Change to Idaho Palouse zone muzzleloader elk season

[renegadehunter]

A bit frustrated right now with the Idaho F&G.
This year they altered the muzzleloader only season in the Palouse Zone (units 8, 8a, 11a) for elk. Previously it has been open from Dec. 2nd to Dec. 14th for cows or spikes. This year they have changed it so that cows and spikes are open from Dec. 2nd to Dec. 5th, and then from the 6th to the 14th it is spike only. Just finding elk is one thing, and now it would only be a spike that could be shot for the majority of this short season.
How this change is justified is beyond me. I went to the F&G site and did a bit of research. They state that the quota for elk, both bulls and cows, is "at expectations", meaning there is a healthy and adequate population of elk in this zone. I then went to the last few year's harvest reports to see what the success rate was in unit 8a for muzzleloader hunters...the average comes out to a whopping 12 cows taken each year. ??? Way to go F&G.

 

[jrmflintlock]

Its an unfortunate fact that hunter success is low on the priority for game managers.

 

[Tb54]

Renegade, glad to meet you. I hunt the same zones, same frustration. I’ve actually been thinking about lobbying F&G for a better season. I’d be happy with Dec/Jan and tags that allowed us to fill them with either sex deer or elk. Thought maybe they’d consider a longer season if we weren’t also hunting modern firearm. Kind of something like they do with the A&B elk tags. I like the seasons we have but it looks like they’re starting to play games with the seasons like Washington has been the last 25 years.

 

[renegadehunter]

Glad to meet you Tb54. Looks like you're just a half hour north. I solely hunt 8A for elk, but hunt whitetail in 8a, 11, and 11a. I have some property in 11 so the majority of my deer hunting is there.
It'd be great to see some better/different seasons for BP hunting. I really enjoy archery hunting elk, but mainly due to it being during the rut. If they offered a draw only BP only tag for the rut I'd put in for it every year without fail.
A late either sex deer hunt would be great too, but I wouldn't be able to give up whitetail hunting during the rut. Currently I just hunt the any weapons season with bow or caplock just because I prefer them.

10A has had this type of BP season for quite some time, cows the first few days and then spike only.
Doing this to the Palouse Zone season makes a person think the F&G does NOT think that the population quota for bulls & cows is actually "at expectations"...but they don't want to admit that for some reason. I have little doubt it is linked to $$$.
Makes me wonder if they'll cap the B tags in the Palouse Zone soon, like they've done in 10a.