What states " pick your weapon"

[Craig]

I was wondering what other states rules are for hunting are. Do you need to pick how you want to hunt ( gun, archery, muzzleloader) or can you hunt all three seasons with each weapon. And what do you think of the rules. Good or bad

In Washington you half to pick what weapon you want to use( gun,archery,muzzleloader) when you buy your tags. For elk you even need to pick Eastern washington or western Washington and that is the only side of the state you can hunt on.

I like to hunt with archery and rifle so it kind of sucks to pick and hunt one weapon over the other. on the other hand it kind of keeps people from jumping all over the place. I think the WDFW thinks they would have four times as meany people bow hunting just because they can even if they have no idea what they are doing. Then jump back over and hunt rifle season.

I think this year I am going to archery hunt deer and rifle hunt elk.

How does it work in your state and do you like it if not what do you like.

 

[BrianID]

In Idaho you can hunt general archery, muzzleloader and rifle (any weapon) seasons all in the same year but you have to pay an additional $16.50 for an archery permit and $16.50 for a muzzleloader permit if you are hunting during an archery only or muzzleloader only season.
For elk you have to choose a zone to hunt and choose between an A tag or a B tag which pretty much makes it choose your weapon for elk.
There are a handful of units in Northern Idaho that have general muzzleloader hunts but for the most part deer hunting is limited to only archery and anyweapon(rifle) hunting. For the most part all of the good muzzleloader hunts are controlled hunts.
I doubt that switching to a "choose your weapon" system would decrease the number of archery hunters in an area by much because all most all of the archery hunters are really hunting elk even though many of them have a deer tag in their pocket. I would be surprised if Idaho switched to a "choose your weapon" system because in most units 1%-3% of the bucks are killed by archery hunters and the F&G wouldn't have an excuse to charge everyone the extra 16.50 for archery permits.

 

[northwesthunter]

I'm a Washatonian too. I wish that you didn't have to buy your tag to put in for special permit thus allowing you to put in for any permit area any weapon then if you don't draw decide how you want to hunt. For instance I live on the west side but would like to put in for a eastside special permit area for elk then if I don't draw hunt general westside or put in for a late muley rifle hunt but if I don't draw hunt general archery. I'm sure not everyone would like this just my prefernce. As a bowhunter I wouldn't like any weapon like Idaho as there are already too many bowhunters that ethically shouldn't be out there. Maybe if you had to pass a class or something. Nwhunter

 

[whtailtaker]

Hunting the Mountains of North Carolina and Regions West
You only go thru life once- so get it right!!

Well in the Great State of North Carolina-
you buy a Sportman's license
covers-bow,muzzle,rifle 'plus fishing'
and depending which end of the state you hunt in
the seasons are different- eastern part has the longest rifle season
you can hunt bow all season long-

WEB SITE FOR EACH STATE
http://www.huntinfo.org/websites.html

 

[elk_horn]

Utah is pick your weapon...unless you are a dedicated hunter then you can hunt archery muzzy and rifle but you can only tag two deer in three years!

 

[Model70]

It's been a few years since I hunted back there, but South Dakota has always been pick your weapon. Recently, they've had so many deer that you could still fill a few freezers with just a rifle. For example, my brother bagged five deer last year. He had an any deer/antlerless double tag for West River muleys, an any deer tag for East River whitetail, and he picked up an extra double antlerless tag for East River whitetail. Throw in the antelope he bagged and he got a ton of action in last fall. The best part was when he sent me about 40 lbs of East River (read cornfield fed) whitetail doe meat. Good stuff!

 

[ELKMASTER101]

Iowa, pick your season, and weapon, you can shoot as many as 7 deer here but you have to work the lic. pick out in the proper order.
our heard is up around 200,000 or so but its as though there are every were,
you can go to New York lets say, and have a good steak dinner.
they will ask you do want a regular cut, or do you want the best?Iowa feed beef,
Our deer are the same "Top Choise". Maybe you have heard? they have the largest RACKS in the world also.
This year it is a little lean for meat in the house hold, only put 4 deer in the freezer, (3) of mine and (1) of my daughters.

 

[nmtaxi]

Here in NM it's pick your weapon and season, and only one deer can be taken per year (of course just getting one in this state is getting pretty tough to do). Most of the Special Drawing deer hunts for rifle are only 3 to 5 day hunts. Muzzleloader hunts are 5 to 10 day hunts, and the archery hunts vary between a week to a month long. If you come here for a rifle hunt, you better have scouted you butt off, and have one picked out before the start of season.