Post by: Dipsnort on May 12, 2009, 09:57:08 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 12, 2009, 10:06:17 AM
Post by: gasman on May 12, 2009, 01:42:11 PM
Most the elk go to units that are closed during late archery, like Umtanum and Bethel. There are quite a few elk in the Nile unit, but so are most of the archers in the area.
Post by: Dipsnort on May 12, 2009, 02:53:44 PM
They go to where ever you cant.........That about sums it up, doesn't it? I'm sure it has taken years to perfect but it's amazing how the Fish & Game Department has been able to wiggle the rules and open areas around to maximize profit and minimize opportunity. The only real hope I hold out for harvesting a good elk (ok let's be honest...ANY elk!) one day is to get lucky enough to draw the right special permit. But then again, minimal opportunity to draw and lots of opportunity to pay to enter the drawing. Makes me ill every time I think about it. :(
Most the elk go to units that are closed during late archery, like Umtanum and Bethel. There are quite a few elk in the Nile unit, but so are most of the archers in the area.
Thanks for the tips guys, I should have expected those answers.
Post by: jackelope on May 12, 2009, 03:00:33 PM
Quote
That about sums it up, doesn't it? I'm sure it has taken years to perfect but it's amazing how the Fish & Game Department has been able to wiggle the rules and open areas around to maximize profit and minimize opportunity.
or to prevent a slaughter of elk on the winter range.
:DOH:
Post by: norsepeak on May 12, 2009, 04:13:33 PM
Post by: Dipsnort on May 12, 2009, 04:41:36 PM
lots of opportunities for big bulls on the wetside over the counter.I'm smart enough to know that in order to maintain the quality of the herds we hunters shouldn't have the free reign we had years ago. My comments simply sum up my general frustration with the money-making game while trying to convince us of maximum opportunity that quite obviously does not exist, particularly to the guy who has so many responsibilities that he can't find weeks on end to scout and doesn't want to drop a few thousand $$ for a guide to have a better chance at a spike. :'(QuoteThat about sums it up, doesn't it? I'm sure it has taken years to perfect but it's amazing how the Fish & Game Department has been able to wiggle the rules and open areas around to maximize profit and minimize opportunity.
or to prevent a slaughter of elk on the winter range.
:DOH:
Post by: gasman on May 12, 2009, 04:44:21 PM
I hear many times how the archery guys get the best season. I call BS........
I hunt the Yakima area and have for many years, and would have a hard time switching to any other place for elk.
Here is my take on the Yakima archery hunts.
Early season: Sucks, unless you have a horse or hire someone to pack you in the back country. (If you do, i envy you, I do not).
Open units are Nile, Cowechee, Rimrock, and Bumping. Most of the elk in the early season reside up in the high country and the ones that are down at the lower elevations (Rutting Grounds= Little Naches, Umtanum, and Bethel) are closed to hunting except by permit only, very few permits i mite add. When i say High country i refer to the high lake areas around Gout Rocks, White Pass, American Ridge, etc.
yes i do know there are elk in the lower elevations of these units but you have 70% of the hunters chasing 10% of the animals.
Late Archery: Not that much better.
Open units are Little Naches, Nile, Rimrock and the upper portion of Cowechee (do not remember the elk are number). Little Naches holds few elk during the late season for they have moved to Umtanum for the feed and open meadows. Nile hold the best number of elk and the most hunter of the whole area. It turns in to a small city during late season and turns in to a war zone. Me, i stay out of Nile during the late season because i would rather hunt fewer animals than deal with all the stupid people out there.
Rimrock, to much snow and the elk move on to Bethel for the feed and open meadows (Bethel is closed to hunting). The WDFW changed the Coweche late hunt to an elk area and closed the better portion of the unit to hunting the late season so the elk are not harassed on there way to the feed station. I call BS, that was the better place with the most success, so they cut it off and brought down the success rate. F%^#ers >:(
I can go to Little Nachese and see elk any day of the week during early season. Even when i am only hunting across the HWY. You would think that with all the elk in the area it would not matter which side of the Hwy you hunted on, but it does. :bash:
And to top if off they took a day away from the early hunt to give "ONE" permit to a riffle hunter :bash: How RETARDED......
Post by: jackelope on May 12, 2009, 05:01:29 PM
would you rather have all those crazy nile hunters in the bethel killing the crap out of the elk on their winter range?
that makes no sense at all from a conservation stand point.
it's not all about being easy.
Post by: colockumelk on May 12, 2009, 07:26:48 PM
The simple fact of the matter is we can not have our cake and eat it to in this instance. We have too many hunters chasing not enough elk on not enough land. Some on here hit the nail on the head. If we had those quality hunts that we crave and longer seasons during the peak times we wouldn't have any elk or deer left.
So our choices are simple. Either we have quality hunting but permit only much like Oregon does, or we have OTC with very restrictive seasons. In order for the WDFW to properly manage the herds they have to manage one of two things. Hunting numbers or season lengths. It sucks but that's the way it is.
Post by: Red Dawg on May 12, 2009, 07:35:27 PM
Post by: jackelope on May 12, 2009, 07:55:02 PM
Quote
I think i even saw one gentleman with hunter orange boots on.
that was me...sorry if i got in your way.
:IBCOOL:
Post by: Red Dawg on May 12, 2009, 07:56:13 PM
Post by: Thenewguy on May 12, 2009, 08:03:37 PM
No no he said "gentlemen" =-?QuoteI think i even saw one gentleman with hunter orange boots on.
that was me...sorry if i got in your way.
:IBCOOL: