WFWD Report on Courgars and Bears

[actionshooter]

And as soon as they end hunting in this state they will be one step closer to taking our guns, its a long game they are trying to play

This is the real answer. Whittle away at a single reason somebody would own a firearm and you lower the number of people willing to defend our right to bear arms for any reason

  :yeah      


I have thought this for a long time. Explains the obsession on protecting predators at the expense of most other wildlife. :

Makes me question where the heck is RMEF,safari club, 2A foundation and the NRA ?
Ive been a member of all of them at one time or another and current in couple
Crickets
What the heck ?

SCI chapters in this state are all members of Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation. Despite the snow on the pass most chapters attended our recent board meeting where we talked about this subject, and others pertaining to the attacks on hunting. I know it s frustrating that every organization isn't rattling sabers at the comission. Our president has made bold statements about the makeup of the comission. Not all work that is being done in public, just like the Anti hunting crowd.

Our member organizations are the core of our organization. Thier representatives often do the heavy lifting. We can always use members that want to be active, and we have some things in the works to make a difference. If sportsmen want to be active and learn how the system works volunteer. Many of the individuals from our member groups wanted to make a bigger difference and became involved by banding together. Learning and sharing how the sausage is made. If you belong to a trap, archery, or sportsmen club of any kind reach out to us.

 THIS ^^^

 If someone belongs to one of the organizations.... good on you, we all should, at least one.

 Want to actually make a difference? Participate in one of the organizations, gather signatures, raise funds.... doesn't really matter what. If we had 20% of hunters working toward the goal... this wouldn't even be a discussion.

[MADMAX]

And as soon as they end hunting in this state they will be one step closer to taking our guns, its a long game they are trying to play

This is the real answer. Whittle away at a single reason somebody would own a firearm and you lower the number of people willing to defend our right to bear arms for any reason

  :yeah      


I have thought this for a long time. Explains the obsession on protecting predators at the expense of most other wildlife. :

Makes me question where the heck is RMEF,safari club, 2A foundation and the NRA ?
Ive been a member of all of them at one time or another and current in couple
Crickets
What the heck ?

SCI chapters in this state are all members of Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation. Despite the snow on the pass most chapters attended our recent board meeting where we talked about this subject, and others pertaining to the attacks on hunting. I know it s frustrating that every organization isn't rattling sabers at the comission. Our president has made bold statements about the makeup of the comission. Not all work that is being done in public, just like the Anti hunting crowd.

Our member organizations are the core of our organization. Thier representatives often do the heavy lifting. We can always use members that want to be active, and we have some things in the works to make a difference. If sportsmen want to be active and learn how the system works volunteer. Many of the individuals from our member groups wanted to make a bigger difference and became involved by banding together. Learning and sharing how the sausage is made. If you belong to a trap, archery, or sportsmen club of any kind reach out to us.

 THIS ^^^

 If someone belongs to one of the organizations.... good on you, we all should, at least one.

 Want to actually make a difference? Participate in one of the organizations, gather signatures, raise funds.... doesn't really matter what. If we had 20% of hunters working toward the goal... this wouldn't even be a discussion.

+1
Good points
Even make it an AHE requirement perhaps

[bugs n bones]

Some of these (ignorant) commissioners continue to try and make a case that if we don't have perfect information on bear numbers it's possible the populations are actually decreasing...clearly trying to make a case that the sky could be falling and we might not know.  The WDFW staff point to their various metrics and nothing concerning jumps out re: declines. Yet, we have extremely clear data on whats going on with Blue Mountains elk...and the contribution of predators...the hypocrisy, while not at all surprising, is absurd.     

Bingo
 They aren't ignorant... they know EXACTLY what they are doing, have a plan and are putting it into play.... when predator numbers are to high and ungulate numbers are too low... hunting in Washington is over

[jstone]

This is so sad.!!!!
Besides voting in a governor who likes to ruin his state and hiring people to ruin all the rest of the state.!!!

How the F did we get to this point.!!!!!!!

[MADMAX]

2 counties that like skinny jeans, man buns and latte’s

[Elkaholic daWg]

 
  Don't forget Whatcom, San Juan, and surprisingly Whitman (WSU) counties

[Elkaholic daWg]

From Rep Jim Walsh today......

  2) WA Fish & Wildlife Commission says they're limiting the hunt for predators because a group of scientists wrote them a letter. They're not even claiming that the letter is actual research. Can anyone who says they're a "scientist" write laws in WA?

[Skyvalhunter]

Is there any truth to this and if so was it made public. Reason I ask is a lot of there groups have their own so called "Scientists". Why not try and listen to WDFW's scientists.

[hunter399]

Is there any truth to this and if so was it made public. Reason I ask is a lot of there groups have their own so called "Scientists". Why not try and listen to WDFW's scientists.

First you have the definition of "best available science"
Which should not include,here say ,personal opinion,non scientific research, political biased,and so on.

Cougar harvest is based on a percentage of total population.
So some of the graphs and information in there petition only holds true ,if the population estimate is correct.

Bear they just used harvest increase I believe.

Even if there petition was total facts.
We as hunters are over harvested to "unsustainable" .
Which isn't true, The commission could compromise.
Make smaller changes. All these drastic changes also skew the harvest rates from one year to another.
It's better to make small changes,see if harvest rates drop.

Yes the best available science is gonna be from the department.
Out of state research, doesn't always align with our current rules and regulations. Other research always has a very high chance of being biased.
Same case as spring bear.
Our commission should be taking our department recommendations alot more strongly,if there true concerns was "best available science". Cause they already have it.

In the case with cougar. Our current biologist may be under estimate population. To keep a sustainable population level.
Striking a balance of management, opportunity, sustainable.
Which was successful at that balance.
Now that low population number,that was striking that balance.
Is now used against you to restrict hunting opportunities.
Cougar is a lot more complex species to manage.

Now bear there is no way we are below sustainable.

Compromise examples.
August 15 opener,1 bear bag limits,for bear.

Cougar there are many compromise examples that would allow
opportunities yet lower harvest rate.

Hope this explains a bit about the petition and what anti-hunters are claiming.

[Skyvalhunter]

I just listened to those that called into the WDFW meeting to express the results of Saturdays vote on the bear/ cougar petition. It was good to hear of the sharp criticism of the WDFW commissioners. One was able to sneak in the snakes names of Smith and Rowland. Lets hope that there's a concerted effort on the public input part to drown out the anti hunting crowd and its agenda.
Its time to make inputs to the Commission about the conservation policy.  updateddraftconservationpolicy@publicinput.com

[bigmacc]

I just listened to those that called into the WDFW meeting to express the results of Saturdays vote on the bear/ cougar petition. It was good to hear of the sharp criticism of the WDFW commissioners. One was able to sneak in the snakes names of Smith and Rowland. Lets hope that there's a concerted effort on the public input part to drown out the anti hunting crowd and its agenda.
Its time to make inputs to the Commission about the conservation policy.  updateddraftconservationpolicy@publicinput.com

👍👍

[ducks4days]

Can we just start petitioning the commission for the things we would like, science be damned, and hope the direction sways back to the middle? It seems to be the strategy for the antis, and it seems to be working in their favor.

Gimme no closed season on cougar. And a third bear tag.

[hunter399]

Can we just start petitioning the commission for the things we would like, science be damned, and hope the direction sways back to the middle? It seems to be the strategy for the antis, and it seems to be working in their favor.

Gimme no closed season on cougar. And a third bear tag.

Put a 90 page PDF with it.
Probably stands a chance. 😂 LoL.

[Slamadoo]

Honest question.

How much of the commission accepting the petition is about avoiding litigation from WWF?

[Special T]

Honest question.

How much of the commission accepting the petition is about avoiding litigation from WWF?

Many of the Comissioners have a relationship With people on the commission, some of them are working in concert with them.