Help me out, comment link added

[Humptulips]

On February 11th you will be able to comment on the second round of Hunting Season Proposals. Among them are a couple items related to trapping. One of them is changing rabbits and hares status from small game to dual small game/furbearer. It might seem unrelated but I would like you to urge the Commissioners to also change the status of Bear and Cougar to dual status big game/furbearer.
I will  post a link here when it is opened for comments.

No, this will not happen but down the road a lot of comments asking for this may help us get a change in status at some point in the future.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/season-setting?fbclid=IwAR0eo3aqOgMx0kN2MlIjnzAO81N_Go8ctWukQtSAw2wkx4c1_0WA-QwItSI#

Go to furbearers/small game
WAC 220-400-020  It's the first proposal

[fowl smacker]

On February 11th you will be able to comment on the second round of Hunting Season Proposals. Among them are a couple items related to trapping. One of them is changing rabbits and hares status from small game to dual small game/furbearer. It might seem unrelated but I would like you to urge the Commissioners to also change the status of Bear and Cougar to dual status big game/furbearer.
I will  post a link here when it is opened for comments.

No, this will not happen but down the road a lot of comments asking for this may help us get a change in status at some point in the future.

Asking a serious question here, what would the change do?  Why would we want it changed?

[Humptulips]

Eventually a trapping season for both species.

[Loup Loup]

Yes, this is getting our ducks in a row.
Is wolf classified as a big game animal?

[big wood]

How about a 48 hrs trap check on land traps

[Jpmiller]

Would trapping cougars and bears even be feasible with Washington's trap limitations? I don't know anything about it, I'm all for any expansion of take of predators if it's helpful.

[pd]

Eventually a trapping season for both species.

Hi Bruce.  Let's break this down into 2 different ideas.

I don't hunt rabbits/hares, so have little perspective.  Tell us why making hares/rabbits both a small game species and also a furbearer species would be a good thing.  I guess it makes sense to make them available to trappers--but is that it?  If so, OK by me.  (Honestly, I don't know why you need the "furbearer" stamp of approval.  I can't see that anybody really cares that much about rabbits.  Maybe I am wrong.)

Next, the issue of trapping for bears and cougars.  Sure, I would support that.  But, I know nothing about this as well.  Talk to us about it, please.

[Blacktail Sniper]

First thought that comes to mind, based on the premise that nothing else changes, making bear a furbearer and allowing it to be trapped would allow the trapper to use bait...just need a bigger "box!"

Trapping a cougar would not be too different than trapping bobcats I would think, bait, curiosity lures, etc.,  again...just need a bigger box!

[Loup Loup]

This basically is what I and Wags were referring to in the past rabbit trapping post.
I must admit, I did not think they would dual rate rabbits. Both game animal and furbearer.
In a nutshell, trapping is not a legal method of take for a game animal. The Dept has been able to dismiss requests to trap cougar, bear out of hand simply by stating they are game animals end of discussion.
Now if they dual rate rabbits so they can be trapped, the presidence is established to dual rate other species.
I beleive persueing the trapping of cougar and bear is a pipe dream. My take is the real goal would be eventually the legallizeing of trapping of wolves by the license buying public as a management tool. Trapping wolves has already been well established by our good neighbor Idaho.
Eventually it will be either Government trappers trapping and gunning wolves at upwards of $100,000 per wolf, or having private enterprise do the bulk of the control.
I have long maintained that the growing wolf population will be an arrow in our quiver to get back some use of foothold traps and snares.
More to it than I want to type, but this dual rate is a foot in the door.

[Humptulips]

There already is precedence for dual status. Bobcats and raccoons both are small game/furbearer.
Rabbit trapping is coming about because some people asked for it. Not trappers, I believe it is coming from the survivalist types. I see no reason to oppose it.
So why ask for bear and cougar. You only get something by asking and the rabbit status is a good opening to bring the subject up. Are they going to adopt the idea. No but if we keep talking about it we get them used to the idea of it and that maybe helps down the road.
Maine has a bear trapping season. Who wouldn't like to catch a bear? Texas allows cougar trapping. NM did last year but I'm not sure about its status now.
It could also open up WCO work on these animals. Will we replace hound guys? Absolutely not but maybe there are places where hounds are not feasible.
There are some guys right now permitted to trap bears but it seems to be a secret club. I would like to see it opened up to anyone who wanted to do the work.

How about a 48 hrs trap check on land traps

I was just in a conference call Friday defending the language we have now. There is interest in making the trapcheck laws more restrictive so I think that is not doable. We are keeping the current language for three more years.

[Loup Loup]

Humptulips, you know my take on cougar trapping in this political field. So I will not argue it here on this forum.
But I will say there is more chance, and more need for progress down the road with wolf trapping tthan going off halfcocked early on a no chance wild goose and perhaps loseing some credibility.

[hunter399]

How would "trapping" bears effect spring bear season.
Would spring bear hunting be erased so timber company's can hire trappers.
Just asking................

[carpsniperg2]

Would love it on the bears and cougars. I would be down making culvert traps the next day!

[hunter399]

All I'm trying to imply is be careful what you ask for.
Why can't we get padded foot traps,WDFW uses them to put collars on.

[Oh Mah]

I'm with you on it Humptulips,It makes sense(thats why they wont do it)and its time we hunters and trappers started making noise like the antis in every way we can with as many as we can.

SQUIRREL NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THAT LIST ALSO IMO.