Public comment periods open for Washington hunting season, wildlife feeding prop

[hughjorgan]

Would this also mean the WDFW couldn't feed elk in the winter?

It doesn’t say anything about it in the proposed WAC unless they want to pay out damage claims in record numbers to all those folks that own orchards. And then they will still be in big herds congregating together during the winter months, this ban will not have an effect what so ever.

[adamR]

There were a ton of comments on the multi season tags for federal tribes related to racism and equality this morning that just disappeared. I wonder if they are monitoring these comments and "cleaning" them up as they see fit? They weren't even that inappropriate but it went from like 15 comments down to four in a matter of minutes.

[trophyhunt]

Multi season for tribes??  Would that limit the yakamas to sept-Dec hunting, ok. 

I know, that’s not the case.  Agree, this has to be some kind of DEI crap.

[ASHQUACK]

I submitted my comments. Since I used polite and consice language. It'll probably be sent to the round file.

[GOcougsHunter]

Mountain goat permits down to 8 for a supposed population of 2800.  that is only .3% of the population, not 4% under guideline.  It's a really good thing that permit numbers continue to get decimated while the poorly surveyed population continues to apparently decline.  Can we rule out that recreational harvest is not the leading factor of smaller numbers of mountain goats?  Can the WDFW get serious about Mt Goat management in this state?  Idaho allows 41 goat permits on possibly a herd of 2000.  Oregon allows 25 permits on a population of 800.   

[hughjorgan]

Mountain goat permits down to 8 for a supposed population of 2800.  that is only .3% of the population, not 4% under guideline.  It's a really good thing that permit numbers continue to get decimated while the poorly surveyed population continues to apparently decline.  Can we rule out that recreational harvest is not the leading factor of smaller numbers of mountain goats?  Can the WDFW get serious about Mt Goat management in this state?  Idaho allows 41 goat permits on possibly a herd of 2000.  Oregon allows 25 permits on a population of 800.   

Wa wildlife first is targeting the mountain goats and blaming hunters for over harvesting. They also are the ones that got us our current commission.

[BreezyBear]

Just looked at the bear area descriptions, it appears that GMUs 244,245,246,247,249,250,251, 328,329,334, and 335 are all included in both BBMU units 5-Okanogan and 6-Central Cascades East, with different start dates and different bag limits. 

[Tbar]

Mountain goat permits down to 8 for a supposed population of 2800.  that is only .3% of the population, not 4% under guideline.  It's a really good thing that permit numbers continue to get decimated while the poorly surveyed population continues to apparently decline.  Can we rule out that recreational harvest is not the leading factor of smaller numbers of mountain goats?  Can the WDFW get serious about Mt Goat management in this state?  Idaho allows 41 goat permits on possibly a herd of 2000.  Oregon allows 25 permits on a population of 800.   

Wa wildlife first is targeting the mountain goats and blaming hunters for over harvesting. They also are the ones that got us our current commission.

Incorrect.  The baker population is down 60%+. Hunters have averaged 50% nanny harvest over the decline, although I agree hunting is not the cause of the decline,  dead nannys can't contribute.  All of the hunt units in baker and Darrington are below the minimum hunt threshold to have a hunt. Hunters have been poor representatives of themselves in this one. 

[Tbar]

Mountain goat permits down to 8 for a supposed population of 2800.  that is only .3% of the population, not 4% under guideline.  It's a really good thing that permit numbers continue to get decimated while the poorly surveyed population continues to apparently decline.  Can we rule out that recreational harvest is not the leading factor of smaller numbers of mountain goats?  Can the WDFW get serious about Mt Goat management in this state?  Idaho allows 41 goat permits on possibly a herd of 2000.  Oregon allows 25 permits on a population of 800.   

Wa wildlife first is targeting the mountain goats and blaming hunters for over harvesting. They also are the ones that got us our current commission.

This slide is not incorrect.  Managers managed as if reproduction rates were similar to deer. This led to over hunting and population crash across the range.

[GOcougsHunter]

Mountain goat permits down to 8 for a supposed population of 2800.  that is only .3% of the population, not 4% under guideline.  It's a really good thing that permit numbers continue to get decimated while the poorly surveyed population continues to apparently decline.  Can we rule out that recreational harvest is not the leading factor of smaller numbers of mountain goats?  Can the WDFW get serious about Mt Goat management in this state?  Idaho allows 41 goat permits on possibly a herd of 2000.  Oregon allows 25 permits on a population of 800.   

Wa wildlife first is targeting the mountain goats and blaming hunters for over harvesting. They also are the ones that got us our current commission.

This slide is not incorrect.  Managers managed as if reproduction rates were similar to deer. This led to over hunting and population crash across the range.

Reading the 2023 game status report, harvesting of nannies did not appear to happen much for the open N Cascade units over the past few years and doubtful that it led to the reported dramatic decline of the herds.  I agree that we need to be conservative on the management of mountain goats.  Just the drastic reduction of any hunting opportunity (which actually provides very important disease sampling for the bios) is like putting a band aid on a gunshot wound.  We need serious management of our Mt Goat herds.  Not the haphazard, side of the desk guesstimation science going on right now.

From the trend report: "The Mt. Baker area mountain goat population has rebounded substantially since the low abundance
in the 1980s and 1990s. However, surveyors counted approximately 50% fewer goats each year
during the 2021–2023 survey seasons than were counted each year from 2005–2020. The cause or
causes for this change are unknown, though potential factors may include habitat quality issues,
climate-caused changes in elevational use patterns (thus reducing sightability during surveys),
human recreation impacts, and predation. The conservative hunting season, reestablished in 2007,
appears to have negligible effects on population size, age/sex structure, and population trend."

[trophyhunt]

Does anyone think our comments change any proposed changes against what they wish? 

[HillHound]

Nope. But if we comment, I feel like we have the right to complain more later when it doesn’t go our way

[GOcougsHunter]

Does anyone think our comments change any proposed changes against what they wish? 

not even in the slightest.  only reason I comment is to satiate my need of someone providing input that may have been missed in the considerations.  I do think they read them.

[Humptulips]

Somebody reads them, not the commissioners. I think they aggregate them to judge public sentiment.
I did read one of my comments in an article about wolves that they took out of these so I guess someone looks at them.

[MeepDog]

I commented on everything. The proposals that arent related to bear or cougar are up to kelly susewind to decide and he might read the comments. Naturally the commission wants to be able to control the predator seasons.