Small Game Survey from WDFW

[coyotehunter]

Did anyone else get one of these surveys? And why the heck would they want to know how many coyotes I've killed since April of last year?

[rtspring]

I did, it went straight into the trash!  Its none of their business what I harvested.   

[Timberstalker]

I did, it went straight into the trash!  Its none of their business what I harvested.

Pretty certain they are going to confiscate your rifle again after that comment. Lol.

[BKMFR]

Would rather pay $10.00 than give them info... if it was wisely used, I would 100% participate...but, with this group of morons no way!!!

[Pinetar]

I did, it went straight into the trash!  Its none of their business what I harvested.

Pretty certain they are going to confiscate your rifle again after that comment. Lol.

  Now that was good stuff

[cem3434]

I did, it went straight into the trash!  Its none of their business what I harvested.

Same for me, opened it and went straight in the trash can.

[Stein]

Same here, glad I'm not the only one that doesn't fill them out.

[hunter399]

My son got one last year.
I just put zero on everything.
Although I do agree ,it's a nona- business ,instead of throwing away I just put zero . It's pretty much the same result as throwing in the trash.
There is always a chance that they keep sending them out to hunters till they get the desired amount filled out and returned.

[Thermal Predator Control]

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

[phildobaggins]

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

What would you change, if you could?

[hunter399]

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

I agree totally.

Some of it has to do with trapping rabbits,spring grouse permit season,making a season for coyote.
And a bunch more hogwash I'm sure.

Just a way for them to use our Wildlife resources to make more money and on top of that we will lose opportunities
Somewhere in our seasons ,basically in the fall.

Example ...........
Trapping rabbits.......now we have to shorten fall season.
Same can be said with grouse.
Let's make a TON of money selling spring grouse permits ,so hunters can shoot up a ton of grouse on the nest durring breeding season.... Now let's not even have a traditional fall season.
See where I'm going with this....
And coyote the anti-hunters are chopping at the bit to limit us there ,that's a no brainer.

[hunter399]

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

What would you change, if you could?

I would leave it be, to traditional seasons we have now.
That have been proven to keep sustainable numbers.
Instead of trying to make a DOLLAR and just screwing hunter opportunities for future hunts.
Multiseason is a prime example of this.
When we don't have sustained animal population the first thing that pops up as the big solution is. PERMIT fast cash for our state on an already dwindling resource.

[coyotehunter]

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

What would you change, if you could?

I would leave it be, to traditional seasons we have now.
That have been proven to keep sustainable numbers.
Instead of trying to make a DOLLAR and just screwing hunter opportunities for future hunts.
Multiseason is a prime example of this.
When we don't have sustained animal population the first thing that pops up as the big solution is. PERMIT fast cash for our state on an already dwindling resource.

Any game department in any other state will tell you, Hunters and Fisherman are the customers, The fish and game departments job is to provide the best outdoor experience to us outdoorsman, while managing wildlife population. Hence the job of the biologist to provide data and/or game check stations. In the past 10 years I haven't seen a field biologist or game check station anywhere in this state. If they want to know whats out there, get off their asses and wear out some boot leather.

[wadu1]

I don't think they look at the data they collect. Had a friend now gone who filled out his with 75 Wilson Snipe. All taken in Callum County it never appeared in the totals.
I just open it up put the survey in the envelope and send it back unmarked.

[Thermal Predator Control]

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

What would you change, if you could?

Allow night hunting for cougars, have special draw permits using  dogs for bears and cougars.  Open up wolf hunting in certain GMUs that need to be managed.
I do not understand why the heck the wdfw needs info on coyote harvests…??  Waste of tax payers $. 
The deer and elk populations are at an all time low in certain GMUs, because of fires and bad predator management by 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!