WDFW $$$ figures on bird watchers

[Ghost Hunter]

Just seen a WDFW post on the millions of dollars wildlife watchers putting into WA economy.  Looks like hunters are a drop in the bucket.

[Humptulips]

 How much do they put into the Department budget? General funds, does that pay for all of non-game, more, less?

[buckfvr]

Just seen a WDFW post on the millions of dollars wildlife watchers putting into WA economy.  Looks like hunters are a drop in the bucket.

Doesnt mean a dang bit of it is true.  Misinformation is simply weaponized lying.

[blackdog]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/administration/budget/operating

[hughjorgan]

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’ve never encountered anyone out and about looking at birds or any other wildlife, unless it was other hunters. The figures they come up with are trash while trying to marginalize what comes from us as hunters. As I see it the wildlife watchers and the numbers for their contribution seems like nothing more than propaganda.

[Bullkllr]

Sounds like a stretch.

If it was based on past surveys I've seen it probably includes everyone who answered 'yes' to questions like "Do you enjoy seeing birds?" and it probably counts any $$ spent on a vacation where someone reported"looking at birds" (like out the window on a highway) as part of the experience.

[Smokeploe]

Bird, wildlife watchers do not purchase anything except a discover pass if at all!  So I say they do not spend $1.00 compared to hunters, trappers and fishermen!  There is NO permit to watch wildlife!  The only thing they do is spout false and lies about hunters! They so not and should not have any say about hunting concerns!

Smokeploe

[pickardjw]

Got a link?

[KNOPHISH]

Ya sure, they spend millions donating to anti hunting activist groups.

[JimmyHoffa]

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’ve never encountered anyone out and about looking at birds or any other wildlife, unless it was other hunters. The figures they come up with are trash while trying to marginalize what comes from us as hunters. As I see it the wildlife watchers and the numbers for their contribution seems like nothing more than propaganda.

I see a handful around a few roadside wildlife areas.  Seems like the majority of interest is shorebirds and waterfowl, sometimes eagles. Can't say I have seen any of the birdwatchers get out of their cars.  They idle or drive 2 mph.  Probably don't contribute 1% of what the duck hunters for the same area do. 
It's kind of like the whale watchers, I'd guess not even close to what fisherman generate (even in current wdfw mismanagement).  Yet whale watching gets a ton of hype for economic contributions.

[hughjorgan]

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’ve never encountered anyone out and about looking at birds or any other wildlife, unless it was other hunters. The figures they come up with are trash while trying to marginalize what comes from us as hunters. As I see it the wildlife watchers and the numbers for their contribution seems like nothing more than propaganda.

I see a handful around a few roadside wildlife areas.  Seems like the majority of interest is shorebirds and waterfowl, sometimes eagles. Can't say I have seen any of the birdwatchers get out of their cars.  They idle or drive 2 mph.  Probably don't contribute 1% of what the duck hunters for the same area do. 
It's kind of like the whale watchers, I'd guess not even close to what fisherman generate (even in current wdfw mismanagement).  Yet whale watching gets a ton of hype for economic contributions.

Now we’re talking right. So we have a very small minority of the population that claims they put billions into the economy but how are they measuring this activity? What gear did they specifically buy? What gear do you need if you’re watching a bird from your kitchen window or from your idling car? Supposedly the recent survey done and presented at the last commission meeting says the majority of Washingtonians participate in wildlife watching from home.

“Nearly all wildlife watchers, over 99%, watch around the home, with fewer than 1% participating exclusively away from home.”

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/02466/wdfw02466.pdf

So that begs the question of what exactly are they contributing? No way is that number 5.8 billion that they claim. I think we know their numbers are BS and your observations are spot on as well as what others have said in this thread. The math doesn’t math for any of their surveys.

[ducks4days]

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’ve never encountered anyone out and about looking at birds or any other wildlife, unless it was other hunters. The figures they come up with are trash while trying to marginalize what comes from us as hunters. As I see it the wildlife watchers and the numbers for their contribution seems like nothing more than propaganda.

I run into audobahn folks all the time, especially in the Skagit Valley where they come to look at swans and snow geese. If you bring a pair of binos into the blind you can watch them pull up and take a few photos of your decoy spread before realizing what it is and storming off.

[MR5x5]

This thread is worthless without the supposed numbers.

[Alan K]

Looks like spotting scopes, binoculars, cameras, and hiking equipment expenditures were all lumped into wildlife viewing...

I probably spend 4-5 times the days in the field during the rest of the year scouting as I do during the hunting seasons. I'd imagine they lumped those days into wildlife viewing, though it was FOR hunting purposes/preparation.

Hunting – The shooting or attempting to shoot wildlife with firearms or archery equipment. Hunting as defined by the Survey does not include occasions when an individual only participated in scouting or observing others hunt. 

 

Around-the-home wildlife watching – Activity within one mile of home with one of six primary purposes: (1) taking special interest in or trying to identify birds or other wildlife, (2) photographing wildlife, (3) feeding birdsor other wildlife, (4) maintaining natural areas of at least one-quarter acre for the benefit of wildlife, (5) maintaining plantings (such as shrubs and agricultural crops) for the benefit of wildlife,and (6) visiting parks and natural areas to observe, photograph, or feed wildlife.   

2) Who wouldn't grab their phone and take a pic of a deer raiding the flower beds?
3) I'd say at least 80% of the people I know have hummingbird feeders or bird houses.
4) I've got to think nearly any lot over 2-3 acres would meet that definition.
5) Wildlife benefit from free food in crops, so every farmer, hay producer, etc.

Away-from-home wildlife watching – Trips or outings at least one mile from home for the primary purpose of observing, photographing, or feeding wildlife. Trips to zoos, circuses, aquariums, and museums are not included.

Checking game cameras, maintaining mineral licks/bait piles?

Like most WDFW surveys, it seems they have an answer they want to get to and design a survey to produce the answers they want.  Shift dollars away from having been spent for hunting purposes to wildlife viewing, ignore hunting days directly (if not the one hunting), preparation days (scouting) and probably even include those scouting days in wildlife watching. 

[boneaddict]

I know a lot of bird watchers.   The Wenas is full of them as I type this.   I bet most don't have a discover pass.   What funds are they taking into account.   I film wildlife every fall and spend thousands, is that part of it.  What are they counting?   Straight up license revenue?  donations?   equipment cost? hotels, gas and local economies?