Cougar Seasons - Year Round/No Weapon Limits for Boot Hunters - Lets Change It!

[flysar]

I would like to expand the Boot Hunting Season for Cougar and get rid of the weapon limitations. What do I need to do? Any Hunter Cons to this idea?

What is wrong with expanding the season to year-round for Boot hunters; doubt we'd put a real dent in the total population since killing a cougar without dogs is generally a chance encounter while scouting or hunting other game. Please tell me there is more to it than losing about $6,000 in revenue from special permit applications.

The weapon limitation is also rediculous - I can buy a bear tag and hunt with any weapon during the same time there is weapon limitations for Cougar. I doubt eliminating the weapon limitation would increase hunters in the woods or illegally poached animals and would allow rifle Bear hunters with a Cougar tag to harvest a cougar should the chance present itself regardless of the date.

I had a goat killed and I was able to kill the cougar for depredation purposes. The responding officer said that he spends most of his day responding to and investigating cougar sitings and livestock kills which leaves very little time for enforcement - seems like we have this a little backwards. WDFW, why don't you let the hunters help you out some.

Back to my original question, what has the most effectiveness for changing game laws - petitions, multiple letters to whomever, etc? There has to be more to it than attending meetings and voicing an opinion.

I'm willing to do the work but want to focus my efforts in the right direction. Those who have done it or seen it done please give me some pointers!

[bucklucky]

The Bio's say we are killing too many cougars in certain units thats why some west side units are permit only for boot hunters  after the end of december wich I think is rediculas. We are being over run by cougars IMO. Deer pops are on the decline in a few areas and there are way more cougars being killed and way more sightings.

[benhuntin]

Since when is cougar seaon not year round

[PolarBear]

Since when is cougar season not year round

Cougar, wolf and coyote season is already year round, right?  Just remember the South Park episode, if you yell "It's coming right for us!!" you can shoot anything in self defense!

[benhuntin]

Since when is cougar seaon not year round

Cougar, wolf and coyote season is already year round, right?

I was gonna write wolf but I figured that was a given

[grundy53]

I also think cougar season should be year round. Also bear.

[Bofire]

Write to the game commission and go to the meetings to testify. Most the rules arre that, rules, very few laws about hunting. Teh commission gets to make rules, laws are from the legislature.
that said I doubt you get far with that idea.
Carl

[bearpaw]

I'm not sure cougar numbers could sustain a year around season, but they certainly need additional hunting pressure now that hounds have been eliminated again, in order to bring the population down in many areas. 

That issue is a good issue for the WFW Cougar Committee to work on.

[JimmyHoffa]

I remember reading a while back that WDFW has been changing the cougar system around because they believe that cougars are some prime, sought after big game animal.  They are....in places that allow hounds!  The states that generate money with respect to hunting cougars are the ones that use hounds---where a hunter has a fairly decent chance of harvesting cats.  I think the cougar season should be year round, mostly because where I hunt for them I can't effectively get to my area for the last 3 months of season. 

[flysar]

Year-round or maybe Aug-Mar 31 open season would be a tough pill to convince them to swallow (I'll still give it a shot) but getting rid of the weapon limitations seems reasonable.

[addicted]

sure, it will will happen when they open up the year around wolfe season which will open up right after the politician season.

[fair-chase]

I agree that we need to get rid of the weapon specific limitations. I would be happy if the seasons ran the same as bobcat Sep 15 to Mar 15.

[Houndhunter]

maybe some places on the east side might not be able to sustain the numbers they are at right now if their was a year round season on cats, but we definetly could on the westside. with out hounds, there is no way we could put a real hurt on there numbers here on the west side even with a no limit year round season. it really sucks having our gov trying to protect our big predators, they dont understand and they wont listen to why their numbers need to be cut back. as far as i have researched every claim they have said about low numbers of bears and cats is false or atleast what they say is low numbers i see as strong to high numbers, and many of their claims are based on bogus reseach stats

[billythekidrock]

This has been discussed, but as of yet there is no organzation or consensus on who and how.

[GlennGTR]

I agree that we need to get rid of the weapon specific limitations. I would be happy if the seasons ran the same as bobcat Sep 15 to Mar 15.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          What weapons restrictions are we talking about exactly? I believe that now we can use any centerfire handgun or rifle 22 call or larger. We can also use archery equipment, rimfire is NOT allowed. These seem like very light restrictions if you ask me. If I were to change anything I would make it, Any Center Fire Cartridge, which would open up the 204 Ruger, 20 VarTarg, 17 Fireball, 17 rem, and other high velocity small bore calibers. The rimfires will kill a cat but dont leave enough for a margin of error.