Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: smithkl42 on January 02, 2019, 09:07:23 AM

Title: GMU's with low harvest totals but high harvest percentages
Post by: smithkl42 on January 02, 2019, 09:07:23 AM: After two years of tag soup, I'm looking at ways to improve my odds. One thing I've noticed is that there are a few GMU's (usually pretty far away from where I live) which have low harvest totals, but amazingly high harvest percentages.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2017/reports/deer_gmu_all.php

For instance, the Grande Ronde unit (186, down in the far southeast corner of the state) had only 4 archery deer harvested - but since only 5 people reported hunting, that's something like an 80% success rate, and only 4.5 days in the field for each harvest.

The Couse unit next door (181) had a 44% success rate, with only 11 days in the field per harvest.

And it looks like there are good chunks of public land in each of those.

I'm curious why those are so rarely hunted. Is it because they're so remote? Or is there something else weird going on, i.e., there are only deer on private land, and the only folks who hunt them are the landowners? Or...?
Title: Re: GMU's with low harvest totals but high harvest percentages
Post by: WSU on January 02, 2019, 09:48:51 AM: I'm not sure there is a lot of public land in those units. I know there is a lot of private and inaccessible land.
Title: Re: GMU's with low harvest totals but high harvest percentages
Post by: Skyvalhunter on January 02, 2019, 10:12:12 AM: I would imagine if you were to look at 2018 totals you would see a considerable difference.
Title: Re: GMU's with low harvest totals but high harvest percentages
Post by: fishnfur on January 02, 2019, 01:58:40 PM: I think you got it. Probably mostly or all private. Sounds similar to the Puget Sound Islands. Incredible success rates but very few hunters and no private land. There's so many deer, they're all abandoning their homes and all swimming to Decatur Island. :o