Entiat Archery permits for 2007

[FairChaser]

The WDFW current proposal for the late archery mule deer hunt in the entiat unit is as follows;
First 1/2 of late season 25 permits Down from 160
Second 1/2 of late season 27 permits Down from 150

What triggered the big reduction? Muzzleloaders were given permits this year which according to the WDFW puts the unit into a manditory resource allocation system whereby a set goal of bucks to be harvested is picked, in this case 72. Archers are 13.9 % of the total hunters (I believe by district) and based on our past buck success rate we are given 25 and 27 permits which should be about 10 bucks. In the 2005 permit season archers harvested 82 bucks in the Entiat and In 2006 they harvested 90 bucks. Modern Firearm harvested 36 and 44 respectively.

In the general season 2005, Entiat unit, Modern firearm harvested 164 bucks and archers harvested 3.

One of the reasons for the permit reduction, according to the WDFW seems to be archer complaints of overcrowding.

Here are the questions.... As archers do you want less opportunity to draw a permit but a better experience (less crowding) and since less deer are being taken, most likely a better chance at a trophy or would you prefer more permits which equals more opportunity.

The decision on what happens will be made this Saturday, April 7th at the Ellensburg Fish and Wildlife meeting.

 

[slider]

Thats sad!!! Good Luck

 

[Lowedog]

Here is a little insight into why I think they want to reduce the number of tags.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID18/2842.html

I also heard that the number of late season modern permits will be increased. That wouldn't make much sense.

-Lowedog

 

[canhunter]

If that is the same unit then no wonder. Though numbers are reduced now in the long run it should make it better for trophy deer. Hard not to show it is over hunted or hunted irresponsibly if a guy can find that many arrows after the season. JMO

 

[canhunter]

In regards to the initial question. I would prefer better quality of animals and hunt then the increased chance at just an average deer.

 

[Elkstuffer]

I drew that tag (2nd 1/2 late season) the first year after it went to draw. The only crowding I saw was on the road. Too many guys put in for that unit without ever being there. Then they draw and go to hunt it and see how steep & open it is. They glass from the road. I hunted it hard for 6 days and only saw one hunter in the brush. Saw lots of 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 year old deer & one buck that would go 200". I couldn't get close to him but the younger deer would trip over you. I would like to see them cut the tags to about 100 and make it all one late season instead of the split season they have now. It would definatly be worth the wait.

 

[northwesthunter]

We had the tag 2 years ago and had no crowd problems once you were away from the roads. We hunted it before it was draw only and there were way more people but if you actually hunted and got away from roads it was fine. The problem is it is a late season hunt and you can just drive the roads and spot deer or shoot at deer from roads and this makes guys make bad shots( wing arrows) and not leave the roads and say its crowded. I think 100 tags for each season would be fine and would put the archery kill percentage close to the rifle tags where as cutting them more wouldn't be fair. If the deer numbers are suffering however cut them but cut them all back evenly with success percentage factored in. Its really the best bowhunt we have and drawing it every few years would be nice. Maybe a bowhunting education class requirement to put in for this hunt would be an idea to weed out the not so serious hunters out? nwhunter

 

[polarbear]

Amen on the bowhunters education test!!!! I thinks all hunters should have to pass an education test every 5 years in order to hunt, no matter what your age of how long you have hunted! It might just weed out a few idiots who shouldnt be out there! I am all for fewer permits for all methods and better quality bucks. Also, if you are drawn for a permit and decide not to use it, you shouldnt be able to put in for that permit for 5 years. As I have said before, I am tired of folks putting in for permits when they really have no business doing so!
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[canhunter]

Love the education test and would prefer a license qualification test even more. AK requires a qualification to hunt bears with a bow. You don't pass you don't get a license. Maine has the same with Moose I believe. I say put up a steel target at a reasonable/fair distance with a open target center. The target center needs to be small enough a person has to practice in order to qualify. You miss you loose the arrow and don't get a license. Would require people to have proper set ups with proper shooting skills. Would not solve the moral issues but would be a good start. JMO

 

[Lowedog]

canhunter,

I like that idea! Should have something like that for all hunting not just archery.

-Lowedog

 

[northwesthunter]

Wondering where you got the info on these cutbacks as I couldn't find it anywhere on the wdfw site where they talked about there possible changes for 2008. Seems pretty extreme with no cutbacks for other weapon types. nwhunter

 

[FairChaser]

An update on the Entiat. The Fish and Game Commission voted to leave the 2007 late season archery permits the same as they were in 2006 with instructions to the WDFW to monitor what is happening in the unit as far as buck harvest is concerned and to report and recommend any changes during the next season setting process. It appears that this unit is targeted for a more selective buck harvest, for all user groups, which will mean less buck permits in the future. Everyone that hunts this unit should make their views and suggestions know to the WDFW and Bowhunters need to voice their opinions on trophy hunting vs opportunity or something in the middle.

 

[northwesthunter]

Glad the tags are still the same especially due to no real warning or discussion about the cutbacks prior to. I think maybe a warden or two driving around during the season might be nice too. In the 4 years we have hunted that late season never saw one warden but lots of 'bowhunters' riding in the back of trucks with arrows nocked. Defenitely a special hunt that needs some tweaking both bow and rifle tags. A few gates on the secondary roads would be huge in lowering the pressure on the deer. That in my opinion would be the best thing to do. nwhunter

 

[coonhound40]

My vote is for fewer tags and a 3 point or better restriction like the northern units, this would help eliminate the tempatation to shoot the small bucks. Couple that with the appropriate doe tags to keep the herd in shape. I know I fell to the temptation on the last day of my hunt last year and settled for a small forky, I'm still disappointed in myself.

Coon

 

[coonhound40]

"Maybe a bowhunting education class requirement to put in for this hunt would be an idea to weed out the not so serious hunters out?"

NWhunter...that is a great idea, lets treat our premier areas with some respect and do everything we can to reserve it for serious ethical hunters. I'm sure a class and test would weed out most of the slobs out there and probalby increase the odds for most of us.

Coon

 

[northwesthunter]

I think the education test would help a bunch however I think anything that would require time and money by fish and wildlife won't happen and that would. Over here on the coast we have lots of gated roads and if you hike or bike in a ways it eliminates most all the pressure. I think those roads going into the definite winter range like stehliko sp? should be gated and crossover from mud to potato and any secondary road not necessary for travel could be shutoff too. A few less tags maybe that too but when we were hunting there the last general year they estimated something like 700 hunters and we still had a great hunt and plenty of opportunities but we do hike a lot. Three point or better or doe would be a good idea too. Save the younger bucks but take out some of the does if those numbers are high. One other idea I had on this issue a few years ago was make this entiat bow tag your only hunt option. So if you draw it you can't hunt for deer anywhere else in the state. THat might eliminate some of the people just a thought. nwhunter

 

[crabcreekhunter]

That hunt can be a zoo, especially before they implemented the special tags for late archery. The education test would be very helpful and would eliminate a bunch of the hunters. Never have actually hunted this hunt, but is just my two cents.

 

[FairChaser]

Some good suggestions. It might be time to think outside of the box in some of these areas. Gates and road closures will create areas of buck escapement and places where a boot hunter can escape the crowd. It might also concentrate hunters. If it snows in that neck of the woods, snowmobiles become a factor in accessing hunting grounds....they essentially can go anywhere.
Perhaps a rule, during the late season, of confining them only to roads that normally allow vehicular traffic. Another option might be to ban walkie talkies from this late hunt (like Montana). Even the playing field a little more...sure the success rate might go down but that usually equates to more opportunity, especially if you end up using the resource allocation formula which automatically kicks in when you have all 3 user groups receiving permits for the same species in a unit. The late archery deer hunts are unique. The terrainis usually open and a lot of the country is bisected by roads. Perhaps we need so unique restrictions in order to preserve these type of hunts.

 

[Elkstuffer]

Right on! NWHunter. I agree with you 100%. Making it the only hunting oppurtunity if you draw like they do in some units in OR is a great idea. And Gate some freeking roads. Keep those road hunters/arrow fleeingers out of there. One more thing... If you have never been up there DON'T APPLY! I'm tired of seeing these fat, out-of-shape sob's drawing the tags after never being in the area and then road hunting & killing does & 2pts on the side of the road. Just my opinion.

 

[Geno]

All of Eastern Washington has a 3 point restriction on mule deer, anyone shooting at 2 points needs a citation! Making the area a draw only and gating the roads are the best options for protecting trophy quality. Good luck on keeping snowmobiles out. It's not as easy as one may think to hunt from a snowmobile anyway.
Geno

 

[Bob D.]

Isn't the Entiat archery permit good for "any deer?" (which means no 3 point minimum)

 

[Geno]

If you have an "any deer" permit, then yes that is true. Most people who draw a late season permit do not shoot "any deer" to fill their tag. Hunting during the rut or the migration allows us opportunities to shoot trophy quality animals. If you shoot immature bucks, you reduce your chance to shoot a buck that may have one day become a trophy, not to mention as earlier stated you just filled your tag with a "dink". I feel that all mule deer hunting in eastern washington should be done on a limited draw. In a few years the herds could rebound and your chances of taking a trophy animal would offset the sting of not getting drawn every year. Washington has alot of potential, our game dept. would rather sell as many tags as possible, mismanage the revenue as well as the wildlife. Nothing new.
Geno

 

[Bob D.]

I wouldn't say the WDFW is necessarily only wanting to "sell as many tags as possible." What they are doing is managing the state's deer in a way that makes the most hunters happy, which means over-the-counter tags and being able to hunt every year. They have done polls and asked for the public's input many times, and the majority of the people like it the way it is, so most likely it will stay that way.

 

[Geno]

I think most hunters want to hunt every year for the total hunt experience. Most don't kill deer or elk every year anyway, the stats show that. I would rather have the opportinity to hunt trophy mule deer every couple of years than hunting average immature mule deer every year. If I didn't get drawn to hunt mule deer then I would hunt blacktail on the wet side or whitetail over east. I am in the minority and of course an armchair biologist with strong opinions. We all love the hunt more than the kill anyway, adding a couple of trophies on the wall to brag about is nice too.
Geno

 

[Bob D.]

I agree...I'd like to see mule deer hunting be by permit only as well, just saying that most people would strongly disagree, as they want to hunt every single year.

 

[Elkstuffer]

Geno, Oregon is a state that just wants to sell tags. Open up there big game booklet sometime and look at the number of permits they give out. Can you imagine giving 800 tags out for a unit the size of Cowiche. They don't manage for quality down there anymore, its all quantity. Granted you do have Hart Mt and the Metolious units but as a whole it's pretty sad.

 

[Shane]

There wasn't any change in the number of tags or dates. I think the number of rifle tags for the Entiat is up slightly though. Wasn't it 50 tags last year and this year there is 65? It will be a zoo again this year for archery also. I think more people hunted last year in that area then the number of tags issued. I would like to see more enforcement or presence of warden's in the area during this hunt checking tags.I will apply for it again though.
Shane

 

[northwesthunter]

I completely agree with the need for enforcement showing their face during this hunt. In the few years we were there before it became a permit hunt and when we drew two years ago have never seen a warden. Pretty easy for the general swakane hunters to drive through the entiat with there bows "just looking" and maybe get tempted. I don't understand why they increased the rifle tags at all! nwhunter