Big game season proposals

[TriggerMike]

Allow more lenient predator hunting seasons (year round cougar) and eliminate all doe tags for all user groups except youth whitetail and magically watch ungulate numbers bounce back. Pretty simple.

[RC]

Allow more lenient predator hunting seasons (year round cougar) and eliminate all doe tags for all user groups except youth whitetail and magically watch ungulate numbers bounce back. Pretty simple.

Until we get people on the commission that are more favorable toward predator management, it will only get worse.  Hopefully we have a strong presence at the upcoming commission meeting.

With that said, the population of this state is only growing, so it's probably just a matter of time before we go to a draw regardless.

[TriggerMike]

Allow more lenient predator hunting seasons (year round cougar) and eliminate all doe tags for all user groups except youth whitetail and magically watch ungulate numbers bounce back. Pretty simple.

Until we get people on the commission that are more favorable toward predator management, it will only get worse.  Hopefully we have a strong presence at the upcoming commission meeting.

With that said, the population of this state is only growing, so it's probably just a matter of time before we go to a draw regardless.

I don't think the people that are moving here are hunters. In fact, I'd bet a large percentage of the people that have left in the last 5 years have been the outdoors type that hunt and fish.

[Rigby416]

I think you're correct, Trigger Mike!

[Kingofthemountain83]

Having lived and hunted in WA my whole life... I see all kinds of cons with making it draw only eastern WA... I don't see many pro's without having their exact plan with seasons and amount of tags to look over... How many people from the east side go hunt the west side of the state already? I doubt many do for deer... I know some do for elk but it can't be many... I myself always go mule deer hunting and started being a little more selective and come home to the west side and blacktail hunt the longer season... I've hunted elk on both sides but majority on the east side by far... It is nice having a 3 point min for elk though... But my dad was born and raised in Yakima and hates hunting the west side... I told him about it and he said he thinks it's a horrible idea... Specially for the people that only hunt east side cause they live there... Don't hunt out of state... It sure would make those late muley hunts better for some of the tribes though... I can see them being the #1 supporter of this... They aren't going to cut back on anything they kill... The #2 supporter of this will be places that can profit off the hunting industry to take advantage of turning central WA into a mecca again...    It's already been there for elk... If you personally want, and can help the deer where you hunt or somewhere... #1 Thing is to shoot coyotes... That's their biggest predator when fawning... #2 is bears when fawning... I know we have wolves and they'll come through and decimate them... Not much we can do about it... A cougar won't sit on the fawning grounds like a yote or bear for some reason... They travel more...

[Humptulips]

Everybody has an idea on ungulate management, but all the proposals end up being a different taste of restricting hunters. I wish there was a different thought that maybe we could increase ungulate populations. I see very few hunters during hunting season, and it is because there are few animals to actually hunt. It didn't used to be that way. I know those that are younger and a shorter observation window don't realize how many deer, elk and yes hunters there used to be. Opening day was shooting all day. Now lucky if you hear a shot on a day. Also lack of game tends to concentrate hunters in the few pockets where there are game.
I know DFW would have to wake up to the fact that we have a predator problem, and I don't expect that in my lifetime. We used to have a lot more deer and elk and we had cougars too, just not one behind every bush. Please don't tell me we have a good population of ungulates, statistics Shoe leather tells me we have a lot of great habitat with not much in it. I don't understand why we should lie down and accept restrictions when we are not the problem.
OK, rant over. I couldn't hold it in.

[hunter399]

Less opportunity = less enforcement….which currently is not enough.
Poaching will drastically increase. Combine that with “un-enforceable” hunters….. easy to see where this ends. 

Just another step toward NO HUNTING.

1. Super simple to manage people and critters, …easy start, no more multi season permits. Take pressure off the critters.

2. Drastically reduce (or do away with) late “trophy” hunts, again take pressure off ungulates. More breeders/ing= more animals.

Yes sir,

And

A end to group camps, which reduce hunter numbers, which will in power anti hunters . Less hunter numbers means less opposition. Less need for guns, less gun sales.

If you think you will draw every other year, you are smoking some good stuff. They will reduce the hunts as they already have. You might get to hunt 4-5 times in your life. For old guys maybe not that.

I would rather see an end to all doe tags , all cow tags, all multi season, all quality hunts and pick east or west for deer. Wildlife lands shut down November to April were big game winter.

Stricter restrictions on new bike or hiking trails with in the National Forest. The use of atv strictly enforced of main roads. Increased penalties for poaching or party hunting.

I agree
They have tools to limit harvest right now,and don't utilize it.
To let over harvest happen to the point we need a draw system is a failure.

[hunter399]

Of course they want to drop the 3pt minimum and spike elk regulations.
I'm guessing every permit holder can shoot a spike muley or a trophy elk.
Just WOW 🤯

[Kingofthemountain83]

And the best way to help mule deer is to improve their winter range and not impede it... The herd is only as healthy as the winter range with proper predator management...