"second cougar drawing in which you were selected! "

[Kain]

I am glad they are allowing more cougar hunting but unfortunately I put in for South Cascades and cannot hunt that far from home.  I am going to decline the permit.  Hopefully they will give it to someone else.

[Kain]

The WDFW tried very hard to get the Pilot Program renewed but it was killed by the legislature.  The commission also adopted new rules on issuing more damage permits.

If they would just let go of this ridiculous permit system I would be happy.  The success rate is soo low on these permits for boot hunters they could just open the season up completely year round and see almost no increase in harvest.

[Kain]

Unfortunately I think a lot of people have given up on reporting to the WDFW.  There is a lot of distrust and a feeling nothing will be done about it anyways. 

We talk about that in the WFW letter to WDFW.

 http://www.hunt.info/Cougar_Letter_06-29-11.pdf

[CedarPants]

Kain was there ever any response from anyone withing the WDFW about their lack of providing info on those reports you called out in the letter?

[Rainier10]

Me and the wife put in for Kittitas, didn't get drawn so they just let us know that during this new drawing we got Stevens.  Never been there and don't know anything about it so I think we are going to save the gas and decline the permits.  It should reset our points so we can try to get drawn in an area that we are more familiar with.

[Kain]

Kain was there ever any response from anyone withing the WDFW about their lack of providing info on those reports you called out in the letter?

No there was never a "official" response.  I talked with Dr Martorello and he said they were working on it and that all the complaints were being recorded.  Later all the examples I mentioned in the letter DID end up on the website and it does seem like they are making a much better effort of updating the site faster.

You can check the site here if you know of any incidents you want to check on.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/dangerous/reports/

[Kain]

Me and the wife put in for Kittitas, didn't get drawn so they just let us know that during this new drawing we got Stevens.  Never been there and don't know anything about it so I think we are going to save the gas and decline the permits.  It should reset our points so we can try to get drawn in an area that we are more familiar with.

Thats the same with me.  Hopefully they will just get rid of the permit system for cougars and the points wont matter.  I hope they find someone to take the tags though.  I am emailing them back tonight so they have time to find someone that can use it.

[Kain]

By the way sorry I jacked your thread!

Its all related.   

[Arteman]

I got the same email but I was selected for Chelan, its one those things where I was buying Cougar points to draw the Pilot Hunt and when they split all are points up into different categories I got some points for the boot hunt.  I figured I should put in for a permit for the hell of it, but didn't really care.  Basically useless for me.  My wife drew the first time around for South Cascades, so now we both have late boot hunts.  Never hunted Chelan and wouldn't even know what the odds of seeing a Cougar would be there so I'm thinking of declining.  Chelan wasn't my first choice.  Anybody from there think that the odds are bad of filling this permit?

[fair-chase]

What the heck Kain, I'm feeling left out here. No email for me. Guess they don't need alternatives for the Blue Mountain boot tags.    Oh well, I'll have 3 points going into next year.........I mean 3 points should be enough to draw a boot tag, right??? 


Hopefully they scrap this whole BS system and give us a general boot season from Sep 1st - Mar 15th.

[Kain]

Anybody from there think that the odds are bad of filling this permit?

Hopefully they scrap this whole BS system and give us a general boot season from Sep 1st - Mar 15th.

The odds are not good on these permits judging by the harvest reports.  So low in fact it makes you wonder why they even exist.....

The vast majority of cats are taken during general deer and elk season or by the pilot program.  Since this permit system was implemented the harvest rate have dropped 25%.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2010/reports/cougar.php

[Arteman]

Thanks for posting that link Kain.  See I don't understand my email now because it reads I was selected to hunt in the hunt area below and the list they provided was this:
Chelan
Okanogan
Okanogan Ferry
Stevens Pend Oreille
And then Klickitat?

Pretty sure Klickitat is the odd ball out.

[carpsniperg2]

Thanks for posting that link Kain.  See I don't understand my email now because it reads I was selected to hunt in the hunt area below and the list they provided was this:
Chelan
Okanogan
Okanogan Ferry
Stevens Pend Oreille
And then Klickitat?

Pretty sure Klickitat is the odd ball out.

Yes that is right, They took away the late boot hunt tags as well and the dog tags for this year. I had the boot tag last year and went to put in for it this year and there was not hunts to put in for. So I think klick is not going to be part of it by my guess.

[Arteman]

Lol nevermind, had a brain fart!  Is see your is the same.  I was confused because these are not the same as the regular boot hunt areas, they are the same areas we had for the pilot program, I was looking down the lists on your link and thinking wtf.

[carpsniperg2]

  It's all good

[Arteman]

Thanks Carp, I was lost because when it was the pilot program we had to choose one of those areas as are 1st through 4th choice and could only be drawn for one of them, looks like this boot hunting permit is allowing us to hunt all of them. Lol I had a moment there.   

[Arteman]

What did you ever figure on doing Kain, part of me doesnt want to support it because it too think the cougar boot hunt should just be general all year like Oregon.  Wonder how many of these permits they gave out?  I think ill decline, maybe they will give to another guy that will use it.

[Kain]

What did you ever figure on doing Kain, part of me doesnt want to support it because it too think the cougar boot hunt should just be general all year like Oregon.  Wonder how many of these permits they gave out?  I think ill decline, maybe they will give to another guy that will use it.

I declined.

to Wildthing

I want to thank the WDFW and the commission for taking proactive action on cougar management since our legislature failed to renew the pilot program.  Unfortunately I am unable to use the permit for Chelan county.  I put in for the South Cascades permits and Chelan is just to far and unfamiliar to me to effectively use this tag.  I really hope that the WDFW chooses another hunter for this permit and it does not go to waste.  If any opportunities come up for South Cascades I would be happy to be considered for that CMU.

Thank you for the opportunity,

Naithan Kain

I dont know why they think these permits will have any effect on the cougar populations in these units.  The pilot program was very successful at keeping cat numbers low in these units and giving out a couple hundred 3 month boot permits where the success rates are less then 1% is not going to have any effect.   They have to know this and are just trying to squeeze extra money out of us until the cougar problem gets so bad that they can justify other options.   

[Arteman]

Ill get my email sent here in a bit to decline as well.  Yeah I agree with you, it has to be about making an extra buck off of nothing, they could open it up for everybody and the harvest rates would still be considerably low without the use of dogs.

[MtnMuley]

Pretty damn tough not to be a local, and be able to get out all the time, to fill a boot tag in the Chelan Unit. Be damn tough to fill any boot tag period.

[MtnMuley]

Sorry to get off topic, but does anybody know the current status of the cougar season around Chelan or Okanogan Counties?  The regs were altered, and I can't remember when they extended the deadline for boot hunters and to what weapon could be used?  Can't seem to find the info on WDFW's page.  Thanks in advance.

[Kain]

Sorry to get off topic, but does anybody know the current status of the cougar season around Chelan or Okanogan Counties?  The regs were altered, and I can't remember when they extended the deadline for boot hunters and to what weapon could be used?  Can't seem to find the info on WDFW's page.  Thanks in advance.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01184/2011_big_game_hunting_errata.pdf

Page 54 (added October 11)
The general cougar season in the Chelan, Okanogan, Okanogan-Ferry, Stevens-Pend Oreille, and
Klickitat Hunt Zones has been extended. The new dates are October 15 – December 31.

[MtnMuley]

That's what I thought.  Thanks a bunch, Kain.

[Arteman]

Pretty damn tough not to be a local, and be able to get out all the time, to fill a boot tag in the Chelan Unit. Be damn tough to fill any boot tag period.

That's what I love about being 5 miles off the Oregon border.  I put in for the permit hunts down there so I have to buy the hunting license regardless, nonresident cougar tag is their cheapest big-game tag at only 14 dollars so I buy it too, and you can buy two of them.  The season is all year long and plenty of good places to hunt not far from home.  At least then I feel my license doesn't go to waste every year I don't draw.

[Rainier10]

I just declined mine.  Maybe they will do a second draw or if they were smart they would offer up the returned permits as an over the counter first come first serve thing.  If they did that the locals might buy them and actually get out and fill the tag.