Comment on 2016-17 Hunting Reg Proposal

[bobcat]

A big change I just noticed for those who hunt the late muzzleloader season for blacktail deer. The Lincoln GMU (501) is proposed to change from being open for "any deer" to "any buck." That unit has been either sex for the late muzzleloader season for many years. I hunt it a lot.

I'm glad to see the change but also slightly disappointed as I liked having the option to take a doe if my freezer was empty. Lots of people will be surprised by this change and I'd be willing to bet that many does will still be taken by people unaware of the change.

[Curly]

A big change I just noticed for those who hunt the late muzzleloader season for blacktail deer. The Lincoln GMU (501) is proposed to change from being open for "any deer" to "any buck." That unit has been either sex for the late muzzleloader season for many years. I hunt it a lot.

I'm glad to see the change but also slightly disappointed as I liked having the option to take a doe if my freezer was empty. Lots of people will be surprised by this change and I'd be willing to bet that many does will still be taken by people unaware of the change.

That's good news.  About time they made the change.  That's been either sex for as long as there has been a ML season, right?

[danderson]

  I hope everyone is taking the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule changes, I'm doing my part working my way down the list, Feeling a little bad for the people on the other end that will be reading these comments, not just mine but.............. they will also see plenty from non hunters, do it.

[Rainier10]

To comment you have to give your information.  Hopefully they are cross referencing that with their data base of who has purchased licenses and at least give those comments from actual license holders more weight.  I would love to see it be something that you can only comment on if you have a wild ID # number for.  Unfortunately they do have to take general public interests into account as well.

The toughest task the WDFW is not managing the wildlife, it is dealing with the people, hunters and non hunters.

[bobcat]

What's the deadline for commenting?

[Rainier10]

Midnight February 25th.

[Gringo31]

There are some interesting changes.....

[Rainier10]

Got my hopes up when i saw proposed cougar changes.  Was expecting a doubled quota.  Nope.

It looked to me like option 1 and 2 both lowered the quotas in the areas that I would be hunting.  Option 3 seemed to be status quo of what we are used to right now.  That is the option I am going with and suggesting that they do something by permit to use dogs more.  This would allow the older more mature cats to be taken rather than the young dumb ones that get taken by chance.

[Rainier10]

Here are my comments on the baiting proposals.

I understand the complaint side of the issue and that you are trying to address a social issue rather than a wildlife health issue.

I have to say I am against any restriction on baiting with such a broad brush.  I would be for smaller changes, like a limit just at a certain time of year in certain GMU's that are having the most complaints.  But restricting it across the board in every GMU when there are only issues in very limited area by a very limited number of individuals is overkill.

Baiting is an effective tool for many hunters in certain instances.  I don't see where it is having drastic affect on deer herd statewide and see no reason to ban it completely.

I don't approve of any of the three options and know that for this cycle there is a fourth option, that is to do nothing, and come back next year with a proposal that limits baiting in certain GMU's at certain times when the abuse is occurring.

There are two proposals that limit the quantity without banning it completely, 245 and 246.  245 put a limit of 10 gallons and no sites within 200 yards of each other.  246 limits it to 10 gallons with no limit on the number of bait sites or distance between them.  I guess if you had to choose one of the three 246 is the lesser of all three.

Again I believe there is a fourth option of status quo for this year and come up with a restriction in certain GMU's at certain times of the year, kind of like a firearm restriction area or a special deer area.  Create a boundary in these areas that are having truckloads of apples dropped in the late season and say restricted baiting to this amount at this time of the year in this area.

[bearpaw]

THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO COMMENT

http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/regulations/hunting_regulations/

[bobcat]

I submitted all my comments yesterday.

I thanked them for closing the Lincoln GMU (501) to doe harvest, and asked them to consider eliminating the harvest of does in most of western Washington.

I asked them to work on bringing back hound hunting for cougars.

I asked them to do away with the "true spike" only rule in some eastern Wa. units.

The baiting issue- I said I could live with the 10 gallon maximum restriction and that anything more than that is not needed and not necessary.

I asked if they could move the application deadline for special permits up by a month so that people would know the results of the draw before Weyerhaeuser access permits go up for sale, OR coordinate with Weyerhaeuser on their timing so we don't have that same problem again this year.

I know I had more comments but that's all I can remember right now.

[trophyhunt]

It's a little late now but what do you guys think about splitting up the deadlines for certain species?  Example, in January have the app period for spring bear, elk and goat or moose.  Then in a couple months have quality deer, sheep, goat or moose.  Then a month later do all the other permits as a group buck deer, 2nd deer, bull, cow elk ect!  That way if you draw a very special tag, you can ghost point other special permits, to avoid the chance of drawing two or three special permits in one year?  I like it.

[emac]

It's a little late now but what do you guys think about splitting up the deadlines for certain species?  Example, in January have the app period for spring bear, elk and goat or moose.  Then in a couple months have quality deer, sheep, goat or moose.  Then a month later do all the other permits as a group buck deer, 2nd deer, bull, cow elk ect!  That way if you draw a very special tag, you can ghost point other special permits, to avoid the chance of drawing two or three special permits in one year?  I like it.

I am not a fan of a bunch of different deadlines but I think you are on the right track. What I think should happen is still apply for all at the same time but when they draw start with quality, then bull, then cow and so forth. If you draw quality your name is pulled out of all other category's (unless it's a second tag) if you don't draw quality then you are still in for bull and cow. If you ended drawing a bull tag than your name is removed from the cow category.

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[trophyhunt]

It's a little late now but what do you guys think about splitting up the deadlines for certain species?  Example, in January have the app period for spring bear, elk and goat or moose.  Then in a couple months have quality deer, sheep, goat or moose.  Then a month later do all the other permits as a group buck deer, 2nd deer, bull, cow elk ect!  That way if you draw a very special tag, you can ghost point other special permits, to avoid the chance of drawing two or three special permits in one year?  I like it.

I am not a fan of a bunch of different deadlines but I think you are on the right track. What I think should happen is still apply for all at the same time but when they draw start with quality, then bull, then cow and so forth. If you draw quality your name is pulled out of all other category's (unless it's a second tag) if you don't draw quality then you are still in for bull and cow. If you ended drawing a bull tag than your name is removed from the cow category.

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i think we are both on the right track.

[emac]

It's a little late now but what do you guys think about splitting up the deadlines for certain species?  Example, in January have the app period for spring bear, elk and goat or moose.  Then in a couple months have quality deer, sheep, goat or moose.  Then a month later do all the other permits as a group buck deer, 2nd deer, bull, cow elk ect!  That way if you draw a very special tag, you can ghost point other special permits, to avoid the chance of drawing two or three special permits in one year?  I like it.

I am not a fan of a bunch of different deadlines but I think you are on the right track. What I think should happen is still apply for all at the same time but when they draw start with quality, then bull, then cow and so forth. If you draw quality your name is pulled out of all other category's (unless it's a second tag) if you don't draw quality then you are still in for bull and cow. If you ended drawing a bull tag than your name is removed from the cow category.

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i think we are both on the right track.

Yeah I agree. More deadlines means more I have to remember. I don't know if my idea would increase odds cause I don't know how many people actually get drawn for multiple Permits, but it is always a fear that I am going draw a quality tag and a bull tag the same year. And that would blow in my opinion.

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