2024-2026 Hunting Season Proposals

[dreamingbig]

Is there anyone else who feels really unmotivated to comment on these proposals?


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[huntnphool]

Is there anyone else who feels really unmotivated to comment on these proposals?

 Perhaps the goal?

[7t9cobra]

We have 300-400 successful bobcat harvesters in WA every year. How many of those nimrods would be able to remove a canine or incisor tooth…undamaged…from a Bobcat skull? I say the vast minority. It would be a toss up if I could remove a canine tooth undamaged. For sure the jaw would by cut/ broken at the tooth site by the time I got the tooth out. An incisor, undamaged? No. Plus the skull/jaw would be severely damaged. Broken teeth are unusable for data collection.
The comment in the report about removing an incisor from a Bobcat to make it easier on a released Bobcat is ludicrous. For one, how many Bobcats does WDFW release in the course of a year? How many of those can be age classed by simply looking at the cat: adult or young of the year? Question solved.
A damaged skull, or missing lower jaw severely lower the value of a skull possibly to the point of no monetary value. I don’t know how either couldn’t negatively affect the use of a cat for taxidermy use.
If they must have a tooth, a premolar is much easier and less invasive to remove. As is done with bear, cougar, and wolves. (Wolves in Idaho)
In Idaho they did a three year study. The submission of Bobcat lower jaws was voluntary, plus IDFW reimbursed the harvester $5.
There is only three sustainable, real world ways to do this:
1. No action. Continue to age/ sex cats at time of CITIES tagging as has been done since early 70s. +-
2. Have harvester remove premolar tooth and submit. As is done with bear.
3. Give WDFW the jaw.
Also, how long would this Bobcat “study” be in effect?

Exactly! Every time I've had a hide sealed on cougars and bears I've had the biologist remove the premolar and every single time they break the first one then struggle to get the second one out. It takes a solid 30 minutes minimum. One even took an hour and it was a real struggle. I was even nice and propped the jaws open before rigor set in. I'm not saying it was the guys fault, but you think if WDFW is requiring them to take the tooth there would be some sort of training or practice. If they have them remove the entire lower jaw, I have zero faith it will be done without ruining the hide. I'm sure they could require us to remove them ourselves, but if they want it, they need to be willing to get it.

[Rainier10]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings/2024/14-16mar2024-agenda

They are talking cougar management plans today and tomorrow.

Tomorrow they are also discussing the east west deer tags petition.

[hughjorgan]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings/2024/14-16mar2024-agenda

They are talking cougar management plans today and tomorrow.

Tomorrow they are also discussing the east west deer tags petition.

Cougar discussion starts at 3:00 PM

[Rainier10]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings/2024/14-16mar2024-agenda

They are talking cougar management plans today and tomorrow.

Tomorrow they are also discussing the east west deer tags petition.

Cougar discussion starts at 3:00 PM

Yes and again at 3:30 tomorrow

[JakeLand]

Do we know anything on the cat lower jaws ?

[HillHound]

Haven’t heard but I sure hope this pointless rule designed to devalue the trophy quality of a cat doesn’t go through. They can’t  do anything with the lower jaw that they can’t do with the same tooth we have given them in the past. If this goes through don’t be surprised when they decide every four point buck or six point bull you shoot you have to cut one antler off to turn into them. There is no difference in having to give your lower jaw away from your skull mount on a cat. For no reason because they can Age it from the incisor tooth

[JakeLand]

Haven’t heard but I sure hope this pointless rule designed to devalue the trophy quality of a cat doesn’t go through. They can’t  do anything with the lower jaw that they can’t do with the same tooth we have given them in the past. If this goes through don’t be surprised when they decide every four point buck or six point bull you shoot you have to cut one antler off to turn into them. There is no difference in having to give your lower jaw away from your skull mount on a cat. For no reason because they can Age it from the incisor tooth

o agree, IMO it’s mostly to discourage taking cats as you won’t have a skull as a trapper that’s trapped ALOT of cats in almost 40 years of trapping there’s only 3 classes of cats   Female, Tom  and young of the year . Of course you get cats where the teeth are rounded and worn way down  and I call them antique cats

[Humptulips]

Do we know anything on the cat lower jaws ?

There is a virtual public hearing on that and other items in the three year season setting on March 26th. It won't come before the Commission before that. It is a little confusing to me. There is no Commission meeting scheduled on that date so I am not sure who will be listening to the comments at that hearing. One would assume the Commission but maybe not. Typically changing a WAC like this should involve presentation at the Commission meeting but there is so much stuff in the three year season setting package it may be atypical. No agenda published on their next meeting so I am not sure when it comes before them but I was told probably May but that looks like not a public meeting that accepts comments. They may vote on it then but have the publics chance to comment on March 26th.

[Ghost Hunter]

Am I correct in assuming the crossbow for old dudes in archery season rule change means they still can't have a scope on their cross bow?

No you are not.

Link to read all comments and percentage for or against.

https://publicinput.com/3yearseasonsetting#tab-48565

[trophyhunt]

Am I correct in assuming the crossbow for old dudes in archery season rule change means they still can't have a scope on their cross bow?

No you are not.

Link to read all comments and percentage for or against.

https://publicinput.com/3yearseasonsetting#tab-48565

Did I miss something?  Cliff notes please! 

[trophyhunt]

Regs should be out next week? On line of course.

[bobcat]

Regs should be out next week? On line of course.

I doubt it. I'd say three more weeks until we see anything. I know last year they were really late.

[jstone]

This State is SO SLOW at everything