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[Snapshot]

I am going to get up on my soapbox for a minute:

People are constantly complaining that they didn't know what the WDFW was doing until it was too late to voice their opinion. If they really want to be informed instead of just wanting to complain, then they should get on the department's email list to receive bulletins about what is going on. It isn't hard to do online or with a phone call. Lots of what you get is only worth deleting but some is worth knowing about.
For example, people are ragging on not having input on the permit changes, which by the way I think stink. Because I am on the email list I heard about the public meetings that were scheduled in the summertime in seven cities across the state where the proposals were introduced; I went to the one in my region and they got to hear me tell them what I thought of it. That meeting was in Tacoma and there were only a few dozen people there. In a major urban center there should have been many more. It just seems too few care to get involved but plenty are ready and willing to complain.

Climbing down now...

Have a great day and good luck with the draws. I don't think I'll be playing the permit game this year; my personal little protest (which will increase someone else's odds).

[Woodchuck]

well.....i am on the e-mail list and it seems i only get selective ones, i knew nothing of the proposed changes until about 6 weeks ago  

[6x6in6]

well.....i am on the e-mail list and it seems i only get selective ones, i knew nothing of the proposed changes until about 6 weeks ago  

Same.

[grundy53]

same here. i just dont think the wdfw really gives a rats a$$ about us or what we think... but thats just my opinion.

[WDFW-SUX]

Ya seriously they dont care. These meetings are a formailty thats required by law.  The decisions were made several years ago behind closed doors.

[SkookumHntr]

Im on the list too! I heard nothing about this till about 2 months ago

[bobcat]

I get all their emails and knew nothing about it until February this year. There may have been an email about a meeting last summer but after the meeting, why weren't the details of the changes to the permit system made available for the public to see? Sure we probably could have read the meeting minutes, if we even knew there was a meeting regarding changes to the special permit system. But why does it seem like a lot of this is treated like top secret info? Honestly I never have paid much attention to their meetings because 90% of the topics at these meetings involves fish and fishing, not hunting. But if they had sent out a News Release by email, stating exactly what changes they were proposing, I'm sure I would have gone to a meeting, and recruited others to do the same. I also could have written letters while there was still time to make a difference. Why couldn't they have put a survey up online, and asked people exactly what they thought of these changes? They did have an online survey in which they determined that people would like to have better odds of drawing a special permit, and that people would be in favor of the WDFW working towards getting more access for hunters on private property. And with those conclusions, they came up with this new permit system, claiming it will make permits easier to draw and that the increased revenue to the department would be used for the hunter access program.  That's all I have to say.  

[Elkaholic daWg]

well.....i am on the e-mail list and it seems i only get selective ones, i knew nothing of the proposed changes until about 6 weeks ago  

Same.

+ 1

[Curly]

I don't have time to go to each of their meetings and try to decipher what they are planning.  They very easily could have posted the info on their website and sent out emails a year ago (or at least 6 months ago) describing their plans.

I did go to the commission meeting this month, but I was really sick and didn't feel like getting up to speak because of the pounding headache and sore throat I had.  But even if I had gotten up to say my thoughts, I felt like it was already too late for WDFW to change course based on what the staff was saying.

[whacker1]

i get most of their e-mails.  I think much of the frustration is that the notice for meetings sometimes comes out with short notice.  But more often than not, they are planning a big change, but don't send out the proposed changes until just before a meeting.  There doesn't seem to be consistency with their e-mail delivery in regards to the information that is being shared.  I also only get some of their meeting nofications, but find out from others on here that there are more meetings going on even though they only posted one general meeting via e-mail and their web-site.  I don't think it is purely intentional, I think it is a lack of organization across all parts of WDFW. 

[jackelope]

I think I found a summary of when "stuff" was made known to the public...or at least allegedly made known to the public. I don't recall getting any emails from them till february...and I may only be thinking that because thats when it was publicized here on this site...
 

http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/regulations/development.html#2010_game_regs

Game Regulations for 2010
The Department is considering rule making for the following: deer and elk seasons and permits; cougar permits; black bear seasons and permits; mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and moose permits; raffle and auction rules and fees; bighorn sheep marking rules; turkey seasons and permits; landowner hunting permit program; deer and elk area boundaries; and hunting equipment rules.


CR-101 - filed as WSR 09-24-111 on December 2, 2009
Invitation to discuss rules on this subject
CR-102 - filed as WSR 10-04-125 on February 3, 2010 (see revisions below)
Notice and opportunity to comment on this current rule-making proposal
March 5, 2010 Revisions to Proposed Rule Changes
These revisions to the WACs that were proposed with the CR-102 are very minor. The Department made changes to correct grammar and punctuation and to add penalty language to each WAC.


Public Comment Period:
A public hearing will take place at 8:00 a.m. on March 12-13, 2010
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
First Floor Room 172
1111 Washington St. SE
Olympia, WA  98504

[jackelope]

it seems, based on that, that the comment period opened on 2/3/10

[colockumelk]

Ya seriously they dont care. These meetings are a formailty thats required by law.  The decisions were made several years ago behind closed doors.

They actually do care, BUT only when we let them know about it when we're not happy.  Then unfortunately they do a knee jerk decision that is only a band-aid to the problem instead of something more permanent to fix it.  I think if they listened to the bio's things would go alot better.  I know our local bio is a really good guy and from what it seems the WDFW doesn't listen to him.  Like your name says WDFW-SUX

[colockumelk]

I think its funny when people say that the WDFW does a pretty good job considering what they have to work with.  These people I think are very optimistic and very NAIVE.  So for those people I have a question.  If the WDFW is so good then why is it that the Mule Deer in Central Washington are doing so poorly.  Why has the Colockum elk herd continued to go down hill?  If the WDFW is does such a good job then why is it that despite the fact that we have so many hunters and fisherman compared to other states the WDFW can't properly manage their budget?  If the WDFW does such a good job then why to they pay farmers to plant CRP but don't enforce the farmers to ensure that they let us hunt their property.  Why do they allow the Kapowsin Tree farm etc to charge hunters user fees?  

If the WDFW does such a great job then answer me this:  The WDFW micro-manages all of the game animals in the state of WA except one.  The one game animal they don't do anything with other than gather harvest data is the Turkey.  The turkey is by FAR the most successfull game animal to be re-introduced into WA.

 The problem is, is that our Commission is made up of people who don't know what they're doing.  They are not professional game managers.  They are not dedicated hunters, conservationists, former wildlife bio's, former Game Wardens.  Nothing they are newbies in charge of running our game management.  They are WAY, WAY , WAY over their heads.  So of course everything is going to be mismanaged.  Everything the WDFW touches is ruined. 

****DISCLAIMER****
When I say WDFW I mean the commission, and the GMAC.  I don't mean the bio's or the wardens.  There are some extremely professional people who are dedicated to their job and do an outstanding job especially with who they have to work for.  It is not the WDFW that is the problem it is the men and women at the top. 

[bobcat]

The turkey is by FAR the most successfull game animal to be re-introduced into WA.

Kinda off topic, but why do you say RE-introduced    As far as I know turkeys are not native in this state.