Hunting Washington Forum
Community => Advocacy, Agencies, Access => Topic started by: Westsideelkchaser on February 15, 2023, 12:53:37 AM
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I just wanted to comment on YouTube on a real wdfw video to have my own opinion documented… what I found was every channel had comments blocked so with that said I would like to make the statement, and I’m not sure if this is the right place, but imo wdfw are solely focused on fish when that is a minor comparison to the game animals..I get checked 2-3 times a year and I barley fish….hunting I’ve been checked once in 2000 and again this year by a tribal fg officer...my first time hunting idaho I was stopped by a roadblock 2 hrs into my first hunt…why is it fish are such a concern and game is not in Wa where the deer and elk are at below numbers I am confused where a sea bass is more important than a poached pregnant cow elk…am I the only one that sees every other state checking hunters and not obsessed with orcas because some one had a barbed hook
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I think a lot has to do with, it's easier to catch minor violations on the water, revenue is more important than our resources.
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Chances are it revolves around the salmon in some way. With Inslee focusing on whales due to the backing he receives from the whale watchers/sea lion lovers groups they put more emphasis on fishing side.
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There are people who are checked every year while hunting and there are those who have never been checked, that doesn't mean officers aren't working hunters.
NOAA (federal Fisheries) gives states (including WDFW) funding to do Fisheries enforcement on their behalf. So anytime a WDFW Officer is working a river with an ESA listed salmon in it NOAA is paying for his time, halibut are all federally managed so all WDFW time spent on halibut seasons is federally funded.
In the past several years the legislature has given WDFW extra money for additional Fisheries enforcement in the sound and on rivers. I can't think of a time in recent memory when the legislature appropriated WDFW with more money for big game (or any wildlife) enforcement.
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It's worth noting that fishing participation numbers are far higher than hunting, so they are going to have more enforcement dedicated to it. Its also very easy to check the average fisherman by waiting at the boat slip where they will inevitably return. The officers time isn't wasted because he might check 20 boats, but it would take days to check 20 hunters.
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I get checked every year while hunting elk in the Colockum, sometimes more than once. A couple years ago I was checked while fishing in the Naches River. Once I was in the Pasayton Wilderness one the high hunt and got checked.
Most of the time during salmon seasons, I get checked at the launch but it has never been an LEO, it has always been a civilian and all they are doing is counting harvest, they have no authority and do not check licenses etc. I’m sure LEO’s do make random stops and checks at the launch as time permits but most Officers are too busy to sit all day.
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I've been checked four times while hunting since May 2020. Once spring turkey hunting near Colville, once modern deer near Leavenworth, once bear hunting east side of the north cascades, and the latest being duck hunting near Everett.
The only commonality between all four is that they all occurred when I was with hunting buddies of eastern European descent...three were with the same buddy. Just find that kind of funny.
Never been checked fishing. I think I was just in relatively popular spots for the hunting checks.
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Easy+Money=WDFW
