The result while it was in effect was that all cougar hunting was closed during modern firearm seasons for deer and elk in many or the popular deer and elk GMU's.
I'm in favor of allowing hound hunting but not at the expense of the rest of us losing that opportunity.
I agree. The decision to shut it down for boot hunters was as pathetic as it can get. No matter who tries to explain that logic to me, I will never agree with it.
I agree, they should not have taken all opportunity from the boot hunters. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have hound hunting, it means that WDFW should not remove all opportunity from boot hunters. It doesn't have to be one or the other, there should be equal opportunity for both. 
Dale,
It sure looks like they basically want to reinstate the same 'pilot program' that was in effect a few years ago. I don't read anything in it that would lead me to believe boot hunters with a tag in their pockets could hunt cougar.
It would be a win for hound hunters for sure but a big loss again for regular hunters that always buy a cougar tag for that one chance.
Sorry boys, I'm against this as it's written especially if it's going to be run per the last one.
I'm sorry you feel that way when the bill does not read that way, you are assuming. This is precisely the thinking that divides hunters and why we fail to be effective. The bill is dead for this year but will be brought up next year. Senator Dansel is in my legislative district so I will ask him if he will include language restricting less than equal opportunity for boot hunters. Would that additional language satisfy you?
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6287-S.pdfSUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6287
_____________________________________________
State of Washington 63rd Legislature 2014 Regular Session
By Senate Natural Resources & Parks (originally sponsored by Senators
Dansel and Benton)
READ FIRST TIME 02/05/14.
1 AN ACT Relating to a pilot program for cougar control; adding new
2 sections to chapter 77.12 RCW; and providing expiration dates.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)(a) The department, in cooperation and
5 collaboration with the county legislative authorities of Ferry,
6 Stevens, Pend Oreille, Chelan, Okanogan, and Klickitat counties, shall
7 recommend rules to establish a five-year pilot program within select
8 game management units of these counties, to pursue or kill cougars with
9 the aid of dogs.
10 (b) Dangerous wildlife task teams must be developed in each county
11 comprised of representatives from the county and the department. A
12 pursuit season and a kill season with the aid of dogs must be
13 established through the commission's rule-making process, utilizing
14 local dangerous wildlife task teams. The dangerous wildlife task teams
15 shall also develop a more effective and accurate dangerous wildlife
16 reporting system to ensure a timely response.
17 (c) The pilot program's primary goals are to provide for public
18 safety, to protect property, and to assess, conserve, and manage cougar
19 populations.
p. 1 SSB 6287
1 (2) Rules adopted by the commission to establish a pilot project
2 allowing for the pursuit or hunting of cougars with the aid of dogs
3 under this section must ensure that all pursuits or hunts are:
4 (a) Designed to protect public safety or property;
5 (b) Reflective of the most current cougar population data;
6 (c) Designed to generate data that is necessary for the department
7 to satisfy the reporting requirements of section 3 of this act;
8 (d) Consistent with any applicable recommendations emerging from
9 research on cougar population dynamics in a multiprey environment
10 funded in whole or in part by the department; and
11 (e) Designed to minimize the harvest of healthy, dominant males and
12 breeding females in order to promote stability in the social structure
13 of cougar populations.
14 (3) The department may authorize five seasons in which cougars may
15 be pursued or killed with dogs, subject to the other conditions of the
16 pilot program. The seasons are authorized to aid the department in the
17 gathering of information necessary to formulate a recommendation to the
18 legislature regarding whether a permanent program is warranted and, if
19 so, what constraints, goals, and objectives should be included in a
20 permanent program.
21 (4) This section expires July 1, 2019.
22 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) A county legislative authority may
23 request inclusion in the pilot project authorized by section 1 of this
24 act after taking the following actions:
25 (a) Adopting a resolution that requests inclusion in the pilot
26 project;
27 (b) Documenting the need to participate in the pilot program by
28 identifying the number of cougar/human encounters and livestock and pet
29 depredations;
30 (c) Developing and agreeing to the implementation of an education
31 program designed to disseminate to landowners and other citizens
32 information about predator exclusion techniques and devices and other
33 nonlethal methods of cougar management; and
34 (d) Demonstrating that existing cougar depredation permits, public
35 safety cougar hunts, or other existing wildlife management tools have
36 not been sufficient to deal with cougar incidents in the county.
37 (2) This section expires July 1, 2019.
SSB 6287 p. 2
1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) By September 1, 2018, the department
2 must deliver to the legislature, consistent with RCW 43.01.036, a
3 progress report summarizing the pilot program authorized in section 1
4 of this act. The report must include information relating to how the
5 program has been used to assess cougar population levels and protect
6 public safety and property. The report may also include any
7 recommendations as to how cougar management policies may be changed in
8 the future to achieve more effective or efficient management.
9 (2) This section expires July 1, 2019.
10 NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each
11 added to chapter 77.12 RCW.
Poll
