Amazed and frustrated

[Katmai Guy]

Call the DFW and get in touch with the private lands coordinator (not sure if that's the title). I'd report him.

[jrebel]

They should not be paid one penny unless they are in a feel free to hunt program.....PERIOD.  If they are being paid with tax dollars, they should allow walk in access to anyone hunting the species of animal that are huntable at that time.  Anything less is a complete abuse and waste of tax dollars.  Even the reservation system can be abused and they landowners should not be paid for that system.  Most reservation ground that is worth hunting on is filled by the same people annually and / or by family members.  This should not be funded by tax dollars.  Feel free to hunt is the only thing we as hunters should be paying for. 

On a side note, Kansas pays landowners for feel free to hunt and it works great. 

[deereman]

I believe I get paid about $35/acre annually for my ground that is in the CRP program. I chose not to enroll in any of the wildlife programs because I would like to hunt my own ground. My problem is harvest doesn’t coincide with deer season so I usually end up missing out, by the time I am done with corn harvest, the season is over.

[pianoman9701]

I believe I get paid about $35/acre annually for my ground that is in the CRP program. I chose not to enroll in any of the wildlife programs because I would like to hunt my own ground. My problem is harvest doesn’t coincide with deer season so I usually end up missing out, by the time I am done with corn harvest, the season is over.

We know you have a rifle in that harvester! 

[buckfvr]

i have seen tons of issues with this system.  i have seen the "we already gave out the permission to others"  although what i later found out was  that the "others" were just the local family members.  super frustrating. but in the long run, they do pay the taxes on the land, and it is "their" land, and unfortunately, all they have to do is show proof to wdfw that they gave permission, doesn't matter who they gave it too.  so basically your pretty much SOL.

Unfortunately, very common and nothing can be done about it that anyone is willing to pursue.

[KFhunter]

Trying to keep up with who's hunting when, and where, and butthurt hunters?

Sounds great!  Where do I sign up!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[aaronoto]

When the overwhelming feedback on the hunt by written permission program is negative, and it is, WDFW should evaluate whether it's even worth it.  In my opinion the hunt by written permission should be done away with in favor of the hunt by reservation instead.  If a landowner is not OK with that, than it's their right to not enroll in the program.  On paper we'd lose more private property to hunt, but in reality, I don't think we really would because of the abuses within the hunt by written permission program. 

[BigGoonTuna]

Had a good and bad experience with this program, near asotin wildlife are. First area was great. Lady owned a few thousand acres, she would let a few people hunt her land at a time but have them go to different areas. Then she’d usually come out to camp at night and have a few beers with us. Don’t think that land is in the program any more, she sold most of it to WDFW. Kind of bittersweet, can go out there any time, but no more motorized access.

The other land owner was a tool. Owns a ton of land in different properties in the area. We were over there for muzzleloader deer that year, maybe saw a handful of people the whole time. Noticed his land was posted “hunting with written permission” and figured it’d be a slam dunk. Not so, gave us the old “my grandkids are going to come down for rifle season” excuse.

I do understand that it’s private property, but there should be some reasonable expectation of being granted permission to hunt land that’s enrolled in this program. It definitely needs reforming.

[outdooraddict]

what everyone is misunderstanding is this....its not about the hunters or giving the hunters access.. it all boils down to money. wdfw pays the landowners a little money to enroll. they "give permission" although its to their own friends and family which is no different than prior to enrolling in the program. WDFW gets to advertise this "millions of acres of private land have been opened for access to the public", this equals more license sales, because people have the false sense of "lots of land to hunt".  by eliminating the programs, wdfw cannot advertise the "millions of private acres for the public" thus resulting in less licenses sold. and ultimately wdfw loses money,  the loss of money will instantly halt any progress to a better system.  You gotta always remember.....it all comes down to the greedy green dollar...

[Skyvalhunter]

So then WDFW is basically selling the wildlife?

[dvolmer]

what everyone is misunderstanding is this....its not about the hunters or giving the hunters access.. it all boils down to money. wdfw pays the landowners a little money to enroll. they "give permission" although its to their own friends and family which is no different than prior to enrolling in the program. WDFW gets to advertise this "millions of acres of private land have been opened for access to the public", this equals more license sales, because people have the false sense of "lots of land to hunt".  by eliminating the programs, wdfw cannot advertise the "millions of private acres for the public" thus resulting in less licenses sold. and ultimately wdfw loses money,  the loss of money will instantly halt any progress to a better system.  You gotta always remember.....it all comes down to the greedy green dollar...

BINGO!!!!!

[pastormike]

Thanks you all,

He did mention points and yes, he is in CRP and there are grants for participating in that so wdfw may not give him $$but they give him points to help him stay in CRP and being in CRP pays more than farming, I guess. Either way taxpayer money and fraudulent imho. I will definitely contact the land coordinator or whoever that is...he texted everything back and forth and you see him say to come back next week, yes you can hunt, meet to sign then 6 hours later tell me I cant hunt because "we're filled up." the webpage for his land says no limit on hunters...And, nobody is there.

Its just terrible. Worked so hard and spent so much time there based on what he said. 

I guess we'll go kill some blacktails...gotta leave tomorrow.

If someone disrupts a hunter they are breaking the law, well he sure disrupted us, but not in the traditional sense.
But he can be that way if he wants, doesn't change who i am or what I'm about and in the end, it doesn't even hurt me...just sucks to go from such a high, locating 2 bucks possibly getting my first Muley and my wife's first deer ever, getting the permission and then getting shut down.
He told me he does this for people who don't get to very often...the moments we signed he said other hunters are coming that have been coming for 15 years. He should have just said "No." but i suppose he gets points for signing each hunter, rather than a set amount for just being in the program...


anyhoo, I appreciate your posts, and i'm moving on...

happy hunting!

Mike

[Stein]

Each area will have a biologist that manages the program, find the one for that area and give them a ring.  If nothing else they at least know there was one problem with that guy and if others complained he could make a change for next year.

I agree there shouldn't be a landowner permission, it should be limited to either FFTH (now register to hunt), or managed by WDFW through the reservation system.

Then again, that would result in some places giving no access and money likely going unspent and unbudgeted next cycle for that area.  I know in our area they could get more properties if they could find more willing landowners.

[O. hemionus]

WDFW Private Lands Biologist map
https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/wdfw_wildlife_private_lands_bios_map_8-12-2020.pdf

[lokidog]

At least you got to talk to someone. The year I tried to contact any (about a dozen) while I was scouting, not a single one had a working phone number, answered a phone, or returned a call.

From my limited experience, this program needs to go the way of the Dodo.....