Harvest reports what's the point?

[runamuk]

yep showed the other ones but for whatever reason the kids turkey tag showed unreported even though the other persons was reported who knows I was in charge of doing all of them and computer glitches happen....need to do my deer tag I suppose....

[CedarPants]

I just logged back in to the hunt report page and all the confirmation numbers are listed there, along with the time and date that I submitted them, and this goes all the way back to 2006.

https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wa/Hunterreport

After getting dinged the 2nd time I always print this off and keep it with my license and take it with me each year when purchasing my new license.

Haven't needed it since I've been carrying it though

[Practical Approach]

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.

 

Special T - I don't disagree with the carrot approach at all and wish that was all that it took.   I still like the two pronged method.  Positive incintives for those who want to take advantage of additional opportunities and negative incentives for those that aren't interested in the additional opportunities , but might otherwise need a little encouragement to remind them to get their harvest reported. 

The quality of the data and the moral decision a person makes when reporting the real or false data is kind of a different issue.  A person who chooses to report false information is more than likely going to do it either way for whatever reason they have justified in their minds.   

[Rainier10]

the question how many days did you hunt ? whats that got do do with it . i bow hunt and was in elk every day passed a couple of shots on cows trying to put my buddy on a bull . i guess that i'm a unsucessfull hunter and there's no elk in there since  I didn't harvest huh? A better question would be how many elk did you see.

That's how they come up with the days/kill number. I find it useful in comparing different GMU's. Some may have a lower success rate, but also a lower number of days per kill. It's just one more useful bit of information that the biologists can use to look for trends in the success of hunters in the various GMU's.

Which in turn, they can use to determine whether deer and elk populations are increasing, decreasing, or staying the same.

The other thing they use days in the field for is to determine hunting pressure on animals.  Number of days we chase the animals around, they are concerned about deer and elk pressure during the rut or on winter range getting to much pressure.  Unfortunately the reports don't say whether you were hunting a gmu in the early or late season, so they don't know if the pressure is during the late archery deer season or early in say Swakane, or early archery elk during the rut in the Nile disrupting breeding or if it is hunting during the late season when the elk are trying to get ready and through the winter.

Definately not a perfect system but at least it is some information.  I report correctly ever year and let the DFW sort it out.

[Special T]

PA "The quality of the data and the moral decision a person makes when reporting the real or false data is kind of a different issue."

The question was asked "what is the point of the harvest reports?" Well it is for raw data so that the herds can be managed.  Quality of data is the MOST important thing. With out quality data you may as well save the effort and not do it, because you do not have the right picture to make decisions from. You might as well put options on a dart board and thow darts and work off those answers.

[Practical Approach]

PA "The quality of the data and the moral decision a person makes when reporting the real or false data is kind of a different issue."

The question was asked "what is the point of the harvest reports?" Well it is for raw data so that the herds can be managed.  Quality of data is the MOST important thing. With out quality data you may as well save the effort and not do it, because you do not have the right picture to make decisions from. You might as well put options on a dart board and thow darts and work off those answers.

It would be nice to know what the reporting percentage was the year mandatory reporting was initiated and how the percentage changed over time wiht the addition of penalties.  That info I think can be gathered from WDFW.  However, what we will never know is what percentage of people lie about the info they provide.  I guess it would take a formal survey to gather that information.   

[coachcw]

that would be a practical approach now !

[loper]

It would be nice to know what the reporting percentage was the year mandatory reporting was initiated and how the percentage changed over time with the addition of penalties.

In late January of 2009 I made a public records request of WDFW for that information. 

What follows is a summary of the percentage of all reports reported by deadline.

2001: 70.1%
2002: 66.2%
2003: 64.9%
2004: 63.9%
2005: 76.4%  <== penalties initiated this year
2006: 68.0%
2007: 69.1%
2008: 67.7%

[Practical Approach]

It would be nice to know what the reporting percentage was the year mandatory reporting was initiated and how the percentage changed over time with the addition of penalties.

In late January of 2009 I made a public records request of WDFW for that information. 

What follows is a summary of the percentage of all reports reported by deadline.

2001: 70.1%
2002: 66.2%
2003: 64.9%
2004: 63.9%
2005: 76.4%  <== penalties initiated this year
2006: 68.0%
2007: 69.1%
2008: 67.7%

Thanks for posting that.  Interesting,  just a blip of increased reporting and then it leveled out again?  I wonder how much income comes to WDFW from the late fees annually.   

[Rainier10]

I thought at the town hall meeting I went to this fall Dave Ware said there were 200,000 hunters in Washington state, and that they had email addresses for 60,000 of those hunters.  If there are 200,000 hunters and 67% reported that is 66,000 that didn't report or $660,000 if you went off of hunters.  I am guessing the 67% reporting is of tags sold so maybe not all 200,000 hunters bought tags that needed to be reported on but most that did buy tags probably bought multiple, deer, elk, bear, cougar all of which need to be reported.  I have never had to pay the penalty, is it a one time $10 thing or is it $10 for not reporting your deer activity, and another $10 bucks for elk, and another for cougar and so on?  If it is per animal the number of tags is probably really high and 33%having to pay the penalty is a ton of money.

[Practical Approach]

I thought at the town hall meeting I went to this fall Dave Ware said there were 200,000 hunters in Washington state, and that they had email addresses for 60,000 of those hunters.  If there are 200,000 hunters and 67% reported that is 66,000 that didn't report or $660,000 if you went off of hunters.  I am guessing the 67% reporting is of tags sold so maybe not all 200,000 hunters bought tags that needed to be reported on but most that did buy tags probably bought multiple, deer, elk, bear, cougar all of which need to be reported.  I have never had to pay the penalty, is it a one time $10 thing or is it $10 for not reporting your deer activity, and another $10 bucks for elk, and another for cougar and so on?  If it is per animal the number of tags is probably really high and 33%having to pay the penalty is a ton of money.

I think the fee is just for missing one piece of your reporting.  Obviously the more animals you are hunting and the different seasons increase your risk for forgetting to report.  For instance you report your deer and elk harvest but wait till spring bear season is over, but forget to report the bear harvest info.   I am pretty sure it is 10 bucks if you don't report any of your hunts or if you forget one piece of your report.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Well, I have been watching this thread awhile and honestly dont know where to start . So I am gonna keep my mouth shut at this point...... But I do have a question...... I have heard several mentions of cougar reporting? Am I understanding correctly that only if SUCCESSFUL you need to file a report. I have never got one ( hoping to remedy this year ), But have never been asked to submit a report on the tag. Thats also how I  interpret the regs.

In the database it only shows Bear, Elk, Deer as outstanding tags. Never been charged the fine either.

[Practical Approach]

Well, I have been watching this thread awhile and honestly dont know where to start . So I am gonna keep my mouth shut at this point...... But I do have a question...... I have heard several mentions of cougar reporting? Am I understanding correctly that only if SUCCESSFUL you need to file a report. I have never got one ( hoping to remedy this year ), But have never been asked to submit a report on the tag. Thats also how I  interpret the regs.

In the database it only shows Bear, Elk, Deer as outstanding tags. Never been charged the fine either.

When you go in and buy the tag for next year they just automatically apply the 10 buck fee.  Unless you scan your receipt nobody is going to tell you you have been fined. 

[blackveltbowhunter]

So your saying theres no record of it period? I always purchase everything online and get detailed print copies... never seen anything. And why doesnt it show as needing reported on like the other big game tags?

[blackveltbowhunter]

Nevermind.... Just went and looked. Cougar is an exception.