We are pursuing a lawsuit against the Governor

[pianoman9701]

Nice article. Keep pushing.

[pickardjw]

"The commission did increase the mountain lion bag limit from one per year to two with Lehmkuhl, a lifelong hunter, providing the swing vote."

Isn't Lehmkuhl the guy that didn't know we hunt turkey in the spring? Pisses me off that the media keeps calling him a lifelong hunter.

[Special T]

If I remember correctly that increase was an attempt to increase harvest but did noting to increase the quoatas or lengthen the season. I belive it was the one attempt that Director S usewind thought he could make happen.

[pianoman9701]

If I remember correctly that increase was an attempt to increase harvest but did noting to increase the quoatas or lengthen the season. I belive it was the one attempt that Director S usewind thought he could make happen.

Individual take was increased to two but the total harvest and season dates remained unchanged. It was a feel good measure that did nothing to relieve the cougar predation pressure on the elk calves. Total harvest increases (or unlimited harvest) along with emergency use of hounds to thin the population are the only steps that will alleviate the decline of the Blues elk herd.

[dwils233]

If I remember correctly that increase was an attempt to increase harvest but did noting to increase the quoatas or lengthen the season. I belive it was the one attempt that Director S usewind thought he could make happen.

Individual take was increased to two but the total harvest and season dates remained unchanged. It was a feel good measure that did nothing to relieve the cougar predation pressure on the elk calves. Total harvest increases (or unlimited harvest) along with emergency use of hounds to thin the population are the only steps that will alleviate the decline of the Blues elk herd.

I understand why you'd call it a feel good measure, and the rest of what you said is accurate but..

The one good thing about is that it acknowledged cougars need to managed and hunters are a tool for management . At a very foundational level, it's works in our favor in messaging and politics, even if it fails the wildlife

[Special T]

If I remember correctly that increase was an attempt to increase harvest but did noting to increase the quoatas or lengthen the season. I belive it was the one attempt that Director S usewind thought he could make happen.

Individual take was increased to two but the total harvest and season dates remained unchanged. It was a feel good measure that did nothing to relieve the cougar predation pressure on the elk calves. Total harvest increases (or unlimited harvest) along with emergency use of hounds to thin the population are the only steps that will alleviate the decline of the Blues elk herd.

I understand why you'd call it a feel good measure, and the rest of what you said is accurate but..

The one good thing about is that it acknowledged cougars need to managed and hunters are a tool for management . At a very foundational level, it's works in our favor in messaging and politics, even if it fails the wildlife

Yes you are correct, mostly because Susewind pushed it. I will sing that guys praises all day long.. . It still didn't accomplish anything tho.

[pianoman9701]

If I remember correctly that increase was an attempt to increase harvest but did noting to increase the quoatas or lengthen the season. I belive it was the one attempt that Director S usewind thought he could make happen.

Individual take was increased to two but the total harvest and season dates remained unchanged. It was a feel good measure that did nothing to relieve the cougar predation pressure on the elk calves. Total harvest increases (or unlimited harvest) along with emergency use of hounds to thin the population are the only steps that will alleviate the decline of the Blues elk herd.

I understand why you'd call it a feel good measure, and the rest of what you said is accurate but..

The one good thing about is that it acknowledged cougars need to managed and hunters are a tool for management . At a very foundational level, it's works in our favor in messaging and politics, even if it fails the wildlife

That's the whole point of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which is supposed to be the guiding principle of every state F&G department in the country. The WDFW is having its hands tied by the corrupted Wildlife Commission. They should be doing much more to alleviate the problems associated with calf and fawn death rates, especially in the Blues. This feel-good measure of increasing individual harvest but not increasing overall harvest is smoke and mirrors. We know why their numbers are plummeting. And, I believe, that the activists on the Commission are pleased with those numbers. This will give them what they need to further limit hunter opportunity. This isn't about proper wildlife management. This is about ending our heritage as we know it. It's already started with spring bear. Beaver trapping is on the table next.

[pianoman9701]

Your support of this suit and the WWC is critical for the future of hunting in this state. If the Commission isn't purged of the activists, I believe Director Susewind will resign before the end of the year. He's a lame duck and the Commission won't even listen to his biologists and game managers. Then watch out who the Commission selects for their new director. He/She/It will be a preservationist, not a conservationist. Whatever the outcome, the result of this suit will have huge effect on all of us here.

[Skyvalhunter]

Also having fair outdoors person representation on the commission. The WAC was put in place to have a diversity not be biased one way or another. Theoretically you would have some people on the commission that are unbiased so that when the voted on subject matter they would vote based on science and WDFW personnel input. But when it's stacked one way it's not a true representation. As it is now the anti hunting/fishing commissioners don't listen to outdoorsman, science, WDFW biologists they claim to need more information.  You have to figure that those that are on the fence are swayed by those claiming more info. If you were to listen to some of the commission meetings you would see that the anti commissioners are the ones that speak up the most and constantly disregard WDFW personnel input. Namely those most recently appointed. Just looking at Smiths back around you will see she's on a anti hunting groups board. I am willing to bet she convinces members of that group to speak up during the commissioners meetings.

[GASoline71]

If I remember correctly that increase was an attempt to increase harvest but did noting to increase the quoatas or lengthen the season. I belive it was the one attempt that Director S usewind thought he could make happen.

Individual take was increased to two but the total harvest and season dates remained unchanged. It was a feel good measure that did nothing to relieve the cougar predation pressure on the elk calves. Total harvest increases (or unlimited harvest) along with emergency use of hounds to thin the population are the only steps that will alleviate the decline of the Blues elk herd.

I understand why you'd call it a feel good measure, and the rest of what you said is accurate but..

The one good thing about is that it acknowledged cougars need to managed and hunters are a tool for management . At a very foundational level, it's works in our favor in messaging and politics, even if it fails the wildlife

That's the whole point of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which is supposed to be the guiding principle of every state F&G department in the country. The WDFW is having its hands tied by the corrupted Wildlife Commission. They should be doing much more to alleviate the problems associated with calf and fawn death rates, especially in the Blues. This feel-good measure of increasing individual harvest but not increasing overall harvest is smoke and mirrors. We know why their numbers are plummeting. And, I believe, that the activists on the Commission are pleased with those numbers. This will give them what they need to further limit hunter opportunity. This isn't about proper wildlife management. This is about ending our heritage as we know it. It's already started with spring bear. Beaver trapping is on the table next.

Then the corrupt commissioners can say they did something "for us" which we all know did nothing to mitigate cougar predation in the Blues

Someone asked a few posts back about what commissioner didn't know that there was a Spring Turkey season... I believe that was Melanie Rowland.

Gary

[Dhoey07]

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/18/hunting-group-to-sue-gov-inslee-alleging-biased-co/


Ran in the Spokane paper as well. 

[pickardjw]

Wanted to fact check myself on Lehmkuhl not know that there was a Spring Turkey season. Here's a NWSportsman article where they transcribed that statement from Lehmkuhl.

https://nwsportsmanmag.com/decisive-vote-on-wa-2022-spring-bear-hunt-draws-nigh/

“With regard to spring bear hunting, the thing that occurs to me is, why just are we hunting bears in the spring? And why aren’t we – if we’re going to maximize bear hunting, OK, let’s hunt bears in the spring. If we’re trying to maximize hunting in general, then why aren’t we hunting other animals in the springtime? Why do we have a double standard for bears?"

[pianoman9701]

Wanted to fact check myself on Lehmkuhl not know that there was a Spring Turkey season. Here's a NWSportsman article where they transcribed that statement from Lehmkuhl.

https://nwsportsmanmag.com/decisive-vote-on-wa-2022-spring-bear-hunt-draws-nigh/

“With regard to spring bear hunting, the thing that occurs to me is, why just are we hunting bears in the spring? And why aren’t we – if we’re going to maximize bear hunting, OK, let’s hunt bears in the spring. If we’re trying to maximize hunting in general, then why aren’t we hunting other animals in the springtime? Why do we have a double standard for bears?"

He's obviously missing the point that we need to kill more predators to help stabilize ungulate populations, year round. Animal rights people don't want to stabilize any ungulate population. They want to end hunting and hurting ungulate populations is a great path to success.

[Skyvalhunter]

You can bet if they eliminated any predator hunting at all they would get their objective. Just like no cougar hunting in CA. Or trying to eliminate any wolf hunting

[pianoman9701]

You can bet if they eliminated any predator hunting at all they would get their objective. Just like no cougar hunting in CA. Or trying to eliminate any wolf hunting

That's why they brought the wolves here in the first place.