Wdfw Proposal for reduced youth antlerless moose tags

[MerriamMagician]

Many of you are probably aware that WDFW opened a public comment timeframe yesterday to comment on 2018-2020 hunting season proposals and quotas.
One thing that quickly stood out to me was the reduction on youth antlerless moose tags. The current proposal reduces it from 18 tags down to just 1.
To me this is the destruction of a very unique and awesome opportunity for youth hunters. I drew one of those tags myself when I was younger (2004 or so) and have helped 3 other youth hunters who drew tags harvest their moose over the last few years. My own hunt and the other hunts I have been on were truly great hunts that will forever be ingrained in my memory and the other kids as well. I strongly oppose the proposal to reduce these tags. Youth hunts provide great initiative for newer hunters to become lifelong hunters, something very important in a world that continues to become more anti-hunting. I can understand if the units giving out the most youth tags (Mostly Mt. Spokane) have declining moose populations, but there are many other good units that could support youth tags. Heck I even think the overall number of youth moose tags should be increased. This is my own opinion on the matter, but I would suggest other hunters make their voices heard to oppose this proposal. I don't want to see a excellent youth opportunity that has been around for over 10 years disappear at the cost of todays and future youth hunters. 

[KFhunter]

Someone told me years ago to prove that wolves will reduce hunter opportunity, seems I was right.

[skeeter 20i]

It's sad how they always seem to come back to restricting hunting opportunities for "Hunters 65 and Over, Disabled, or Youth"

[benhuntin]

All cow tags need to be taken away or we will not have a season in 3 years.


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[Dan-o]

All cow tags need to be taken away or we will not have a season in 3 years.


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Ben,

I'm assuming you know much more about NE WA moose populations than I do - seriously - so I'm not trying to argue.   I am trying to understand your comment. 

Haven't moose harvests remained fairly steady?
What makes you predict this catastrophic ending?

[KFhunter]

I agree with benhuntin


Wanna go snowmobiling in huckleberry, calispel, sherman and 49 north units?   You'll see why.

[JoeE]

I’ve noticed a pretty big decline in moose in 101. I also talked to a border patrol agent who patrols that country and he said he has noticed a big drop off of moose numbers in that area too.

[steeleywhopper]

I don’t know if it was a typo but one area gets a proposed 74 Antlerless permits!

[Karl Blanchard]

What chaps my hide even more than the moose is they took away all of the late-season youth Whitetail doe hunting. I can't see any reason why they would do that. We continue to chip chip away equality opportunities for our youth. Our younger generation is the future of our hunting heritage and the greed of grown men will be the end of this past time that we love so much. We're literally chopping our own heads off.

[hunter399]

What I commented to them,or why should youth suffer do to there mismanagement of predators.

[mkcj]

All cow tags need to be taken away or we will not have a season in 3 years.


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[Pathfinder101]

I've got to agree with benhuntin as well.  I have a 10 year old that I would LOVE to see draw a youth moose tag, but when I go home to visit family and friends (I grew up in Kettle Falls), the moose population just isn't there anymore.  My BIL works for the highway dept in Steven's Co.  He keeps an eye out for them, and has seen a drastic reduction in numbers.  2 of my buddies that are loggers (and have max points for moose) say the same thing.  We are all a little scared to draw a tag right now to be honest.  There are still bulls out there, but not nearly what there were 5 or 6 years ago.
The truth is that if the moose aren't at carrying capacity, you have to rebuild the population by not killing the cows.  Youth tags are cow tags.   

[jamesfromseattle]

What chaps my hide even more than the moose is they took away all of the late-season youth Whitetail doe hunting. I can't see any reason why they would do that. We continue to chip chip away equality opportunities for our youth. Our younger generation is the future of our hunting heritage and the greed of grown men will be the end of this past time that we love so much. We're literally chopping our own heads off.

I fully agree with this.  I understand cutting moose tag, but I think they should add additional deer and elk opportunities to compensate for this.  A doe deer is a trophy to most kids, anyways.  Would love to see a small number of youth antlerless tags added in each of the other westside units as well.

[bobcat]

The most important thing is to rebuild moose numbers if they truly are down that much. But I really don't like that they plan to reduce the youth tags to just 1, from 18. Why not at least 3, or 5? It's almost not even worth my daughter applying for it now.

[Bob33]

How many of you hunted moose before the age of 16?

I'd rather see very hard to draw permits like moose go to those who've applied for 20 plus years. Youth have an entire life ahead to draw.

Deer yes, but not moose.

If we're losing youth hunters because they can't hunt moose, they would quit anyway.