Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission splits over cougar hunting rules

[nwwanderer]

It has happened all over the planet, total protection, populations go down

[RC]

Please everyone vote red.

Maybe a better idea is to vote with your wallet!!! But that won't happen.

The wdfw is like a drug dealer and they have the sportsman of Washington HOOKED. In the next few weeks people will race to the counter to purchase chances on the limited morsels that remain. When in reality they have little chance of drawing. How many folks hope to draw the single opportunity they offer for limited access.

I think ultimately that's what some of the commission wants.  No licences purchased means no more revenue, which means nobody hunts or fishes anymore.  At that point, why allow any hunting or fishing at all?

[ipkus]

Exactly.  A license buying boycott at this point helps them, not us.

[Ridgeratt]

Just how does throwing money out the window benefit us? Explain how the harvest reports show they have 5 allotted tags for a GMU and only 2 of the 5 report and that equates to a 100% reporting. 
If the wdfw loses the cash base they will have to make spending choices and staffing.
Yes, I was guilty of buying into the hype they project!
Just look at the quality deer for the Northeast GMUs and see what the harvest return is for the area.


https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/management/game-harvest/2023/deer-individual

[Mtnwalker]

Funding from sportsmen is the only thing giving us ANY voice at all at this point. Once that goes away, they get their money from the general fund and sportsmen have even less of a say than they do already. The commission doesn't rely on tag funds for their decision making, but they would love for the non-hunting public to be their majority funding mechanism. It would just give them more ammo to fast-track their preservation agenda

[ipkus]

Just how does throwing money out the window benefit us?

It keeps us at the table, even though we have a small chair that is not very close to it.

A 50% drop in license sales let's them say that interest in harvest is dropping and it's time to fully shift WDFW to a non-consumptive mission.

How does that help? 

They don't need us.  When license sales fall off they just go to the legislature and beg for more money.  They already do it every year anyway!

[hunter399]

Just how does throwing money out the window benefit us?

It keeps us at the table, even though we have a small chair that is not very close to it.

A 50% drop in license sales let's them say that interest in harvest is dropping and it's time to fully shift WDFW to a non-consumptive mission.

How does that help? 

They don't need us.  When license sales fall off they just go to the legislature and beg for more money.  They already do it every year anyway!

The legislature will cut them off eventually.
If licence sales drop.
It's an investment in wildlife.
Licence sales is a return on that investment.
No return...no investment.

[ipkus]

Apparently you don’t know who is in our legislature.  Handouts for bad investments is what they do best.

And they do it with a smile on their face.

[hunter399]

Apparently you don’t know who is in our legislature.  Handouts for bad investments is what they do best.

And they do it with a smile on their face.

Sorry I forgot.
I agree your correct.
No win situation. Lol

[ghosthunter]

I doubt the Commission cares a bit about what we do. They have an agenda and they are moving forward with it whether we like it or not. Lawsuits and boycotts won’t even faze them.
The rush for September is they want it wrapped up before the election. This has to be an election issue and they have to believe that we can harm their political supporters at the polls.
There is no coverage of their agenda on the news at all ,therefore they have no worries. You have a commission that openly gets called out by the director and they don’t care one little bit.
If you can’t get Ferguson to worry that they will cost him votes than there no pressure to change their non consumptive path. You really believe Ferguson isn’t supporting them ?

What we are lacking in muscle is fisherman. Fisherman need to understand that this just isn’t a hunting issue. You only need to look to Oregon to see what’s ahead.

Everyone of us should be talking to fisherman and bringing them into the fight.
Otherwise, well it’s over.

[Pathfinder101]

I doubt the Commission cares a bit about what we do. They have an agenda and they are moving forward with it whether we like it or not. Lawsuits and boycotts won’t even faze them.
The rush for September is they want it wrapped up before the election. This has to be an election issue and they have to believe that we can harm their political supporters at the polls.
There is no coverage of their agenda on the news at all ,therefore they have no worries. You have a commission that openly gets called out by the director and they don’t care one little bit.
If you can’t get Ferguson to worry that they will cost him votes than there no pressure to change their non consumptive path. You really believe Ferguson isn’t supporting them ?

What we are lacking in muscle is fisherman. Fisherman need to understand that this just isn’t a hunting issue. You only need to look to Oregon to see what’s ahead.

Everyone of us should be talking to fisherman and bringing them into the fight.
Otherwise, well it’s over.

    Agree.  Fishermen are going to be key. 

[ducks4days]

If their agenda wasn't clear as day by now I don't what it will take...

I'm glad they are getting called out but honestly it's going to take a new governor to fix this mess.

That, or a couple well timed heart attacks

[TommyH]

“Cougar populations are difficult to monitor with precision but the department assumes a medium density of 2.3 per 100 square kilometers within its established population management units. “

Lol, the NE has got that # of “2.3” in a few mile radius

[wolfbait]

Funding from sportsmen is the only thing giving us ANY voice at all at this point. Once that goes away, they get their money from the general fund and sportsmen have even less of a say than they do already. The commission doesn't rely on tag funds for their decision making, but they would love for the non-hunting public to be their majority funding mechanism. It would just give them more ammo to fast-track their preservation agenda

Well Said!

WDFW want to be tax payer funded, they are inching their way to their goal.

[hunter399]

Funding from sportsmen is the only thing giving us ANY voice at all at this point. Once that goes away, they get their money from the general fund and sportsmen have even less of a say than they do already. The commission doesn't rely on tag funds for their decision making, but they would love for the non-hunting public to be their majority funding mechanism. It would just give them more ammo to fast-track their preservation agenda

Well Said!

WDFW want to be tax payer funded, they are inching their way to their goal.

I agree with tax payer funded being the goal.
Our voice has fallen on def ears since spring bear was cancelled.
They just take our money anyway. Continue to cut opportunity for any predator type hunts.