WDFW Virtual Open House TONIGHT 7pm

[Special T]

I like this online Q&A format. I would prefer a more independent specific topic or topics if closely related.

[cem3434]

Overall some decent stuff on predator control, but mainly the same koolaid they have been giving us for years.

[The100Road]

Gotta give them credit for staying on past 9PM

Stayed on past 9:00 and still didn’t get either one of my questions answered.

[wa.hunter]

Kind of a disappointment, just shows the need to separate fish from wildlife. Good to see this opportunity. Amazing WDFW had 9 reps to answer questions and only 1 for wildlife ( Eric Gardner ). Once again ungulates took back door to fish issues. I had several questions in regard to the downward spiral of ungulates populations and hardly even mentioned the cougar issues.
Hope they continue to afford this opportunity to speak, however need to direct conversation to either fish, or wildlife issues only at each engagement.

[JimmyHoffa]

Agree, and it does kind of show that it's not just the hunters being frustrated with WDFW.  The fisherman are really upset too.

[KFhunter]

I had an elk question qued up too, nada.

I want to see herd building management in the NE, I think the NE has the potential to make up for a shrinking Yakima herd and could be made into a fantastic elk hunt. 
The NE doesn't have the tribal issues the Yakima has, the Colvilles are much better to work with and has good managers for the tribe, and I never see them chasing elk on what they call the northern half. 

I think most of them hunt the reservation lands anyways, which is much better hunting than the northern half managed by WDFW

[Bango skank]

So i was out of phone service.  any mention of the 2020 cougar changes in ne corner, or the new e wa bear regs?

[bigtex]

Kind of a disappointment, just shows the need to separate fish from wildlife.

It won't happen. Nationwide state and federal agencies are merging together, not splitting apart. I honestly think before I die WDFW will merge with DNR or Parks, I assume DNR. There's just too much duplication with having a Fisheries and Wildlife Depts and that was the big selling point behind the merger.

I'll also say this. I'm old enough to remember the inner-workings of the two former departments, and it wasn't rosey back then. I know there are a lot of people who think the old DOW just managed fur and feather species, that's not correct. DOW managed inland fisheries as well. The Dept. of Fisheries managed saltwater species, shellfish, and salmon. DOW managed the remaining fish (trout, bass, steelhead, etc.) DOF was always well funded because they were funded by the taxpayers, fishing license fees went into the general fund. DOW was always poor because they basically got no tax money and were largely funded by hunting license funds. I can remember Wildlife Officers and biologists with DOW having to get hand-me-down equipment from their DOF counterparts because DOW couldn't afford the gear but DOF could.

Quite simply, we're stuck with WDFW.

[BDildine]

So i was out of phone service.  any mention of the 2020 cougar changes in ne corner, or the new e wa bear regs?

I didn't hear mention of any cougar changes but may have missed it, on the bear side they said they wanted to look at implementing changes and to please participate in the comment/survey

[Skyvalhunter]

Kind of a disappointment, just shows the need to separate fish from wildlife.

It won't happen. Nationwide state and federal agencies are merging together, not splitting apart. I honestly think before I die WDFW will merge with DNR or Parks, I assume DNR. There's just too much duplication with having a Fisheries and Wildlife Depts and that was the big selling point behind the merger.

I'll also say this. I'm old enough to remember the inner-workings of the two former departments, and it wasn't rosey back then. I know there are a lot of people who think the old DOW just managed fur and feather species, that's not correct. DOW managed inland fisheries as well. The Dept. of Fisheries managed saltwater species, shellfish, and salmon. DOW managed the remaining fish (trout, bass, steelhead, etc.) DOF was always well funded because they were funded by the taxpayers, fishing license fees went into the general fund. DOW was always poor because they basically got no tax money and were largely funded by hunting license funds. I can remember Wildlife Officers and biologists with DOW having to get hand-me-down equipment from their DOF counterparts because DOW couldn't afford the gear but DOF could.

Quite simply, we're stuck with WDFW.

Thanks for those words of encouragement

[bearpaw]

Kind of a disappointment, just shows the need to separate fish from wildlife.

It won't happen. Nationwide state and federal agencies are merging together, not splitting apart. I honestly think before I die WDFW will merge with DNR or Parks, I assume DNR. There's just too much duplication with having a Fisheries and Wildlife Depts and that was the big selling point behind the merger.

I'll also say this. I'm old enough to remember the inner-workings of the two former departments, and it wasn't rosey back then. I know there are a lot of people who think the old DOW just managed fur and feather species, that's not correct. DOW managed inland fisheries as well. The Dept. of Fisheries managed saltwater species, shellfish, and salmon. DOW managed the remaining fish (trout, bass, steelhead, etc.) DOF was always well funded because they were funded by the taxpayers, fishing license fees went into the general fund. DOW was always poor because they basically got no tax money and were largely funded by hunting license funds. I can remember Wildlife Officers and biologists with DOW having to get hand-me-down equipment from their DOF counterparts because DOW couldn't afford the gear but DOF could.

Quite simply, we're stuck with WDFW.

Even though I would like to see an agency specific to hunting, I don't foresee it being split either for many of the same reasons.