I have thought for years that we need a couple of new laws to protect and improve hunting and protect hunters in this state.
Considering all of the discussion lately regarding gun rights, rights to carry sidearms during archery season, poachers, and just plain trouble makers in the woods, I thought it might be time to throw out there a couple of the ideas that I have had. I am sure many of you have thought the same thing.
POACHERS
To deal with the issue of poachers, and since I believe that many poachers carry hunting licenses and use that license to validate why they are in the woods with a rifle... (tagging along "coyote hunting" during bow season to drop your buddies elk) (coyote hunting in the dead of winter, to drop that stressed buck after the regular season...) my plan is this:
Anti Poacher Law; All hunters in the state must have a background check to verify that no Warrants or FTA's appear on their record, prior to being issued a Washington Hunting License.
My thought on this issue is this: most all "normal" hunters are responsible enough to be free of an arrest warrant. When you got that speeding ticket last fall, you paid the fine, you took care of it, no warrant/FTA. Guys who could care less about taking care of their record are surely not going to take care of the outdoors, game or care about you. These guys are issued hunting licenses. We could change this.
IRRESPONSIBLE HUNTERS
Have you ever been cited by a game warden for some minor violation of a hunting regulation, sure, many good folks have. But, do you have a string of big game violations on your record? Probably not, yet many individuals do, and still return later to the woods to hunt. It is cheaper to go poach a bull elk, than to pay for a guided trip by far. "Teeth" needs to be put into current big game laws, teeth which would make just the thought of poaching any big game animal something no one would want to get caught doing.
Why is it that bow hunters have to suffer hunting with all those who have lost their gun rights? In theory, anyone who has lost their gun rights due to a felony conviction or Domestic Violence conviction is now a bowhunter. In my opinion, bow season should also be reserved for responsible hunters.
Responsible Hunter Law; My thought on this issue is; Hunters who have any big game violation/conviction, as well as hunters who have lost their gun rights must hunt a very short season which does not overlap other hunts. This group of hunters (Irresponsible Hunters) will lose any benefit or priveledge of hunting a long season, or season which is early in the year where game have not been exposed to hunting pressures. We can decide to reduce the amount of time or the season for this group of hunters. Heaven knows that legitimate hunter groups are faced with short seasons, special rules, it seem logical to place even tighter seasons and rules upon the irresponsible hunter.
