Feedback about Open Pursuit permit ONLY on Bear and Cougar in Washington.

[mulehunter]

Due to respect, I would like to share about how you all feel about this.


I am not trying to be Selfish, I am willing to give feedback on adjusting how to make it better to reduce for all Bears attacks and Cougar being more sighting.

I would be soo mad when they use Snare cable for Bears down south area what I heard. It need to be stop.

I wonder if WDFW Will open Pursuit on one permit for one each Bears or Cougars if they decide set schedule from May 15 thur July 30 NO KILLS PERIOD. Try to released all as possible. Good trainning dogs Some dogs will die from Bears but its our choice. Make it Limit five hounds or under PER PERMIT And NO doggers from other Houndmen. It would help them stay away from Residences area and Balance good Fair for Boot hunter and Houndmen. Thats way Gammie can be very watch on how Rules run.

I am sure Some Letters on way to WDFW and all list of those to tell them WE WILL DO ANYTHING POSSIBLE to save your money.  We will all stand together not to Kill and willing working for them to chase them off to mountain as hard as we can.

I doubt it but I hope they start to think about it.  I know A lot people disagree with this. But its what I want to help all Houndmen and better for Boothunter to have their own time before and after.

They should start to put New Section of APPLY Permit for few houndmen to be able to pursuit for fun. Not whole Houndmen. Just need to be balance. Maybe only 100 Bear pursuit permit  or 50 cougar pursuit permit give out. 

WDFW will get more money if MORE People applying, Pursuit license No kill permit Just pursuit, Two Hounddogger handler only. etc.... ANY IDEA...   WDFW should be able to make money off it to let them push them off from Residences area.  Reduce Bio study, Reduce Trap Barrel cost of all expense, Reduce Snare Cable down South, etc.  Increase MONEY in WDFW Pocket.  Its about being Fair for everybody.

Maybe some only few Gmus where Most complaints area.

It would be soo cool if some of ya willing join and write letter to them.

If you all DISAGREE with this. I am fine Just want to share my idea. I hate to see my dogs sitting in kennel whole  5 years for one permit. Its unfair for some of hounddogger.

Its about houndmen love to work with hounds.  I cant let them Ban everything we loved.

Please feel free share your feeling.  Two Attacks last year. Possible More Attacks this year. 

Pls no fight over this. Just General feedback about how we all feel about it.

I am not making this HOPE. I hope this can be helpful.


Mulehunter 

[Machias]

I would obviously be all for it.  Let houndsmen put in for pursuit only permits, if they apply for these they cannot apply for a harvest permit.  Most guys only want to work their dogs anyways.  They can still be a dog handler for someone who drew a harvest permit.  That would be a win win for the WDFW and Houndsmen as well as the general hunting population since there would be well trained dogs to help the harvest cats.  More permit money and better trained dogs.  Can't see it EVER happening here, but I would send letters and make calls. 

[Humptulips]

I think you are going to have some trouble getting something like this by the wording of Initiative-655. You'd have to go through the legislature and I actually think you're going to lose some support with a no kill agenda. Forest products industry doesn't want them chased off. They want them dead. I pretty much feel the same way. Like to see you hunting but they need thinned out.
I also think you will get a lot of opposition from enforcement in the WDFW.

[CementFinisher]

Would support it

[Machias]

I think you are going to have some trouble getting something like this by the wording of Initiative-655. You'd have to go through the legislature and I actually think you're going to lose some support with a no kill agenda. Forest products industry doesn't want them chased off. They want them dead. I pretty much feel the same way. Like to see you hunting but they need thinned out.
I also think you will get a lot of opposition from enforcement in the WDFW.

They can still issue whatever permits they want for harvest.  This would be a seperate pursuit only permit.  They already do it for lions once the harvest quota is filled.  They even do a second drawing and issue pursuit only permits for lions in a few counties.

[mulehunter]

With all the bear attacks last year and sightings in major cities everyday on the 5 o'clock news, I wonder if people would be more inclined to sign a signature sheet to get an initiative on the ballot?   Maybe if I use the same tacticts they used to get to get hound hunting banned.  You know some scare tactics, to play on their emotions.  Post some pictures of local people recently attacked. ?  Think that might help??


Mulehunter

[Houndhunter]

i would love to see that happen, especially since anyone can draw from the few hound permits we have. the main thing standing in the way is our state banned hounds, pure and simple. i can see an arguement that this is not hunting, because it was thought as unethical to use hounds for hunting so that might have an impact. but i just dont see our wdfw or our politicians caring enough about running hounds to do anything unless there is money involved. i wrote them last year about this

[Houndhunter]

look at how the lion and bear complaints jumped up after 1996, there is proof that just running them kept the human-wildlife problems low. they kinda lose there fear of people

[villageidiot]

This is and excellent idea Mule and Machais.   It would increase revenue for WDFW, allow hound owners to keep their dogs ready to go in case of an emergency call for human attack.  The idea Machais had about only allowing pursuit if you get drawn and you can't apply for kill permit is a very good idea.  Most hound owners never even carry a gun when hunting lions just a camera.  The kill permits can still be allocated in certain areas around tree farms where the bears need to be reduced.  This would increase the WDFW coffers by many thousands of dollars, eliminate conflicts between houndsmen and WDFW, reduce human interaction from lions and bears.  It's a win win for sure.  An initiative can be changed after it has been in place for 2 years so WDFW can change this.  Only problem is our commission is not a hunting commission and have been appointed by the Democratic governors for so long that they don't seem to favor any favorable hunting stratigies.   Hound owners could continue to be a part of the hunting society and no animals removed, exactly like catch and release fishing.    Absolutely no difference at all.  

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I would support it, but don't beleive it will happen.
the large timber companies in the area have a contract with "The Forest Protection Society", and the $$$$, they have no reason to try to work with the public.
The smaller companies, and private landowners deal with NWCO's who are making a living (however small) off of contracts, and it is pretty difficult to become a new licensee.
The "granola eating bunny huggers" (King county Voters) don't realise the conflict, until it directly affects them.
Things will have to get worse before they get better.

[Humptulips]

This is and excellent idea Mule and Machais.   It would increase revenue for WDFW, allow hound owners to keep their dogs ready to go in case of an emergency call for human attack.  The idea Machais had about only allowing pursuit if you get drawn and you can't apply for kill permit is a very good idea.  Most hound owners never even carry a gun when hunting lions just a camera.  The kill permits can still be allocated in certain areas around tree farms where the bears need to be reduced.  This would increase the WDFW coffers by many thousands of dollars, eliminate conflicts between houndsmen and WDFW, reduce human interaction from lions and bears.  It's a win win for sure.  An initiative can be changed after it has been in place for 2 years so WDFW can change this.  Only problem is our commission is not a hunting commission and have been appointed by the Democratic governors for so long that they don't seem to favor any favorable hunting stratigies.   Hound owners could continue to be a part of the hunting society and no animals removed, exactly like catch and release fishing.    Absolutely no difference at all.  

Nope, it may have been more then two years but the WDFW can't change it. It would have to go through the legislature. You would stand a lot better chance there. It is just too costly to go the initiative route. Probably need a half million dollars to make that work.
I still think enforcement is going to oppose it big time and I don't think it will generate enough license fees to interest the department so you'll have to do it without any help from them.
Not sure how the WFPA would come down on it but I don't think you will find opposition from NWCOs. There is hardly anyone allowed to do this work in the state. Count them on the fingers of one hand. Almost all done by government employes.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I have met 2 guys that are paid by Weyerhaeuser to feed the bears to prevent damage, both told me about "guys running hounds" from their bait-sites, say that is one reason WH restricts access, so nobody knows
The lady working the counter at the local 76 station has corroborated the story by these "hound guys" buying coffee in the morning.........
Someone gets to do it, and I doubt that it is "government employees"

[Humptulips]

I have met 2 guys that are paid by Weyerhaeuser to feed the bears to prevent damage, both told me about "guys running hounds" from their bait-sites, say that is one reason WH restricts access, so nobody knows
The lady working the counter at the local 76 station has corroborated the story by these "hound guys" buying coffee in the morning.........
Someone gets to do it, and I doubt that it is "government employees"

Yea well that is not NWCOs. You don't need a permit to feed the bears. The timber companies hire someone usually through WFPA but that has nothing to do with NWCOs.
The guys chasing the bear with hounds. Any body can do it with a permit from the state. The land owner puts in for the permit and either names can be drawn from a list of qualified people that have put there name on the list for a damage control hunt or the landowner can ask for someone on the permit application. Qualified means you have to have hounds. Any bear killed remain the property of the state and are typically donated to charity and the permit holder has to pay for processing. These are not NWCOs. NWCOs are not allowed to handle big game or migratory waterfowl. The department wants to change this but for now that's the way it is. There are bear snaring permits issued but very few people qualify.
When I spoke of government employees  I was refering to trapping bears or cougars. I only know of a couple of guys that can get the permits for this that are not government employees. Most are either WDFW or APHIS USDA.

[Ray]

I'm for it.