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What Do You Think?

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What Do You Think?

Postby Swede » 05 03, 2023 •  [Post 1]

Oregon has taken away a lot of opportunities for bow hunters to shoot a cow elk on their regular season hunts. Instead, they have made more cow tags available for late season "any legal weapon" (rifle) hunters. The bow hunter's success was generally a little less that their rifle hunting counterparts, but the bow hunters had more access to tags. They also got to hunt more days each season, which I consider a mixed blessing. We hunted longer for less game.
What do you think: Should Oregon make shooting a cow elk legal for bow hunters again in those areas where, over the years, they have given the tags to the rifle hunters, or should thy continue to sell more tags to give opportunity to more hunters?
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Re: What Do You Think?

Postby 7mmfan » 05 03, 2023 •  [Post 2]

I'm assuming they look at it basically the same way that Washington does. Why let bow hunters hunt cows with a general season tag, when they can generate more revenue by selling antlerless special permits to rifle hunters, and achieve the same goal of killing a certain number of cows? Follow the $$$. My opinion is if they want to increase antlerless harvest, then yes, they absolutely should be letting all hunters have a crack at them.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: What Do You Think?

Postby Jhg » 05 04, 2023 •  [Post 3]

Could they/does it make sense to have a rolling tag system where every other year it is the archers who get the tags?
The other year it is the riflers.
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Re: What Do You Think?

Postby Swede » 05 04, 2023 •  [Post 4]

JHG: A system like what you suggest may be practical. I do not know. I just know that all of the changes our game commission has gotten approved makes it frustrating for the bow hunter. Hunters migrate more and more to units where cow hunting is still allowed, but not they are very few. I know I have been purchasing points for a quality hunt unit for years. Now I either burn those points or I risk having to hunt in a very low success or overcrowded west side unit.
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Re: What Do You Think?

Postby Elkhunttoo » 05 05, 2023 •  [Post 5]

I think the next 20 years will bring some changes to the hunting industry that will be hard for us hunters to accept. Look at the last 5-10 years all of the changes that have been made for non resident hunters. Populations of the western states are booming. Wolf reintroductions, and so forth. I’m wondering how far out the dates are when you can only get an elk tag every other year.

Just some thoughts. I’m 41 and want to hunt until I physically can’t anymore. Hopefully lots of these changes are far enough out not to effect me but who knows
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Re: What Do You Think?

Postby Lefty » 05 05, 2023 •  [Post 6]

I think generally most Fish and Game depts still try to do right by hunters and game management.
However in a state like Minnesota,, The metros has so much influence such as maybe eliminating the possibility the taking of wolves

Then there is the Forest Service put certain restrictions: I will use the example of eliminating domestic sheep from some forests. So as an outdoorsman that would be great for the wild sheep, but where is that really headed? We know that wolf reintroduction has has reduced big game and often eliminates the beaver and coyote population within main pack territories.
The add-in politics and idiots.
Idaho elk numbers population is still too much controlled by ranching and legislators ( population reduction)
Then you have voters across the nation going for the reintroduction of predators like wolves in Colorado and the expansion of grizzlies in Washington ( CascadeNP)
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