new proposals are out

[Bob33]

The reason I noticed that is I am getting a disabled permit so I can still hunt during archery season and the lady at the game dept. told me that scopes aren't allowed during archery seasons.

She is mistaken.

 i. It is unlawful to hunt wildlife with any bow or crossbow equipped with a scope. However, hunters with disabilities who meet the definition of being visually impaired in WAC 232-12-828 may receive a special use permit that would allow the use of scopes or other visual aids. A disabled hunter permit holder in possession of a special use permit that allows the use of a scope or visual aid may hunt game birds or game animals during

[bobcat]

So it's not just any disabled hunter, it's only those who are viusally impaired who are allowed to use scopes during archery season.

[Bob33]

So it's not just any disabled hunter, it's only those who are viusally impaired who are allowed to use scopes during archery season.

Thank you for the clarification.  That is how it is now, and the new regulations so not change that as far as I can tell.

[3dsheetmetal]

Looks like disabled hunters can now use scopes.


It is unlawful to hunt wildlife with any bow (or
crossbow) equipped with a scope. However, hunters with
disabilities who meet the definition of being visually impaired in
WAC 232-12-828 may receive a special use permit that would allow
the use of scopes or other visual aids. A disabled hunter permit
holder in possession of a special use permit that allows the use of
a scope or visual aid may hunt game birds or game animals during
archery seasons.

They can now.  This is not a change.

                       What I was wondering about was that in the new proposal's they crossed out the part that you can't use scopes on crossbows.

[BAR C3]

I see they are pushing the Archers further from the rut each year. Elk is starting on 4th and ends on 16. I believe in 2014 it's starts the 2nd of September.
For late season whitetail, added another day past peak. Went from November 24th to 25th each year. 

[Bob33]

That could be, although elimination of crossbows from that one section may not be conclusive. 

[NoBark]

I see they are pushing the Archers further from the rut each year. Elk is starting on 4th and ends on 16. I believe in 2014 it's starts the 2nd of September.
For late season whitetail, added another day past peak. Went from November 24th to 25th each year. 

I
could be wrong but I think the next year after the three mentioned will jump back to the 7th or 8th.   (Day after laborious day)
Next year the 3rd then2 nd then1st.......then 7th

[bearpaw]

I see a number of problems with this proposal:

Hunting At Night
50 feet from vehicle. This is ridiculous, as long as you are outside your vehicle you should be able to shoot. This just adds another uneccassary burden on hunters and on landowners trying to control predator numbers around their livestock.

Weapons - Any weapon should be legal. Under this ridiculous proposal if I go coyote hunting during the day with my .257, when it gets dark I would have to go home and get a .22 or shotgun with inneffective shot size that will only lame a coyote or raccoon. This is about as ignorant as a proposal could be, who is the idiot who thinks this *censored* up. 

Bear Hunting
At a time when we need to be reducing predator populations in NE Washington, the WDFW wants to take away the 3 most productive days of the fall bear hunt, Sept 1-3. This totally unacceptable, if any change is made, there should be an earlier opener, Aug 1 or Aug 15.

Cougar Hunting
Another preposterous proposal is the new Harvest Guidelines. In Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Orielle counties we used to have about 120 cougar permits annually until hound hunting was closed in 1996 and we had a thriving cougar population. Now the WDFW is suggesting a harvest quota of about 1/3 those numbers, this is preposterous.

People call us on a regular basis with cougar and other wildlife problems, I have referred them to Region 1. But, I think my advice in the future may be to deal with it yourself because the WDFW is so unresponsible it is just sickening. I am about through supporting WDFW in any way shape or form.     

[NWWABOWHNTR]

I see they are pushing the Archers further from the rut each year. Elk is starting on 4th and ends on 16. I believe in 2014 it's starts the 2nd of September.
For late season whitetail, added another day past peak. Went from November 24th to 25th each year. 

The early archery elk is currently set as the first Tuesday after Labor Day, instead of the 8th like it was previous to 2009.  If you don't like it... which most of us don't start sending emails NOW to Dave Ware, Jerry Nelson and everyone else at the WDFW. 

[bobcat]

Weapons - Any weapon should be legal. Under this ridiculous proposal if I go coyote hunting during the day with my .257, when it gets dark I would have to go home and get a .22 or shotgun with inneffective shot size that will only lame a coyote or raccoon. This is about as ignorant as a proposal could be, who is the idiot who thinks this *censored* up. 

Obviously, the person who thought this up, is not a hunter, and does not know anything about hunting and firearms.

[Wenatcheejay]

I see a number of problems with this proposal:

Hunting At Night
50 feet from vehicle. This is ridiculous, as long as you are outside your vehicle you should be able to shoot. This just adds another uneccassary burden on hunters and on landowners trying to control predator numbers around their livestock.

Weapons - Any weapon should be legal. Under this ridiculous proposal if I go coyote hunting during the day with my .257, when it gets dark I would have to go home and get a .22 or shotgun with inneffective shot size that will only lame a coyote or raccoon. This is about as ignorant as a proposal could be, who is the idiot who thinks this *censored* up. 

Bear Hunting
At a time when we need to be reducing predator populations in NE Washington, the WDFW wants to take away the 3 most productive days of the fall bear hunt, Sept 1-3. This totally unacceptable, if any change is made, there should be an earlier opener, Aug 1 or Aug 15.

Cougar Hunting
Another preposterous proposal is the new Harvest Guidelines. In Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Orielle counties we used to have about 120 cougar permits annually until hound hunting was closed in 1996 and we had a thriving cougar population. Now the WDFW is suggesting a harvest quota of about 1/3 those numbers, this is preposterous.

People call us on a regular basis with cougar and other wildlife problems, I have referred them to Region 1. But, I think my advice in the future may be to deal with it yourself because the WDFW is so unresponsible it is just sickening. I am about through supporting WDFW in any way shape or form.     

Dale, I am glad that you notice they continue to undermine bear hunting in this State. Where I hunt they have now taken the entire month of August and that was my bear season. Do not think you are not next in the NE. People who do not stand together will be taken down a slice at a time. I was told by Ware this would not happen in my GMU's at the WDFW meeting I attended. If this becomes the season there is nothing left for me to fight for in this State. I have always been conservative in my personal harvests but not anymore.    I am so angry right now. I will never feel sorry for anyone who looses a day or two in their personal season again. I no longer feel for hound hunters or any other predator hunters.  It really is time to be a wolf! *censored* everybody.

[SkookumHntr]

-Well looks like early smokepole season is about as crappy as they could have made it!

They didn't make any changes to early muzzleloader season.

2012 opening day oct 6,  2011 opening day oct 1.

Yes I realize the dates are different, but it's the first Saturday in October. So they didn't actually change it, that's how it's "always" been, first Saturday in October.

Just like modern firearm deer season falls on October 13th this year. They didn't change anything with that either, it just falls on a different date because the calendar changes from year to year.

Yes I realize that bobcat, i was trying to discourage someone if there on the muzz/archery bubble! lol! Oct 6 will be another notched elk tag for me! haha

[Bob33]

Weapons - Any weapon should be legal. Under this ridiculous proposal if I go coyote hunting during the day with my .257, when it gets dark I would have to go home and get a .22 or shotgun with inneffective shot size that will only lame a coyote or raccoon. This is about as ignorant as a proposal could be, who is the idiot who thinks this *censored* up. 

Obviously, the person who thought this up, is not a hunter, and does not know anything about hunting and firearms.

A very signficant change, if I am reading it correctly, is that night hunting will now be allowed during modern firearm deer and elk season.  That will create a very challenging enforcement situation.  I can only speculate that such a change may be part of the reason for some restriction on firearms at night.

[Fowlweather25]

You'll kill a deer with a .22 cal a lot faster than you will with birdshot! I don't see how that factor would make a difference. You're still allowed to hunt at night with .22 cal yet you can't use shot larger than #6?

[Bob33]

If you shoot a deer with a .22, it is evident.

I don't necessarily agree, but I am speculating that it is line with this current restriction:

"You may not hunt wildlife during any modern firearm deer or elk season, with any firearm
24 caliber or larger or containing slugs or buckshot for big game, unless you have a valid
license, permit and tag for one of the following: deer, elk, black bear, cougar, mountain goat,
bighorn sheep, or moose."

You can hunt coyotes now during deer season with a .22, because if you shoot a deer with a .22, there is a .22 caliber hole.  However, you cannot hunt coyotes with a .243 during deer season, unless you have a valid big game tag.  By the same logic, a .243 kills a coyote faster than a .22, so why isn't it legal?