"second cougar drawing in which you were selected! "

[Arteman]

Thanks Carp, I was lost because when it was the pilot program we had to choose one of those areas as are 1st through 4th choice and could only be drawn for one of them, looks like this boot hunting permit is allowing us to hunt all of them. Lol I had a moment there.   

[Arteman]

What did you ever figure on doing Kain, part of me doesnt want to support it because it too think the cougar boot hunt should just be general all year like Oregon.  Wonder how many of these permits they gave out?  I think ill decline, maybe they will give to another guy that will use it.

[Kain]

What did you ever figure on doing Kain, part of me doesnt want to support it because it too think the cougar boot hunt should just be general all year like Oregon.  Wonder how many of these permits they gave out?  I think ill decline, maybe they will give to another guy that will use it.

I declined.

to Wildthing

I want to thank the WDFW and the commission for taking proactive action on cougar management since our legislature failed to renew the pilot program.  Unfortunately I am unable to use the permit for Chelan county.  I put in for the South Cascades permits and Chelan is just to far and unfamiliar to me to effectively use this tag.  I really hope that the WDFW chooses another hunter for this permit and it does not go to waste.  If any opportunities come up for South Cascades I would be happy to be considered for that CMU.

Thank you for the opportunity,

Naithan Kain

I dont know why they think these permits will have any effect on the cougar populations in these units.  The pilot program was very successful at keeping cat numbers low in these units and giving out a couple hundred 3 month boot permits where the success rates are less then 1% is not going to have any effect.   They have to know this and are just trying to squeeze extra money out of us until the cougar problem gets so bad that they can justify other options.   

[Arteman]

Ill get my email sent here in a bit to decline as well.  Yeah I agree with you, it has to be about making an extra buck off of nothing, they could open it up for everybody and the harvest rates would still be considerably low without the use of dogs.

[MtnMuley]

Pretty damn tough not to be a local, and be able to get out all the time, to fill a boot tag in the Chelan Unit. Be damn tough to fill any boot tag period.

[MtnMuley]

Sorry to get off topic, but does anybody know the current status of the cougar season around Chelan or Okanogan Counties?  The regs were altered, and I can't remember when they extended the deadline for boot hunters and to what weapon could be used?  Can't seem to find the info on WDFW's page.  Thanks in advance.

[Kain]

Sorry to get off topic, but does anybody know the current status of the cougar season around Chelan or Okanogan Counties?  The regs were altered, and I can't remember when they extended the deadline for boot hunters and to what weapon could be used?  Can't seem to find the info on WDFW's page.  Thanks in advance.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01184/2011_big_game_hunting_errata.pdf

Page 54 (added October 11)
The general cougar season in the Chelan, Okanogan, Okanogan-Ferry, Stevens-Pend Oreille, and
Klickitat Hunt Zones has been extended. The new dates are October 15 – December 31.

[MtnMuley]

That's what I thought.  Thanks a bunch, Kain.

[Arteman]

Pretty damn tough not to be a local, and be able to get out all the time, to fill a boot tag in the Chelan Unit. Be damn tough to fill any boot tag period.

That's what I love about being 5 miles off the Oregon border.  I put in for the permit hunts down there so I have to buy the hunting license regardless, nonresident cougar tag is their cheapest big-game tag at only 14 dollars so I buy it too, and you can buy two of them.  The season is all year long and plenty of good places to hunt not far from home.  At least then I feel my license doesn't go to waste every year I don't draw.

[Rainier10]

I just declined mine.  Maybe they will do a second draw or if they were smart they would offer up the returned permits as an over the counter first come first serve thing.  If they did that the locals might buy them and actually get out and fill the tag.