soup...you make a very good point for montana, as a resident...i'm from washington, and i guess i'm just a 'home-boy'. i wouldn't trade huntin' here for anything. i live for the 1st of august...bear and elk season...from then on, there are many other hunts. clear till the end of february. 'fletch' is right about the 9 day general deer season. that is a real draw-back, but as i live within 20 minutes of any kind of hunting, and the fact that i'm 'out there' at least 4 days a week, usually more, i guess i just have the advantage to know well ahead of time exactly where i'll be when the season opens. a lot of our washington hunters are from what we call, 'the west-side', meaning in general, seattle area. when the general deer and elk seasons open, we are usually inundated with these hunters. take note...i have nothing against them, and i wish them the best of luck. they are not fortunate enough to live where i live, and a lot of them only have the time to come here when the season opens. that's o.k. by me. probably about like me going to montana, which i have, several times. i don't live there,and have limited time.(still, they were great hunts). we may not have the biggest bucks, (tho we do have big ones), we may not have the biggest bulls (tho we do have record book ones), i like it because i know the area, and it is accessable, sometimes by foot only, but the best part is, i can do it daily, whether it be hunting with a weapon, trapping, or hunting with a camera. sometimes with none of the above...just to 'go look' or take someone else to share the sights. sometimes me thinks me rambles on and on and on....apologies, but i'll stay here.....