Harvest reports what's the point?

[Smithandsonstaxidermy]

I did anwer your question,maybe you didnt want to here what i said. I would fire most of them and start over,because they are there to manage game and they dont.

[CedarPants]

I did anwer your question,maybe you didnt want to here what i said. I would fire most of them and start over,because they are there to manage game and they dont.

My question was how is not reporting your tags helping the game populations? (Not 'what would you do with WDFW management'?)

I'm not being confrontational, I would like to know what your thought is about how your refusal to report is dong your part to help manage game?  You claim the WDFW needs to be fired because they are there to manage game and they don't - so, how are you managing game?

[Arteman]

My wife reports every year,but not sure what she reports,and i dont care.I refuse to do it.There do it or else communist,crap just will not work.If i was in charge,i would fire most of them and start over.

Can you please answer my question then:

For those with a negative view of mandatory reporting, I'm willing to listen to any and all reasons/facts you have to support how NOT reporting will benefit game management in this state.  I can understand your viewpoint, but I'd like to hear your supporting facts as to how our game numbers will benefit if they do away with mandatory reporting.

I don't think that reporting isn't a good tool for WDFW to use.  Like Smith said, I hate the do it or else attitude on top or everything else we have to pay in every year.  It's like buying a sweater then getting fined for not reporting what color you bought so the supplier knows what colors to put out next year, well kinda. 

[Practical Approach]

My wife reports every year,but not sure what she reports,and i dont care.I refuse to do it.There do it or else communist,crap just will not work.If i was in charge,i would fire most of them and start over.

Can you please answer my question then:

For those with a negative view of mandatory reporting, I'm willing to listen to any and all reasons/facts you have to support how NOT reporting will benefit game management in this state.  I can understand your viewpoint, but I'd like to hear your supporting facts as to how our game numbers will benefit if they do away with mandatory reporting.

I don't think that reporting isn't a good tool for WDFW to use.  Like Smith said, I hate the do it or else attitude on top or everything else we have to pay in every year.  It's like buying a sweater then getting fined for not reporting what color you bought so the supplier knows what colors to put out next year, well kinda. 

I agree, I don't think people in general like being told what to do or how to do it.  And for the most part I think people do the right thing or have every intent to do the right thing and report.  However, there is a large enough portion of hunters that make it necessary to impose a penalty for not reporting.  Some  folks don't report on purpose and some simply forget.   I myself have felt the sting and irritation of showing up at Fred Meyer to buy my tags, only to see a penalty for not reporting added to my bill.  Now it was never my intent not to report, I had reported my deer and elk, but forgot to report bear and cougar.  Time went by, holidays came and went and I simply forgot.  However, since that experience, I haven't forgotten again.   

[pianoman9701]

Yeah, and I don't like to drive the speed limit and wish i could park wherever I please. But driving and hunting are privileges, not rights. If you want to do it, you play by the rules or you pay the man. We all have a choice.

[Curly]

The way I see it, we can either submit harvest reports that are accurate or the WDFW could go to a mandatory game check type of system to try to get data needed for management.  Myself, I prefer the current system as it is really easy to enter the info online.

[MtnMuley]

The way I see it, we can either submit harvest reports that are accurate or the WDFW could go to a mandatory game check type of system to try to get data needed for management.  Myself, I prefer the current system as it is really easy to enter the info online.

 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I sure hope they dont base anything off those reports...I know alot of people who put 0 year after year..why in the hell would u tell fish and game if you harvested a bull year after year in the same unit..next thing u know your seasons are cut short etc

Another good reason not to report accurately is because the info becomes public information, and can draw attention to your honeyhole. That is exactly what happened at my elk hunting spot this year. A new group of guys were camping exactly where we have camped the last several years. When we asked how they ended up here they said  the harvest reports suggested it was a good spot.

Not to pick on anyone, but these are two examples out of many that I chose to comment on, The first one shows that you misunderstand, if the success is high in a unit, they figure it is healthy, AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITTY. , NOT reporting kills can result in a loss of opportunity,
The second one, how could your "honeyhole" have been found by someone only knowing how many days you hunted in a unit (the whole unit) and whether or not you killed something ?
They do not ask what road, or drainage. 
Or where you camped.
They found it the same way you did once, decided to hunt somewhere and looked for a good camp spot,

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I have been hunting in a new unit for the last 3 years, I found this unit by looking at harvest reports.
I asked about unit on several different forums.
I invited guys to come hunt unit with me (received a WHOLE bunch of flack for this)
I asked about camping areas and was told it was very limited, none in unit.
The only input I got from anyone was DONT GO THERE !!
Everyone complained about how crowded it was, how it was being ruined.. 
For the 3rd year IN A ROW, I hunted there, did not meet ANY hunters while in the woods, got into Elk every day, had the limited camping area almost to myself after Labor Day weekend, saw very few driving past camp on the few days I was there, the few hunters I did talk to were hunting in the same place, or asked about the most well known (read easiest to access) spots.
Very few were parking at gates and walking, even fewer were hearing bugles, while I called in (or my partner) 7 bulls, and bugled with at least twice as many during the first week of season.
Harvest reports is how I found the area, and we all get the same reports, success rate is still +/- 15% and hunters reporting is still close to the same number, and when I was there for the late season opener, saw very few parked at gates, and if I only would have been on the right side of creek (or worn my waders)....

[Special T]

PA i dis agree with you premis that we must fine people to get info. I like the carrot approach that they currently use. Offer you into a drawing for a special permitts raffle. Here is why... Obviously there is a contingent of hunters that do not want to share info. They are willing to provide FALSE datta so they will not be punished. I don't know, but i would guess that those same people are not too concernted about being entered into a raffle, so they are likely not to take the time and Lie to enter... Corrupting good data is much worse that getting LOTS of data that is questionable in nature... there is a term for this in the survey world. SASL Chit At the Speed of Light. You get fast numbers that are computable and analizable but don't mean anything because it is difficult for you to assertain the truthfulness of the data.

 

[Curly]

PA i dis agree with you premis that we must fine people to get info. I like the carrot approach that they currently use. Offer you into a drawing for a special permitts raffle. Here is why... Obviously there is a contingent of hunters that do not want to share info. They are willing to provide FALSE datta so they will not be punished. I don't know, but i would guess that those same people are not too concernted about being entered into a raffle, so they are likely not to take the time and Lie to enter... Corrupting good data is much worse that getting LOTS of data that is questionable in nature... there is a term for this in the survey world. SASL Chit At the Speed of Light. You get fast numbers that are computable and analizable but don't mean anything because it is difficult for you to assertain the truthfulness of the data.

 

Very good points Special T.  I never really thought about that before.

[Boss .300 winmag]

The reports won't mean squat once the wolves take hold, there wont be anything to report. 

[Curly]

Wolves will likely mean an end to OTC tags..........or maybe we can have a one weekend elk and deer season.

[bobcat]

Wolves will likely mean an end to OTC tags..........or maybe we can have a one weekend elk and deer season.

And hunt wolves year 'round.   

[Jack Diamond]

Not wolve's "Iditarod starter kits."