If you were totally in charge?

[500 long]

I didn't put a word restriction on responses-go ahead and say more-I'm honestly interested in what forum readers would do (or present to WDFW if the opportunity arose).   Keep in mind that department people in deer management usually don't have a lot of say in predator management. (kind of fighting the battle with one arm tied behind their backs?)

It is the job of WDFW to manage predators, deer department or otherwise, they are one entity of government in charge of game. If someone can not do their job then they should be replaced with one who can. Together we can have a LOUD VOICE if it is in unison.

[BIGINNER]

I didn't put a word restriction on responses-go ahead and say more-I'm honestly interested in what forum readers would do (or present to WDFW if the opportunity arose).   Keep in mind that department people in deer management usually don't have a lot of say in predator management. (kind of fighting the battle with one arm tied behind their backs?)

It is the job of WDFW to manage predators, deer department or otherwise, they are one entity of government in charge of game. If someone can not do their job then they should be replaced with one who can. Together we can have a LOUD VOICE if it is in unison.

HEY 500.  IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF WFW (WASHINGTON FOR WILDLIFE)  YOU SHOULD SIGN UP,  WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

[Helix]

Hound hunting of cougars and bears, with double the current quota.  Wolves would be open season for hunting.  I think those things would take so much pressure off the deer that the deer population would go up considerably and very few other things would need to be done.

It also seems the season might work better if it were a little later in the year too.  better lined up with the rut.  I think I'd start trucking in white tails from Alabama I hear they have so many they could use us taking some off their hands.    

[CAMPMEAT]

I'd hire PETA for 5 years and see if they could prove their point about saving animals. For cripe sakes, we'd have thousands and thousands of animals roaming the state. 
I'm just pullin' your chain, geeze......

[baldopepper]

Well 500 I don't disagree with you at all, so would one of your solutions be to give deer management people more control over predators?  (You may very well be on to something with your response as I think currently they don't have a lot of control-I think all of these things go into better overall management)Just asking, not critizeing.

[Curly]

I'd designate $4 from every deer tag sold go into a pot for a bounty on coyotes.  Wolves would be okay to shoot on sight.  We would have general spring bear seasons............not spring bear permit seasons.  Bring back hound hunting for bears and cougars.  Bear baiting would be back.  Control the predators and the deer herds will grow.

Oh, and if the above didn't work..........then bring back trapping.


edit - I would also get rid of the point system for the special permits.

[500 long]

Well 500 I don't disagree with you at all, so would one of your solutions be to give deer management people more control over predators?  (You may very well be on to something with your response as I think currently they don't have a lot of control-I think all of these things go into better overall management)Just asking, not critizeing.

The deer people should be working with WDFW as a unit when making management policy. If they are not talking to each other then that is BIG PROBLEM.

[Odell]

Besides a bounty on predators, I would eliminate hunter safety course for anyone over 18, they would only need to pass an exam similar to the written portion of a drivers license test.

Kids under 16 hunt free and are given a hair tag for any open general unit.

Require a minimum of 5 points to apply for quality buck units.

Expand multi-season hunting.

Do anything I could to get access on private lands for hunters. Maybe develop some sort of recruitment deal/mentor program where anyone who mentors a new hunter gets an additional tag.

I'm about access and more hunters. I think it is the only way hunting survives all the challenges ahead.

[uplandhunter870]

here in lies the biggest problem, we have a department of fish and wildlife and within that there are sub departments that are species specific, load of crap imo. there should only be fish people and wildlife people, yes we do need specialists but they have to work with the other specialists no animal is more important that any other they all have roles to play. you cannot successfully manage deer populations without simultaneously managing the higher trophic levels especially those the feed directly on deer.

in essence id work my rear off to make DFW do what they are supposed to do, manage fish and wildlife not managing politicians and keeping the peta tree hugger types happy and id cut the fluff out of the DFW ive worked for the state in the past and i know exactly how hard it is to get the lazy asses to actually do their job never mind doing it correctly and even harder to get rid of them. id run DFW like a private business

predators need to be brought down to acceptable levels, id bring back hounds and trapping and wolves would be delisted and hunted just like bears and cougars, its not our fault as a species that wolves failed to adapt to changing environmental conditions, yes we killed a ton of them but adapt or die.

the idea of going permit only hunting is atrocious to me, simply trying to limit hunters is not doing much of anything in my opinion and wont do anything but piss people off. the number of hunters who apply for tags is tiny compared to the total number of people that just buy a general tag

shutting hunting down completely for 5 years is even more horrid, simply doing nothing for 5 years wont accomplish anything besides hacking off the general public and result in lay offs due to lack of funds through license sales and may have an even longer lasting effect when average joe hunter starts going out of state and seeing how the hunting is elsewhere.

in essence predator levels brought down to balanced levels through baiting, hounds, steel traps, expanded seasons, increases quotas, or other incentives like points for draw tags.
even more importantly get DFW back to running like it should and either find places for employees where they are better suited for their skill set or simply cut the imcompetent ones hoping on riding a cush state job into retirement. no more of this:

deer guys: our deer heards are dying from over predation from bears and wolves, bear and wolves guys please decrease your numbers

bear and wolf guys: we cant lower our numbers because the bears and wolves dont have enough deer to eat, so deer guys raise you heard numbers