WDFW Spring Bear 2022 cancelled!

[Skyvalhunter]

I hope more people make comments as there is a concerted effort by anti hunting groups to whittle away at our hunting rights.

[hunter399]

Well if we all want OTC SPRING bear hunt ,we need to propose it now as a rule change 2022 or 23 ,whenever the three year rules change comes up.
In addition ,we would have to look at fall,spring,statewide total bear harvest for the past few years. Come up with a plan that can keep harvest rates about the same as now.
Another additional would be hunter orange requirement,and illegal to shoot sows with cubs.

It would have to be proposed in a way that makes it much harder to just say NO.
But at the end of the day ,us as hunter won't work together,everybody has opinion,or management plan that is different.
So I really don't see it working.

[Special T]

Extended 5pm nov1

[GASoline71]

Did anyone catch the Commission Zoom meeting this morning? I was on my way to a Dr appt and it was about a 45 minute drive.  The meeting started at 8:30am and I didn't start listening until 8:45am.  I got a notification on FB about a live meeting on "TV Washington".  So I plugged the phone in to the aux cord in my rig and was able to listen while I drove.  I was so pissed at some of the members for their outright distrust of hunters and their condescending sneers as they spoke of hunters.  Certain members are surely on board with their "feelings" about Spring Bear season, and not any kind of science based facts.  Barbara Baker's comments were nauseating, and her disdain for hunters and hunting seasons are evident when she spoke. I don't know all the commission members by name, but it is painfully obvious which ones don't trust the hunting public at all, and I think they let their anti-hunting flags show.

There were some bright spots as one of the members named "Stephanie" (I didn't catch her last name), blasted the other members for using their emotions to drive their questions and ignore any kind of scientific data that was presented to them by the WDFW biologists.  And I mean she let them have it.  I was late to my Dr. appointment just so I could sit in my truck and listen to her end the meeting with a level headed and science based management approach.

They are really hung up on the "possibility" of the harvest of a sow with cubs.  And I mean, REALLY hung up on it.  It's one of the driving factors to take these hunts away.  That and most of the commission's disdain for hunters in general. 

Don't want to make this a "the sky is falling" type of thread.  But it was sickening listening to just how the commission really feels about hunters, and Our Hunting heritage.

Gary

[Special T]

 :Lorna Smith and Points are the other really bad commissioners  I'll have to watch it

[GASoline71]

:Lorna Smith and Points are the other really bad commissioners  I'll have to watch it

I found the TVW Live Feed:

https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2021111123

Gary

[KFhunter]

I got through most of it, I think the biggest takeaway was Stephanie and the the blonde gal acknowledged that this was predominantly a social issue rather than a biological issue.

The bears are there, the science supports the spring hunt and 2 bear increases in the NE,  but the decisions are largly tainted by emotion.

I sensed a great deal of frustration between WDFW staff and the anti's on the commission. 


WDFW staff did a great job in this meeting, they came off very patient, informative yet stood their ground as the antis deuced on their science.

[Special T]

I got through most of it, I think the biggest takeaway was Stephanie and the the blonde gal acknowledged that this was predominantly a social issue rather than a biological issue.

The bears are there, the science supports the spring hunt and 2 bear increases in the NE,  but the decisions are largly tainted by emotion.

I sensed a great deal of frustration between WDFW staff and the anti's on the commission.

Plenty of Antis on the carnivore section.  But a bunch of them are the Dark side folks.

[KFhunter]

I'm still no fan of DFW, and yes they're infiltrated with anti's, but the ones present here did well imo

[GASoline71]

I'm still no fan of DFW, and yes they're infiltrated with anti's, but the ones present here did well imo

I thought the commissioners that are not antis stood their ground pretty darn well too.

Gary

[KNOPHISH]

Hearing the op of what happened grinds my gears. Just pissed now and deleted a bunch of rants I wanted to post. 

[raydog]

If I’m reading this correctly, It appears as though we lost spring bear hunting.

[raydog]

If true. Thanks Washington for giving me another reason to pack my bags.

[KFhunter]

Done in WA, they'll not get another dime.

No way in hell will a wolf hunt EVER be passed

Next up, ending lion hunting

[bearpaw]

I haven't purchased a Washington hunting license of any type for two years and likely never will again. Additional reason right here!