Post by: matt345 on May 13, 2013, 07:42:43 PM
1) I understand that you as the companion hunter may shot the animal for the disabled hunter.
2) I understand that the companion hunter and the disabled hunter must be 1/4 mile or less apart, not sure how this is monitored??? Any one ever experience being stopped on this issue by a WDFW officer and how did the officer handle it??
3) It also says that the companion hunter and disabled hunter must have a reliable form of communication, can this be a cell phone??
Post by: matt345 on May 14, 2013, 04:20:26 PM
Post by: fillthefreezer on May 14, 2013, 04:22:25 PM
im curious if im allowed to carry a weapon if i head up a steep draw and hes in the rig below as his mobility is NIL
Post by: MLBowhunting on May 14, 2013, 04:23:58 PM
Post by: bobcat on May 14, 2013, 04:28:48 PM
I'm wondering if we can both carry muzzleloaders during his hunt. I'd like to carry mine just to back him up. I'm pretty sure it's legal. But what if we end up 1/4 mile apart and I shoot his elk for him? I also think that would be legal but would like some verification.
Post by: jason stevens on May 14, 2013, 04:33:15 PM
Post by: fillthefreezer on May 14, 2013, 04:33:40 PM
I would like to know more about this as well. I talked my uncle into applying for a muzzleloader elk permit this year. He normally hunts with a rifle, but does own a muzzleloader. (He is disabled)this is very similar situation for my dad and some of the units weve put him in for have some areas that are not far from the road but he would not make it back out of unless he's strapped to my pack :chuckle:
I'm wondering if we can both carry muzzleloaders during his hunt. I'd like to carry mine just to back him up. I'm pretty sure it's legal. But what if we end up 1/4 mile apart and I shoot his elk for him? I also think that would be legal but would like some verification.
Post by: matt345 on May 14, 2013, 04:38:07 PM
Post by: Elkaholic daWg on May 14, 2013, 04:54:44 PM
Post by: jackelope on May 14, 2013, 05:04:24 PM
The way I understand it is that you can carry and shoot weapons specific to whatever tags they have. My question is that if I am the designated hunter for someone who is really immobile and cant really leave the car it seems a bit restrictive to only let me be 1/4 mile away from the truck. Seems to me that if they are letting the individual buy the tags and then letting me shoot the animal, who cares how far away from me they are???
With that logic, the disabled party could just stay home.
:dunno:
That doesn't make any sense to me. You're pretty much just having a disabled person buy a tag so you can kill another animal. That's the way it comes across to me.
Post by: robodad on May 14, 2013, 05:09:47 PM
(1) Definitions:
(a) "Hunter with a disability" means a person with a permanent disability who possesses a disabled hunter permit issued by the department. A hunter with a disability must have all required licenses, tags, permits, and stamps before hunting.
(b) "Disabled hunter permit" means a permit, card, or endorsement to a license issued by the department to any person with a permanent disability who applies to the department and presents such evidence as the director may require showing that the applicant is a person with a qualifying disability. Upon approval of the application, the department will issue a vehicle identification placard. A designated hunter companion card will be issued with a hunting license.
(c) "Designated hunter companion" means a person who assists a hunter with a disability in the stalking, shooting, tracking, retrieving, or tagging of game birds and game animals.
(d) "Designated hunter companion card" means an identification card issued by the department to the hunter with a disability.
(e) "Blind or visually impaired" means a central visual acuity that does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with corrective lenses, or the widest diameter of the visual field does not exceed twenty degrees.
(f) "Accompany" means the hunter with a disability and the designated hunter companion are in the physical presence of each other, not to exceed a 1/4-mile separation. While stalking or shooting an animal, the hunter with a disability and the designated hunter companion must have a form of reliable and direct communication.
(g) "Special use permit" means a permit issued by the department to a person with a specific permanent disability as a reasonable accommodation. The special use permit allows for a specific act or acts to include, but not be limited to, use of adaptive mechanical, electrical, or specialty equipment or devices that aid the person in hunting.
(h) "Person with a disability" means:
(i) A person who has a permanent disability and is not ambulatory over natural terrain without a lower extremity prosthesis or must permanently use a medically prescribed assistive device for mobility, including, but not limited to, a wheelchair, crutch, cane, walker, or oxygen bottle; or
(ii) A person who has a permanent disability and is physically incapable of holding and safely operating a firearm or other legal hunting device.
This definition includes, but is not limited to, persons with a permanent upper or lower extremity impairment who have lost the use of one or both upper or lower extremities, or who have a severe limitation in the use of one or both upper or lower extremities, or who have a diagnosed permanent disease or disorder which substantially impairs or severely interferes with mobility or the use of one or both upper or lower extremities for holding and safely operating a firearm or other legal hunting device; or
(iii) A person who is blind or visually impaired.
(i) "Public highway" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel as defined in RCW 46.04.197.
(2) The designated hunter companion must accompany the hunter with a disability when stalking or shooting game on behalf of the hunter with a disability. The hunter with a disability or the designated hunter companion must immediately cut, notch, or date any required tag. The tag must be affixed to the carcass of the game bird or animal as soon as is reasonably possible after killing the game.
(3) The designated hunter companion does not need to accompany the hunter with a disability while tracking an animal wounded by either hunter, or while tagging or retrieving a downed animal on behalf of the hunter with a disability.
(4) It is unlawful for a designated hunter companion to assist a hunter with a disability unless the designated hunter companion has the designated hunter companion identification card on his or her person.
(5) It is unlawful for a hunter with a disability to shoot from a motor vehicle, unless the vehicle is stopped, the motor is turned off and the vehicle is removed from the maintained portion of a public highway. If the roadway is not paved, and it is impossible for the hunter with a disability to completely remove the vehicle from the roadway, then the hunter may shoot from the vehicle if the vehicle is as far off the roadway as possible. A disabled hunter vehicle identification placard must be displayed.
(6) It is unlawful for any person to possess a loaded firearm in or on a motor vehicle, except if the person is a hunter with a disability and the vehicle is in compliance with subsection (5) of this section.
(7) Game birds or game animals killed, tagged or retrieved by a designated hunter companion on behalf of a hunter with a disability do not count against the designated hunter companion's bag or possession limit.
(8 ) A designated hunter companion shooting game for or who may be shooting game for a hunter with a disability must have a valid hunting license issued by Washington or another state.
(9) Special use permits.
(a) The director may develop conditions and criteria for administering and issuing special use permits.
(b) The hunters and fishers with disabilities advisory committee established in RCW 77.04.150 may assist the department in evaluating requests and criteria for issuing special use permits.
(c) Special use permits must be carried on the person acting under or using devices authorized by the permit.
(d) The terms for use granted by a special use permit, when provided as a reasonable accommodation, shall supersede other hunting or fishing rules and restrictions.
Post by: matt345 on May 14, 2013, 05:10:26 PM
Post by: robodad on May 14, 2013, 05:22:14 PM
I guess my point is in the case of extreme disability. Why limit the person w the tag and said designated hunter to 1/4 mile if the tag holder wants to eat wild game why not let them?? I don't see the difference really between letting a person sit in their car a 1/4 mile a way from me while I shoot them a deer or an elk or letting them sit on their couch. In my opinion they are pretty similar experiences!
If the disabled hunter didn't have to participate in any way the woods would be chocked full of companion hunters for every grama and gramps able to buy a license, besides I think the game wardens would like to question the disabled hunter if the companion is stopped etc...Just a thought !!
Post by: jackelope on May 14, 2013, 05:31:03 PM
I guess my point is in the case of extreme disability. Why limit the person w the tag and said designated hunter to 1/4 mile if the tag holder wants to eat wild game why not let them?? I don't see the difference really between letting a person sit in their car a 1/4 mile a way from me while I shoot them a deer or an elk or letting them sit on their couch. In my opinion they are pretty similar experiences!
What's the difference between you doing that for a disabled friend and you doing that for a friend that doesn't want to hunt?
I think they call that version "party hunting".
There's got to be a line drawn somewhere in my opinion.
Post by: matt345 on May 14, 2013, 05:36:06 PM
Post by: Elkaholic daWg on May 14, 2013, 05:47:58 PM
Post by: jackelope on May 14, 2013, 05:55:51 PM
I feel the difference is that in the former example the person doesn't have an option of really hunting because of their disabilities. In the later example the person doesn't want to hunt but wants you to hunt for them but has the physical ability to.
But they're both Hypothetically at home sitting on the couch.
Post by: matt345 on May 14, 2013, 06:12:27 PM
New to this concept and trying to figure out were I am on the issue.
Post by: fishingfool on May 14, 2013, 06:34:31 PM
Post by: wog on June 18, 2013, 10:49:23 PM
Post by: Bob33 on June 18, 2013, 11:05:49 PM
The current program is a good one.
Post by: biggfish on June 18, 2013, 11:24:41 PM
I guess my point is in the case of extreme disability. Why limit the person w the tag and said designated hunter to 1/4 mile if the tag holder wants to eat wild game why not let them?? I don't see the difference really between letting a person sit in their car a 1/4 mile a way from me while I shoot them a deer or an elk or letting them sit on their couch. In my opinion they are pretty similar experiences!
[/pquote]
My father is disabled and I carried the companion card. In the spirit of fair chase as explained to me by a gw the disabled hunter is supposed to get first attempt at the animal if accommodations are able to be made. To address the communication issue we used FRS/GMRS handhelds gt them for 50 at Costco work in heavy cover up to a mile 5 miles max range. I never asked about the 1/4 mile I figured its plenty of distance. With disabled hunters the state is supposed to accommodate you with access to closed gates even in areas where no motor vehicles are allowed.
Post by: Rooster1981 on June 19, 2013, 06:26:27 AM
Post by: pianoman9701 on June 19, 2013, 06:40:45 AM
True!
New to this concept and trying to figure out were I am on the issue.
Iceman might have more info about this for you, as well. You might PM him.
Post by: Curly on June 19, 2013, 06:47:56 AM
The thought of someone "hunting" for another person at home on his couch is repulsive to me. Hunting is far more than meat harvest.
The current program is a good one.
:yeah:
Post by: jackmaster on June 19, 2013, 06:53:52 AM
Post by: pianoman9701 on June 19, 2013, 06:58:50 AM
I guess my point is in the case of extreme disability. Why limit the person w the tag and said designated hunter to 1/4 mile if the tag holder wants to eat wild game why not let them?? I don't see the difference really between letting a person sit in their car a 1/4 mile a way from me while I shoot them a deer or an elk or letting them sit on their couch. In my opinion they are pretty similar experiences!
This is about hunting not eating. If they don't want or are unable to get outside, then the program isn't open to them. Someone they know can certainly donate some meat to them in this case. There are many accommodations made for disabled hunters. Maybe more could be done. However, allowing someone to shoot an animal for them while they remain at home is not and should not be one of those accommodations.
Post by: BULLBLASTER on June 19, 2013, 03:59:54 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on June 19, 2013, 05:26:17 PM
My dad and I go out each year with his license and.companion card. I have shot 5-6 deer for him. It is a great way to spend time hunting together like when I was young even though my dad can't get around well. I've always been pretty close to my dad when I shot but one reason or another I was the one to pull the trigger.
It's great you can do that with him. :tup:
Post by: BULLBLASTER on June 19, 2013, 07:58:33 PM
we hunted 3-4 days after a buck and then my dad told me he wanted a doe. so a doe it was! still a great hunting memory!
he still tells the story to people how i guided him and we saw tons of deer.
Post by: jackmaster on June 20, 2013, 06:51:56 AM
:yeah: well said pianno as always, when i am to disabled to get out in the woods then i will just realize that i had my time, its already been a hell of a blast thats for sure, what fun would it be if my companion hunter was out huntn why i was sittn on the couch. animals deserve a little more respect than that, if i cant be there then there isnt any point for an animal to give up its life. :twocents:I guess my point is in the case of extreme disability. Why limit the person w the tag and said designated hunter to 1/4 mile if the tag holder wants to eat wild game why not let them?? I don't see the difference really between letting a person sit in their car a 1/4 mile a way from me while I shoot them a deer or an elk or letting them sit on their couch. In my opinion they are pretty similar experiences!
This is about hunting not eating. If they don't want or are unable to get outside, then the program isn't open to them. Someone they know can certainly donate some meat to them in this case. There are many accommodations made for disabled hunters. Maybe more could be done. However, allowing someone to shoot an animal for them while they remain at home is not and should not be one of those accommodations.
Post by: Hermit on July 08, 2013, 05:22:21 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on July 09, 2013, 01:18:28 AM
The whole idea for the companion is to ASSIST the disabled hunter......... Pretty tough to do from a half mile away. My wife holds my companion card, she doesn't carry a gun, she DOES retrieve, helps me up if I fall and just generally ASSISTS.I gotta find me a woman like that, That's awesome and yes I;m disabled too
Post by: bobcat on July 09, 2013, 08:41:07 AM
Post by: Hermit on July 09, 2013, 04:42:08 PM