WDFW looking for hunting season comments

[fireweed]

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public comments on proposed recommendations for the 2019-20 hunting seasons.

From Jan. 23 through Feb. 13, WDFW will accept written comments from the public to help finalize hunting rules and regulations proposed for the upcoming year. The proposals and comment forms will be posted on the department's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/seasonsetting/.

Most of the proposals address minor changes in special permit levels and hunting area descriptions proposed since the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the state's latest three-year hunting package in 2018.

"We encourage everyone interested in the upcoming hunting seasons to check the proposed changes and send us your comments," said Anis Aoude, WDFW game division manager.

The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, will also accept public comments on the proposed recommendations at its March 1-2 meeting in Spokane. Final action by the commission is scheduled at a public meeting April 5-6 in Olympia.

[fireweed]

No proposals are posted yet.

[Skyvalhunter]

your not looking as they are posted

[cem3434]

I don't see any proposed language or areas to comment on the management of bears, cougars or wolves. The other stuff doesn't really matter unless they start managing the predators. What a waste of time and a joke, since they aren't actually managing the problem.

[Skyvalhunter]

I took that to mean no changes to the predator portion. I took the liberty of sending in a email questioning this. Also why ask for comments like last year if your not going to change the proposals. I take this to mean it hast something they have to do per the WAC. Weather any changes are made is their decision.

[Bill W]

duck hunters might want to look at this.  Pintail proposal is for the limit to go down to one.

[Stein]

duck hunters might want to look at this.  Pintail proposal is for the limit to go down to one.

They may not have a bunch of latitude here, but if they would stop destroying waterfowl hunting areas that would certainly be appreciated.

[Bill W]

Problem with it is if the Feds allow 2 pintail and WA state regulates to just 1.

[Stein]

Problem with it is if the Feds allow 2 pintail and WA state regulates to just 1.

Yeah, that would make for a few angry hunters, myself included.  I couldn't keep the pintail out of my decoys the last month of the season.

[Skyvalhunter]

So I sent WDFW a little e-mail:

Why is it there is no comments allowed for cougar and bear seasons? Predators are the number one cause of the poor deer, elk and moose populations in Wa yet you don’t allow any comments to come in. This just goes to show that predator control is not taken seriously by the state. I really don’t know why you take comments in the first place. I read the comments from last year’s comment period and you pretty much never changed anything based on these inputs. Just another reason why hunters have zero confidence in WDFW
Here was their response

Thank you for contacting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

 

Washington sets hunting regulations on a three year basis. Bear and cougar seasons where addressed during the 2018 rulemaking season. Comments from the online submission process, as well as written communications, were reviewed by wildlife managers and adjustments were made as needed. The Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the season dates at the April 2018 commission meeting. All comments are read and considered by WDFW wildlife managers before final proposals are given to the commission.

 

For more information on how to get involved in the rulemaking process, please visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/regulations/how_to_participate.html.

 

Sincerely,

 

Wildlife Program Customer Service

(360) 902-2515