Spring bear changes on the table!!!

[Bango skank]

They added a mandatory 72 hour report and pelt check like with cougar.  I see this as a sign of things to come.  Harvest quotas.   

So all they did besides that is add a very minimal increase in SE permits, take away kapowsin, and add peola with 5 permits.  If they do a survey, im voting opposed. 

So a total of 39 additional permits in the SE, and a loss of all 150 kapowsin permits.  So a net reduction of 111 available spring permits, and now a mandatory 72 hour report and hide sealing.

Basically, we got hosed.

[HillHound]

 
Not the direction we were hoping to go.

[Bango skank]

Not the direction we were hoping to go.

Now instead of 262 west side permits available, there will be only 112.  Thats a 57% decrease in west side permits.  Just making it harder to draw northeast tags.  Thanks wdfw.

[jasnt]

😡

[X-Force]

Take the survey and say no to the proposal and why.

[buckfvr]

WDFW is hoarding predators.......I am certain there are those who already think the august opener is wrong and I am also certain it will be short lived.  The anti/non hunting foot print in Wa. is huge and this state will forever be accomodating those constituents.  Antis within wdfw also keep the anti rable rousers abreast of developments within wdfw that will need their attentions.

We the hunters, are the last to know whats going on AND we are too few to do anything substantial about it......we have no representation by lawyers who could/would make it hard for wdfw to continue to be led by anti/non hunting masses who only want to stop hunting and collect legally owned guns.

I dont ever see it getting better........that is not part of the agenda of the leaders of this state.

[Jpmiller]

Can we get the exclamation marks removed from the thread title? What a bummer, had high hopes after the win on the two bear and august opener front but seems there's still some work to be done.

[ctwiggs1]

I did other:

I agree with the increase in permits (especially in the SE), but I think that overall we need more spring bear hunting across the state.  A few permits in most units would not be detrimental to the overall health of black bear populations throughout the state.

While I understand the sensitivity to this idea due to local grizzly populations, the NE in particular needs spring bear tags issued.  Predators are a real problem up there.  In 121 alone I've had numerous encounters with multiple bears per day while deer hunting.  The deer herd has been on a massive decline in that area over the last several years and reducing the bear population a bit could be a real help.

It's already mandatory to take a bear ID test in the NE.  At some point we need to make science-based rules for these issues rather than fear-based.  Yes, someone could potentially harvest a grizzly bear on accident.  If that happens, WDFW has done everything possible with mandatory training, several printouts in the regulations, and warnings across the board. 

[ctwiggs1]

To be honest this looks like a step in the right direction.  Maybe they're playing politics and using a less left-sensitive area as a beta site to show that increased spring bear hunting won't eliminate all of the precious bears.

[Bango skank]

To be honest this looks like a step in the right direction.  Maybe they're playing politics and using a less left-sensitive area as a beta site to show that increased spring bear hunting won't eliminate all of the precious bears.

Its not increased.  Statewide we lost 111 permits.  They added 39 to the southeast, and took away 150 from the west side.  This is a decrease in spring hunting.

[ctwiggs1]

To be honest this looks like a step in the right direction.  Maybe they're playing politics and using a less left-sensitive area as a beta site to show that increased spring bear hunting won't eliminate all of the precious bears.

Its not increased.  Statewide we lost 111 permits.

Only if you include Kapowsin.  Who knows what will happen there over the next couple years.  The dog show is still ongoing.

[Bango skank]

Yeah, i do include kapowsin.  Why wouldnt i? Thats 150 permits that are no longer available.  Thats going to put more people in the pool for the east side tags, making them harder to draw.

[bobcat]

Kapowsin was a joke anyway, from what I understand.

[Bango skank]

Kapowsin was a joke anyway, from what I understand.

That may be, but the 150 people who drew those tags didnt draw east side tags.  And even those who chose kapowsin as one of their 4 choices and didnt draw, theyll now probably be adding another east side tag to their selections.  Already about 50% of permit holders dont even bother to hunt at all.  With more people from the west side applying for more east side permits, that percentage will likely increase.

[ctwiggs1]

Bango,

You looking for predator control on the east side or are you looking for more personal hunting opportunities?