WDFW seeks comments: 2015-17 hunting season proposals

[CarbonHunter]

I'm curious about what they are planning to do with special permits. Has anyone heard of anything that the state is considering?

This is the reason I finally joined this forum instead of just reading it all the time. I'm curious if any of you guys submitted proposals to change the special permit draw and if you did what did you propose.

I submitted a proposal to change the ghost point option from 1 point to 2 points and gave my reasons. Did you guys think of anything else?

[bobcat]

I submitted a proposal to change the ghost point option from 1 point to 2 points and gave my reasons.

Can you explain what you mean by this?

[Curly]

Not that I care for baiting Big Game but I sure hope they are not thinking of the worst case scenario ! Would not surprise me 

I'm pretty sure they're considering a ban on baiting deer and elk. It's become a lot more popular in the last few years, and I think they are getting a lot of complaints.

isn't baiting deer illegal already???

No but it seems a lot of people think it is.

cool, I'm surprised hunters-ed, WDFW, ect don't say anything about baiting. I have been looking forever to see if its legal.

Even hunter safety instructors at times give out bad information on what is legal or not in WA. 

[CarbonHunter]

If hunters had the option of putting in for the ghost point and receiving 2 points per year as opposed to putting in for the draw and not getting selected and receiving 1 point. This might encourage hunters to not apply for every category with just one point but instead try to build points twice as fast as others for a few years. If more people put in for the ghost point there would be less people putting in for each individual permit. 

[bobcat]

I would be more inclined to take away the ghost point option, if it were up to me. If the goal is to improve draw odds, what you're proposing would do the opposite, IMO.

[dreamingbig]

Early archery elk should be sep 8-21.  Not a fan of all mechanicals being allowed but an approved list of the better ones would be great.  Baiting deer and elk is a non issue to me and shouldn't be banned.

[idahohuntr]

Not that I care for baiting Big Game but I sure hope they are not thinking of the worst case scenario ! Would not surprise me 

I'm pretty sure they're considering a ban on baiting deer and elk. It's become a lot more popular in the last few years, and I think they are getting a lot of complaints.

isn't baiting deer illegal already???

No but it seems a lot of people think it is.

cool, I'm surprised hunters-ed, WDFW, ect don't say anything about baiting. I have been looking forever to see if its legal.

It's a controversial issue that some people including some hunters greatly dislike. I think that's why it doesn't get talked about as much as many other issues.

For baiting they are considering the following alternatives:
No Change
Banning all big game baiting (deer, elk, sheep, moose, goat)
Banning all big game baiting, except food plots and crops left for wildlife in normal agricultural practices
Banning only guides and outfitters from baiting

[idahohuntr]

Early archery elk should be sep 8-21.  Not a fan of all mechanicals being allowed but an approved list of the better ones would be great.  Baiting deer and elk is a non issue to me and shouldn't be banned.

On the archery elk seasons they are considering the following:
1) Standard season datesof September 8th–20th
2) A 13-day season that opens the first Friday following Labor Day
3) A 13-day season that opens the first Saturday following Labor Day
4) Switching the current opening dates for early archery and earlymuzzleloader seasons (i.e. archery hunters hunt in October and Muzzleloader huntershunt in September)
5) No change

[bobcat]

Early archery elk should be sep 8-21.  Not a fan of all mechanicals being allowed but an approved list of the better ones would be great.  Baiting deer and elk is a non issue to me and shouldn't be banned.

On the archery elk seasons they are considering the following:
1) Standard season datesof September 8th–20th
2) A 13-day season that opens the first Friday following Labor Day
3) A 13-day season that opens the first Saturday following Labor Day
4) Switching the current opening dates for early archery and earlymuzzleloader seasons (i.e. archery hunters hunt in October and Muzzleloader huntershunt in September)
5) No change

I'd go for number 4!  Then we could listen to the muzzleloader hunters complain about their season being too early.   

No matter what they do, people will have complaints. I have no doubt about that.

[vandeman17]

anybody read the bottom of this where they have an app for the regs at $5.99?  I just go to the site, download the regs and save them to my phone for free. $6 for an app, really?

As for the early elk dates, I wouldn't mind them going to either the friday or saturday after labor day.

[bobcat]

So next year if early archery were to open on the Saturday after Labor Day, it would be the 12th to the 24th. Pretty good season, that would be great. I'm just not sure what they'd do with the early muzzleloader deer season. It might end up having to overlap with archery elk somewhat.

[Peskadot]

[/quote]


No matter what they do, people will have complaints. I have no doubt about that.
[/quote]

I agree 100%. But its better when we're happy and they're complaining.

[dreamingbig]

Early archery elk should be sep 8-21.  Not a fan of all mechanicals being allowed but an approved list of the better ones would be great.  Baiting deer and elk is a non issue to me and shouldn't be banned.

On the archery elk seasons they are considering the following:
1) Standard season datesof September 8th–20th
2) A 13-day season that opens the first Friday following Labor Day
3) A 13-day season that opens the first Saturday following Labor Day
4) Switching the current opening dates for early archery and earlymuzzleloader seasons (i.e. archery hunters hunt in October and Muzzleloader huntershunt in September)
5) No change

4 is absurd.  #3 is the best but #1 is a close second.

I only wish they would limit the input to bowhunters.  Too much noise from non hunters and other user groups to get useful data via public input.

[Buck_Nasty11]

anybody read the bottom of this where they have an app for the regs at $5.99?  I just go to the site, download the regs and save them to my phone for free. $6 for an app, really?

As for the early elk dates, I wouldn't mind them going to either the friday or saturday after labor day.

so they want another 6 bucks from us to have it on our phones after spending well over 300$ on permits and tags and licenses?  ha!

[Gamblin Guy]

I'd be surprised if they moved the archery season to something reasonable.  They will not push the archery season any closer to the rifle rut tags.  When they agreed to the rifle rut tags, they pushed archery back to the Tuesday after Labor Day because they rifle guys who were on the GMAC wanted the archery guys out of the woods before the rut tag started. 

Its all about money and selling apps for special tags.....