Small Game Survey from WDFW

[buckfvr]

Ya, no comment…. this state has no clue how to manage wildlife!!!

What would you change, if you could?

Change governor and muck out wdfw top to bottom, start over.

[metlhead]

Would be nice if DFW would be transparent about their use of such information. Just a thought, but if reports all come back with zero coyotes harvested, would it be safe for DFW to assume there is not an over abundance of those predators? Funding is always short, so they may not have the resources to do accurate counts. They utilize the consumers to provide basic info about population numbers.

[Stein]

I wouldn't assume that WDFW cares how many coyotes there are.

[buckfvr]

I wouldn't assume that WDFW cares how many coyotes there are.

Probably not, but I'd bet the people who dont want us shooting bear, cat, and wolves dont want coyotes being shot weither.

[fast1]

With all of the anti's around. They probably want to know so they can put a season on it and make us buy a tag for each coyote like Idaho does for wolves..

[metlhead]

I would imagine WDFW does care about coyote numbers. They end up wasting money every time suburbia panics because one was spotted. If they recieved honest numbers, they may have a better picture of what they are dealing with. WDFW isn't the greatest of friends we have, but it is the only one that has some of our intetests that is a state agency. They need our help more than we do theirs. Would you continue a relationship with someone that bashes you at every chance and has no confidence in you? They will move on to user groups that support them. That is the money trail. I will continue to do my part in hopes that it will make a difference. My vote

[Skyvalhunter]

How bad is it to just answer the questions and send it in. Its not that difficult

[hunter399]

I would imagine WDFW does care about coyote numbers. They end up wasting money every time suburbia panics because one was spotted. If they recieved honest numbers, they may have a better picture of what they are dealing with. WDFW isn't the greatest of friends we have, but it is the only one that has some of our intetests that is a state agency. They need our help more than we do theirs. Would you continue a relationship with someone that bashes you at every chance and has no confidence in you? They will move on to user groups that support them. That is the money trail. I will continue to do my part in hopes that it will make a difference. My vote

Anti-hunters will never "support" them.
They don't buy fishing and hunting license.
And honestly the spring bear hunt is a prime example of anti-hunters getting there way with no science.
So let's give them scientific numbers on small game .
So they can ignore it,so they can screw traditional seasons.

I'm telling you ,I don't support spring grouse season.
They just reduced fall season from September 1 to September 15 ,in not willing to give up more fall season .
So they can make it a permit season in the spring when grouse are breeding and nesting.

It's all about the money,reducing hunter opportunities.
If they can make the more money reducing your season they will do it in a heart beat.

[metlhead]

I appreciate the input. I also agree the agency will try to reduce opportunity wherever they can to appease the antihunting portion of the population they are also required to serve. Taking away the opportunities that have little interest seem the most logical. If WDFW recieves very little input about harvest, sounds like low hanging fruit to me. The info helps to manage ungulate populations.

[hunter399]

I appreciate the input. I also agree the agency will try to reduce opportunity wherever they can to appease the antihunting portion of the population they are also required to serve. Taking away the opportunities that have little interest seem the most logical. If WDFW recieves very little input about harvest, sounds like low hanging fruit to me. The info helps to manage ungulate populations.

The mandatory reporting of big game is only used anymore ,when it fits the narrative that works best for WDFW and the bank account,nothing more,nothing less.
I do agree it is a tool ,that is forgotten when it does not fall in line with there bank account.

[RobinHoodlum]

I agree with pretty much everything that's already been said here.

It seems highly suspect that DFW would use this information to justify management actions. It's supposedly a random selection of hunters each year, but there are all sorts of biases in terms of who reports, who doesn't, how accurately, etc... And, they are really putting A LOT of faith in hunter's abilities to recall when and where they have bagged small game since the previous September. Even using it for "harvest trend analysis" as the cover letter states seems questionable to me. 

I spoke out against the grouse season shift (and the ill advised "spring hooter season"), specifically pointing out that DFW did not have a robust statewide data set to support the change. Of course, they didn't care what I had to say and even convinced some hunters the change was justified. I foresee them cherry picking from this survey and those wing barrels to show us that the season change worked masterfully.

If truly I believed that reduced hunter effort or harvest trend would be used to restore the September 1 grouse opener (or restore similar opportunity for other species), I would complete this. Unfortunately, this is not the case. So, sorry Eric Gardner - no survey from me!