Free: Contests & Raffles.
I don't want to put words in jackelope's mouth, but I think he is talking big picture. Not just about the management of wolves in this state. The current role of Francine may be involving the wolf plan, but the larger theme of this thread is the need to increase and unify the voice of the hunting community. I think that is what jackelope was getting at.
Quote from: andersonjk4 on January 10, 2018, 02:13:39 PMI don't want to put words in jackelope's mouth, but I think he is talking big picture. Not just about the management of wolves in this state. The current role of Francine may be involving the wolf plan, but the larger theme of this thread is the need to increase and unify the voice of the hunting community. I think that is what jackelope was getting at. Its difficult to find a sportsmen's group who has a voice in this state. Already Member of RMEF mule deer foundationIs this group worth supporting and sending in a donation?http://huntersheritagecouncil.org/hhc-pac.html
Well let's see how long they drag their feet in replacing the "hunters" voice.
Thanks for reaching out to Francine, Jake. And for sharing this detailed information and thoughtful dialogue. It's refreshing compared to what some seem to prefer to share on this forum regarding such issues. I personally don't relish how much the state is spending on her contract, especially with enforcement grossly underfunded and important programs for hunters and anglers on the chopping block. But having been deeply involved in this issue since 2014, I will go out on a limb and say we're lucky to have Francine working to bring diverse stakeholders to the table and moving forward. Including towards accepting lethal removals and eventually, some sort of proactive management through regulated hunts (something I fully support). Without Francine, I'm certain we'd be in a much worse and more expensive place right now, with radical out-of-state litigious groups like the Center for Biological Diversity holding greater influence. I do very much believe that WDFW needs to do a better job of communicating exactly where this money is coming from, which is general fund appropriations from the legislature and special wildlife license plate revenue, NOT hunting and fishing license revenues. I've made that concern known to the Department, and hope it happens. As a hunter, I've also been concerned about the lack of active and vocal sportsman's representative on the WAG, especially since Dan left. Nothing against the hunters still on that committee, but hunters need a more vocal voice, and some of the current hunting reps seem to want to stay quiet and allow other stakeholders to hold the spotlight. The "white paper" that Washington Cattlemen’s Association, Cattle Producers of Washington, Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation, Washington State Sheep Producers, Hunters Heritage Council and the Washington Farm Bureau produced this past November was a solid start towards reframing the dialogue in a more forward-looking direction, and I agree with most of its conclusions.Some folks on this forum seem to prefer to rant that this is all a rigged game, that hunters are outnumbered, and we're better served commenting amongst ourselves on Internet threads instead of participating in the decision-making process. I understand why you might feel that way, but we have to sit at the table to eat. Especially when we ARE outnumbered. The ranchers know this, and are participating heavily and gaining concessions through it, even from hardline groups like HSUS. Some hunters may not like wolves, conservation orgs, or Washington's wolf management policy, but we do ourselves a disservice if we refuse to participate in the decision-making process. The next two WAG meetings are slated to focus on hunter concerns, including gaining greater acceptance of those concerns from other stakeholders and beginning to outline post-recovery management. I'll be there. I hope other hunters are as well. -Chase Gunnell
The wrong volunteer would do us more harm than good, a single voice against a bunch of others they tend to get overwhelmed and make concessions then later wonder what just happened in there We need a trained person supported by a big .org
Quote from: KFhunter on January 10, 2018, 04:07:15 PMThe wrong volunteer would do us more harm than good, a single voice against a bunch of others they tend to get overwhelmed and make concessions then later wonder what just happened in there We need a trained person supported by a big .orgWhile I agree the wrong person(s) can do more harm than good - I think a lot of folks are inflating what an advisory group composed of volunteers does...they have 0 authority to decide, agree to, or concede anything. Its simply information gathering.
Quote from: andersonjk4 on January 10, 2018, 02:13:39 PMI don't want to put words in jackelope's mouth, but I think he is talking big picture. Not just about the management of wolves in this state. The current role of Francine may be involving the wolf plan, but the larger theme of this thread is the need to increase and unify the voice of the hunting community. I think that is what jackelope was getting at. Jackpot...Quote from: huntnphool on January 10, 2018, 03:19:22 PM Well let's see how long they drag their feet in replacing the "hunters" voice. Any suggestions for a volunteer to replace that person? I predict nobody will want to volunteer...wait for it!!!