Damage permits in May/June??

[Mr Mykiss]

I've heard the same story now three or four times. Somebody claims to have killed several bulls already this season with "Damage permits" I don't have evidence and I don't know for a fact that there are or are not damage permits that can be filled right now. I do know that there are several different fruit crops and grapes that could be impacted right now but it does make me want to puke that people would be shooting bulls in May and June...
Anyone know more about damage permit seasons/regulations??

[PlateauNDN]

I haven't seen nor heard of any but, I heard from my brother-in-law who lives in Wenatchee that a farmer down in the Ki-Be area was looking for Tribal Hunters to disperse of a couple of elk that are eating through his crops.  I don't know if the story is true or not and I hope it's not because this would be a waste if he chose the easy route instead of reporting it.

There are other options that can be explored here and I hope nobody excepts his offer if it is real.

[BOWHUNTER45]

HUH...This is crazy ... I do not care tribal or not no one should be killin big game animals like elk & deer in May or June .... Just WRONG !!!!! 

[KopperBuck]

Why is it wrong? What difference does it make at what time of year the damage tag is issued? B/c they haven't bred yet? Because their horns are fuzzy? Because you haven't had a chance at them yet?

[Timberstalker]

Damage Permits were active in May.  CouseBitten on here might be able to chime in on this as well.

[Mr Mykiss]

Active in May...ok. Now my other question is why they're killing ALL BULLS I thought damage permits were usually antlerless??

[KopperBuck]

Yup - they almost are always antlerless. So...in this instance I wouldn't believe it until I saw it.

[rotty33]

I have a friend who owns a lot of land in the rattlesnake hills area. He showed me pictures of a spike his son shot last week. He says they are given a damage tag, go out and shoot one, then they are issued another one.  It is rediculous they can shoot bulls!!!!

[gunnarnewt]

     Nope, it's true..... I've seen a couple of racks already (Hanford bulls). They're given x amounts of antlerless, and then they can shoot any bull with some others. I really think it's a waste, but that's how the great state of Washington operates, and until they change the law, you can't blame the landowner for doing what they're allowing!

[CAMPMEAT]

It damage control of crops, not elk. So if bulls are doing the damage, guess what, dead bull. The state doesn't care, besides the state probably has to pay the farmer for damaged crops and it's cheaper for the state to have pissed off hunters than a pissed off farmer.

[HighCountryHunter88]

as long as the meat is not thrown out and it is put to good use i dont see how this is a waste? 

[Maverick]

my dad got called twice in spring of 2010. They wanted him to go up and shoot a cow. He told them no thanks because they hadn't even dropped their calves yet and it didn't seem right to shoot a pregnant cow.

[couesbitten]

I'll just substantiate what Timberstalker said.  He and I saw a truck with a branch antlered bull in the back, made the phone call, and the Game Officer eventually confirmed that there were open damage permits for bulls in the area we were hiking in.  A few days later, another Game Officer contacted me to ask some additional questions, because the used tag had not been reported as it was supposed to have been.  I was surprised by the whole thing, I was hoping that Timberstalker or I were going to get some bonus points.

[BLUEBULLS]

I'll just substantiate what Timberstalker said.  He and I saw a truck with a branch antlered bull in the back, made the phone call, and the Game Officer eventually confirmed that there were open damage permits for bulls in the area we were hiking in.  A few days later, another Game Officer contacted me to ask some additional questions, because the used tag had not been reported as it was supposed to have been.  I was surprised by the whole thing, I was hoping that Timberstalker or I were going to get some bonus points.

heard that story... ridiculous.

I have friends that partake in that summer thing over there. I wouldn't want to shoot a bull that had soft horns. I guess they do have plenty of elk though and most of us will never benefit from them so I don't care too much.

It's kinda funny, they shoot a bull cause he's trampling there wheat then they drive a pick-up and a tractor through the wheat to go get them.

[pianoman9701]

I don't get the problem here. It's the WDFW's job to handle problem animal and crop damage complaints. They could just go shoot the animals themselves, but they've chosen to give the tags to WA hunters. There's no waste here. If anything, it's allowing the paying hunters to solve a problem and get some meat to boot. Start worrying about the wolves, not what opportunities that some get and you don't.