Trying to figure out how these maps work

[Snopczynski]

So I am trying to figure out if I can hunt in the places on this map that are blue and green? Anyone know? I know the colors refer to spots that are owned or operated by:
blue=state
light green= federal other
middle shade green= federal forest service
Dark Green= Federal Park Service

What does that correlate to as far as hunting for coyotes?

What about Peach=GMU??

Anyone know how to decipher this thing.

[bigtex]

This is one of the problems with GoHunt. Yes it shows public land, and in some cases who owns it, but that doesn’t really tell you anything. For example on the image you have Blue and light Green, this means federal and state ownership. Help much? Not really.

Since I know this area pretty well I will give you some help. The blue areas are owned by DNR and WDFW and are good to go for coyote hunting.

The tricky part for this area is the light green federal lands. In this area there are TWO federal land management agencies, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). To make this easy USFWS owns most of the land south of the SR, while BOR owns the land north of the SR. This USFWS land is apart of the Columbia Natl Wildlife Refuge and is CLOSED to coyote hunting. The BOR land is actually managed by WDFW as a wildlife area and is OPEN to coyote hunting. Once again I am speaking simply to the image you have provided me.

The light green color means the following agencies: BLM, USFWS, BOR, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the military. All of these have very different regulations in regards to access and hunting. So advice to all, just don’t simply see the light green color on the map and assume you are good to go for access.

For a better ownership map you can look at the PDF WDFW Wildlife Area maps. However this requires that a WDFW Wildlife Area be in the area. Luckily for you the Potholes Reservoir WLA is in that area. Here is a map that actually shows WHICH AGENCY owns what:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/webmaps/gohunt/wildlife_area_pdf/wlau_potholes_reservoir.pdf So as long as you are not on the really bright green lands you can hunt coyotes.

On the PDF Blue= WDFW, Tan= DNR, Light Green= USFWS, Dark Green= BOR. Good luck…

[Bob33]

This is the same view with the HuntingGPSMaps data.  I do find GoHunt difficult to interpret.

[Snopczynski]

So the green around lower goose lake, what is that? Is it legal to hunt coyotes there? I am still confused. I dont know what that green on the map is considered. Light, med?

What about the areas on the second map yellow= yes or no, pink= yes or no? green= yes or no? etc........

[bigtex]

So the green around lower goose lake, what is that? Is it legal to hunt coyotes there? I am still confused. I dont know what that green on the map is considered. Light, med?

What about the areas on the second map yellow= yes or no, pink= yes or no? green= yes or no? etc........

Look at this map:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/webmaps/gohunt/wildlife_area_pdf/wlau_potholes_reservoir.pdf

You will see that Chukar Lake and Goose Lake are two different colors. The shade of green around Chukar is USFWS and is closed to Coyote. The shade of green around Goose is BOR and open to coyote.

[bigtex]

This is the same view with the HuntingGPSMaps data.  I do find GoHunt difficult to interpret.

It's interesting that on this map the yellow is BOR, nationwide on all maps I have seen a yellow/orange color is BLM.

[Snopczynski]

What about tan right next to coral lake (left of it)?

Also, what about where these coordinates are? Is this area legal to hunt coyotes? 46.975772,-119.28866

[bigtex]

What about tan right next to coral lake (left of it)?

I have already said what the tan areas are. I feel like I am repeating myself in this thread...

[Snopczynski]

Tan=DNR good to go?

Coordinate spot?

It got really confusing when 3 maps popped up in the thread.

[bobcat]

Try looking here:

http://www.fws.gov/columbia/maps.html

[Snopczynski]

I don't understand what agency allows what, I am actually really confused. We posted another map, and I don't know what any of it means as well.

So far we have had one person say no hunting on this map in this color. Then you look at another map and it says you can hunt in the same place.

I literally do want someone to just say ALL the agency names and say if they do or do not allow coyote hunting. I will figure out what agency owns what color on my maps. I use Cabelas recon hunt on my phone.

[Yicks]

Yeah, it is really confusing. I have the same problems with Units 624/621. I went to the Mill Creek Dept f&w, they said they did not know either.

[bobcat]

It's actually not that confusing if you think about it. Like Bigtex said, pretty much any of the public land north of highway 262 is open to hunting.

On the south side of the highway, the only land you're going to be able to hunt coyotes is the Washington State Dept of Fish & Wildlife land, which in the first map you posted from Go Hunt, is in blue. There are only a few sections scattered around down there.

So north of the highway you don't have to pay much attention to exactly where you are. It's only on the south side where it gets tricky.

[bigtex]

Yeah, it is really confusing. I have the same problems with Units 624/621. I went to the Mill Creek Dept f&w, they said they did not know either.

 Best to go to the actual region office that manages the GMU which would be Montesano. It would be like going to the Montesano office asking about a unit in Spokane county.

[bigtex]

I don't understand what agency allows what, I am actually really confused. We posted another map, and I don't know what any of it means as well.

So far we have had one person say no hunting on this map in this color. Then you look at another map and it says you can hunt in the same place.

I literally do want someone to just say ALL the agency names and say if they do or do not allow coyote hunting. I will figure out what agency owns what color on my maps. I use Cabelas recon hunt on my phone.

In the map you provided you cannot tell the difference between USFWS and BOR lands since they are both federal. The issue is BOR allows coyote hunting, USFWS does not.

So then both Bobcat and I provided maps which actually show the lands which are owned by BOR and USFWS.

This is not difficult to understand. Two different members have provided 100% honest answers on land ownership in this area. If you are on USFWS lands hunting coyotes you are breaking federal law. If you are on BOR, WDFW, DNR you are legal

[Snopczynski]

so on the huntinggps maps map you put up.

Green is no.
Blue is yes
Yellow is Yes
Pink is yes

cause this map is saying yes where the green in the huntinggps maps is supposedly saying no.

http://www.fws.gov/columbia/images/maps/hunting-mu1.pdf

[bigtex]

so on the huntinggps maps map you put up.

Green is no.
Blue is yes
Yellow is Yes
Pink is yes

cause this map is saying yes where the green in the huntinggps maps is supposedly saying no.

http://www.fws.gov/columbia/images/maps/hunting-mu1.pdf

Different maps use different colors. You can't use the legend for one map and use it on another. Doing this will get you into trouble.

[Yicks]

Appreciate info, I will get to Montesano and ask as well. I did not include in my post that I also asked about some 400 units.

"If you are on USFWS lands hunting coyotes you are breaking federal law. If you are on BOR, WDFW, DNR you are legal" This helps me a lot
Thank you

[Bob33]

This might help.
http://www.fws.gov/mcriver/documents/regulations/2011-columbia.pdf

[Snopczynski]

Talked to a fws guy, and got this. Hunting birds is legal here, but coyotes is not. So now the maps are starting to make sense on why some ysay you can hunt, and some dont.
http://www.fws.gov/mcriver/documents/regulations/2011-columbia.pdf

[bigtex]

Talked to a fws guy, and got this. Hunting birds is legal here, but coyotes is not. So now the maps are starting to make sense on why some ysay you can hunt, and some dont

The maps say basically the same thing. You are just confusing colors.

[bobcat]

I think the National Wildlife Refuge there does have some areas where you can hunt waterfowl, but nothing else.

[bigtex]

I think the National Wildlife Refuge there does have some areas where you can hunt waterfowl, but nothing else.

Deer too

[Bob33]

I think the National Wildlife Refuge there does have some areas where you can hunt waterfowl, but nothing else.

Deer too

It is addressed in the document I referenced earlier:

http://www.fws.gov/mcriver/documents/regulations/2011-columbia.pdf

[bobcat]

I think the National Wildlife Refuge there does have some areas where you can hunt waterfowl, but nothing else.

Deer too

It is addressed in the document I referenced earlier:

http://www.fws.gov/mcriver/documents/regulations/2011-columbia.pdf

That's the missing piece of the puzzle! I was just going by memory but my memory is from 20 years ago.   

(can't believe it's been that long since I've hunted there, well MAYBE it's only been 19) 

[wraithen]

Bookmarked. Don't forget to call the county sheriff, local pd, and city ordinance to see if your weapon of choice is legal. I pick out a few areas and try and figure them out, then slowly find more areas. It is a pain but the maps and sites provided help a metric F ton.

[Snopczynski]

For Coyote, AR's and Rifles are legal statewide with no capacity limits on magazines.

What has happened to where you thought about this?

[wraithen]

firearms restricted areas and no hunting covenants.

[bigtex]

For Coyote, AR's and Rifles are legal statewide with no capacity limits on magazines.

What has happened to where you thought about this?

Wraithen is correct. This is true in more heavily populated areas. However the area you are talking about you are good to go with any statewide legal firearm.

[Snopczynski]

For Coyote, AR's and Rifles are legal statewide with no capacity limits on magazines.

What has happened to where you thought about this?

Wraithen is correct. This is true in more heavily populated areas. However the area you are talking about you are good to go with any statewide legal firearm.

What do you mean about "This is true in heavily populated areas"?

[Bob33]

For Coyote, AR's and Rifles are legal statewide with no capacity limits on magazines.

What has happened to where you thought about this?

Wraithen is correct. This is true in more heavily populated areas. However the area you are talking about you are good to go with any statewide legal firearm.

What do you mean about "This is true in heavily populated areas"?

Many parts of the state (generally near heavily populated areas) are "firearm restricted" which means that centerfire rifles are not legal for hunting.  For example, several parts of King County are "firearm restricted".  All of San Juan County is firearm restricted, and so forth.

[bigtex]

For Coyote, AR's and Rifles are legal statewide with no capacity limits on magazines.

What has happened to where you thought about this?

Wraithen is correct. This is true in more heavily populated areas. However the area you are talking about you are good to go with any statewide legal firearm.

What do you mean about "This is true in heavily populated areas"?

Many parts of the state (generally near heavily populated areas) are "firearm restricted" which means that centerfire rifles are not legal for hunting.  For example, several parts of King County are "firearm restricted".  All of San Juan County is firearm restricted, and so forth.

 
And these are not WDFW/State regs but rather county/city ordinances so they are not in the WDFW regulations.