Anderson new WDFW director

[Wacenturion]

I'm not sure th herds could handle that much pressure for that amount of time.  They get pushed pretty hard already.  If I remember correctly Washington only has 58k elk...we don't need more harvest, we need more habitat and more elk... the higher harvest would follow.  I would like to see more emphasis on habitat improvements- i.e water developments, weed control, proper timber managment, controlled burns, winter range protection...we could have more animals, but it would take work and $.

Could not agree more with on the habitat enhancement issues.  Unfortunately WDFW game and habitat management for the most part is paper management.  There are on the ground efforts, but not nearly as focused as they should be for all species.  Also as I mentioned earlier....it's not a centralized uniform approach as far as the few things that do happen for an say elk.  They are done on an individual/regional basis.  Just take a look at the waste of money spent by WDFW on "habitat management" on the St. Helen's area as an example.  Again.............way too many chiefs in WDFW drawing big salaries sitting in offices rather than having enough field folks with the right equipement to make a real difference on the ground for wildlife.  Fact!       

[bearpaw]

I'm not sure th herds could handle that much pressure for that amount of time.  They get pushed pretty hard already.  If I remember correctly Washington only has 58k elk...we don't need more harvest, we need more habitat and more elk... the higher harvest would follow.  I would like to see more emphasis on habitat improvements- i.e water developments, weed control, proper timber managment, controlled burns, winter range protection...we could have more animals, but it would take work and $.

these are some good points that need to be looked at more closely.....

[Dave Workman]

What's nonsense?

This:

Yeah everyone just get's a tag and shows up to hunt in the forest on the same day. Total chaos.

[Ray]

Whatever. THe multiseason draw took in 4000 or so applicants (for deer and elk each) and gave out what 1500 or so for deer and 500 for elk? You can fudge the numbers a lot of ways but the normal choose your tag system is certainly spreading hunters out across opening days. It doesn't account for would be over the counter tag buyers under the proposal/system described by you above, which would certainly be higher than 4000.

The archery season for elk can be competitive in many places. I'd rather not see another 4 thousand archers in September hunting elk. That isn't nonsense it's certainly a possibility.

[wolfbait]

I'm not sure th herds could handle that much pressure for that amount of time.  They get pushed pretty hard already.  If I remember correctly Washington only has 58k elk...we don't need more harvest, we need more habitat and more elk... the higher harvest would follow.  I would like to see more emphasis on habitat improvements- i.e water developments, weed control, proper timber managment, controlled burns, winter range protection...we could have more animals, but it would take work and $.

Hmmm, Winter range protection, plan on putting up some wolf fencing. More elk you say,,but what about the wolves??? Gee whiz, what a great idea, thats what we can do we will just fence them damn wolves out. WDFW don't give a rats ass about the game, they don't have enough time, they are to bizzy count their money from multiple hunting seasons. Trying to figure out just how many differant deer seasons that we have here in the Okanogan, I think we have 6 differant seasons on deer here in the Methow Valley. Don't really matter at this point as the deer are on their way out, do to the wolves....

[Dave Workman]

I'm not sure th herds could handle that much pressure for that amount of time.  They get pushed pretty hard already.  If I remember correctly Washington only has 58k elk...we don't need more harvest, we need more habitat and more elk... the higher harvest would follow.  I would like to see more emphasis on habitat improvements- i.e water developments, weed control, proper timber managment, controlled burns, winter range protection...we could have more animals, but it would take work and $.

Your first sentence reads like something out of the "WDFW Limited Opportunity" handbook.
We have been hearing that since resource allocation was imposed 20 years ago and when we had 100,000 MORE hunters than we do today.  So,the animals, by the very nature of the reduction in hunter numbers, are getting pushed less.

Washington has an estimated 58,000-60,000 elk and we definitely could have more elk because we have the habitat. We have enormous tracts of public land in this state, wilderness areas, national forests, state landsand even private timberlands.

Likewise, we could have more deer. Do you know that in Ohio, which is 20,000 square miles smaller than Washington and has a pitiful amount of public land in comparison, ...yeah, that Ohio... they kill upwards of 90,000 deer in a hunting season back there that runs 7-9 days and they don't allow rifles, only shotguns, ML or archery.
They have only ONE deer species, and we have three.

WTF??

Ever since I was a kid in this state, some bonehead has been telling me that I must learn to "get along with less"and make the most of shrinking opportunities. What a disastrous,defeatist attitude, a self-fulfilling prophecy more or less.



It doesn't wash. It doesn't pass the smell test.

We've reduced hunter numbers by 100,000 since the 1980s, and yet the seasons for the remaining hunters are still shrinking, a day here, a day there, when by all rights and simple math they should be expanding. Now the state has come up with this "Master Hunter" program and those with a Master hunter certificate get acrack at some additional opportunities.  Gents, that translates to state-imposed elitism. It is just one more manifestation of a problem we face and most of you don't even realize it.

By setting up Resource Allocation and tossing the Master Hunter special opportunity in there, the state is pitting one user group against another so that we are constantly at each other's throats instead of every sportsmen working together to hold thesed people accountable.  It's a great way to avoid actually doing something for hunters in this state, because the state can say that "those hunterws can't even agree on what to do."  Damn right. It's by design.

What do you think, Wacenturion?  That about cover it?

[Dave Workman]

Whatever. THe multiseason draw took in 4000 or so applicants (for deer and elk each) and gave out what 1500 or so for deer and 500 for elk? You can fudge the numbers a lot of ways but the normal choose your tag system is certainly spreading hunters out across opening days. It doesn't account for would be over the counter tag buyers under the proposal/system described by you above, which would certainly be higher than 4000.

The archery season for elk can be competitive in many places. I'd rather not see another 4 thousand archers in September hunting elk. That isn't nonsense it's certainly a possibility.

You are mixing apples and oranges. 
I'm talking about general archery, ML and modern weapon seasons, and you are, at least up front, talking about permits for designated seasons or opportunities.

Now,this is going to sound awful and provocative, and it's not meant that way, but if 4,000 more people want to try their hand at bowhunting, it's not your call, nor mine, to suggest they can't because we may not want them out there.  They'd have just as much right to be out there as you or me. 

[Ray]

I don't think there is anything wrong with newer archers coming into the archery season.  The suggestion and more specifically the numbers you pose are not based on real facts I would guess and I call it bogus since you have not really referenced anything remotely measurable. I have been pretty open that the numbers I referenced could be fudged many ways. I think I used conservative examples. The only way the 4000 archers are going to select the archery season today is they choose not to hunt with a rifle or muzzy. I support this idea to spread out hunters across the hunting season and I support it if 4000 more people wanted to make that decision to buy an archery tag as opposed to rifle or muzz next year. I can then choose a different time of year (tag) if one becomes more crowded than the other. I am not specifically attempting to rat hole on archery but I could choose muzzleloader season as well. If we had 4000 new muzzleloaders during the elk season I am sure a lot of people would switch to rifle or archery tags.

How exactly have I mixed apples and oranges any more than you have? You suggest a system is better when you can buy any tag over the counter and just go hunting. I am talking about a limited system which is in place that is somewhat similar in nature except you have to draw the tag and pay more money. I have never mentioned anything about special permits other than the special permit to get a multi season opportunity/tag.

[dbllunger]

I was very impressed with Anderson and his broad range of knowlege on real world hunting and fishing.  This guy actaully knows hunting and fishing and is just not some administrator who has a certificate.  I told him the other day I hoped they slected him as we need a director who really understands the on ground issues.  Talked to a few other game guys and he worked his way up starting at the bottom.  Exactly what we needed lets just hope he sticks around and can do well in the current budget crisis our sweet goverment created. 

[bearpaw]

I was very impressed with Anderson and his broad range of knowlege on real world hunting and fishing.  This guy actaully knows hunting and fishing and is just not some administrator who has a certificate.  I told him the other day I hoped they slected him as we need a director who really understands the on ground issues.  Talked to a few other game guys and he worked his way up starting at the bottom.  Exactly what we needed lets just hope he sticks around and can do well in the current budget crisis our sweet goverment created. 

That sounds good, I hope he can improve things....

[Dave Workman]

I don't think there is anything wrong with newer archers coming into the archery season.  The suggestion and more specifically the numbers you pose are not based on real facts

What numbers are you talking about?

[Ray]

but if 4,000 more people want to try their hand at bowhunting, it's not your call, nor mine, to suggest they can't because we may not want them out there

I would never dispute the quote above.

The point is - I think that dividing the user groups (whether you want to take that into a conspiracy level or not) does play a role in limiting the number of hunter traveling out in the woods at a given time. I think that is what I have spoken to. More importantly - I do not feel as if we should have all the entire population of elk hunters looking for elk for 3-4 months straight. That's just one example.

[Wacenturion]

I was very impressed with Anderson and his broad range of knowlege on real world hunting and fishing.  This guy actaully knows hunting and fishing and is just not some administrator who has a certificate.  I told him the other day I hoped they slected him as we need a director who really understands the on ground issues.  Talked to a few other game guys and he worked his way up starting at the bottom.  Exactly what we needed lets just hope he sticks around and can do well in the current budget crisis our sweet goverment created. 

I wish the new director well also..............but can you tell me what you meant about him starting at the bottom and working his way up.  Hows does being selected from outside the agency by the previous director a few years ago to be his assistant fit that description?  He certainly didn't start at the bottom of WDFW or the separate agencies before merger.  In reality I doubt he would qualify for this job anywhere else in this county, as he does not have the qualifications.  Not trying to badmouth him, just stating fact.  He was in an interim position after the other guy was fired which allowed him to be considered.       

[WAcoyotehunter]

I'm not sure th herds could handle that much pressure for that amount of time.  They get pushed pretty hard already.  If I remember correctly Washington only has 58k elk...we don't need more harvest, we need more habitat and more elk... the higher harvest would follow.  I would like to see more emphasis on habitat improvements- i.e water developments, weed control, proper timber managment, controlled burns, winter range protection...we could have more animals, but it would take work and $.

Hmmm, Winter range protection, plan on putting up some wolf fencing. More elk you say,,but what about the wolves??? Gee whiz, what a great idea, thats what we can do we will just fence them damn wolves out. WDFW don't give a rats ass about the game, they don't have enough time, they are to bizzy count their money from multiple hunting seasons. Trying to figure out just how many differant deer seasons that we have here in the Okanogan, I think we have 6 differant seasons on deer here in the Methow Valley. Don't really matter at this point as the deer are on their way out, do to the wolves....

Oh...ok then.  Habitat protection/enhancement is not a viable solution.  Wolves must have killed all the deer...not two consecutive harsh winters.  Give me a break....   

The only real option we have is to enhance the big game herds.  The only real way to do that is through habitat and hunter management.  Deer/elk cannot live in a knapweed pasture, nor can they live on a parking lot... 

[bearpaw]

I think wolfbait was just pulling on your chain....we all have some valid points and if we could put them all together we would have more deer.....

-Spray Some Weeds For Better Habitat
-Harvest A Few Coyotes
-Carefully Set Hunting Seasons
-Get Lucky With A Few Mild Winters
-Get A Good Wolf Plan That Will Control The Wolf Population


5 little points to satisfy everyone a little bit and problem solved....wish I would of thought of that before....    

sorry, just being a  smart....