WDFW LE Great Resource for HuntWA - Please Be Respectful

[ucwarden]

4 pages - Interesting.....Guess I was raised to respect LE first, has always worked for me resulting in no issues. I suppose if the man behind the badge proves me wrong, I would have issues with the name of the person, not LE in general. 
 ucwarden - Welcome to the site! your posts have been very level headed and you seem to genuinely want to help the hunting community. Look forward to your input.

Thanks.  I think this whole "respect LE" is interesting.  I don't mean to sound all corny, but I think it goes a little deeper than just law enforcement....we should all chill a bit, and treat everyone with respect unless they prove unworthy of that respect. 

One thing that happens with some LE officers, is that over time they get a "them against us" attitude, which I fully understand, but we all have to remember there are a whole lot more good guys out there than bad guys.  It's just that bad guys get all the attention.  Look at the media; what do they focus on....bad guys doing bad things. 

It's always telling when people judge me (or us) because of our jobs.  Everyone is different, and that's fine.
I have also found that if you don't start out with hostility, and keep your calm, you are way more successful.  It's pretty tough to be mad at someone who treats you well, and fairly.

[muzbuster]

4 pages - Interesting.....Guess I was raised to respect LE first, has always worked for me resulting in no issues. I suppose if the man behind the badge proves me wrong, I would have issues with the name of the person, not LE in general. 
 ucwarden - Welcome to the site! your posts have been very level headed and you seem to genuinely want to help the hunting community. Look forward to your input.

[scout/sniper]

I agree with some others. Respect is a two way street. And I don't believe anyone is any more important than anybody else. I know that may come as a shock to some.

  100%

[Woodchuck]

4 pages - Interesting.....Guess I was raised to respect LE first, has always worked for me resulting in no issues. I suppose if the man behind the badge proves me wrong, I would have issues with the name of the person, not LE in general. 
 ucwarden - Welcome to the site! your posts have been very level headed and you seem to genuinely want to help the hunting community. Look forward to your input.

Thanks.  I think this whole "respect LE" is interesting.  I don't mean to sound all corny, but I think it goes a little deeper than just law enforcement....we should all chill a bit, and treat everyone with respect unless they prove unworthy of that respect. 

One thing that happens with some LE officers, is that over time they get a "them against us" attitude, which I fully understand, but we all have to remember there are a whole lot more good guys out there than bad guys.  It's just that bad guys get all the attention.  Look at the media; what do they focus on....bad guys doing bad things. 

It's always telling when people judge me (or us) because of our jobs.  Everyone is different, and that's fine.
I have also found that if you don't start out with hostility, and keep your calm, you are way more successful.  It's pretty tough to be mad at someone who treats you well, and fairly.

Well said

[Curly]

If one of you, who knows how to work this forum stuff better than me (which would make about all of you), would like to help of get a bunch of people together (organized) to perhaps list the top 10 things they would like to see changed in WDFW (especially enforcement), I will be glad to help polish it up a bit, then we could go forward and try to make some real positive changes.

I have seen it work before.  That is how seasons (between archery, muzzleloader and rifle are set...for example).  It is not a lost cause, but we would have to get everyone to agree enough to try to push through some changes.

I noticed the "Washington for Wildlife" on this website, and maybe that would be a good platform.

Simply complaining on here won't change anything.  An organized group, along with the media can.

Thoughts

  A lot sure needs to be changed almost to the point of starting all over with a new administration though. We need WDFW working more for us again. Licensed outdoorsmen just want to hunt and fish without all the technical and confusing rules for each differant area or body of water. Doesn't seem to matter how much you study the rules and do things right you could still get ticketed for something,gotta be discouraging for the kids just getting into hunting and fishing also. There is also a lot of resentment and dissatisfaction with people when wildlife only seems to be protected so the wolves or tribes can harvest more too.
We also need to be a stronger voice than the animal rights folks. I could be wrong but it seems they are the majority and they are the ones writting letters to WDFW and going to the meetings now. Anyways gotta think positive  and now that you are retired sounds like you may be able to do more for us now than before

Everyone has to understand what can't be changed, what would be tough to change, and what might be pretty easy to change.  Tribal hunting/fishing is one thing that probably will not change, as the treaties and the US courts have that pretty well carved in stone.  Wolves are a very complex issue, in that both the states and federal government regulate wolves.  Anytime the ESA (Endangered Species Act) is involved it will trump everything else.  States do have a say in how wolves are "managed", but not as much as you might think.

While we, as a group, can't change some things, others should be relatively easy if we just join up, and present our arguments in a clear manner with supporting documentation (if possible).

Again, I propose forming a group (or using an existing group such as Washington for Wildlife), discussing what we all feel are the most important issue, then moving forward to try to effect some change.  I am more than willing to play any role y'all want, but I don't know this forum system well enough to start this.

I'll state one thing I want changed with WDFW.  (I don't know if this is the right thread for stating my opinion on this, but ...................)

I really want WDFW to be able to give opinions on proposed Initiatives.  Just thinking back to the 1996 voter initiatives that has had a huge impact on wildlife in this state (baiting, trapping, and hounds). 

For many years I was angry that WDFW did not speak out against those initiatives.  I always felt that if WDFW had come-out with commercials, PSA's, or interviews with biologists in news articles, etc.......then maybe people would have gotten educated enough to make informed decisions when voting on those horrible initiatives. 

Bigtex informed us, a couple years ago, that WDFW is not allowed to give opinions on things like those initiatives.  So, now my anger is not directed at WDFW, but rather at the system that doesn't allow the opinion of the wildlife professionals to be heard.

I guess I'm just scared of some other wildlife intiative getting on the ballots and WDFW has to be silent.  Makes no sense to me.  (But then again, it seems WDFW has gotten a bunch of predator lovers working for them now, so maybe WDFW opinion would not be so good anymore.   I think their opinion in 1996 would have been favorable to us sportsmen, but today I don't know anymore  )

[pianoman9701]

4 pages - Interesting.....Guess I was raised to respect LE first, has always worked for me resulting in no issues. I suppose if the man behind the badge proves me wrong, I would have issues with the name of the person, not LE in general. 
 ucwarden - Welcome to the site! your posts have been very level headed and you seem to genuinely want to help the hunting community. Look forward to your input.

Thanks.  I think this whole "respect LE" is interesting.  I don't mean to sound all corny, but I think it goes a little deeper than just law enforcement....we should all chill a bit, and treat everyone with respect unless they prove unworthy of that respect. 

One thing that happens with some LE officers, is that over time they get a "then against us" attitude, which I fully understand, but we all have to remember there are a whole lot more good guys out there than bad guys.  It's just that bad guys get all the attention.  Look at the media; what do they focus on....bad guys doing bad things. 

It's always telling when people judge me (or us) because of our jobs.  Everyone is different, and that's fine.
I have also found that if you don't start out with hostility, and keep your calm, you are way more successful.  It's pretty tough to be mad at someone who treats you well, and fairly.

Cops usually don't go on calls to go see nice people. I understand that.

[bigtex]

Curly,

No state agency can give opinions on voter initiatives, this is not just limited to WDFW. They can only give opinions on bills in the legislature.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Welcome sir! Congrats on your retirement! Thats a great accomplishment in ones life. Very much like your way of thinking to come together as a group and fix the wildlife laws!

[Curly]

Curly,

No state agency can give opinions on voter initiatives, this is not just limited to WDFW. They can only give opinions on bills in the legislature.

Any chance of that getting changed?  Or should it not be changed? 

Just doesn't seem right to set wildlife rules by voter initiative.  Voters in this state have proven to not be the brightest........

[grundy53]

4 pages - Interesting.....Guess I was raised to respect LE first, has always worked for me resulting in no issues. I suppose if the man behind the badge proves me wrong, I would have issues with the name of the person, not LE in general. 
 ucwarden - Welcome to the site! your posts have been very level headed and you seem to genuinely want to help the hunting community. Look forward to your input.

Thanks.  I think this whole "respect LE" is interesting.  I don't mean to sound all corny, but I think it goes a little deeper than just law enforcement....we should all chill a bit, and treat everyone with respect unless they prove unworthy of that respect. 

One thing that happens with some LE officers, is that over time they get a "them against us" attitude, which I fully understand, but we all have to remember there are a whole lot more good guys out there than bad guys.  It's just that bad guys get all the attention.  Look at the media; what do they focus on....bad guys doing bad things. 

It's always telling when people judge me (or us) because of our jobs.  Everyone is different, and that's fine.
I have also found that if you don't start out with hostility, and keep your calm, you are way more successful.  It's pretty tough to be mad at someone who treats you well, and fairly.

I agree

sent from my typewriter

[grundy53]

The sign up for WFW is a link on the top right of the page.

Got it, and I am signed up

Glad to have you aboard

sent from my typewriter

[bigtex]

Curly,

No state agency can give opinions on voter initiatives, this is not just limited to WDFW. They can only give opinions on bills in the legislature.

Any chance of that getting changed?  Or should it not be changed? 

Just doesn't seem right to set wildlife rules by voter initiative.  Voters in this state have proven to not be the brightest........

Here's my view.

I agree with you on the ability of the public to change wildlife laws.

However, I think if state agencies were allowed to provide their views on initiatives you would have a lot of people saying the state is lieing, brainwashing the public, etc. How often do we hear about that on this site? Personally, I think agencies should be able to, but I can understand why they cant.

[ucwarden]

Curly,

No state agency can give opinions on voter initiatives, this is not just limited to WDFW. They can only give opinions on bills in the legislature.

Any chance of that getting changed?  Or should it not be changed? 

Just doesn't seem right to set wildlife rules by voter initiative.  Voters in this state have proven to not be the brightest........

Here's my view.

I agree with you on the ability of the public to change wildlife laws.

However, I think if state agencies were allowed to provide their views on initiatives you would have a lot of people saying the state is lieing, brainwashing the public, etc. How often do we hear about that on this site? Personally, I think agencies should be able to, but I can understand why they cant.

That is right on point.  Also; keep in mind that getting a state agency to come up with a position on any legislation would be tough in itself.  No matter what side of the issue the agency took up, 1/2 of it's employees would disagree with that position.

[ucwarden]

Curly,

No state agency can give opinions on voter initiatives, this is not just limited to WDFW. They can only give opinions on bills in the legislature.

Any chance of that getting changed?  Or should it not be changed? 

Just doesn't seem right to set wildlife rules by voter initiative.  Voters in this state have proven to not be the brightest........

Here's my view.

I agree with you on the ability of the public to change wildlife laws.

However, I think if state agencies were allowed to provide their views on initiatives you would have a lot of people saying the state is lieing, brainwashing the public, etc. How often do we hear about that on this site? Personally, I think agencies should be able to, but I can understand why they cant.

Bigtex:

I sent you a PM

[Knocker of rocks]

Initiatives are a political process, and as such, should be limited to politicians.  Public agencies should be required to stay mum on their subject.