Wolves prompt cougar hunt quota increase

[wolfbait]

Wolves prompt cougar hunt quota increase

http://www.king5.com/story/tech/science/environment/2015/07/11/wolves-cougars-hunt-wildlife-petition/29999553/

[pianoman9701]

The HSUS are protesting this. Isn't it unbelievable that they're on our WDFW's team and yet work against the WDFW's decision? No, not at all and I've called this, but in reference to the wolf program. Wait until hunting starts on wolves, if it ever does. Of course, according to the director and son-to-be former wildlife director Ware, WA has a different political climate than ID or MT. I think this statement was a precursor to "We may never see a wolf season in this state".

[Axle]

One quote in the video: 'wolves will kill cougars'.

I know cougars kill wolves on a regular basis but I've never heard of a wolf killing a cougar 
Anyone ever seen or heard of that happening?

[WAcoyotehunter]

This is obvious crap. 

The WDFW doesn't have an accurate cougar population estimate.  How are they supposed to know what 12-14% of the population is for a harvest quota???

It doesn't have to do with wolves.  It has to do with cougar conflict, which has been an issue lately.

[pianoman9701]

This is obvious crap. 

The WDFW doesn't have an accurate cougar population estimate.  How are they supposed to know what 12-14% of the population is for a harvest quota???

It doesn't have to do with wolves.  It has to do with cougar conflict, which has been an issue lately.

So, did King5 get it wrong or did the WDFW get it wrong?

[AspenBud]

Sounds to me like WDFW's new director is "subtly" telling wolf supporters who want no shooting of them, "you tie our hands and we'll do what we have to do."

[pianoman9701]

Well, they're going to try and tie their hands no matter what. The only thing that changes with the appointment of pro-wolf groups to the WAG and the Commission is the pre-warning their organizations get of management and/or lethal control moves by the agency.

[AspenBud]

Well, they're going to try and tie their hands no matter what. The only thing that changes with the appointment of pro-wolf groups to the WAG and the Commission is the pre-warning their organizations get of management and/or lethal control moves by the agency.

Yes, but if part of the mission of WDFW is to manage wildlife they are going to have to take steps to do so, some of which are not very palatable, when people demand one species gets protection over all others. It's a chess piece I would move if I were them (WDFW) trying to make a point about wolves to the pro wolf crowd.

You don't want, at minimum, problem wolves shot in problem areas? That's fine, all other predators can suffer for that then.

[pianoman9701]

What you're saying is reasonable. HSUS has never been known to be reasonable, ever.

[wolfbait]

I think the bottom line here is there are too many predators with the wolf thrown into the mix>Killing a few more cougar actually makes WDFW look like they care about the ungulates.

Look at the LoLo elk herd, and ask yourself how long will it be before WDFW admits that some of Washington's game herd's are plummeting do to wolf predation?

[jasnt]

I think the bottom line here is there are too many predators with the wolf thrown into the mix>Killing a few more cougar actually makes WDFW look like they care about the ungulates.

Look at the LoLo elk herd, and ask yourself how long will it be before WDFW admits that some of Washington's game herd's are plummeting do to wolf predation?

I fear it will be too late since they don't even do accurate counts just estamations.  Ex specially in the NE where there is no feed stations. I agree that this does make wdfw look like they do care some what.  I think we need to take more black bear as well. OTC spring bear tags and 8-1 opener state wide would be a good start. I think they need to up cougar quotas and not count juvinial cats towards the quota. 

[CAMPMEAT]

......and some thought Unsworthless would be good for our WDFW. Told ya.........he's a wolf lover.

[idahohuntr]

  

[mfswallace]

I knew it was to good to be true but man that was a nice 13 days 

[Special T]

Funny that they are clamoring for good science on cougars now. They didn't do that over the baiting or hound laws... I have to ask what good will it do to "double" the quota since there weren't that many places that actually reached the quota last year anyway? If they want to kill more Cougs then perhaps they need to lengthen the season farther into the winter, Lower the tags price, OR offer up the old combo of adding bear and cougar to just deer or elk. Its pretty disingenuous to say they are doing something about the problem IMO ONLY by "doubling" the quota... 

[Humptulips]

......and some thought Unsworthless would be good for our WDFW. Told ya.........he's a wolf lover.

So because he doesn't object to an increase in the cougar quota he is pro-wolf. Not really following your line of reasoning.

[Special T]

......and some thought Unsworthless would be good for our WDFW. Told ya.........he's a wolf lover.

So because he doesn't object to an increase in the cougar quota he is pro-wolf. Not really following your line of reasoning.

I think you could say that doubling the quota only gives the impression of doing something about predators in general but solves nothing.

[jasnt]

Funny that they are clamoring for good science on cougars now. They didn't do that over the baiting or hound laws... I have to ask what good will it do to "double" the quota since there weren't that many places that actually reached the quota last year anyway? If they want to kill more Cougs then perhaps they need to lengthen the season farther into the winter, Lower the tags price, OR offer up the old combo of adding bear and cougar to just deer or elk. Its pretty disingenuous to say they are doing something about the problem IMO ONLY by "doubling" the quota... 

my area gets closed every year in January

[Whitpirate]

And your area needs a double quota at least.

[CAMPMEAT]

......and some thought Unsworthless would be good for our WDFW. Told ya.........he's a wolf lover.

So because he doesn't object to an increase in the cougar quota he is pro-wolf. Not really following your line of reasoning.

He should allow a season of wolves is what I mean. That is the problem, but WDFW skirts around the problem that is the new killer in our neighborhood, the wolf. They cut the cougar seasons in the best cat areas in Washington State for what reason ? We have a lot of cougar problems that is never, ever reported in the news or to anybody else.

[pianoman9701]

Sorry Campmeat, a wolf season in WA may never happen. When you have a wildlife commission over carrying capacity with wolf lovers and the WAG infected with anti-hunting groups, a hunting season is unlikely, at least anytime soon. I believe it was Dave Ware who said at the Spokane WAG meeting that "WA has a different political climate" in reference to what ID and MT have done with wolves.

[CAMPMEAT]

Sorry Campmeat, a wolf season in WA may never happen. When you have a wildlife commission over carrying capacity with wolf lovers and the WAG infected with anti-hunting groups, a hunting season is unlikely, at least anytime soon. I believe it was Dave Ware who said at the Spokane WAG meeting that "WA has a different political climate" in reference to what ID and MT have done with wolves.

I know. It will never happen.

[Special T]

Jasnt o dont have the numbers in front of me but if memory serves it qas aomethong like 8 gmu's reached the quoata and most were in the NE. It will help those units but doea nothing everywhere else.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[jasnt]

Jasnt o dont have the numbers in front of me but if memory serves it qas aomethong like 8 gmu's reached the quoata and most were in the NE. It will help those units but doea nothing everywhere else.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

Yes I agree. I was referring to my area as I have no knowlage of the rest of the state. But here in NE was we have the beginnings of a bad predator pit.  We need to get control of these predators ( cougar, bear, and wolves) before it's too late

[BOWHUNTER45]

    Sometimes I just want to freak out ..trying to get rid of one predator to make room for another is just a bunch of crap ! Why do we let things just happen ? Like I said many times over ..I have more respect of the cougar than I do for the wolves ..just makes me sick to my stomach on how these people think and are telling us how it needs to be done ..I have only one option for the wolf ..and I am sure no one wants to hear it 

[JimmyHoffa]

Sorry Campmeat, a wolf season in WA may never happen. When you have a wildlife commission over carrying capacity with wolf lovers and the WAG infected with anti-hunting groups, a hunting season is unlikely, at least anytime soon. I believe it was Dave Ware who said at the Spokane WAG meeting that "WA has a different political climate" in reference to what ID and MT have done with wolves.

I know. It will never happen.

I don't know meat, they might have wolf AND cougar quotas to help the grizzlies. 

[CAMPMEAT]

Sorry Campmeat, a wolf season in WA may never happen. When you have a wildlife commission over carrying capacity with wolf lovers and the WAG infected with anti-hunting groups, a hunting season is unlikely, at least anytime soon. I believe it was Dave Ware who said at the Spokane WAG meeting that "WA has a different political climate" in reference to what ID and MT have done with wolves.

I know. It will never happen.

I don't know meat, they might have wolf AND cougar quotas to help the grizzlies. 

Dang, I forgot about the grizzlies. I saw one and took pictures of it near Loomis 26 years ago and the WDFW did't care about them then. I took the picture to Olympia, in person and they could of caredless.

[pianoman9701]

 

Although, it seems like the wolf is the favorite of the animal rights wackos, in preference to all other species. They've all pretty much said by their actions that they don't care what dies as long as we have wolves again and lots of them.

[Bob33]

The irony in this is that there is some recent indication that cougars are killing wolves in some areas.

[pianoman9701]

The irony in this is that there is some recent indication that cougars are killing wolves in some areas.

Irony? I have a feeling that some of the wolf lovers have pushed for this. It's possible that HSUS's comments regarding cougar management are meant to make it appear like they care. I don't see any lawsuit or injunction, however. We certainly will if we ever get to a point of killing wolves on a regular basis.

[Special T]

Wolves are great for the anti hunting crowd, much more so than the other predators. Wolves have the ability to reduce hunting opportunity much more than the others because of how they hunt and because they are more prolific breeders. If the powers that be are debating wolf vs cougar vs bear it take away any need to debate healthy huntable populations of ungulates. Why else do you think they gloss over the woodland caribou? 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[pianoman9701]

Wolves are great for the anti hunting crowd, much more so than the other predators. Wolves have the ability to reduce hunting opportunity much more than the others because of how they hunt and because they are more prolific breeders. If the powers that be are debating wolf vs cougar vs bear it take away any need to debate healthy huntable populations of ungulates. Why else do you think they gloss over the woodland caribou? 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

They're also easier to identify with for those who think wild animals are cuddly. Wolves look like fido and their puppies like all puppies. This makes it easy for the wackos to convince them that they need to be saved. 

[Special T]

They do seem to be the perfect storm for hunters.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[RadSav]

Although, it seems like the wolf is the favorite of the animal rights wackos, in preference to all other species. They've all pretty much said by their actions that they don't care what dies as long as we have wolves again and lots of them.

HSUS doesn't care about dying animals.  They kill more per year than hunters do.  They just want to stop all hunting.  If they could completely destroy elk and deer herds with a predator or two or three and that wipeout ended hunting in WA state...They would consider that a victory!  And if the end of hunting created a new socialist order where government claimed citizens no longer have a need for guns as there is no longer hunting...big picture success story!

[wolfbait]

This is obvious crap. 

The WDFW doesn't have an accurate cougar population estimate.  How are they supposed to know what 12-14% of the population is for a harvest quota???

It doesn't have to do with wolves.  It has to do with cougar conflict, which has been an issue lately.

Are you trying to tell us that WDF&Wolves is BSing the public agin?

[tgomez]

Whoops, thought it was a coyote! Seriously though, when is this political bullsh** gonna end? Open a damn Wolf season already!

[WAcoyotehunter]

This is obvious crap. 

The WDFW doesn't have an accurate cougar population estimate.  How are they supposed to know what 12-14% of the population is for a harvest quota???

It doesn't have to do with wolves.  It has to do with cougar conflict, which has been an issue lately.

Are you trying to tell us that WDF&Wolves is BSing the public agin?

No.  I am saying that the WSU research is being used inappropriately at the policy level and the WDFW is not prepared to refute it because they have not been able to generate an accurate population estimate.  We need to be doing what MT is doing to determine cat densities.

[Special T]

Which is???

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[WAcoyotehunter]

they are using genetic sampling to determine populations, rather than modeling based on a couple sample populations and extrapolated statewide.

[Special T]

Would it be that hard or difficult to do since we have to have hides sealed anyway?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[WAcoyotehunter]

 

nope.  It would be pretty easy.

[Special T]

Ok So the WDFW really needs a verbal Dress Down!  The WDFW doesnt need to re invent the wheel, there is already a system out there that apparently works fairly well, there is marginal additional cost yet is much more effect than the BS guessing they are doing now. 

[WAcoyotehunter]

Yes. 

[Capt. Rob]

The real problem is they don't know how many cats they have and won't listen to wolf sighting reports when they get an actual legit report. Still business as usual. To many cats for their projected quotas already. I have seen 9 Cougars in the last six years all crossing pavement. WA will never be able to control predators like MT because of the anti hunters will put another initative on the ballot to stop them from it. Wolves are here to eat whatever or whoever they want and WDF&W will write another check!