Attn elk bowhunters!

[Coastalfisherman]

If you haven't read the 2006 Big Game Regs, make note that bow hunters can no longer harvest a cow during the general season. Hopefully this will change during the year.

[FishTech101]

Its going to be like the archery deer the commission will decide on the bag limits in june

[gottafish]

I wish they would stop all cow hunts for rifle and bow for a few years. Let the herd grow a bit Gee's

[JohnnyP]

You can thank the liberal laws for disabled permit holders that are now 20,000 strong...........they are wiping out the cows during rifle hunts.

[Rank Amateur]

The commision just acted on the disabled hunter program, they have to reapply every 2 years and the permit application is now 3 pages long. Whether this will weed out the abusers we will have to wait and see.

Personally, I would rather see them have to stick to the legal bag in the hunt, then let the disabled hunters hunt during desigated Cow hunt. The way it is now, I'm not even going to waste my time if I see somebody shoot a Cow during the bull season, I would have in the past because I knew then that it was a illegal kill. So know that we have taken the legal hunters out of helping LE we have opened the door for more illegal activity and the outlaws know that.

[Screamin Bulls]

I think it's good in a sence , it will thin the bow hunters.

It will show who's really a bowhunter and who isn't!

And there will be less idiots in the woods carrying bows.

And the regs state you can still take a cow in 2nd "general" season.
Josh.

[Radke]

I think it's good in a sence , it will thin the bow hunters.

It will show who's really a bowhunter and who isn't!

And there will be less idiots in the woods carrying bows.

And the regs state you can still take a cow in 2nd "general" season.
Josh.

While I would hope you are right, I'm not expecting this as an outcome. If it did, could you imagine the number of nimrods crawling over one another in those units allowing the taking of antlerless animals.

I would rather them byte the bullet and go the 'chose your weapon' route. I think that would thin the bowhunter ranks.

[Abalone]

ODFW did this so that can better manage the herds. They want to be able to see what happens during the winter months before issueing permits to kill cows. For Example:
If there is a big winter kill in a unit they won't open it.
Other then waiting till may to announce it there won't be much difference.

[Coastalfisherman]

It will show who's really a bowhunter and who isn't!

Are you saying that just because I choose to shoot a cow over a bull that I am not a "bowhunter"

[rimrock]

I think it was a good management decision. Just like with the general bow deer season some units open to either sex after the summer commission meeting – which are normally listed in the regs as buck only. This approach will most likely go the same route. Units with good MO for elk will open up and those well below MO will stay bull only. It’s better than a blanket approach to wildlife management.

[bullslayer]

0

[blacktail519]

I think it's good in a sence , it will thin the bow hunters.

It will show who's really a bowhunter and who isn't!

Not

[Screamin Bulls]

Are you saying that just because I choose to shoot a cow over a bull that I am not a "bowhunter"

Nope not at all if you or any one else wants to shoot a cow more power to you. Hell i'd take a cow if was heading tward the end.

But my POINT you all missed was that a lot of so called bow hunters are not!! They simply bow hunt cus of horny bulls and the ability to take antlerless critters as well!! I don't belive that a lot of bowhunters even hunt with a bow because they love to get close or love the thrill of being able to hear the animal breath and pant, cus you are so close and they animal never even knew you were there. Hell i love to stalk up on critters with my other weapon which is my camera or my video camera!!!

I'm not one who sit's out at 300 yards and takes my critters.

I was told today by a typical rifle hunter that "give them a bow in september and they could kill a bull too" ...that made me laugh so much inside!!!!!!......I thought is this guy joking ??...
You give me a gun and i gaurantee you a bull on the ground!!!!!

None the less, my point was some people call them selves bowhunters that simply aren't!!, they pick up a bow when they don't draw there rifle tags and so on. Not to mention a lot of people think it's the "trendy" thing to do these days. I don't know. I'm done.

And my other point was that you take away the cows and a lot of people will leave and go back there rifles!! Which i wished they would.


Abalone : Where is your cabin located in the trask unit ?...I think i may know who you are!


Josh.

[Bill Monroe]

Actually, what they're going to do is decide after the spring counts which units to allow either-sex bow hunting for elk...the rule is in place for a standard statewide season...it'll be much like the bow-hunting rules for deer, although possibly more liberal since there will be controlled rifle cow hunts as well...

[fishlis 1]

I have bow hunted for 15 years and see nothing wrong with taking a cow! Would i rather take a bull absolutely! I love the choose your weapon choice. But here is my question, how will this help the elk population when the bull numbers are 5% below objective, why shoot more bulls? Sure we lower the bow hunting population, but we add to the rifle hunter population, where we can reach out to 300+ yards to kill a bull? Furthermore how is it that states such as Colorado have over the counter cow tags and still come in over there MO? these are simply questions and not ment to P.O. anyone. I am just curious, I will still be a bow hunter regardless of what is decided in the end. If I go through life never harvesting a monster bull OH WELL, it is more than killing an animal to me.

Sam,

[Lucky one]

Screamin bulls I know what you are trying to say but i think you over simplify. Because a rifle hunter carries a weapon capable of taking a 300 yard shot does not mean that is all that happens. I know elk are killed 300 yards out consistently but thats not all rifle hunters are about. My elk this year came at forty yards standing still broadside. But since I'm a rifle hunter I'm not as good at getting close to elk? Give me a break.

I think your dislike of rifle hunters comes from competition and your lack of ability to handle it. Bow season is not YOURS. It is an open season in most places and people should be able to hunt it, regardless if they usually hunt with a rifle.

I don't mean to sound like I'm coming down on you, but I hear this attitude a lot on this forum and I'm sick of it. Go out and do your thing and be good at it, don't rag on other people because they aren't as good as you.

[Abalone]

We as hunters tend to look at things from our point of view that hunting is about having the opportunity to harvest an Elk or a deer. We believe the more animals available and the less hunters the better for us.

There is a flip side. Land owners, tree farmers in particular are in the business of making money. Elk are destructive to commercial trees, crops etc. If they had it their way there would be NO Elk. It makes you wonder why they don't offer up their land more for hunting but that is a different issue.

ODFW's job is to manage the resource. They attempt to keep a balance between the farmers and us hunters. Cows as well as bulls need to be harvested. I have no problem harvesting a Cow assuming it is later in the season and I have missed my chance for a bull or if the opportunty for a cow presents itself at the right moment.

There are going to be hunters of all levels no matter what weapon is used. I doubt if how we manage the herds is going to have any effect on who does or doesn't hunt with what weapon other then how Rifle hunting is managed.

If you don't draw a rifle tag ? What else are you going to do. The archery industry in Oregon loves it.

[Coastalfisherman]

I don't really care how many hunters are out in the woods. More hunters means that you have to work harder to get an animal, but that equals more satisfaction at the end. I had the opportunity to hunt during the first coast rifle season this fall with a friend. We only saw 4-5 rigs the whole time, and never saw anyone in the canyon we were hunting. And oh yes, we killed a bull at 22 yards and he never knew that we were there. :grin:

[High Country]

Why is it that there is no antlerless elk section in the synopsis,It is all combined with the rifle bull. (ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING) and if ODFW is concerned with managing herd population why remove archers from the picture, and give the tags to the riflemen.
Here's the answer---REVENUE

[Old Soldier]

Glad to see some changes in the Disabled Hunter Program and Bow hunting. It just did not pass the make sence test to allow cows and does to be taken in areas where the numbers are down.
I hope the new rules on the Disabled Hunter Program will help in the abuse of the system. At the same time the program goal is "to let disabled hunters hunt with family and friends with a reasonable chance of success" or someting like that.

[Blue Tip Spinner]

I think it's good in a sence , it will thin the bow hunters.

It will show who's really a bowhunter and who isn't!

And there will be less idiots in the woods carrying bows.

i don't think there is anything wrong with what he said. i couldn't agree more. i hope the people that are out there just because they didn't draw their rifle tags are thinned out. it makes perfect sense.

[ehunter]

My feeling about the Question of more competion during bowseason is that bowhunting is not the same as rifle hunting. During rifle season sometimes you can use the masses to push the animals in your direction. You can not ethicaly take a moving shot at a animal at any distance with a bow. I go to great lenght to escape people during bow season we hike in a long ways and try to avoide roads and people and then we have to pack a long ways.

In the old good days there were fewer bow hunters and less pressure elk were not so call shy and they were not so spooked. Now days there is way too many people. We prefer to bow hunt for bulls any way so it is not a big deal.

Maybe cow hunts should be limited to kids 18 under and adults over 60 or first time hunters you have never shot a elk. It used to be any animal was a good with a bow, but bow hunters equipment has changed so now we can thank technology.

This rule does.t bother me at all. There will still be some cow hunts for bow hunters and those units will get increased pressure so maybe it will be better in the units with no cow hunts.

[gottafish]

Ehunters got it right on this one. I agree 100%

[ehunter]

Hey Rich I was thinking of kids like your son he worked harder than most hunters and I feel if he can take a cow... good he needs to get some elk under his belt than he can get picky. I would hunt with him any time.

[BrianMaguire]

[quote
I was told today by a typical rifle hunter that "give them a bow in september and they could kill a bull too" ...that made me laugh so much inside!!!!!!......I thought is this guy joking ??...


[/quote]

Don't you just love to hear that. I always say.. Oh really? Yeh it is not hard to actually see a bull at least once during the season but to kill one so easily. :whazzup:

[Limbhanger]

Ehunter.........

[Abalone]

One thing I learned this season is how much Elk will tolerate human activity before they get pushed out. I chased the same Elk in the same Clear cut for the first week of the season. I think they moved when they ran out of stuff to eat. I don't think shooting, truck noise etc. really bother them that much. If you step on top of them they run but I never really did that except for once and that was a different herd in another area.

I think sometimes we blame other hunters for our lack of success when in reality the Elk were there but we didn't see them. The more I learn to slow down and take my time the more Elk I see.

[Half fast Toyn]

Maybe im mistaken in my assumption that in the first season bulls are easier to call in that cows? Ive only bow hunted one season and last year all I ever called in was bulls.

[Abalone]

Cows will respond to Cow calls or Calf Calls.

[Half fast Toyn]

hmmmm.... every time I blew a cow call at a herd, all they did was look dumbly my dirrection and follow the lead cow. Now those stupid bulls... thats another story. I had 3 within shooting range this year.

[phantomelk]

On the east side of the state the ever increasing populations of mountain lions and black bears are having a major impact on calf elk and deer fawns. Something needs to be done to lower the populations of those two predators. Not to mention the possibility of wolves showing up.

[Rank Amateur]

I think you guys will find that the good hunters will be equally as good, bow or rifle.

[Screamin Bulls]

Abalone, i don't believe my private messages are going back thru to you ?. are they ?

Josh

[ehunter]

Oh come on Rank your being too kind. :grin: I will say this if I had to hunt the coast bull season with a rifle every year I would go bonkers I have a great deal of respect for the guys who get out of their trucks and get one. That is why cow season with a rifle is a joke, I was hiking this morning and saw anther 20 elk. Not much of a hunt if your willing to walk behind closed gates.

The reason I bowhunt is the challenge I admit we saw bulls every day last year and we had some close encouters but no bull. Seeing elk and getting elk are 2 different things as most archery hunters will tell you.

If that was rifle season it would be a slaughter but then again we hike in 3 miles to start our hunt. During rifle season they open every stinking road and it is a zoo.....no thanks. Rifle season is nuts. You have to have a thicker skin then mine to put up with that crud.


I hope that archery hunting does not end up like rifle season.

[Abalone]

I hope that archery hunting does not end up like rifle season.

In what respect ?

[ehunter]

The crowds and to be honest the ethics, or lack of I have seen this last year. I rifle hunted in Fort Rock and 90% of the deer were shot from a truck. I went hunting with my brother on day one of the elk season what a zoo,,,