Margaret Unit

[rbros]

All you have to do is show that they are damaging your crops.  Which would be noble fir tree's in this instance.  Private timber owners do it all the time with bears.  Take pics, show them to fish and game, and they issue you a number of permits based on the property size.  This also allows you to hunt neighboring property where the bears may be going to as well if you get permission.  I know several guys that do it each year and get 2 permits for their 40 acre timber patches.  Have road along with them on a few hound hunts in the past few years.  The state even gave them keys to go behind the locked gates on neighboring properties.  Couldn't believe it until I went with him to WDFW to pickup the gate keys!

Not sure if deer and elk work the same way, but I am guessing that they do.


Just looked this up:

Mule deer, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, and Rocky Mountain elk are classified as game animals (WAC 232-12-007). A hunting license and open season are required to hunt them. However, after obtaining a kill permit issued by WDFW, a property owner, the owner’s immediate family, owner’s documented employee, or tenants of real property may kill one or more deer or elk on the property if the animals are damaging commercial crops or livestock. (WAC 232-36-051, RCW 77.36.030).

[bobcat]

All you have to do is show that they are damaging your crops.  Which would be noble fir tree's in this instance.

Mystery solved!

I bet you could get even more than the normal number of damage tags if you have enough money and give it to the right person.      

[rbros]

And it gets better:

WDFW has created several landowner programs that benefit landowners and hunters alike. The following examples are exceptions with special circumstances and limitations: ◦The landowner hunting permit (LHP) program has been implemented by the Fish and Wildlife Commission (WAC 232-28-295). The program is designed to increase hunter access to private lands and to help landowners address long-standing deer/elk damage issues. LHPs can include permits issued to landowners that allow hunting without a landowner access fee; that allow hunting only if a landowner access fee is paid; or a combination of both. Permit levels, types, and seasons are allocated and approved in advance by the Commission based upon input from the LHP contractors/participants. The approved hunting seasons and regulations may, in some cases, be different than those approved for the hunting public during general seasons.
 ◦The Fish and Wildlife Commission also has approved damage prevention permits (DPPs) (WAC 232-28-266). DPPs provide landowners with a management tool that utilizes hunters to address property damage. Once issued to a landowner by the Commission, a DPP allows the properly licensed landowner to remove damage-causing deer/elk/turkey, or it allows another licensed hunter to be selected by the landowner to take the animal(s). Landowners and/or hunters may keep harvested wildlife, and landowners may charge and keep access fees in lieu of submitting damage claims to WDFW. The timing of a DPP harvest is not dictated by general hunting seasons, but by the occurrence of depredation.
 ◦Kill permits are authorized by WAC 232-36-051 under the authority of the WDFW Director. A kill permit may be issued to a landowner and immediate family that have documented deer and elk damage. An animal killed under this authority may be retained by the landowner if authorized by the Director. No licenses or tags are required. Landowners may be allowed to retain the animal in exchange for agreeing to not submit damage claims. The timing of a kill permit is not dictated by general hunting seasons, but by the occurrence of depredation


I need to buy more property in Washington State that borders hunting areas.  So in theory, one could get LHP permits, DPP permits and Kill permits.  Any the kill permits don't require a license or have a hunting season.  Good move on his part with purchasing the property if this was his intent.

[bobcat]

Yep, that's along the lines of what I said before, that perhaps they had plans to turn it into a PLWMA (Private Land Wildlife Management Area.)

[Curly]

So he just has to grease the skids of some commissioners to get the LHP or DPPs............or the director in order to get Kill permits.    hmmmm........

Wish I could win the Lotto........oh yeah, I'd have to buy a lotto ticket in order for that....

[bobcat]

I'd sure like to know how many bulls have been killed off that St Helens Noble Tree Farm in the last couple years, since it's been closed to the public.

What about this idea- maybe the plan was to move Margaret from a quality permit to a regular bull permit this year, then next year move it to the general season. That way the private landowners wouldn't have to deal with damage permit paperwork any longer. Just buy a tag and hunt.

[WSU]

Wonder if he gets any depredation permits

That's a good possibility! I hadn't thought of that, but it COULD happen! I wonder how we can find out?

Something fishy is going on, no doubt about that.

Public records request.

[bobcat]

Public records request.

Well, I think it's time to do a little digging...

[WSU]

Public records request.

Well, I think it's time to do a little digging...

Here you go: http://www.atg.wa.gov/Records.aspx

[Curly]

I'd sure like to know how many bulls have been killed off that St Helens Noble Tree Farm in the last couple years, since it's been closed to the public.

What about this idea- maybe the plan was to move Margaret from a quality permit to a regular bull permit this year, then next year move it to the general season. That way the private landowners wouldn't have to deal with damage permit paperwork any longer. Just buy a tag and hunt.

That sounds like a probably scenario.........I wouldn't put it past them.  But, wouldn't they lose revenue by eliminating the special permits?  I can't see WDFW doing anything that might lose them money.  Except maybe it costs them a lot of time and work by having to deal with damage permit paperwork.............

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

And it gets better:

WDFW has created several landowner programs that benefit landowners and hunters alike. The following examples are exceptions with special circumstances and limitations: ◦The landowner hunting permit (LHP) program has been implemented by the Fish and Wildlife Commission (WAC 232-28-295). The program is designed to increase hunter access to private lands and to help landowners address long-standing deer/elk damage issues. LHPs can include permits issued to landowners that allow hunting without a landowner access fee; that allow hunting only if a landowner access fee is paid; or a combination of both. Permit levels, types, and seasons are allocated and approved in advance by the Commission based upon input from the LHP contractors/participants. The approved hunting seasons and regulations may, in some cases, be different than those approved for the hunting public during general seasons.
 ◦The Fish and Wildlife Commission also has approved damage prevention permits (DPPs) (WAC 232-28-266). DPPs provide landowners with a management tool that utilizes hunters to address property damage. Once issued to a landowner by the Commission, a DPP allows the properly licensed landowner to remove damage-causing deer/elk/turkey, or it allows another licensed hunter to be selected by the landowner to take the animal(s). Landowners and/or hunters may keep harvested wildlife, and landowners may charge and keep access fees in lieu of submitting damage claims to WDFW. The timing of a DPP harvest is not dictated by general hunting seasons, but by the occurrence of depredation.
 ◦Kill permits are authorized by WAC 232-36-051 under the authority of the WDFW Director. A kill permit may be issued to a landowner and immediate family that have documented deer and elk damage. An animal killed under this authority may be retained by the landowner if authorized by the Director. No licenses or tags are required. Landowners may be allowed to retain the animal in exchange for agreeing to not submit damage claims. The timing of a kill permit is not dictated by general hunting seasons, but by the occurrence of depredation


I need to buy more property in Washington State that borders hunting areas.  So in theory, one could get LHP permits, DPP permits and Kill permits.  Any the kill permits don't require a license or have a hunting season.  Good move on his part with purchasing the property if this was his intent.

The only person that can fill these permits without liscenes and tag is immediate family of the landowners or the landowner them selfs.

[Chesapeake]

I know some of the farmers up around Trout lake used to get those damage permits and use to take elk off the alfalfa fields. I havent heard anything about it since they created the AH trout lake tags. Used to hear stories of farmers selling tags.

Were regulating the logging companies out of profitability and there selling off lands because of it. Clear cuts sound pretty good compared to private developments and summer cabins.

[nailbender]

I'd sure like to know how many bulls have been killed off that St Helens Noble Tree Farm in the last couple years, since it's been closed to the public.

What about this idea- maybe the plan was to move Margaret from a quality permit to a regular bull permit this year, then next year move it to the general season. That way the private landowners wouldn't have to deal with damage permit paperwork any longer. Just buy a tag and hunt.

  Kinda makes ya go Hmmm.... doesn't it?

[Legacy]

I'm a friend of Mr. Agnew and asked him about the gossip and speculation appearing in this thread about the St. Helens Noble Farms acreage.

To set the record straight, there are no plans to use this property for a private wildlife management or hunting area, no current plans to get land owner hunting permits, no "extra" monies changed hands or were paid to anyone at the time of acquisition, and the property is being managed for some logging but primarily for the commercial production of noble fir boughs which can only be cut and harvested between mid-September and the first part of December (there are as many as 30 - 40 workers on the site during this 10 week period and for safety reasons, this is why the property is closed to the public during elk hunting seasons). Those wishing to "dig further" can save yourselves a lot of time.

[iRem]

Well he sure screwed up some prime hunting ground to make a buck!!