Permit quotas

[Stein]

Anyone that wants to stop buying license's as a power play move to force the state manage our resources better ever stop to think that maybe that's what the state wants. It's not like  the state is going to beg people to buy license's.  They will find ways to bring in revenue or reduce the need for revenue by cutting opportunities / access etc.

Do you think Olympia would be excited about having to cut a huge check to make up for the shortfall?  At this point, WDFW not doing things would be an improvement in many instances.

Trust me, if they see their budget going down year over year, it won't be sustainable for them to not address at least enough issues to get people back buying licenses.  Only 48% of their budget comes from Olympia and the Wildlife Account.

It's clear they can ignore the screaming as long as we keep sending checks in.  They respond to politics, lawsuits and funding. 

[fishngamereaper]

Anyone that wants to stop buying license's as a power play move to force the state manage our resources better ever stop to think that maybe that's what the state wants. It's not like  the state is going to beg people to buy license's.  They will find ways to bring in revenue or reduce the need for revenue by cutting opportunities / access etc.

Do you think Olympia would be excited about having to cut a huge check to make up for the shortfall?  At this point, WDFW not doing things would be an improvement in many instances.

Trust me, if they see their budget going down year over year, it won't be sustainable for them to not address at least enough issues to get people back buying licenses.  Only 48% of their budget comes from Olympia and the Wildlife Account.

It's clear they can ignore the screaming as long as we keep sending checks in.  They respond to politics, lawsuits and funding.

I honestly don't think they care... its my opinion that this state doesn't really care if people hunt or fish.

Do you think the huge number of cow tags a few years ago was because of management objectives or a way to start a reduction of the herds. It made no sense at the time and still leaves me scratching my head. Kind of like the doe tags in twisp valley...

[Stein]

They do care about money.  The fact is that if people didn't buy licenses, they couldn't do the things they are doing or someone else would have to pay.  Someone has to pay the salaries of the guys making the decisions, the director and all the other 1500 employees.  Someone has to pay for the projects they want to do and it won't be Olympia.

[SuperX]

I’ve attended a meeting, made several phone calls to talk to Wdfw, bitching is about all we can do.  At those meetings you just get a chance to vent, Wdfw has already made up their minds, they just want us to think they care about our concerns. I’m ok with the bitching, plenty of reasons to.  I still haven’t heard a better solution to manage the tribes other than to open up the seasons in the Yakima area to all weapons to any deer/elk sept-feb!  You know dang well they will want to talk when all the elk and deer are gone in that area.

Not buying licenses is something you can do.

but how will that help?  Everyone tosses that out but how would that help?

It will eventually bring them to the table to discuss predators and how the herds are managed.  Maybe not this year, but year after year of low revenue from license fees will eventually force a real conversation.  How will it hurt?

[SuperX]

I am as frustrated as anyone on this forum! I've got max points for everything but elk and moose! I guess taking my all and going home isn't something I'm very good at.

Coach has a saying....."the result of doing nothing is nothing". Complaining on the internet is the same as doing nothing.

So you are advocating for the status quo to help you use your points?  Let's be clear, that isn't doing something, that's doing 'nothing'.  Who's this coach, is John Wooden on the board?  Obviously he never watched Cool Hand Luke... sometimes nothing is a pretty cool hand!

[kselkhunter]

If people want to make a difference, predator hunt those GMUs this year.  Take as many predators as legal.  As many hunters as possible.   That's one way to help the herds, that we can all directly contribute by taking action on.

I disagree with protesting by not buying licenses and tags.  WDFW will just raise prices to make up for the revenue shortfall, so the rest of us pay higher prices. The end result will be the same tag situation, except with higher prices for all.   And once prices go up, they won't come back down, regardless if more people start buying licenses/tags. 

[Stein]

The tags they have cut are among the best in the state - some of the best bull elk hunting this state has to offer and they were cut by 70+%.  The department flips a couple slides on a presentation, says bull numbers are way down, we're slashing tags and moving on to the next agenda topic.

The spent zero time researching why this is the case and have no plan to address it.  Zip.

What would happen if this same situation unfolded in ID, MT, WY, CO, NM, or AZ?  The pitchforks would come out and their department would be scrambling for answers.  In WA, we say "bummer", and then rush out to buy our points.  Granted, we don't have the backing of the vast majority of state legislature, but we do this to ourselves if we continue to give them our money.  We pay relatively more for the tag itself and more for the points and get FAR less in return, yet we line up for more.

In MT, you can hunt 11 weeks through all weapon seasons in the majority of the state for $40 and buy a point for $9.  In WA, you pay $50.40 get a few days in half the state with the majority of the good hunting locked up in the permit process and pay $13 for a point.  What do you get for that extra 25% in cost? Oh, you get the ability to apply for an $182 multi-season tag.

WA is one of the few places where the elk herd is going down, OR just announced plans to help with depredation, MT wants to expand the shoulder seasons and other states are at least holding steady if not growing.  They all have wolves, tribes, grizzlies and homebuilders.  That makes a guy wonder why we are so unique and the department has no answers, nor do they care.  Why are WA elk and deer dropping quickly when other states have a general positive trend (bad winter losses excluded)?

Sure, there are some great local bio's and most of them that I talked with will tell you their hands are tied.  They know what is going on, but it doesn't fit the agenda or the story the department wants to tell, or they frankly just don't care.

[KopperBuck]

If people want to make a difference, predator hunt those GMUs this year.  Take as many predators as legal.  As many hunters as possible.   That's one way to help the herds, that we can all directly contribute by taking action on.

I disagree with protesting by not buying licenses and tags.  WDFW will just raise prices to make up for the revenue shortfall, so the rest of us pay higher prices. The end result will be the same tag situation, except with higher prices for all.   And once prices go up, they won't come back down, regardless if more people start buying licenses/tags.

I disagree. You're now helping them do their job just to hold onto some thread of hope. The gov't is full of crap. Barrels and barrels of it. No matter what you think will help, I promise it will only get worse if left to their own devices. Eventually they won't be able to raise the price enough to cover. They will lose too many. Not having a legitimate non-resident pool won't help either. Reading about this stuff just makes my blood boil. The ONLY user group capable of ungulate recovery and management are hunters. Period.

[trophyhunt]

I’ve attended a meeting, made several phone calls to talk to Wdfw, bitching is about all we can do.  At those meetings you just get a chance to vent, Wdfw has already made up their minds, they just want us to think they care about our concerns. I’m ok with the bitching, plenty of reasons to.  I still haven’t heard a better solution to manage the tribes other than to open up the seasons in the Yakima area to all weapons to any deer/elk sept-feb!  You know dang well they will want to talk when all the elk and deer are gone in that area.

Not buying licenses is something you can do.

Jerry has to many points not to buy licenses 

Jerry's points mean very little for the tags he's been trying to get.  I've been telling him he's a John Denver loving idiot for a few years now for not looking at some other weapon/gmu options

ouch, you cut me deep on that one Karl, names hurt you know!!   


  

[elkrack]

I’ve attended a meeting, made several phone calls to talk to Wdfw, bitching is about all we can do.  At those meetings you just get a chance to vent, Wdfw has already made up their minds, they just want us to think they care about our concerns. I’m ok with the bitching, plenty of reasons to.  I still haven’t heard a better solution to manage the tribes other than to open up the seasons in the Yakima area to all weapons to any deer/elk sept-feb!  You know dang well they will want to talk when all the elk and deer are gone in that area.

Not buying licenses is something you can do.

Jerry has to many points not to buy licenses 

Jerry's points mean very little for the tags he's been trying to get.  I've been telling him he's a John Denver loving idiot for a few years now for not looking at some other weapon/gmu options

Mic drop!!! 

[Karl Blanchard]

Jerry knows he's my brother from another mother and the only reason I rib him about his life choices is I genuinely want to see him draw his tag and be successful

Oh wait, I forgot, I'm just selfish and out for myself.  Sorry I forgot

[Skyvalhunter]

Is good ol Jerry putting in for Utah, Nevada or some other state

[trophyhunt]

Just Wyoming with zero points

[bobcat]

Here's the deal. I agree elk hunting opportunities are not great in Washington. I wrote off eastern Washington a long time ago due to the spike only season. It's worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. Western Washington had decent elk numbers, until hoof rot wiped them out in many areas. And now we have the issue of having to pay for access to timber company land here in SW Washington. It's hardly worth it anymore. However, I look at the hunting licenses available and the prices, and knowing I definitely want a cougar and bear tag since their numbers are at all time highs, that's $24 each. Then add in the deer tag for $45, and it comes to $93. Well, for $95.50 I can buy the deer/elk/bear/cougar combination. So it's costing me an extra $2.50 for an elk tag. I'm not going to let that small amount of money keep me out of the drawing for special permit hunts. I've got ten quality elk points, might as well try to put them to use.

[Mr Mykiss]

I'm just selfish and out for myself

I like it. Do you think that you could change your screen name again...I'mjustselfishandoutformyself. Or is that too long??