Washington's Wild Future=Higher prices will save us

[JimmyHoffa]

I only read the hunting proposal, but 

Offer incentives to open reduced fee access to private timber land, two more biologists and increase license fees in hopes of improving hunting.   

re-read it.  The access fee "solution" is even worse than you state.
It says offer incentives to keep fees moderate.  They don't even have the backbone to even attempt to keep fees low or reduce fees.  Let alone suggest a legislative review to look at existing tax incentives.

With the state reducing the funding, there is no chance of that.  The state of WA (and many others) have chosen to defund fish & wildlife which makes it a pay to play game.  In the past, it was subsidized by taxpayers, but the future is hunters and anglers pay 100% of the cost.

If having more of the burden meant also getting more control of shaping the future, I would think some would be a little more favorable.  But WDFW seems to just keep steering the direction CNW/HSUS/WFC points them in.  With the predator loving and the hatchery reductions, just feels like the 'product' is getting worse while the price is going up.

[Special T]

Hp linky no worky on taptalk

[huntnphool]

Hp linky no worky on taptalk

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,196825.msg2612243.html#msg2612243 Try that one.

[Special T]

Gotcha! Oil and draw tags are a huge source of income where they dont really give up that much resource. Since I no longer buy anyof those I dont follow that close.
I will second the fact that if the department was more responsive to sportsmen instead of predator lovers then I would feel inclined to support them more.
If they just supplied a predators package or the old combo of deer bear cougar I would sing thier praises. I always bout the deer bear cougar combo and never went out looking for anything but deer!
As a business owner I can appreciate the financial bind they are in. If $ is tight you dont go kicking your best customers in the shins. You do what ever you can to butter them up and say thankyou with out it costing too much. The wdfw did the opposite when they took away the deer or elk bear cougar option kickin us in the shins, & could give it back without any real cost. Instead we get lots of $ spent on wolves because they cozied up to those groups who only use the stick. Hunters need to use both the carrot and stick but they still seem to have no intrest in listening. IMO its because they have too many inside the box thinkers.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Gotcha! Oil and draw tags are a huge source of income where they dont really give up that much resource. Since I no longer buy anyof those I dont follow that close.
I will second the fact that if the department was more responsive to sportsmen instead of predator lovers then I would feel inclined to support them more.
If they just supplied a predators package or the old combo of deer bear cougar I would sing thier praises. I always bout the deer bear cougar combo and never went out looking for anything but deer!
As a business owner I can appreciate the financial bind they are in. If $ is tight you dont go kicking your best customers in the shins. You do what ever you can to butter them up and say thankyou with out it costing too much. The wdfw did the opposite when they took away the deer or elk bear cougar option kickin us in the shins, & could give it back without any real cost. Instead we get lots of $ spent on wolves because they cozied up to those groups who only use the stick. Hunters need to use both the carrot and stick but they still seem to have no intrest in listening. IMO its because they have too many inside the box thinkers.

 

I loved that combo, no I have to by the full combo or pay more for less.

So now I have an elk tag I don't use. 

[Special T]

Boss you did exactly what they want. I did the opposite I only buy deer cougar or bear so they get less. I may even give up big game but with the purchase for duck hunting its only $20more so I choose one.

[winshooter88]

Their proposals also include asking the legislature for cost of living increases of fees and licenses every 2 years since the increases have to go through the legislature. This was brought up at the GMAC meeting and they did not get any favorable responses from anyone at that meeting.

[Dhoey07]

[tarbabyone]

Well they sure seem to able to come up with Grant Funding to do Salmon Restoration.  They have an 8 million dollar grant request in to remove the dikes on the Leque Island Unit.  That area has been used as a Pheasant release area for the past few years.  It may still be a Duck Hunting area when it is done but it will no longer be a Pheasant hunting area.  First the Skagit Headquarters and now Leque Island.  We have been promised replacement lands in the past but nothing has happened.  Guess we have to admit that with less then 6% of the public being interested in hunting we just don't hold much weight with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  I guess more surveys are in order to try and determine why people quit hunting and buying hunting licenses.  Tarbabyone

[Skyhigh]

So, not to many years ago they needed a 7% "temporary" fee increase that never went away and now they want to add an additional 10%    Wow! 17% in less than a decade! And they can the ability to adjust every 2 years. They had better hire some damn good snake oil salesman to get us onboard.

[fireweed]

I only read the hunting proposal, but 

Offer incentives to open reduced fee access to private timber land, two more biologists and increase license fees in hopes of improving hunting.   

re-read it.  The access fee "solution" is even worse than you state.
It says offer incentives to keep fees moderate.  They don't even have the backbone to even attempt to keep fees low or reduce fees.  Let alone suggest a legislative review to look at existing tax incentives.

I think that some legislators that are in bed with the timber industry must have threatened the WDFW and warned them to not propose anything serious.  Either that or the entire agency is simply gutless and feckless. Incentives to keep fees moderate Can anyone really believe that is a policy that will do anything but hand over big game management to the largest timber companies??

[pianoman9701]

Gutless and feckless is right on the money. They have no guts and couldn't give a feck. That's why the animal rights crowd is running the show. The legislature thinks they're in trouble now? Wait another 10 years when they have to cut the elk tags in half.

[bb76]

I gave them my 2 cents.

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