Contact Your State Senators and Reps - Skagit River Elk Culling

[pianoman9701]

For those who don't know, the State has culled 15 elk in the Skagit River Unit without the use of hunters. Please contact your state senators and representatives to request that they receive an accounting for this from the DFW. To find who your legislator is, go here:
http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/

Here's what I sent to Senator Benton. I urge you to write your own email or letter, but at the very least, copy and paste mine to send out. Mark the email "Priority" or "Urgent". If you do copy and paste mine, make sure that the middle paragraph applies to you specifically. Thanks for your support.
PMan

"Good morning Don,

As you may or may not know, Elk season is upon us. Hunters across the state are hoping to fill elk tags to feed their families.

Something very disturbing happened last week. The state Department of Fish & Wildlife hired gunners to cull 15 elk in the Skagit River area. The elk were shot at night and the culling was not publicized. These elk should've been killed by hunters, the people who pay the bills for the WDFW and have purchased tags for elk. That area has an elk over-population problem and the farmers there are very eager to work with hunters to help with this problem.

Several years ago, the Master Hunter program was started to address these specific issues - positive landowner/hunter interaction to resolve problem animal issues. As a Master Hunter candidate, I put in countless hours of study and conservation work to achieve the certification. Since receiving my Master Hunter certification, I continue to work conservation projects to keep my certification current and take pride in the fact that I'm a safe and ethical hunter, focused on giving hunting a positive public profile and habitat improvement for the good of our citizens AND abundant wildlife. I don't care as much that Master Hunters weren't used to perform this service, although that's specifically what the program is designed to do. I do care that ALL of our state's hunters were kept completely out of it.

This action was done in secret. No one in the hunting community was notified. The DFW is out of control and it's clear that they're not interested in supporting the sportsmen who support them. I urge you to look into this immediately for the good of our hunters and our wildlife. Thank you and please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss this PRESSING ISSUE.
John"

[Widgeondeke]

I just wrote my reps from district 44

Will see what they have.to say

[pianoman9701]

 

[CP]

Sent, and to the Governor as well.

[hntrspud]

Done 

[mulehunter]

Thank you, Got Email sent. 

[pianoman9701]

Sent, and to the Governor as well.

Good idea. Hadn't thought about that.

Any of you union guys out there? Maybe it's time to call in your favors from the governor for electing him. Just sayin'.

[mulehunter]

 

[huntnphool]

 

[mulehunter]

I heard there is a Commissioner office meeting in MT Vernon at 1:30 discuss about it..    I am not 100% sure.

[pianoman9701]

Dear Governor Inslee,

I write to you today about the culling of 15 elk in the Skagit River area of our state. This was done in the night, by either state or federal shooters to ease the elk depredation problems being experienced by farmers in that area. Why wasn't this done by our state's hunters? Why didn't the Department of Fish & Wildlife stand up for us and issue permits to licensed hunters instead of doing this the way they did? It is hunting season and there is no viable reason that this shouldn't have been done by hunters.

I'm a Master Hunter for the state. I studied many hours, have worked countless volunteer hours to improve habitat for our state's wildlife, have proven my skills in shooting, and teach Hunter Education. The Master Hunter program was designed, among other things, to address landowner/wildlife conflict by sending Master Hunters in to harass or cull problem animals. The fact that the DFW did not use Master Hunters or any other licensed elk hunters to alleviate these problems shows an extreme lack of judgment and an indication of a larger problem within the DFW; they are not focused on wildlife issues and on the people who pay a large prtion of their bills - the state's 175,000 hunters.

Governor Inslee, I implore you to have your staff look into this incident and get to the bottom of it. Although I realize that our wildlife needs volunteerism to help improve habitat and keep our wildlife abundant, I can't sit by a watch our DFW thumb their noses at us while they concentrate only on seafood and shellfish issues. I'm beginning to think that my participation in the Master Hunter program is a one way street - to benefit the image of the WDFW and provide for them my free labor. All of the state's hunters, not just us Master Hunters, are being snubbed and we're getting angry about it.

I hope that our state's wildlife is as important to you as it is to me and other hunter conservationists. The wildlife needs us and our concern and our volunteer work. Please support us and our efforts and get to the bottom of this incident in particular, and this prevailing attitude on the part of the DFW administration, in general. Thank you for your consideration of my comments.
John Wallace
Master Hunter

[Bob33]

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Skagit-farmers-ask-for-help-from-marauding-elk-220586981.html

[mulehunter]

If I am the land owner, I would let a lot of hunters hunt my land to thinn out Elk Herd.

 

[CP]

There is a meeting tomorrow in Mount Vernon that is very pertinent to this issue.  If you can please attend and support our hunting opportunities.

Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee Special Meeting in Mt Vernon

http://kirkpearson.src.wastateleg.org/senate-natural-resources-and-parks-committee-to-hold-special-meeting-in-mount-vernon/


On Tuesday, Oct. 29, a special meeting of the Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee will be held at the Skagit County Commission hearing room in Mount Vernon. Topics of discussion will include hunter-education programs, road closures on state natural-resource lands and an update on the management of the North Cascades elk herd. Each topic will include testimony from relevant state-agency personnel; the latter portion of the meeting will feature an opportunity for public comment.

Sen. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, chairs the committee and encourages anyone interested to attend the meeting and provide public testimony on the topics being addressed in the meeting, or any issue relating to the state’s natural resources.

“Residents of the Skagit Valley are passionate about natural-resource issues with good cause – this is one of the most beautiful and diverse areas of the state.” Pearson said. “This meeting is a unique opportunity for residents of our area to take part in forming public policy by speaking directly with legislators and state officials without traveling to Olympia. I hope those interested will join us and share their thoughts.”
Details about the meeting can be found below. Recognizing that some will not be able to attend in person, Pearson also encouraged interested parties to share their thoughts on the topics with him via email at Kirk.Pearson@leg.wa.gov or by phone in Olympia at (360) 786-7676.

[mulehunter]

There is a meeting tomorrow in Mount Vernon that is very pertinent to this issue.  If you can please attend and support our hunting opportunities.

Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee Special Meeting in Mt Vernon

http://kirkpearson.src.wastateleg.org/senate-natural-resources-and-parks-committee-to-hold-special-meeting-in-mount-vernon/


On Tuesday, Oct. 29, a special meeting of the Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee will be held at the Skagit County Commission hearing room in Mount Vernon. Topics of discussion will include hunter-education programs, road closures on state natural-resource lands and an update on the management of the North Cascades elk herd. Each topic will include testimony from relevant state-agency personnel; the latter portion of the meeting will feature an opportunity for public comment.

Sen. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, chairs the committee and encourages anyone interested to attend the meeting and provide public testimony on the topics being addressed in the meeting, or any issue relating to the state’s natural resources.

“Residents of the Skagit Valley are passionate about natural-resource issues with good cause – this is one of the most beautiful and diverse areas of the state.” Pearson said. “This meeting is a unique opportunity for residents of our area to take part in forming public policy by speaking directly with legislators and state officials without traveling to Olympia. I hope those interested will join us and share their thoughts.”
Details about the meeting can be found below. Recognizing that some will not be able to attend in person, Pearson also encouraged interested parties to share their thoughts on the topics with him via email at Kirk.Pearson@leg.wa.gov or by phone in Olympia at (360) 786-7676.

Thank you.