WDFW airs plans for special-hunt drawings

[Curly]

"All funds raised by the sale of additional permit applications would be used to expand hunter access to private lands."

ya im sure

Yeah, even if the plan is to use the funds for access, I don't trust them.  What happens when they get some landowners to agree to allow access for payment of X amount of money?  Then other landowners will want X amount of compensation for allowing access.  Then people that already allow access for free will want a handout; and the snowball begins to roll down the hill.  Then when the funds run out, and the landowners can't be paid, they will just close it down to public access and give access to the highest bidder.  Funding access is a bad idea.........

[Houndhunter]

Yeah, even if the plan is to use the funds for access, I don't trust them.  What happens when they get some landowners to agree to allow access for payment of X amount of money?  Then other landowners will want X amount of compensation for allowing access.  Then people that already allow access for free will want a handout; and the snowball begins to roll down the hill.  Then when the funds run out, and the landowners can't be paid, they will just close it down to public access and give access to the highest bidder.  Funding access is a bad idea.........

good point, i hated to see rayonier timber company last year start shutting gates and you now have to pay just to walk on their land and hunt. im not sure on exat numbers but i know you had to get a pretty big lease which wasnt cheap and pay a % for any matinence for the roads on your leased land

[bobcat]

I must have made an impression with my letter. I already received a reply back from Dave Ware. Of course he says the changes have been known to the public for well over a year and posted on their website, and has been discussed many times in meetings they have had over the last year or so. He gave me several links and places to look so I can see where I should have been able to find all the information. I haven't had a chance to look at any of it yet.

Gotta give him credit for taking the time to reply to my letter.

[bobcat]

A small portion of the the email I got back from Dave Ware:

The bottom line is that thousands of folks have weighed in on the issue over the past couple of years.  This is not new.

Also, the news release says that hunters will have more “options” not a greater chance of being drawn.  Finally, the bottom line is that some folks like you with few points feel that spreading the points across all categories reduces their chance of drawing.  There are a variety of reasons that folks have accumulated points, not just because they were holding out for bucks and bulls.  Some just apply for ghost hunts every year.  In the past, they could have decided to apply for antlerless permits.  No one really knows what permits folks who have regularly applied for popular buck and bull hunts will apply for with the new categories.  Had we chosen other ways to distribute points, I am certain we would have been criticized for them as well.

[Curly]

"Had we chosen other ways to distribute points, I am certain we would have been criticized for them as well."

 

If they had decided to let the applicant choose what category they wanted their points to be placed I doubt anyone would complain.

[provider]

http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2010/03/031310_13_special_hunting.pdf

Read page two "Green Sheet", 4th paragraph, on how this new funding will help hunting access.

That's sure nice of you biggame guys to fund landowners for waterfowl and pheasant hunting.  And besides money...  all it cost you was much worse draw odds for your biggame permits.

That should make you feel better about this proposal and finally willing to support it... right? 

[Curly]

It just keeps getting better doesn't it......  

[rosscrazyelk]

If they had decided to let the applicant choose what category they wanted their points to be placed I doubt anyone would complain.

Maybe I am reading it wrong and according to many posts on here I might be. But the way I read it was that..... lets just use me for example I have 14 points for Elk they are going to put 14 points in each category that I apply for and only loose the points for the ones I get drawn for. sounds pretty good to me.
 I do agree with I cannot trust what they will do with the money..

[Curly]

Yes, Rosscrazy, they do apply your 14 points in each category.  That is the problem.  Now there will be tons of people with max points in the category for antlerless.  Now the guys with few points won't have a snowballs chance in hell of drawing for the next few years, until all you guys with a ton of points get drawn and get out of the pool.

So, yeah, for you it is sweet........you'll easily be able to draw in every eligible category except quality.  (now you'll have a bunch more guys in the pool for the quality permit whereas before there were guys that just applied for cow tags and didn't bother trying for those impossible to draw permits).  What I'm saying is that it would be better to have you tell them what category you wanted your points to go.

I guess they counted on having a bunch of guys with a lot of points not complaining because they are practically going to be given permits for the easier to draw permits.

[bobcat]

rosscrazyelk,

Yes it is a good deal for you and all who have many points like you do. That is why it's unfair.

[rosscrazyelk]

I can understand your frustration. But I have felt that frustration for 14 years.. So you can say I have felt the system never worked..

[bobcat]

I've drawn 3 deer permits and 3 elk permits since 1996 so it works for me. But I also apply for hunts that have relatively low numbers of applicants, at least on my 3rd and 4th choices.

I had given up completely on bull elk permits and went to only applying for cow elk. Now with the changes that strategy won't work anymore; I expect there will be too much competition for the antlerless permits, now that people have no reason to not apply for them.

It's really not that big of a deal to me, as I will be just fine with the general season hunts this year. My biggest complaint is the lack of public notice, of exactly how this new draw system was going to be done. They posted it on their website on February 4th, and now if all goes as expected, the proposal will be adopted at the commissioner's next meeting in April. That's only 2 months from the time of public notification to it being a done deal.

[Bob33]

lets just use me for example I have 14 points for Elk they are going to put 14 points in each category that I apply for and only loose the points for the ones I get drawn for. sounds pretty good to me.

If you have 14 points, that is probably because you have been applying for a "quality" bull permit?  If you have been applying for an antlerless permit, you most likely would have drawn by now.

Guess what?  Your odds of drawing that quality permit will get worse.  You will not only be competing with the other hunters that been applying for that permit, but now many of the hunters that have been applying for antlerless tags will be jumping into your pool as well.

[Bob33]

Also, the news release says that hunters will have more “options” not a greater chance of being drawn. 

Say what?

"First, it would reduce the number of applicants in each drawing, thereby potentially improving hunters' odds of being selected for hunts they prefer"

Dave Ware said that here: http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/permits/2010_changes_faq.html

[billythekidrock]

I can understand your frustration. But I have felt that frustration for 14 years.. So you can say I have felt the system never worked..

So how do you feel about the guys that have 20+ points in every category?