HB 1046 Would Ban WDFW and Other Agencies from Using Dogs to Take Bear & Cougar

[KFhunter]

Not everyone has the ability to kill a cougar.  Some don't have guns some can't have guns... Some don't want to kill the cat themselves.  The WDFW is the agency tasked with sort of work.  Taking their tools away is a bad idea.  Leave it to the professionals to manage wildlife

guy kills a cougar that were getting his sheep....

Nice work.  We have had a few calls out that way this summer, but it's always the next day and the hounds can't do much.  Glad you got him squared away

Most livestock owners just want the support and ability to take care of their own.  I hope the law passes, let the turd finish swirling the bowl. 

[Humptulips]

It boggles the mind that anyone would support this lunacy.
Everyone on here talks about the need for predator control and this is OK.

Somehow you expect by sticking it to somebody that lives in the country and probably voted no on 655 is supposed to get this law changed to allow hounds? Newsflash: the people who voted for 655 will never be affected by cougar and bear.

On the plus side I can't imagine this bill going anyplace. Those that support it would probably be happier in San Diego. We ought to pitch in and buy them a ticket!

[JakeLand]

Its time for us to fight back with our own legislation. We need a ballot measure that effectively takes game management issues out of the ballot initiative process. Something that puts game management as the strict purview of those changed with managing it. I know it could also bite us in certain areas, but the managers cannot keep having their hands tied by the public who know nothing about managing fish and game

but the game dept know nothing of managing fish and game either soooo ?

[hunter399]

We all know this has to do with spring bear damage hound permits .That the news blown out of control last year.Which should raise spring bear permits if it passes.

For cougar they will have to write a report  of public safety, or multiple livestock attack to get hound removal.I do think in some cases they may be very quick to drop the hammer.
Will give give more quotas for the boot Hunter.

Yes everybody does complain about predator control.But with hounds your taking opportunity away from 99.9 percent of hunters.Really what's the point in spring bear hunt , or cougar hunting past Jan 1 if hounds already got it covered.

If animals rights people want to give the average Hunter more opportunities for fair chase hunting I will take it.

[WAcoyotehunter]

The state isn't counting agency controls against the quota.  There have been a bunch of problem cats killed in NE Washington this year and damn near all if them were with use of hounds.  To think that the landowner is going to be able to deal with it is rediculous.  You have one example.... I have over 30, just this year

[Skyvalhunter]

Its time for us to fight back with our own legislation. We need a ballot measure that effectively takes game management issues out of the ballot initiative process. Something that puts game management as the strict purview of those changed with managing it. I know it could also bite us in certain areas, but the managers cannot keep having their hands tied by the public who know nothing about managing fish and game

[hunter399]

The state isn't counting agency controls against the quota.  There have been a bunch of problem cats killed in NE Washington this year and damn near all if them were with use of hounds.  To think that the landowner is going to be able to deal with it is rediculous.  You have one example.... I have over 30, just this year

I'm pretty sure public safety removal are counted towards quotas.

https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-440-030

Here's a quote from above link.
Public safety cougar removals will be based on a quota system, where permit holders may hunt cougar until the allotted numbers of cougar have been killed from each game management unit or March 31, whichever is first.

All cougars killed by licensed hunters during the early and late hunting seasons, and seasons authorized under WAC 220-440-030 shall be counted toward the harvest guideline.

Which mean all cougar killed or authorized under wac 220-440-030 will be counted toward quotas.

If you know of so many problem cougar , maybe you should be hunting that area.

[Jonathan_S]

The state isn't counting agency controls against the quota.  There have been a bunch of problem cats killed in NE Washington this year and damn near all if them were with use of hounds.  To think that the landowner is going to be able to deal with it is rediculous.  You have one example.... I have over 30, just this year

I'm pretty sure public safety removal are counted towards quotas.

https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-440-030

Here's a quote from above link.
Public safety cougar removals will be based on a quota system, where permit holders may hunt cougar until the allotted numbers of cougar have been killed from each game management unit or March 31, whichever is first.

All cougars killed by licensed hunters during the early and late hunting seasons, and seasons authorized under WAC 220-440-030 shall be counted toward the harvest guideline.

Which mean all cougar killed or authorized under wac 220-440-030 will be counted toward quotas.

If you know of so many problem cougar , maybe you should be hunting that area.

Perhaps you should be asking the question since you are unsure of the answer.

There is at least one person on this thread who is extremely knowledgeable on problem cats.

[Humptulips]

I have followed this for a number of years and yes, Depredation cougar and Other, what ever that includes are counted towards the quota. You can see this if you look through the Harvest stats. As a for instance PMU 46 which is close to me so it is easy to remember has a target harvest of 6-7 but in 2016 (last year reports are available) there were 5 cougar taken by recreational hunters. Season should have run to the end of April, right? No, it closed Dec. 31 because there were 5 depredation cougar taken.
Same thing happens every year in this unit. I know for a fact it will close early this year because I am aware of at least 7 depredation cougar taken in the unit this year plus a road kill I know of turned in which may be what the other category is all about.

[Skyvalhunter]

But were dogs used in the depredations?

[WAcoyotehunter]

There have been years that depredations count against the quota, to my knowledge, that is not happening this year. 

The question here is not around hunting season though, it's about the agency ability to respond to a dangerous situation in a timely manner.  When a lion kills ten alpacas overnight (like one did last wee in Spokane) the agency should not have to wait and see if it returns the next night to kill more.  They should call a hound handler and take care of it, because the landowner was not going to be able to, and the neighbors should not have to worry about a cat like that in the area.  BTW- hounds ran and treed that cat the day after and it was euthanized, approximately 2 miles from the scene.

[Skyvalhunter]

Maybe this bill should only apply to the representatives 26th district of Bainbridge island where I am sure that conflicts are a big problem.

[Humptulips]

But were dogs used in the depredations?

Yes

There have been years that depredations count against the quota, to my knowledge, that is not happening this year. 

Depredation hunts have been counted every year. What makes this year different?

It may seem like I am arguing in favor of this law being adopted. No! Just trying to state the facts.
Let us say this law passed. What about the poor farmer who sheep, goats, cattle or whatever are being killed. Anyone that says he should just take care of it doesn't know much about cougar. He already could do that if he could but the chances of catching a cougar in the act are slim at best. Hounds are the most efficient way to handle these complaints.
As for bear in timber company land they will just turn to foot snares. Already happening.

[KFhunter]

I definitely ain't supporting this law, my last comment about passing it so the turd can finish swirling the bowl was tongue in cheek. 

@WAcoyotehunter  I said: "Most livestock owners just want the support and ability to take care of their own"   support = you and your dogs working with WDFW, but if a livestock owner has a huge flashlight on top of his gun and takes out a cougar he should be able to do so, this was in reply to your comment: "let the wildlife professionals take care of it"  which I don't agree with if the homeowner can take care of it themselves.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I definitely ain't supporting this law, my last comment about passing it so the turd can finish swirling the bowl was tongue in cheek. 

@WAcoyotehunter  I said: "Most livestock owners just want the support and ability to take care of their own"   support = you and your dogs working with WDFW, but if a livestock owner has a huge flashlight on top of his gun and takes out a cougar he should be able to do so, this was in reply to your comment: "let the wildlife professionals take care of it"  which I don't agree with if the homeowner can take care of it themselves.

Thanks for clarifying that.  I agree, if a landowner has the ability and opportunity to get rid of a depredating animal they should (and generally can) deal with it, but would need permission from the state to use dogs.