I went hunting with a couple buddies of mine from Packwood this week and they were telling me that the game department was tagging elk during archery season this year. I'm going to look into this further, but if this is true it's a bunch of crap. They said that they go out and split the herds up with the choppers too.

I remember 4 years ago muzzleloading up there and having a chopper swoop over us and hover there for about 3 minutes. We were really close to a herd. I was pretty pissed.

Anyone know anything about this?

Kris

I've heard the same thing for years, and seen choppers apparently doing the same thing, but normally the week before the season opener. Seems like a raw deal to me, both from a management standpoint and the cost to taxpayers. I thought the WDF was supposed to increase sportsmen's opportunities, but it seems they never miss a chance to make things worse. I realize that things are rarely as simple as they appear, but that is the general impression I'm left with.

IN addition to that, the ever increasing cost of licenses/tags etc. and the shortening of seasons, area closures, point restrictions, don't seem to be increasing a guy's chances much either. The licence fee increase situation is ridiculous. The argument goes something like this - "We need more money, let's double the fees" . "Gee, we doubled the fees, and only half as many people bought licenses!". "I guess we'll have to raise 'em some more!"

Like I said before, it's probably not quite that simple, but it certainly needs work.

I see the same thing every year in Quinault. Either F&G or Park Service swoops up and down the river ( and over the timber and through the woods) supposedly counting redds. If so, fine, but why the day before opening of elk season? Can't they do it a couple days before? The season is so short now that they could probably even wait until the end of the season.

Either way, it angers alot of folks.