I'm new to this board, and reading this string was a trip. I've been a WU member for over a decade, and the club has good and bad points... but I would like to note some points...
First of all, the directors do not play favorites. There is no "in" crowd. They are very careful to be fair about who gets to go where-- to the point that one of the directors, a good friend, has missed out taking his kids out for openers, etc. Even the directors have to draw for impacted properties.
Bad points:
Bottom line with reservations is that if you can only hunt weekends, you are going to have a tough time. Since the properties WU manages are privately owned, members must follow rules. There is no exceptions. If you drive on a wet road when you shouldn't, you'll be kicked off the property. Safety rules are another sticky point. This is bad because it is rigid management, but it's for the good of everyone-- if they didn't they'd lose the properties they manage. Checking in and out can be a hassle. You can't camp anywhere on the property, you must camp in their designated site. Sometimes the caretakers can be a little overbearing. Final bad point, if you are not aggressive about exploring new properties, you will not fully enjoy the club. This is not a guided hunt, you have to do the work yourself.
Also, if you don't force yourself to use the membership regularly, you tend to forget about it. After six months of no use, you are likely to say, why am I paying for this?
Good points:
Your campsite and gear can be left in the campground with no fear of theft or vandalism. You are behind locked gates.
Their management programs not only limit hunters, but limit animal take. When a ranch reaches a quota, they take it out of the mix. I hunted a B zone property the first year they got it, and several years following, archery, and it only improved through their management with bigger and more bucks. The last year I hunted it, I saw 7 bucks in two days, shot a 3x4, and went home.
It's one of the only ways to get on private pig properties without paying a guide. my wife and I both got our first pigs on WU properties, on ranches about 2 hours from our home.
If you like to explore, you have dozens of properties to try.
If you like to fish and hunt birds, a combo membership is well worth it. Waterfowl properties are a strong point, and they have many blinded and decoy clubs. You'll feel like you are a member of a dozen duck clubs because you are not restricted by buying one seat in one blind in one club. BTW, the price of a decent duck club is about the same as an entire combo WU membership. I've had some of my best duck and goose hunting ever on WU properties.
If you take the time to learn the reservation system, you can usually get satisfaction from the process. Most people are making their reservations on Monday after the weekend, so the key is to call on Friday or Saturday for the following week. Another good bet is to set a date way ahead, then if you decide you want to go earlier, you can cancel that one after you get an earlier date-- that way you always have one in the bank. No shows are punished, but cancellations are no problem. You can reserve up to 5 days, and you can make those 2 days on one ranch and 3 on another (or any combination), if you want. Also, check back for cancellations-- you might luck into a spot that someone else cancels. Also, this may have changed, but you used to be able to call the main office line early for same-day reservations.
WU also does much to promote our sports, hosting seminars for the DFG that are open to the general public, host youth hunts, they put up the catch and release pond at the ISE shows for the kids outdoor fair, plus they have many special events open to members that can get you more involved in the club-- picnics, fly tying classes, etc.
I hunted public land for over 20 years, and have shot plenty of bucks there. I gave up on opening days because of the crowds. I have experienced many bad camping experiences because of unruly people who can show up at all hours of the night, or play music, run generators, etc. This doesn't happen at WU campsites. I've been the only person hunting a "good" property on the opening week of archery deer season. The caretaker was there on Monday, left, and I had the place to myself all week long. That doesn't happen on public land, ever.