I heard next year the state is considering making archery any buck instead of any sex, is this just a rumor or is there any truth to it? I know that my wife and I both love bow hunting, but it is disgusting to hunt hard for four days straight and not see a single deer. Is it that bad everywhere? Oh, it has been the general consensus around here that the deer hunting is WAY down, so although I may not be the luckiest hunter, I am not the only one noticing.

We see plenty of deer, Just have to have them stand still for a shot.

Personally I didn't see any legal bucks in 10 days or so of hunting. saw some bucks in the dark on the way home. Saw lots of elk but very few deer for me. All about location I guess, not many deer in my elk area.

I bow hunted every year up until 2000 then took 8 years off (family) and started back again last year. In those previous seasons I never considered a doe until the last week of the season and wouldn't shoot a spike or 2 pt. during the early season. I put something in the freezer most years. Last year I passed on a spike on opening day of the early archery season and saw very few deer the rest of the season, nothing that offered a shot. This year I planned on shooting the 1st legal deer I saw, never released an arrow.
As for elk, seems to be good numbers around and I should have put 1 in the freezer this year (quad screwed that up). No complaints on elk numbers.

Different areas have different herd health. My prime muzzleloader unit has enough around to keep me interested though I have noticed somewhat of a drop off the last 5 years. Other areas I spend time in are down.

Also, consider the hair-loss syndrome that has plagued NW deer populations the last decade. It was worse in some areas than others and though hair loss is on the decline, undoubtedly some areas are still feeling the effects and that will translate into fewer deer being seen.

Some areas see intense tribal hunting pressure too after our seasons. That could factor in as well.

I rifle hunted deer on the OP this year for the first time, I'am new to the area but I've been hunting Blacktails my whole life and have killed a Blacktail deer every season since 1980, this year in 4 days of hunting I never even saw a buck, or a doe for that matter. Granted I spent much more time on the the road than normal, learning the area but no deer at all??? Over the past 10 years or so there has been a drastic decline in our Coastal deer populations, not sure why maybe the hair loss issue, predation, not enough clear cuts, to many elk (as if that's is a proplem) no answers here but I'm all ears!!!.

ive noticed a few areas i hunt that when the elk move in then the deer move out. i dont mind because in a few years those areas will be prime elk hunting. but i have noticed a huge decline in deer numbers in 90% of the areas i hunt.

at that most of the deer i do see are very spooked due to higher levels of predation having them on edge.

I've never had too tough of a time finding does on my penisula.

I just think about the tribals that I observed twice driving around in the Wynoochee-Donkey creek areas the last three years; pickups with 4 or 5 deer in the back.
How many times do I not see them and their load?

and this past season, I was heading home out of the Wynoochee area and the road is now black topped as opposed to dirt. The 7400 turnoff and past a few miles is now blacktopped and road striped. Dang!
well as I was heading out in the dark, observed a few blacktails by the road side here & there, around a corner I drove and there in the middle of the blacktop was a guy with 30-30 in hand. He jumped into the back of this pickup with the bumper sticker: native american pride.
I continued on my way home but wondered how many deer they would jacklight that night.

WT you know what.