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

[Buckrub]

Well Jerry, I'm not sure what to say to that. I don't disagree. There are a lot of things the WDFW could do to make things better for us hunters. But, in a lot of ways their hands are tied. A couple of major issues, the tribal hunting/poaching problem, and the predator problem we have no effective way to manage them with having the option of hound hunting being taken away by the voters of the state. I was just trying to point out that it's not 1975 anymore, we have a lot more people in the state, a lot more predators, and less deer and elk.

The hound hunting and baiting was by initiative and can be overturned after two years... Our game dept. has no backbone in real management and cowers to the bunny huggers. The predators are wiping out deer and elk populations and the dept. still wants to introduce wolf populations?
The one and only way to influence the dept. is with money in the form of boycotting and we are close to a mass Exodus.

It is not 1975 anymore but sound game management should be better, rather than revenue driven poor management.

The tribes are not the problem, the problem lies within the dept.

[Elkaholic daWg]

  How about we all start with NO interest in their multi-season permits???

[Stomper]

How about all of us join together at there meetings so we can be heard!I'm pretty sure alot of us would like an excuse like going to a meeting,to B.S afterwards with our friends on this website.Maybe buy a bunch of Hunting Washington Sweatshirts or tshirts to wear there.I'm talking like everyone...we will be heard if we come in numbers.

[300UltraMagShooter]

Well Jerry, I'm not sure what to say to that. I don't disagree. There are a lot of things the WDFW could do to make things better for us hunters. But, in a lot of ways their hands are tied. A couple of major issues, the tribal hunting/poaching problem, and the predator problem we have no effective way to manage them with having the option of hound hunting being taken away by the voters of the state. I was just trying to point out that it's not 1975 anymore, we have a lot more people in the state, a lot more predators, and less deer and elk.

WDFW's hands are not tied.  Their management agenda is directed by choice and lack of not knowing how to do things efficiently.  They use science as a deflector for reasonable approaches to solving resource issues.  Money is wasted in most areas by over management and too many cooks in the kitchen...or too many chiefs and not enough indians.

Dave is spot on.........like it or not.  Your view of WDFW, the resource and what we have to accept is tainted.  Stop drinking the department's kool aid.....it's not good for you.  The whole agency needs reform......enough said.

The example above of the Klickitat and WDFW's response from the quoted sources is sad.  It's become an individual's wildlife area....not yours.  That female manager works for you....but unfortunately all those tree hugger types now entrenched in WDFW, think otherwise. 

I'll throw my    in here.  To figure things out, you have to go back to the root of the problem.  How do you think those tree-hugger types got intrenched?

Simple, they have taken over our schools and Universities.  Until you fix that problem, all else is just spitting into the wind.  

[Special T]

Stomper  I think you idea is the first great idea that has come from this forum...That kind of thing send the RIGHT kind of message EVEN if you don't get to talk... Sportman sowing up to be heard...

[Mr T]

  I was just pondering this topic this morning while drinking a cup of coffee and beginning to plan in my mind the deer hunting expeditions of 2011.  Hard winters are going to happen and result in a cycle of deer populations throughout the state.  However, a factor has changed over the last decade or so and that is the inrease in cougar populations, which is result of hound hunting being removed.  I have read and heard many statistics abot how many deer an adult cougar will kill per week and month.  Even the lowest number I have heard of 2 per month adds up quickly in some of these areas that cougars are rarely hunted and harvested.  I believe there are many areas in the state that I have hunted and not hunted that are receiving a huge impacet to deer populations due to the increase in cougar populations 
So how do we start an intiative to reverse the intiative of the past.  We don't have much say in final game management decisions, we can't control the winter weather, but we can possibly do something to put the cougar population back to a number that is not impacting the der populations as much.  How do we do it, how much does it cost, what are timelines?   

[300UltraMagShooter]

I hate to admit it, but I was watching Animal Planet yesterday and they were talking about cougar attacks.  Like always, the leftist always blame the attacks on humans.

Never once could we get the true information out that they are not allowing us to manage the cats the way we know best. 

Not some know-nothing liberal studying at some know-nothing college where they are brainwashed of their common sense.

[KeeKeeBlamo]

Because we are too busy mouthing off about democrats, or republicans or some other interest group screwing things up for instead of spending that time doing something constructive to solve the problem.

[Mr T]

So lets be constructive.  The pictures, stories, information, ideas, help, etc. are absolutely GREAT on this website and I look at it almost daily because if them.

Yet, we have a forum of people hear that can easily work together as "one" if decided upon.  This sight could also be a place to "gather the troops" and decide on one thing to work at changing each year for the Washington Sportsmen and women. 

How do we do it?  I am not sure.  Any advice?

[Stomper]

We take vacation to go hunting..So why don't we take a vacation day to protect our hunting?If we have to we could call in sick on the weekday that the meeting is.Hell we could really stir up some crap if we show up early,do some Bbqing in the parking lot,and eat some tasty wild game.We all can gather for a bbq,so why can't we gather to protect our passions,future memories and our wildlife?Hell I have a minivan,we could carpool,it seats seven.

[Mr T]

Stomper I like it.....  When and where and what is the aggenda

[Stomper]

Mr.T let me do some research and I'll get back to you on when where and what.

[Stomper]

I think anyone who wants to join together to do this, needs to put in there two cents in.The next public meeting is Jan.6 in Ellensburg,concerning winter range closures.If enough of us feel strong enough on one topic.We can attend the next meeting that deals with the topic.Or we can just start showing up at all the meetings in great numbers to get some publicity going.This will allow wdfw to see we are tired of the way things have been going,and we mean business.

[300UltraMagShooter]

Actually, not enough of us spend enough time "mouthing off".

Mouthing off is one of the things we can do to, if nothing else, let our voices be heard. 

Mouthing off is one of the biggest weapons we have and thank God we have our Constitution to protect that right.

The other idea is good also, but there needs to be objects defined and things we all agree upon or we are just gonna end up fighting amongst ourselves.

[bobcat]

This is the one we need to be concerned with:

Game Regulations for 2011
The Department is considering rule making for the following: Game management unit boundaries; deer and elk area boundaries; deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, cougar, black bear, and turkey seasons and permit levels; special closures and firearm restriction areas; harvest reporting; trapping regulations; and private lands public access.

Attached below is a pdf which has contact information for those interested in being involved in the process. Looks like there is a deadline of Janury 10th.