Post by: fishnfur on June 10, 2021, 09:15:40 PM
Remembering back to my first three hunting seasons, ten or so years ago, the sound of gunfire in the hills was almost constant during both the opener and towards the end of the regular season. Last year? - Nothing! All season long, only a shot or two during any given day in the field, and many days, no shots heard at all.
From the WDFW Hunter Success reports, it appears that it was the best Blacktail season in years, but from (painful) memory, I almost never heard the report of gunfire for the surrounding areas during any timeframe of the entire ML/MF season. I am retired and spent many days in the field either hunting or working in family forestry activities. The total lack of gunfire I heard while in the field indicated that, hunter activity was almost nil all season, including Late Buck. I don't even have to review the threads from last season that I know corroborate my own observation that the hunting was dead. I remember the discussions very well.
I've questioned these success reports for years. In my mind, I wonder if if WDFW has some secret policy that intentionally reports higher than actual success rates, which would then (presumably) generate more hunter participation (and money in their coffers) in the following seasons - especially so during these years when hunter numbers are in rapid decline. Is it just me or am I just a paranoid cynic?
Post by: acrim on June 11, 2021, 09:22:44 AM
Sure does make it a questionable tool.
Post by: Sandberm on June 11, 2021, 09:27:03 AM
In the unit I hunt there was a 25% or so increase in the number of hunters which backs up what folks were saying last fall, and even into this years turkey hunt, "I've never seen so many hunters"
Post by: Platensek-po on June 11, 2021, 09:27:44 AM
Interesting , the numbers for areas that I know for a fact had harvest , are conspicuously zero reports. Poor hunter reporting habits , misreporting GMU , defect in the tabulation program ??
Sure does make it a questionable tool.
I know plenty of dudes who report in a different GMU than where they harvested to keep hunters out of their spots
Post by: Skyvalhunter on June 15, 2021, 06:19:29 AM