Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Other Big Game => Topic started by: flysar on April 01, 2013, 06:57:28 PM

Title: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: flysar on April 01, 2013, 06:57:28 PM: In the units where the Cougar quota was not met, probably 85% or more, seems reasonable that WDFW would create an emergency opener to help manage their own harvest objectives; reasonable but probably not likely!

How many folks have chance encounters when turkey hunting?
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: NoImpactNoIdea on April 01, 2013, 10:44:16 PM: Quote from: flysar on April 01, 2013, 06:57:28 PM
In the units where the Cougar quota was not met, probably 85% or more, seems reasonable that WDFW would create an emergency opener to help manage their own harvest objectives; reasonable but probably not likely!

How many folks have chance encounters when turkey hunting?

I would love to bag a big cat but I dont think it will happen any other time than general season.
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: mulehunter on April 02, 2013, 06:59:14 AM: My friend Micah was calling in a turkey for while and he heard something behind him and tree. he doesnt want spooky turkey but he have funny feeling so decide to roll over floor with shot gun and sudden Female 100lbs at 5 feet Micah pull trigger up air she ran away then at 50 yds she stop look at him and walk away. He was Scare at first when he saw her face at 5 feet. :yike: it happen last year during turkey season.
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: pianoman9701 on April 02, 2013, 07:41:17 AM: What's the emergency? Once a habitat is at carrying capacity, male cougars will cull their own surplus adolescent males. Females will have fewer kittens. Cougars are not like coyotes and wolves. Each needs a certain amount of space to live and will defend its territory. The only repercussions will be the occasional encroachment into more civilized areas by the adolescent males and a human-cougar conflict. These are normally handled by professionals when they pop up.

I believe a few human-cougar conflicts, quite possibly resulting in the killing of a tree-huggers child or pet "fluffy", will be good for an overall attitude adjustment regarding the use of hounds for hunting in this state. I would be against an emergency season on cougars.
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 02, 2013, 07:57:13 AM: Exactly ....that will never happen ...in fact they want to save the cougars not kill them ...we think of them as a predator that eats our deer but they obviously see it differently :dunno: we have obviously lost the brains of our older counter parts as far as management goes :yeah:
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on April 02, 2013, 08:00:48 AM: I would support it if hounds were an option. I hate the current system. I wonder how many of the cats killed in WA this season were actually mature animals?
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: flysar on April 02, 2013, 10:39:12 AM: I used the term "Emergency" as WDFW uses it for closures because of the potential impact on Cougar and Big Game Animal numbers.

WDFW set Cougar harvest "quota's" based on sustainable objectives of the state. Seems reasonable that any number over that would be detrimental to Cougar survival (over crowding, malnutrition) and sustainable big game levels... management!

After Dec 31st the season should be opened for permit Hound opportunities along with the current non-permit boot hunts to meet harvest objectives... hunters get more opportunity which also generates more revenue for WDFW.
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: bigtex on April 02, 2013, 10:42:14 AM: This would be like saying we should open up deer season after the season ended because not enough deer were taken..Never going to happen.
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: pianoman9701 on April 02, 2013, 10:43:02 AM: Quote from: flysar on April 02, 2013, 10:39:12 AM
I used the term "Emergency" as WDFW uses it for closures because of the potential impact on Cougar and Big Game Animal numbers.

WDFW set Cougar harvest "quota's" based on sustainable objectives of the state. Seems reasonable that any number over that would be detrimental to Cougar survival (over crowding, malnutrition) and sustainable big game levels... management!

After Dec 31st the season should be opened for permit Hound opportunities along with the current non-permit boot hunts to meet harvest objectives... hunters get more opportunity which also generates more revenue for WDFW.

This will never happen without a voter initiative allowing hounding again. Hounds will only be used in an on-call baisis
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: bigtex on April 02, 2013, 10:46:35 AM: Quote from: pianoman9701 on April 02, 2013, 10:43:02 AM
Quote from: flysar on April 02, 2013, 10:39:12 AM
I used the term "Emergency" as WDFW uses it for closures because of the potential impact on Cougar and Big Game Animal numbers.

WDFW set Cougar harvest "quota's" based on sustainable objectives of the state. Seems reasonable that any number over that would be detrimental to Cougar survival (over crowding, malnutrition) and sustainable big game levels... management!

After Dec 31st the season should be opened for permit Hound opportunities along with the current non-permit boot hunts to meet harvest objectives... hunters get more opportunity which also generates more revenue for WDFW.

This will never happen without a voter initiative allowing hounding again. Hounds will only be used in an on-call baisis

The legislature could allow hounds again, but I don't know which is more likely to happen, it passing the legislature or the voters :dunno:
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on April 02, 2013, 10:47:42 AM: Good luck with this idea.
Title: Re: Emergency Opener for Cougar - Can we talk WDFW into it?
Post by: Huntboy on April 02, 2013, 10:56:01 AM: Quote from: pianoman9701
I believe a few human-cougar conflicts, quite possibly resulting in the killing of a tree-huggers child or pet "fluffy", will be good for an overall attitude adjustment regarding the use of hounds for hunting in this state. I would be against an emergency season on cougars.

:yeah: