Do you think the WDFW is doing a good job?

[Curly]

WDFW-sux, I hear you. 

Maybe Seattle can become its own country?

[boneaddict]

When are you headed to ORegon.  I think I can OTC bowhunt it this next week down there, but decided not to.  I would hate to screw up my NM hunt with a broken ankle or something.  Besides, I would miss out on all of this extra shift stuff that I've come to adore.

[jackelope]

Hey Bone, if eastern and western WA were split I'd just move east sooner than I plan to now.

I would too.

[bobcat]

Hey Bone, if eastern and western WA were split I'd just move east sooner than I plan to now.

I would too.

Me too!

I'm guessing the new state of eastern wa. would have a big jump in population, might not be exactly what you eastside guys want, or expected. 

[boneaddict]

You folks are welcome, just leave Gregoire and her bunch over on that side.  Course, those tree hugging bastages wouldn't like it much on this side...too much sage brush.

[Curly]

just leave Gregoire and her bunch over on that side

No problem with that.  Her and her ilk are the reason for me wanting to leave.  Too Many Liberals over on this side of the mountains.......and more of seem to be moving here all the time.

[Ray]

just leave Gregoire and her bunch over on that side

No problem with that.  Her and her ilk are the reason for me wanting to leave.  Too Many Liberals over on this side of the mountains.......and more of seem to be moving here all the time.

Amen to that. We gotta stick together.

[HuntinCrazy]

Thanks. So it's the estimate for the year 2000.  OK. What confused me was the "1975-2000."

HuntinCrazy, have you read the elk herd management plans? If not, you might find them interesting. Here's the Yakima plan for starters:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/elk/yakima.htm


I will check it out. Thanks Bobcat

[WAcoueshunter]

I am actually for eastern WA being its own state.  Id like to see east king county become Ceder county too.  I feel real bad for the people on the east-side that get Seattle's agenda rammed down there throat.  Must suck.

I bet most of the people in west king county would support that.   

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I love the WDFW...

[WAcoueshunter]

I think they do a pretty good job, all things considered.  They don't run it like a business...but would we want them to?  Do we want them raising resident prices until there's a noticeable drop off in hunters?  That's what a business would do.  And they've got more outside influences telling them what they have to do than anywhere else.  The bait/hound ban?  That was handed to them by the voters.  Indians taking half the animals?   Handed to them by the feds signing a treaty and the fed courts with the Boldt decision.  The largest population of the western states (outside of CA, of course), but one of the smallest western states?  Handed to them. 

Yes, the vendor they chose to run the draws has been a catastrophe, and they should bear the blame.  But do we want them spending the extra cash (and raising tag prices) to run their own system?  BTW, they're not alone with draw vendor problems.  In AZ this year, they actually had to shut down the online permit application midway because their vendor was useless.  Everyone (myself included) had to send in a paper application with a check for the tag fees.  They also delayed the application deadline as a result.  The refund for those that didn't draw (myself included) was supposed to show up no later than August 17.  Still no check.

Seems a lot of the bad decisions actually come from them listening to hunters - e.g. the increased entiat tags, the OTC bull tags in western WA, the widespread OTC muley hunts, etc.  But isn't that what we want them to do?  Listen to us?  Problem is, the average joe hunter that wants more opportunity outnumbers the hard core guy who spends all his time thinking about hunting (i.e. those of us that troll this site every day).  In light of their constituency constantly whining about increased opportunity, I think they do a pretty good job of maintaining the herd sizes and still allowing those that want to work the chance at trophies each year. 

The lack of opportunity in those other states is no fun and games, either.  In AZ, the resident archery hunters only get to hunt elk every 5-10 years (assuming they don't want to use their points for cows).  I've got 7 points there, but am probably looking at another 7+ years before I draw, and I've got to buy a $200 license every year just to apply.  In Colorado, with its 292,000 elk and a fraction of WA's population, they still get a bunch of whiners because they don't manage for trophies.  In Utah...well, you may be waiting 15 years or more for a bull tag.  How much would you be whining right now if you didn't have a single tag in your pocket for the upcoming season?  That happens every year to residents in all-draw states (e.g. AZ).

Bottom line for me...I think we can question individual decisions they make, but on the whole, I think they're managing a pretty good balancing act.

[boneaddict]

You just made my day WACOUES....  I forgot I had a refund coming from Arizona.   DAMN!

[littletoes]

Hey Bone, if eastern and western WA were split I'd just move east sooner than I plan to now.

I would too.

Me too!

I'm guessing the new state of eastern wa. would have a big jump in population, might not be exactly what you eastside guys want, or expected. 

  OH NOOOOO! Don't move over here...I'm begging! Stay over there...where its just soooo nice! 

Actully I wouldn't mind some of you guys coming over here, as long as we could send a few of the crazies over there for trade!

WAcoueshunter, very well said, and you bring up some very good points that I need to remind myself at times.

[gene]

hell if we split the state look at all the taxes we dont half to pay to keep the wetside happy for there new things they want. lmao

[Dman]

 A month ago I probably would have said no. Since the ruling two weeks ago, forcing us to pay higher taxes to the local tribes in the WDFW court loss, I realized what WDFW is up against. They do pretty well considering.