hunting seasons. Some of them open on Saturdays and close in Sundays but many do not.
i saw that on your brothers facebook but he dosent no how to do math
