Traditional-only archery seasons?

[nevadabugle]

Huge area, low numbers…the success rate is abysmal. They offer rifle tags in that unit.

The only way to make it truly an area where Trad guys can be successful is to cut off the other hunts. I’m a recurve guy…and no way I am in favor of that.

This is not necessarily the case. Of course it depends on the state, but there is usually room for another hunt. Or, extended seasons or extra units because traditional success rates are usually in the 10-14 percent range out west. That means you can give out 10 rifle tags with 50% success or 50 traditional tags with 10% success. Same number of deer get harvested. In states that are struggling for ways to increase opportunity, traditional hunts can be a tool.

These hunts can also be used as a tool to increase age class as most traditional hunters are as happy with a young buck as an old one as opportunities are far and few between.

 

[nevadabugle]

It would be cool it see it. Would give game and fish agencies the ability to increase opportunity while maintaining or maybe even reduce harvest. Although more guys on the mountain at the same time doesn't sound ideal.

You have it right. It is a tool that could be used to increase opportunity with no impact on the resource. Also, it can be used to increase age class in a unit. Win, win in my eyes.

 

[cck311]

Gents, looks like you guys are getting the trad hunts listed so I will not add to that. However to answer the other question, YES! there are several groups lobbying for more traditional archery only seasons as we speak. I'll cover some of those details.

First and foremost, please consider supporting your state traditional archery clubs. There are several around the US right now that are petitioning their game commissions for traditional seasons.

Secondly, please join Compton Traditional Bowhunters. Our organization is the National Traditional Bowhunting organization and we have a committee (legislative hunt comitee) dedicated to developing traditional only archery opportunities.

Just to help you understand what we do, I have spent countless hours in the last six months working with Utah to develop a traditional only archery tag system for deer and elk. We are making good progress in Utah, but these types of efforts take years not months. We have been in contact with local Utah hunters, Utah NGOs and the Utah game board during this process. We are hopeful that if we can get Utah on board, other states will follow suit.

Lastly, I encourage all of you to get involved with your states Game Board or Wildlife Comission. Nothing is more frustrating that committees like Comptons putting in the leg work and then not having the public show up to meetings and support the ideas that get presented. Nothing kills a new season petition faster than no members of the public showing up in support.

I'm open to questions if you guys have any, and again please join your state organization and Comptons if you want to see these opportunities grow.

Cheers,

Chris

Great stuff! I'm a trad guy in Utah, and I would support this for sure!

 

[LostArra]

The manager of the McAlester hunt in Oklahoma was always under pressure to allow compounds. He had been the manager for decades and wouldn't budge. He had a harvest goal and going trad only allowed him to provide 8 three-day weekend hunts (I forget the number of hunts exactly) to get that number. He has since retired and I hope the new manager stays with the plan.

Most years shooting a hog or a doe would get you a hunt pass for the following year, same weekend, without entering the draw.

I haven't been in a few years but the security is nuts. I took a photo of a giant bomb displayed in front of an administration building. MOAB painted on the side (Mother of all bombs). As I was walking back to the camping area an MP approached me and said I needed to delete the photo or give him my camera. He was nice about it but there was no negotiating. He watched me delete the photos.

 

[Bob b]

There are a few updates to the Trad Only hunts in 2023 in Oregon. I'm not sure I have my head wrapped around it yet. The tag/seasons overlap with some of the general draw archery tags and don't seem as exclusive. But maybe that's to allow a longer season even if it overlaps.

Yes it is a little confusing on the elk hunts. I can try to clarify.
North Fork Traditional elk hunt…. This is 110 tags good for 3 units, ukiah, desolation, and sumpter. And yes these are on top of compound tags allotted in each of these units. The incentive is you get to hunt all 3 of those units and you get an extra 5 days to hunt after the compound season closes.

Eagle Cap Zone Traditional…. This is 200 traditional tags for the 5 units in eagle cap zone. These tags are the same area and season dates as the compound tags. They were created to save opportunity as they were cutting tags for management to make that area a zone. We are hoping to get the 5 day extension added soon. The incentive for us residents is you can get that tag every year second choice without burning points

Santiam traditional….. this is just a 5 day extension in the santiam unit, if you get this tag you can still hunt the regular general season areas.
None of these hunts are great areas and are really tough hunts, but we get to hunt elk every year and that’s what we love right!!!
Hope this helps
Bob

 

[Beendare]

This is not necessarily the case. Of course it depends on the state, but there is usually room for another hunt. Or, extended seasons or extra units because traditional success rates are usually in the 10-14 percent range out west. That means you can give out 10 rifle tags with 50% success or 50 traditional tags with 10% success. Same number of deer get harvested. In states that are struggling for ways to increase opportunity, traditional hunts can be a tool.

These hunts can also be used as a tool to increase age class as most traditional hunters are as happy with a young buck as an old one as opportunities are far and few between.

Unfortunately, no….you are applying logic and common sense but the F&G officials just dont think that way in the many cases I’ve seen.

In the interaction I’ve seen with the F&G officials in CO and CA, the reality is different. They take away from a season…instead of adding more.

For example; a couple years ago CBH in Colorado was pushing to keep Muzzies out of the archery season….makes sense right?
The commission said, Ok then we will cut the archery season by a week. Is that what you want, a shorter season?

 

[socoalt]

I think that would be wishful thinking. In CO we can’t even have a bow season to ourselves without sharing the woods with muzzle loaders, above tree line rifle deer hunters, rifle bear hunters.

 

[mrolen]

Traditional archers of Nevada was pushing for a season a few years back it didn’t get passed. I hope they keep pushing for it.

 

[Beendare]

A quick scan of the stats for the Trad only elk hunts in Oregon show 0% success….

….thats disheartening.

Maybe they should let us in before all of the other guys push those critters around…that would be sweet!

 

[444Marlin]

Yes it is a little confusing on the elk hunts. I can try to clarify.
North Fork Traditional elk hunt…. This is 110 tags good for 3 units, ukiah, desolation, and sumpter. And yes these are on top of compound tags allotted in each of these units. The incentive is you get to hunt all 3 of those units and you get an extra 5 days to hunt after the compound season closes.

Eagle Cap Zone Traditional…. This is 200 traditional tags for the 5 units in eagle cap zone. These tags are the same area and season dates as the compound tags. They were created to save opportunity as they were cutting tags for management to make that area a zone. We are hoping to get the 5 day extension added soon. The incentive for us residents is you can get that tag every year second choice without burning points

Santiam traditional….. this is just a 5 day extension in the santiam unit, if you get this tag you can still hunt the regular general season areas.
None of these hunts are great areas and are really tough hunts, but we get to hunt elk every year and that’s what we love right!!!
Hope this helps
Bob

Thanks Bob, that helps! Wasn't the N. Fork an extra week a couple years ago? But that was before most of the Eastside went to controlled hunt, and that tag was good for any general season unit too?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

A long trad season in good units?

 

[nphunter]

There isn't enough interest for the states to take it seriously, I was on the Nevada big game webinar last summer asking these same questions. Essentially they said they would defiantly consider it if there was enough interest but there hasn't been a lot. I'm unsure what a lot is, I know Chris is one of the main Trad guys out of Nevada and he mentioned they have been pushing, so maybe the F&G was blowing smoke about the interest of maybe they just want a lot of interest.

Oregon's traditional season they recently created are a joke, the wilderness unit coincides with the regular archery hunts, it's just an opportunity to get a tag second choice and not burn points. This is nice if you have a ton of points and don't mind trad hunting but I already have heard of several guys just buying the trad-only tag and hunting with a regular bow since 90% of the people hunting during that exact same time period 1700+ are all hunting with a regular compound, the likely hood of ever being checked or questioned while away from the truck in the wilderness is next to nothing.

I would love to see more hunts like trout creeks, yes there are rifle tags but very few and most of those deer die of old age/predation, there are defiantly deer living long enough to be old and mature. If a person goes there they would understand why success rates are so low. It is huge unforgiving country, even the majority of rifle hunters are afraid to dive into the big canyons, like 95% of them. There are deer to be had in easier areas but most of those areas are not great areas for stalking so success is low.

Bob, is right about the hunts and I think Oregon is going in the right direction, personally, I don't care if there are other hunts going on at the same time or in the same areas later. I'm happy to hunt every year and having some extra traditional only tags ensures that I won't go without a tag. So far all of the Oregon archery tags have been able to be had 1st choice but I believe that will change over the next few years as people use up the points they have been saving for the last 20+ years.

 

[nevadabugle]

I want to present a concept here guys. If you turn back the clock, it wasn't all that long ago that bowhunters were asking for the first bow seasons of any kind. And look at what we have today. Do you think it was easy or simple for Glenn St. Charles and others to get that accomplished in the first place?

If we don't start asking for these seasons now, they will never exist. And to be frank they won't exist on any meaningful scale for years. But if we don't ask, and put in the work, they will never exist. Period.

So join your local clubs or comptons and encourage those leaders to shoulder the burden of these asks. I am confident that all of us will reap the rewards some season down the road. And if I'm wrong it's no skin off your backs.

Cheers,

Chris Jasmine

 

[Beendare]

Agreed. The problem as I see it; Bowhunters avoid politics and are individual by nature.

Its the reason the antis- who do band together- are able to trample us.
If all hunters banded together…we would be a force to be reconned with.

 

[nevadabugle]

Agreed. The problem as I see it; Bowhunters avoid politics and are individual by nature.

Its the reason the antis- who do band together- are able to trample us.
If all hunters banded together…we would be a force to be reconned with.

Couldn't agree more sir.

 

[sodaksooner]

The manager of the McAlester hunt in Oklahoma was always under pressure to allow compounds. He had been the manager for decades and wouldn't budge. He had a harvest goal and going trad only allowed him to provide 8 three-day weekend hunts (I forget the number of hunts exactly) to get that number. He has since retired and I hope the new manager stays with the plan.

Most years shooting a hog or a doe would get you a hunt pass for the following year, same weekend, without entering the draw.

I haven't been in a few years but the security is nuts. I took a photo of a giant bomb displayed in front of an administration building. MOAB painted on the side (Mother of all bombs). As I was walking back to the camping area an MP approached me and said I needed to delete the photo or give him my camera. He was nice about it but there was no negotiating. He watched me delete the photos.

It's a great hunt. Open to non residents as well. Ive done it 5 or 6 times, although I don't consider myself a full time trad hunter, I take pride in the lone buck I harvested there, even if it wasn't huge. There are some truly world class deer running around the base and it is a pretty coveted hunt here in OK. Unfortunately we haven't been lucky lately and I have about 7 bonus points now...lol. We typically only put in for the last three weeks. Early October in southern OK is hot and the deer really don't move much in those first few weeks. Well worth putting in for if you are a trad hunter though. Hogs and does typically get you a free pass for the following year, although one year we did not get one. Happened to be a year one of the guys shot a doe.

 

[KentuckyTJ]

Would definitely take advantage of it. I would even pay more for the special season to make the decision easier for our wildlife department.

 

[kdsulliv]

I'm all for a traditional-only season, or at least kicking Crossbows, air bows and arrow-guns out of archery seasons.

Maryland has a 3-day "Primitive Weapon" season that includes longbows and recurves, as well as side-lock muzzleloaders (no in-lines). But of course, they put it in February when it sucks to be outside and only during the middle of the week, so it's not a very serious season. I don't see why the first two weeks of archery aren't just made Traditional - why not?

 

[bisblue]

I think traditional only archery seasons would be really great and I know our Idaho group as talked with IDFG about it.

I think there are two worlds when it comes to hunting in the US, obviously these are generalities. One that has too many animals, not enough hunters and not enough access (East/Midwest), one has too few animals, too many hunters, and in general lots of access (West). I think the whole expanding archery technology debate applies to those different scenarios in different ways.

But traditional only seasons seem like a great tool that could expand and or retain opportunity to hunt out west for more folks.

 

[nevadabugle]

I think traditional only archery seasons would be really great and I know our Idaho group as talked with IDFG about it.

I think there are two worlds when it comes to hunting in the US, obviously these are generalities. One that has too many animals, not enough hunters and not enough access (East/Midwest), one has too few animals, too many hunters, and in general lots of access (West). I think the whole expanding archery technology debate applies to those different scenarios in different ways.

But traditional only seasons seem like a great tool that could expand and or retain opportunity to hunt out west for more folks.

Yep. This is a very good point. I'll double down on it and also say that a state like Wyoming that has lots of OTC for residents is also very different than a state like Nevada that is all draw.

There will not be a one size fits all situation for all states or even for all units within a state. Lots of variables that must be considered.