Hello everyone, hope you all are doing well. Hope some of you are getting out for late season buck or getting out for ducks. It's been a while since I've posted here and things have been quiet lately so I wanted to update you all on what's going on. First, thank you everyone who signed the petition, showed up to October and got the word out. We couldn't have done it without you all. Getting involved with the legislature needs to be a priority. The session resumes in January and that is going to be a big target for both sides. We need to get stuff passed, the antis are desiring to change the mandate. We need to let the legislators know what's going on, and tell them how we feel. I will leave about 20 emails for folks to email including the emails of Inslee's advisors on the commission and federal staffers for congress. The legislature is going to be the next big step.
The December meeting will be next on December 14th, 15th, and 16th. It will be fully on zoom, so you can all sign up to speak online. This meeting will have the CR-102 be voted on, the commission will hear a briefing on rules of procedure which is something to watch for. And, the big thing which is the petition from anti-hunters such as WWF, Center for Biological Diversity, and more. This is word for word what Lorna Smith, and Melanie Rowland have discussed. This is a continuation of the attacks on predator hunting. This would shorten cougar and bear seasons, and bag limits among other restrictions. We all need to fight back against this, read Jillian Garret's op-ed in Northwest sportsmen. This is a continuation of the attacks on predator hunting. If you have not listed to the Hunt Talk Radio podcast with Kim Thorburn listen to it now. Randy breaks down everything happening in Washington state with Kim who is a big fighter for us.
Expect things to be quiet once Thanksgiving comes around. The coalition will have content put out but the bigger groups and the opposition will start winding down until the legislature resumes but will be active for the commission meeting. This meeting will be a big one and will close down the year and tease what to expect from next year. The commission's next meeting won't be until the end of January. By then, I expect we will see updates on the GMP (Game Management Plan) and the preservation policy. Our display in October really screwed them over, we made a major impact.
Mark your calendars for Thursday January 11th, 2024, Centralia, WA at the Southwest Washington fairgrounds. Sportsmen’s Alliance will be doing another event with auctions of gear, even some big hunting and fishing trips. This is a free event for families, food trucks will be onsite along with drinks. Proceeds for the fundraiser are going directly to the legal and legislative battles against the commission to stop the anti-hunting movement.
More information will come soon but this will be a very fun event. We are looking for donations for the auctions (live and silent) for the event. Contact me, or Joel Swecker from Blackriver Taxidermy for ideas, items, and contacts for the event. Share the heck out of this, this is going to be one massive event!! HUGE shoutouts to Sportsmen Alliance for doing this, proud to see you guys taking the lead in the fight to save our heritage and we are proud to fight beside you. Another HUGE shoutout to Joel Swecker and Steve Bell for helping put this event together and bring it to fruition. This is a coalition member-collaborated event. Hope to see you there!! Remember to mark your calendars!!
Article on Randy's podcast with Kim along with link.
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/former-wa-fish-wildlife-commission-insider-featured-on-podcast/Info on the anti-hunting petition.
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/the-danger-of-disinformation-why-washington-cougar-bear-petition-should-be-denied/
