Why do hunters not get involed in politics in this state?

[Special T]

As hunters we tend to talk a lot about organizing to protect and promote hunting in this state, but it never really gets off the ground...I have a few ideas but was curiouse what you thought... What do you think is the cause of such apathy in this state? Other states rally to support it, why do we fail?

[bearpaw]

Well put, not sure why so few will get involved. I think the problem exists in most states, but the percentage of hunters is lower in WA so it seems like its worse here.

[whacker1]

Because Hunter groups are heavily divided by membership association based on the individuals area of interest and do not coordinate to share a unified voice.  Not that they can't have a unified voice, but rather that they do not coordinate to do so.  Think of how many clubs there are and how many chapters within those various clubs.  

Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Boone & Crocket, Pope & Young, SCI, Mule Deer Foundation, WFNWSA (Sheep), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, etc.  I am sure that I missed several Whitetail, mountain goat and other clubs.  And I haven't even touched fishing clubs / associations.

I agree that a unified voice is needed in every state.  These clubs are better at coordinating federal lobbying efforts, but still not great.

Individual Recruitment is an even larger issue.

[FC]

Probably because our state is so politically diverse. People have to get butt-hurt over every other bit of politics or religion etc that other people believe and can't just buck up and band together in a common cause.

[Bean Counter]

I will stereotype and say that most hunters are conservative types. There are exceptions to every rule but I will guess that the overwhelming majority aren't leftists.

Conservatives tend to have lives, jobs, and be married. We tend to be more optimistic and look for the best in what we have, you know--gratitude. In my view, generally speaking, liberals tend to lack jobs, children, and a normal life. There is more complaining and that revolutionary push within them. That makes them easier to organize, get bitchy, and protest.

Just think of all the "George W Bush is a moron" protests we saw during 2000-2008. "Hey guys, lets have a protest!" ... "yeah!" Well there are plenty of conservatives who don't like BHO. "Hey guys, what to have a protest?" .... "Uh, well, I have to go to work, and the kids have a baseball game tonight, and there's church the next night..."

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Good point T...
As archers we do have a voice.  The WSAA, the Traditional Bowhunters of Washington (TBW) and the Washington State Bowhunters,  all are very active in representing all archers and our requests to the WDFW.  They have also formed a Washington State Archery Coalition with board members from all 3 organizations working together to advocate for the archer/bowhunter.  Is this enough?  NO.  Keep an eye on the WDFW website and attend the public meetings!  This is a way to get your voice heard.  Email the WDFW with your ideas, complaints and suggestions!  Of course if you have complaints,  have constructive ideas on how or what needs to be done to make it better!  THis is a very important time to start your lobbying as the WDFW will start holding meetings in regards to the next 3 year hunting plans.  BE RELENTLOUS!  Don't just shoot an email and forget about it,  they are very good at "forgetting" your email,  if they don't answer your email,  call them. 

[6x6in6]

Because most view it as a colossal waste of time when it will ultimately get shot down by the bunny hugging government we are so blessed with.
I'm not saying myself that it is a waste of time, because it is not.
Just saying that is the view of most.

[Dave Workman]

I have a different take, and some folks are NOT going to like this.

First and foremost, among our ranks are quite a few selfish sell-outs; people who plant their noses so far up WDFW's rump they cannot see nor hear what is going on, not that it would make much difference; so long as "they get theirs," so to speak. They LIKE the idea of trimming seasons and discouraging other hunters. The LIKE to think of themselves as noble outdoorsmen interested in the resource. They are  

I blame a lot of this on Resource Allocation (yep, I know the WDFW people read these threads to see what we're saying. Heck, even Phil Anderson called me up about a week ago over something that, as it turned out, I had nothing to do with.) Resource Allocation pits user groups against one another and divides them so they are not united to hold the department accountable for the poor seasons and poor management.

And don't buy this crap about Washington running out of land and habitat. It's a crock that has been allowed to flourish because nobody has taken the time to sit down and just haul out maps and look at all the public lands we have that cover winter, summer and transition range.

This is where I get politically insulting to some people here.  Your choices when voting for legislators and governors simply sucks. Elect Democrats, expect a fish & wildlife commission to be made up of people who may not have any use for sportfishing or hunting, or people who do it.  I run into people all the time who are gun owners and hunters, and didn't vote for Dino Rossi because he's a this or that. So they vote for Queen Christine and look at the commission we have.

They vote for Democrat legislators who are no more likely to hold the WDFW accountable for what many people believe is just piss poor management because it conflicts with their "big picture" outlook. Translation: they answer to greenies and fur huggers, and their interests are hardly our interests.

If you want a voice in Olympia, you need to put the right people in office, people who will listen to you instead of some wolf-lover.


See some of my other comments in other threads.  If hunters can kill more than 200,000 whitetail deer in Ohio during a season, WTF is wrong here?
Answer: Everything.


We aren't "blessed" with a bunny hugging government.  Some of our own helped elect that government, and they are cutting their own throats.  

 

[Little Dave]

A guess why:  People who are involved in civics typically do not miss an election so if we look back to some of the school board election turnouts prior to the end of the secret ballot, turnout would be something like 35%... but that is just voting which may amount to nothing more than reading the voter's pamphlet and making a best guess.  A better idea of the percent that gets involved might be the ratio of a town's population to the number of people that attend council meetings over a year.  My guess is that the figure is really low, probably much less than 1%.  From 200,000 licensed hunters that would be about 2,000... or from this website, perhaps about 60.

[high country]

I have been on hunts with rep matt shea. he is a good friggen' american. strong belief in small gov't america, a vet and hunter. we are lucky to have him.

[bobcat]

Dave (Workman,) the WDFW is far from perfect but they're not as bad as you make them out to be. It's a fact they don't have a lot to work with. We DO have a much higher human population than we did three decades ago, and we DO have less habitat available, AND less area open to hunting. Much of the habitat on both public and private forest land is in worse shape than it was in the past, due to many things but one of the major things is a lack of fire. Also, this is NOT Ohio. I don't know why you always try to compare Washington to Ohio. They are completely different. We also have the tribal hunting/poaching problem, in addition to an excess number of predators, which I know you are well aware of. You want to have more liberal seasons when we don't have the resources to sustain it. It's good in a way to have you speaking out for hunters, but you really ought to think about having more realistic goals. I doubt if Phil Anderson or anybody else at the WDFW takes much of what you say seriously, since it's so far out there. Like I said it really is good to have you on our side but the problem is what you are telling them is really not a true representation of what most hunters think. And I hope the WDFW doesn't think that your ideas are the norm, but I'm guessing that a lot of people at the DFW will hear some of your crazy ideas and will believe that a lot of hunters really are that far out of touch with reality.  

[Bob33]

Who says hunters don't get involved?  Is there proof?

Here's an example: if every licensed hunter in the state voted in the last presidential election, and if they all voted for John McCain, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference in the outcome in Washington.   Do you believe that all the hunters in the state could overcome the corruption in King County to elect a 2nd amendment governor?

This state is liberal, and 3 percent of the population are licensed hunters. 

I don't know this, but I suspect that hunters are more involved in voting than non-hunters.  It's just that there aren't enough to make much of a difference.

[GlennGTR]

I ran for State Representative in the 35th district. Does that count? I have also worked with my legislators to close areas to brush picking because of the harm that most of these guys are doing to our hunting areas. Trash, illegal timber product harvest, poaching, and meth production...these are some of my environmental concerns.

[bobcat]

I ran for State Representative in the 35th district. Does that count?

No, not if you didn't win.   

[GlennGTR]

I will be running again and starting my campaign in November, getting a couple of months head start on my competition. If you want a hard core hunter, flyfisherman and conservative, then suport me in my next election bid.