UNDIVIDE WASHINGTON STATE

[CAMPMEAT]

Ask Conservation Northwest, who actually runs the WDFW, to tell the WDFW to do it.

[Dan-o]

How about you live on the west side,you have to hunt and fish there too. Same for the east side. If you want to hunt the other side you pay nonresident fees.  Lots of people going to ID for sure.

I suspect this wouldn't work as well for the East side as some folks think.

Fact is, tax money in this state flows west to east.    That would stop.   

[zike]

How about you live on the west side,you have to hunt and fish there too. Same for the east side. If you want to hunt the other side you pay nonresident fees.  Lots of people going to ID for sure.

I suspect this wouldn't work as well for the East side as some folks think.

Fact is, tax money in this state flows west to east.    That would stop.

I always thought it went the other way, once our money went west it never came back. All that money spent on the west side, super highways, tunnels, bridges, ferries, etc.

[Dan-o]

I don't have the data handy, but the data has been posted up several times on Hunt Wa.   

It actually flows rather significantly East........   of course, I can't prove it without the data, can I......   

[trophyhunt]

It does flow east, the east side would be screwed without the west money.  Splitting up deer isn't necessary at all. I recall seeing some really nice mule deer every year being killed.  Its fine

[Pete112288]

I am from the west side and would absolutely love a better chance at big bulls on the east side. However I wouldn't want to see it united for elk. Mostly for all the same reasons others have said so far. Deer I wouldn't want to see split like elk but I understand the pros for it. Personally I would like to see the west side elk go more like the east with spike only. Maybe not 100%. Leave a couple units in different parts of the west side as 3pt or better. Leave units like Battleground as any elk. But then go to spike only on the rest and before long we would have plenty more quality bull draws on the west side.
I don't know much about how ID does it as I have never hunted there or looked into it. But I have heard enough here and there that it seems like a better plan, I just cant say truly one way or the other about that.

[Jimmy33]

Bad idea


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[REHJWA]

I see more divide and conquer.

I think it's funny how this state has convinced a lot of people that fewer options for hunter and more money for the WDFW is a good idea....

It wasn't divided when I was growing up and we had more opportunities and for me that made for better hunting. 

Now that they have us use to the system and saying "I like it how it is", or worse "lets divide it more" and take away even more opportunities and put more money into someone's squirrel, pocket gopher, meadowlark, or other non game species project....

[BUTTER]

Leave it the way it is we don't need to keep coming up with more ideas for the stats to collect money from us anymore than they already do. This state already  believes there is an endless amount of wild game to hunt put there

[bbarnes]

Not a idea to collect more money,as this is a more access issue.With a lot of the land in SW Washinton being FEE ACCESS,it would give hunters more areas to hunt.

[Moose Master]

If we go to a single tag for elk in the state area's would be over run with hunters and this would get patterned.  As excessive pressure and kill to one area would this lead to another area and managing the herds would be more difficult.  Next option that would pop up would be a every other year tag to reduce the number of hunters in the woods and spilt up camps.  We all have the concept that there is never enough time to be able to hunt and that there are not enough animals to go around with poor management happening constantly.  I'm for leaving it as is for now with a east side and a west side tag.  Access is the because problem with lots of people abusing it because of contacts and private timber company's power with the legislators.  If it takes more money on my tags specific for elk management I'll pay it. (This extra would need to go into a single fund and not their general budget) This is my two cents worth Good luck in the 2016 season.

[jackelope]

Not a idea to collect more money,as this is a more access issue.With a lot of the land in SW Washinton being FEE ACCESS,it would give hunters more areas to hunt.

If you want to hunt on private land, you either have to get permission or pay for access. If you want to hunt on land for free, then hunt public land.

While I see your point in having more land to hunt, how would it be an improvement to have all the guys in E-WA that don't draw tags coming over west to hunt branch antlered bulls on public land we have over here?
How would it be better to have the already difficult/impossible to draw eastside tags become exponentially more difficult to draw since all of the westside guys would then be able to apply for eastside permits?
Please explain how that would be an improvement??

[Woodchuck]

 

[Wetwoodshunter]

Well stated Jackelope, as mostly a west side hunter I would like to see the state stay split. I guarantee that if I had the option of putting in for east side tags I would be putting in for elk over on the east side every year.

With the current split it helps keep down numbers of people where I hunt, although there are still quite a few hunters. I bet a lot of east side hunters would end up coming over and hunting the west side after draw results.

I would also like to see the state split deer. If there were an east side and westside deer I think that the overall deer population would be better off. A ton of deer hunters, I can think of at least 20 from where I live just in my circle of friends, go every year to eastern wa for opening week to hunt. If they don't tag out they come back home and then hunt blacktail. Currently, there is nothing wrong with this through regulation but it increases the deer harvest. I also think it would significantly decrease hunting effort in the east side.

[REHJWA]

I don't see how hunting on one side for the opening then hunting close to home if you don't tag out is harmful....opening day is a zoo every year in any state.

Kids, family requirements, work and the cost keep more people close to home to hunt weekends then people taking the season off to camp the other side of the state.

Also Not drawing a tag doesn't stop anyone from hunting spikes, so if those same spike hunters make a trip to hunt the west side reduces pressure on eastern herds. Then with more spikes making it through hunting season we get more quality tags....and then the odds would be on par for more people putting in for quality east  tags....