Spring bear public comment is open

[KNOPHISH]

It’s just ludicrous to have anti hunters on a hunting commission.

[Twispriver]

 

Bitte verbieten Sie diese grauenvolle Bärenjagd!!!!!
2 minutes ago
Ich strikt gegen die Frühjahrsbärenjagd
3 minutes ago
Cruel and unnecessary act by heartless evil humans. Stop this disgusting act!!!!
4 minutes ago
Bitte verbietet die Frühjahrsbärenjagd!
Bin dagegen!!!!!!
5 minutes ago

[Bullkllr]

What? You don't think we should give up one of the best options for protecting elk calves because some Bodo in Germany doesn't like it? Murderer!

Personally I can't even look at those comments anymore 

[Elkaholic daWg]

 Lotsa ugly uneducated Chit there....

[Timberstalker]

How I will miss the spring bear hunt in Washington.
As has been said, that zoom meeting was disgusting.

[Stein]

They may have a scientific background, but did anyone actually present data showing that bears are on the decline in the areas proposed for spring hunting?  I heard global warming, touchy feely stuff, fairness, ethics, whatever, but any actual data?  I only listened to part.

Their data was When they park at the trailhead with 40 other cars and go crunching on their granola all they way down the trail reeking of bug spray and new REI gear they aren’t seeing any bears…. And that’s our fault apparently.

I suppose they can see onto private timberland and count bears there too?  Too bad nobody mentioned that, put up or shut up.  Many of the arguments were basically "we disagree with the state's data and substitute our gut feelings plus climate change."  WDFW could have also noted bear populations in the other Pacific states as evidence bears are certainly not on the decline.

But, I don't think any of that actually matters, each commissioner likely heard what they wanted to hear to defend the vote they already decided on long before the testimony or evidence was presented.

[GASoline71]

I was able to speak.  Not as eloquently as others, but I was afforded the chance.  I was the one that brought up the comparison to "child molesters" that was in the public comment section. The exact moment the clock struck 8am on March 3rd, I already had the form filled out to register and hit the "Send/Apply" button.  I ended up being number 31 in line, and I registered within seconds of the 8am start time.

Lorna Smith is dead set on pandering to her anti-hunting flock.  When she wanted it to be clear that there were a lot of people that didn't get to be heard, she was upset because hunters outnumbered her flock by more than 2 to 1.  She sure as hell didn't make that same comment back in October when hunters were backdoored by a motion brought forth during a commission meeting that was only to reduce the number of spring bear tags in a couple of units.  That meeting was flooded with anti's in the testimony and public comment, because hunters were led astray.  But no alarm was raised then that hunters didn't have a "fair shake" in commenting.  As I kept score, I also took notice that only 3 of the anti's that testified were not either a paid attorney for, or a paid representative of one of the extreme anti-hunting or extreme animal rights groups. Marie from the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council got cut off in the middle of here excellent testimony, and there was no mention of trying to get her back on.  But there was an anti that wasn't able to speak and Lorna Smith made a plea to the chairman to make sure that they were noted and to allow their testimony added to the record via email.  All so friggin' lopsided. 

The commissioners still asking for "more science" are using it as a stall tactic.  The longer they stall, the more we get past the actual season for spring bear.  It's all so damn calculated.

I liked how the WDFW attorney also pretty much put Lorna Smith in her place about her skewed wording of the "We already voted no on this". Tim Ragan's comparison of counting an apex predator in the woods and wilderness to counting slob sea lions laying on the shorelines, docks and rocks was laughable.

This is going to be a marathon boys and girls.  We cannot let up and sit back on our haunches thinking we are done.  It's going to be like this all year every year from here on out.  As long as there are Lorna Smith's, Barbara Bakers, and "sea lion experts" on the commission... we have to keep at it.

Gary

[Bullkllr]

This is going to be a marathon boys and girls.  We cannot let up and sit back on our haunches thinking we are done.  It's going to be like this all year every year from here on out.  As long as there are Lorna Smith's, Barbara Bakers, and "sea lion experts" on the commission... we have to keep at it.

Gary

This is my big take away from all this also.

Thanks for doing your part. I too was able to speak, fwiw, but this one may be a forgone conclusion. If we want to maintain any of our rights we all need to buckle up and get ready to fight for it. The tactics they used to cancel spring bear have convinced me to pay attention or else.

[Tbar]

I was able to speak.  Not as eloquently as others, but I was afforded the chance.  I was the one that brought up the comparison to "child molesters" that was in the public comment section. The exact moment the clock struck 8am on March 3rd, I already had the form filled out to register and hit the "Send/Apply" button.  I ended up being number 31 in line, and I registered within seconds of the 8am start time.

Lorna Smith is dead set on pandering to her anti-hunting flock.  When she wanted it to be clear that there were a lot of people that didn't get to be heard, she was upset because hunters outnumbered her flock by more than 2 to 1.  She sure as hell didn't make that same comment back in October when hunters were backdoored by a motion brought forth during a commission meeting that was only to reduce the number of spring bear tags in a couple of units.  That meeting was flooded with anti's in the testimony and public comment, because hunters were led astray.  But no alarm was raised then that hunters didn't have a "fair shake" in commenting.  As I kept score, I also took notice that only 3 of the anti's that testified were not either a paid attorney for, or a paid representative of one of the extreme anti-hunting or extreme animal rights groups. Marie from the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council got cut off in the middle of here excellent testimony, and there was no mention of trying to get her back on.  But there was an anti that wasn't able to speak and Lorna Smith made a plea to the chairman to make sure that they were noted and to allow their testimony added to the record via email.  All so friggin' lopsided. 

The commissioners still asking for "more science" are using it as a stall tactic.  The longer they stall, the more we get past the actual season for spring bear.  It's all so damn calculated.

I liked how the WDFW attorney also pretty much put Lorna Smith in her place about her skewed wording of the "We already voted no on this". Tim Ragan's comparison of counting an apex predator in the woods and wilderness to counting slob sea lions laying on the shorelines, docks and rocks was laughable.

This is going to be a marathon boys and girls.  We cannot let up and sit back on our haunches thinking we are done.  It's going to be like this all year every year from here on out.  As long as there are Lorna Smith's, Barbara Bakers, and "sea lion experts" on the commission... we have to keep at it.

Gary

Thank you! You did well. I'm more than a little concerned, the pre and post discussion were scary.

[GASoline71]

This is going to be a marathon boys and girls.  We cannot let up and sit back on our haunches thinking we are done.  It's going to be like this all year every year from here on out.  As long as there are Lorna Smith's, Barbara Bakers, and "sea lion experts" on the commission... we have to keep at it.

Gary

This is my big take away from all this also.

Thanks for doing your part. I too was able to speak, fwiw, but this one may be a forgone conclusion. If we want to maintain any of our rights we all need to buckle up and get ready to fight for it. The tactics they used to cancel spring bear have convinced me to pay attention or else.

I agree 100%.  More and more hunters/sportsmen ARE paying attention.  The consumptive user base has been awakened more now than ever.  Myself... 10 years ago, I couldn't have told you who a single one of the WDFW commissioners were, or who ANY of the biologists were.  Now I know them ALL by name, and know their personalities as well.  In my 54 years on this planet and being born and raised here, I would have never guessed I'd be this involved in having to protect my right to harvest my own meat.

One thing to note, I have a feeling there are going to be more and more bear hunters afield in the fall after all of this. It's kind of like when one of the members of your favorite bands dies, the band's prior records sell like hotcakes.  A wild hunch that, now that bear hunting in WA is in the spotlight, there will be more hunters afield. 

The anti's have awakened a sleeping giant.  All we need to do, is stay more focused and stay more organized, and stop all the infighting and divisiveness between user groups. 

Gary 

[GASoline71]

Thank you! You did well. I'm more than a little concerned, the pre and post discussion were scary.

Thanks!  I was deeply troubled by some of the ludicrous comments and assumptions made by some of the commissioners with a "background" in wildlife.  Scary stuff!

Gary

[Ghost Hunter]

I was able to speak.  Not as eloquently as others, but I was afforded the chance. I was the one that brought up the comparison to "child molesters" that was in the public comment section. The exact moment the clock struck 8am on March 3rd, I already had the form filled out to register and hit the "Send/Apply" button.  I ended up being number 31 in line, and I registered within seconds of the 8am start time.

Lorna Smith is dead set on pandering to her anti-hunting flock.  When she wanted it to be clear that there were a lot of people that didn't get to be heard, she was upset because hunters outnumbered her flock by more than 2 to 1.  She sure as hell didn't make that same comment back in October when hunters were backdoored by a motion brought forth during a commission meeting that was only to reduce the number of spring bear tags in a couple of units.  That meeting was flooded with anti's in the testimony and public comment, because hunters were led astray.  But no alarm was raised then that hunters didn't have a "fair shake" in commenting.  As I kept score, I also took notice that only 3 of the anti's that testified were not either a paid attorney for, or a paid representative of one of the extreme anti-hunting or extreme animal rights groups. Marie from the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council got cut off in the middle of here excellent testimony, and there was no mention of trying to get her back on.  But there was an anti that wasn't able to speak and Lorna Smith made a plea to the chairman to make sure that they were noted and to allow their testimony added to the record via email.  All so friggin' lopsided. 

The commissioners still asking for "more science" are using it as a stall tactic.  The longer they stall, the more we get past the actual season for spring bear.  It's all so damn calculated.

I liked how the WDFW attorney also pretty much put Lorna Smith in her place about her skewed wording of the "We already voted no on this". Tim Ragan's comparison of counting an apex predator in the woods and wilderness to counting slob sea lions laying on the shorelines, docks and rocks was laughable.

This is going to be a marathon boys and girls.  We cannot let up and sit back on our haunches thinking we are done.  It's going to be like this all year every year from here on out.  As long as there are Lorna Smith's, Barbara Bakers, and "sea lion experts" on the commission... we have to keep at it.

Gary

Did you catch Melanie Rowland's expression and body language when these comments were made? 

[Seabass]

These folks are fundamentally opposed to the way we live.

[GASoline71]

I was able to speak.  Not as eloquently as others, but I was afforded the chance. I was the one that brought up the comparison to "child molesters" that was in the public comment section. The exact moment the clock struck 8am on March 3rd, I already had the form filled out to register and hit the "Send/Apply" button.  I ended up being number 31 in line, and I registered within seconds of the 8am start time.

Did you catch Melanie Rowland's expression and body language when these comments were made?

I did!  So did my wife! 

Gary

[saylean]

The state biologist who presented the evidence in favor of spring bear hunting should be insulted by some of the commissioners lack of belief in her work.
There may be another action item on this, this week, from howl. I’ll update if it happens.

Keep up this fight, regardless. And when I say fight I mean for the overall hunting and fishing community not just this issue.