Fox Hunting Boundary Question...

[TriggerMike]

I'm probably over thinking this but the wording in the regs is making me wonder enough to ask you guys your opinion... On page 72 it says that Fox is "CLOSED within the exterior boundaries of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan, Wenatchee, and Gifford Pinchot Ntnl Forest and GMUs 407 and 410."  The whole 'Within the exterior boundary' part is throwing me off.

What I take away from this is that it's illegal to hunt fox INSIDE the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan, Wenatchee and GP National Forests, correct? So, no hunting them ever in those national forests but everywhere else in the state is legal during the season?

[Timberstalker]

I would interpret that to mean it is closed inside all of those areas.
Just like you have stated it.

[wolftrapper]

That's correct.  I called Washington fish and game last season, and asked the same question.  As I understand it, they are protected there because there are a lot of dark colored  foxes there.  (Cross fox, and black fox color phase).

[Maverick]

Why are they protecting the color phased fox? I've shot a few reds and cross fox and personally prefer the reds

[jasnt]

Why are they protecting the color phased fox? I've shot a few reds and cross fox and personally prefer the reds

Good question. And why not allow a small harvest limit to keep genetic diversity

[AWS]

I'm sure coyotes and other larger predators take good care of the diversity problem.  Fox make no impact on deer and elk populations and don't cause a problem for livestock producers in the areas.  That area is kind of a fox refuge as the little guys don't cause a lot of problems.  I kind of like it and I've put a lot of fox on the stretching boards.