Steps to retain current hunters:
• The perception that WDFW regulates hunting to maximize revenue needs to be proven wrong by real actions from the WDFW (See below in “Reduce the cost of hunting in Washington”.
• Reduce the cost of hunting in Washington:
o When hunters apply for special or quality big game hunts, the WDFW charges the application fee plus the cost of the tag even though the hunter may not get drawn for their chosen hunts. If not drawn, WDFW keeps all of the money. They say the hunter may still go on the general hunt, but perhaps the hunter does not wish to participate in the general hunt for a variety of reasons. For example: Hunter success during the general hunt may be rather low and hunt options are very restrictive (i.e. spike and true spike elk hunts). The WDFW should give the hunter the option of a refund or to go on the general hunt; they should NOT just keep the money. They basically have turned the cost of the application fee into the total cost of the hunting license and tags. The bottom line is hunters are being charged for what they may not want.
o The WDFW has broken hunting into small pieces and charges for each piece (i.e. hunting license, small game license, migratory bird permit, migratory bird authorization, pheasant permit, etc.). This also holds true for fishing (Freshwater, saltwater, shellfish, razor clam, two-pole endorsement, Puget Sound Crab endorsement. And, of course with all of this, the DISCOVER PASS and the Watchable Wildlife Decal. This all tends to feed the perception of managing wildlife to maximize revenue.
• The general elk season was moved a few weeks earlier in the year resulting in missing that start of the winter migration of elk out of the higher elevations. In addition to that, some of the general season hunts are restricted to spike and true spike which put a hunter at risk of harvesting an elk that had that extra tine in the shadows or he had his head turned at a slight angle that hides the extra tine. Suggestion: move the general season a few weeks later and ease up on the antler restrictions by widening the opportunity to a larger range of antlered elk.
• Stop closing and destroying access roads (decommissioning). Decommissioning procedures I have come across include:
o Digging up the entire road bed and turning it into a series of densely located “moguls” (large humps).
o Dumping large boulders along a large portion of the path.
o Cutting down small saplings and crisscrossing the fallen tree trunks along the road path.
All of these methods of destruction make traversing the original road path extremely difficult and hazardous, or nearly impossible. Whether people agree or not, my observation is that game animals like elk and deer will not traverse the destroyed areas unless under stress (i.e. spooked or being chased); they tend to walk to the side of the old road bed where it may still be smooth or they will walk completely off of the old path. When given a choice, they also will take the easiest path that serves their purpose – just like humans. Stop the destruction! The only purpose behind such destructive activity is to deny access and keep people out.
If roads must be closed for valid reasons, then pursue non-destructive alternative actions like:
o Road maintenance rotation.
o “Forest roads to trails” and related forest access efforts similar to what has been promoted by Congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler and others to keep our forests healthy, safe, and accessible.
o Avoid road decommissioning and protect road beds for future use by converting roads slated for closure into trails.
o Close, stabilize and seed road beds; avoid decommissioning
o Ensure public safety by stabilizing and maintaining road beds that can be re-opened for rescues, firefighting, and emergency evacuation routes when necessary.
o Focus on creating and maintaining road loops to ensure ingress and egress for public safety.
o Reduce cost by enhancing partnerships with [Stewardship] groups that can assist with road and trail maintenance.
o Consider converting high maintenance level roads that are not major thoroughfares to lower maintenance levels.
o Ensure access under the Americans with Disabilities Act by designating roads and trails for off-road vehicle access.
o Pursue/explore possible funding opportunities for road maintenance:
o Timber sales, Stewardship dollars, Federal road tax
• Stop closing camping areas where hunters have camped for decades and forcing them into congested “camping cities”.
• The regulations are convoluted and overly complicated. Hunters can read the regulations, but still not be sure if they are complying with all of the laws. LEOs should not be so quick to find fault and write citations when regulations are unclear and there was no intent to break the law.
o For example: Transporting wildlife – “If quartered, the tag should remain with the carcass or largest portion of the carcass.” If you happen to pick the wrong portion of the carcass on which to leave your tag, you just might end up with a serious citation even though you had no intention of breaking the law. Since Washington hunters are placed in a position where they typically cannot retrieve big game using motorized vehicles, they must quarter the animals and carry them out (this, by the way, eliminates less capable people that would like to hunt). Leaving a tag unattended on the carcass in the field while carrying back a quarter of the animal puts the hunter at risk of losing their tag plus getting a serious citation. So what do you do? Message to WDFW: Fix this! Change the regulation to state the tag must be with at least one portion of the quartered animal.
• Allow retrieval of big game using motorized vehicles when feasible. It is important to get harvested animals processed quickly to avoid meat spoilage.
• WDFW does not appear to promote hunting; however, they appear to accommodate anti-hunting and environmentalist sentiments due to political pressure. The WDFW should visibly promote hunting versus giving the perception of continually making it more difficult and expensive.
• Last general elk season, I spoke to over 20 hunters that indicated significant disappointment with the current situation. Hunting has become too expensive, access is being taken away, roads are being closed and destroyed, camp areas are being closed, general seasons do not have reasonable hunter success due to timing, regulations have become more complicated, WDFW does not appear to be an advocate for hunters, and the WDFW appears to be revenue driven versus pursuing wildlife management based on sound and unbiased science and promoting hunting as a primary wildlife management tool.
• Develop and offer mentor programs for adults and youth to open up hunting opportunities that many may not have considered. For example, many hunters may have only hunted with modern rifle, but never considered archery or muzzleloader because they don’t know anyone that will introduce them to these alternatives.
• Work closely with private land owners (i.e. timber companies, farmers, ranchers, etc.) to keep their lands open to hunting for free or a
reasonable access fee.
