Wildlife program newsletter

[Kain]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/wildlife_weekly/2012/wildlife_weekly_2012feb20.pdf

[bearpaw]

Glad to see they are recognizing some of the other wolves.

FYI - I noticed this on the first page, it could placing bait for affect trail cam use. Currently it is legal to bait and hunt cougar, this law would make it illegal.


Legislative Update:
The Game Division is working on several bills that are still alive and moving through the legislative process after initial cutoff dates. The most important is the agency’s carnivore conflict management bill that is making its way through the Senate. The current version (E2SHB 2365) continues to focus on: classifying wolves as big game which also increases the fine for illegally killing them by $4000; authorizes funding to pay for livestock (cattle, sheep, horses) losses caused by cougars, bears, and wolves; and makes it illegal to intentionally feed large carnivores; has modified the payment of damage claims to any owner of cattle, sheep, or horses rather than those who are in business to sell livestock and directs the Commission to allow a livestock owner to kill a wolf in the act of attacking their livestock without a permit from WDFW. Experience in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming suggests that during recovery phases of re-
introduction (in our case re-colonization) wolves killed under these conditions are negligible and are unlikely to impede population growth.

[Kain]

There are exception for hunting and trapping.


  http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2365.pdf

(3) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply to:
12 (a) A person who is engaging in forest practices in accordance with
13 chapter 76.09 RCW or in hunting or trapping wildlife in accordance with
14 all other applicable provisions of this title or rules of the
15 commission or the director;

[bearpaw]

So would the use of trail cams at a bait during the off season be considered hunting? 

What if you have a small bait out to get photos of coyotes or raccooons and you get a bear, cougar, or wolf on your trail cam? 

[Kain]

So would the use of trail cams at a bait during the off season be considered hunting? 

What if you have a small bait out to get photos of coyotes or raccooons and you get a bear, cougar, or wolf on your trail cam? 

I dont really know.  When I read it I get a sense that it is about feeding and attracting to private property.  Like the people who were feeding all those bears that later had to be killed.  I would assume that baiting a trail camera in the forest would be fine. 

It exempt people "engaging in forest practices" in accordance with http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=76.09 

[bigtex]

So would the use of trail cams at a bait during the off season be considered hunting? 

What if you have a small bait out to get photos of coyotes or raccooons and you get a bear, cougar, or wolf on your trail cam? 

I dont really know.  When I read it I get a sense that it is about feeding and attracting to private property.  Like the people who were feeding all those bears that later had to be killed.  I would assume that baiting a trail camera in the forest would be fine. 

It exempt people "engaging in forest practices" in accordance with http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=76.09

1- The law does not differentiate between private and public land, it simply says "land"

2- Those engaging in forest practices under RCW 76.09 are things like logging, not hunting, trapping, recreating, and so on

[blackdog]

2365 is dead the Hargrove enforcement Bill is the live Bill now.

[blackdog]

6135 has some of this language in it and is back in the Senate for Concurrance. It may go to conferance.