Dear WDFW....

[Prime Time]

Increase in hunters & less habitat = less deer. Anyone considered the expkosiin of hunters in the last 20 years?

Along with the amount of quads and small vehicles driving into walk-in areas.  Saw plenty of that this year.

[trophyhunt]

If I was looking for a new place to hunt deer, I think I know where I'd go!!

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

Lol thats another discussion prime time. Damn typos!

[Salmo]

Hunters aren't the problem.  Bear and cougar are more so.   I'd rather see people fight for our right to manage predators rather than see hunters them selves take opportunity away from themselves.   Insane.  Once you give it away you aint gonna get it back.  Maybe at a cost to sportsman(permits) yet still a loss.  Crazy to even offer up getting less as a first option.

Personally I'd like to see hunters/sportsmen sue the WDFW for misrepresentation and illegal use of our money.   

[JPhelps]

I'm sure its been said before but I can't express enough how the original poster screwed this thread up to begin with.   

Dear WDFW,
Please save hunting in this state as it is a multi-million dollar industry which employ's thousands.  We have a predator problem that is taking a serious toll on our valuable resource.   Please pull your head out your ass and do whats right for everyone.  Not what pleases *censored*'s and the like who contribute in no way towards wildlife and conservation.  Yet from their couch they are allowed to vote on issues that do not pertain to any part of their lives.

There fixed it for ya!

I have already said that my original idea may not be the best way to go about increasing the deer herd. 

But what I do know is that A LOT of bucks were killed in the 4 days of late buck.  That is not necessarily a bad thing (after all that's what we are all out there for).

[deaner]

yes bringing back baiting and hound hunting will increase predator hunting opportunities and increase ungulate hunting opportunities... win win

[BOWHUNTER45]

Plus you need to take into consideration how old those bucks are and how many years they have survived predators and guys like me and you  When they get that big it is time for them to die 

[washelkhunter]

Thx Blacktail. Interesting seeing the number of hunters decline '07-'11. I believe that is directly related to the recession and high fuel costs over those years. For a unit of that size i dont think thats a significant number of bucks harvested.

[Salmo]

yes bringing back baiting and hound hunting will increase predator hunting opportunities and increase ungulate hunting opportunities... win win

Prezactly a fight sportsman should stand together for!   It would be moronic to just hand over what the anti's already want to take away.  Ask for a 2pt restriction?  sure.  Ask for permits?  Hell the **** no!  They already misuse enough of our money.   I've hunted willipa hills for the last 15yrs.  Most big bucks have evolved into very nocturnal critters.  More so than ever.   I love WPH.  I'm not willing to give the anti's and the state a damn thing.  Work on real issues with the state such as 2pt restriction, spring bear hunts and hound and trapping opportunitys!!!   Bring it on!!!!   Give up what they already wanta take.   Bite me.

[JPhelps]

Salmo,  It sounds like I need to buy you a beer and we can sit down and talk    I think we are after the same things just different opinions on how to get there (hell I honestly don't know what the best way would be).  Proper predator management would be a start.

[Huckleberry]

My two cents:
If you passed up on two legal bucks only to see them later get shot then there are a few factors involved:

1) Congrats.....more than a lot of people I know ran into
2) If you were in a spot where that happens then I'm not suprised you didn't see big deer.
3) How many dry does do you really see. I'm in the woods a bit. Not many.
4) As long as the does are bred it shouldn't matter by who.
5) I struggle with the lack of blactail food out there. Really that's there limiting factor lol.
Wdfw management in these units is for hunting as a recreation. People actually get deer wtf??? It's ok to have a young age class.....population #'s is something different. If you want big deer just look for them a little harder.  The nice ones are nice for a reason and didn't get shot standing in a clear cut looking at a hot doe.

[Salmo]

I like beer!   

[Salmo]

And whiskey!   

[singleshot12]

I would much rather see a ban on baiting blacktail than to see the 4 day modern hunt end. I think more mature breeder bucks are killed during the late archery when post rut bucks are the most vulnerable searching for food to strengthen back their body for the winter. I know in my area most everyone baits during early archery,modern,muzzle and late too.Most of the big bucks have been killed over a bait pile the last few years which has had a noticeable negative impact on my local deer herd . 

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

Skookumchuck has a high number of predators and a large deer population why is that? Its a combo of all the things that have been mentioned. I wonder how much poaching goes on probably way more than any of us imagine.