If you care about bear hunting......

[scotbradly726]

If you care about your bear hunting in Washington State, you need to listen to this trash and then make your voices heard! We have been out-voiced to this point, we cannot just sit back and allow these tree huggers to take away our rights, and not only that, but allow them to "manage" this into a serious problem of ungulate predation.

https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2020121047

You can fast forward to 1:41:04 and listen through 2:47:51

We need to stand up and be heard.

You can make public comments in support of Spring Bear Hunting here:
https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/contact

[KFhunter]

Done - message sent.

[scotbradly726]

Done - message sent.

thank you!!!!

[Rainier10]

Done.

I am hopeful that you will expand spring bear hunting this year either with more permits in more GMU's or even with an OTC season in the areas with the highest bear populations.  I think it is long overdue.  Bears today are being harvested by opportunity hunters and often times it is younger age class bears that are taken.  If there were more areas open for spring hunting it would spread out hunters and allow them time to view the bears and make sure they are harvesting mature boars and passing on younger bears or sows.  Spring bear hunting is a way better option for harvesting the age class and sex of bears for a healthy ecosystem.  Opportunity hunting is a poor management tool for the overall health and balance of the population.

[scotbradly726]

Done.

I am hopeful that you will expand spring bear hunting this year either with more permits in more GMU's or even with an OTC season in the areas with the highest bear populations.  I think it is long overdue.  Bears today are being harvested by opportunity hunters and often times it is younger age class bears that are taken.  If there were more areas open for spring hunting it would spread out hunters and allow them time to view the bears and make sure they are harvesting mature boars and passing on younger bears or sows.  Spring bear hunting is a way better option for harvesting the age class and sex of bears for a healthy ecosystem.  Opportunity hunting is a poor management tool for the overall health and balance of the population.

Very well put. These are the types of responses that we need to have!!!!

[cougforester]

Done.

Hello,

I have heard recently there are several groups petitioning WDFW to stop spring bear hunting.

I would like to encourage the Department to recognize the value of spring best hunting as both a management tool and recreational activity. I have drawn just one tag, but thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I hunt fall bear every year and have harvested or assisted in the harvest of several fall bears in the last few years. It will only be a matter of time until those same groups wish to remove fall bear hunting if their wish to axe spring bear hunting is granted.

Please do not entertain attempts to curtail our hunting opportunities by fringe activist groups who offer limited real world management solutions and simply wish to end hunting.

Thank you for your time.

[bullfever]

Statement sent. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

[Ironhead]

Done...

[logola512c]

Done -- here's what I wrote if anybody finds anything they like in what I wrote they are free to borrow. 

I would like to voice my concerns about limitations on bear hunting (and the hunting of other predators) that are being discussed in Washington state.  Washington's ungulate populations (deer, elk, and moose) are under attack by an unchecked population of predators, which includes black bears, cougars, wolves, and coyotes.  All existing predator hunting seasons and tag allowances need to be maintained, and possibly expanded, especially the spring bear season. 

I personally have seen the west side deer and elk populations decline over the years to the extent that this past year I did not see a single legal buck deer on the west side after hunting part of 8 different days.  Nor did I see much sign of bucks or even does.  I did, however, see no less than a dozen bears (I harvested two bears this year), several cougars that were too far away to ethically fire at (one of which was dragging a speckled fawn into thick cover), and two carcasses (one deer and one elk) that had been killed by predators.  I know they were killed by predators because the antlers were still on both carcasses and it was obvious that a knife was not used to process the animals. 

I also spend a fair amount of time in the woods in the spring doing non-hunting activities.  In the last several years, I have seen those nice cuddly bears emerge from their dens and search for food after their long nap.  They are fun to watch, and I greatly admire them.  But while they mostly feed on anything green they can find, I have also come across numerous baby deer and elk carcasses that they have killed and eaten.  Bears are predators and opportunists, and they do not hesitate to kill young ungulates.  They are certainly not the only threat to young ungulates, but they are a significant one.

Please follow the wildlife science when you are making hunting season decisions and do not give credibility to out-of-state and uninformed testimony that is based on uninformed opinions or political agendas.  Hunters like me provide valuable funding to the state to protect and preserve our outdoor spaces and pass down hunting traditions and outdoor experiences to our children that are being lost in today’s techno-centric world. 

In closing, please maintain all existing predator hunting seasons and tag allowances, and if anything, expand them to help our ungulate populations recover before they are lost forever or reach a point from which they cannot fully recover.  Thank you for your consideration and continued support of hunting and outdoor activities. 

[pianoman9701]

Done

[Skyvalhunter]

I just listened to the Spring bear comment portion. I really think hunters need to be more involved in these before our rights to hunt get whittled away. All the comments with the exception by the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council were against the Spring Hunts. I also took note that there is a concerted effort via organized e-mail (something like 500+) in hopes they can persuade the commission to end the hunt. While I feel that a more personal e-mail holds more water I want to encourage others to do so. I was also encouraged by some of the comments by the commissioners regarding the hunt. Thanks for posting this Scotbradly726. Lets get involved people..

[mburrows]

The contact section for submitting online comments appears to be missing now, trying to submit my comments..is it just me?

[cougforester]

The contact section for submitting online comments appears to be missing now, trying to submit my comments..is it just me?

I see it no problem. Follow the link at the top of this topic and you should be good!

[hawks33]

Worked for me, comments sent.

[bearhunter99]

Done