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Our legislature finally voted on Tues. I heard on the news today and voted back the 5 counties that have been doing a pilot cougar hunt plus any other counties that want to jump onboard. This is only for another 3 yrs. for now. The other counties must give evidence they are having problems to get onboard. I doubt the big populated counties will try since they have too many bunny huggers to let it happen. I'd like to see the whole state get back to managing cougars so every hound hunter in the state don't have to congregate in one little section. Sure makes it hard to get drawn for my own backyard when I'm competing with everybody.
Our Representative Joel Kretz (who also owns hounds) wanted to thank all of us for emailing and calling to make this happen. He said they got flooded with posative calls. Although, if any of you checked out his website Buddy posted "House Bill 2438" a while back you would get sick reading some of the hogwash the bunny huggers wrote in it.
So, thanks everybody for the help even all of you out of staters. We can actually get things done as a group but will die off by ourselves.
Got to meet some out of county houndoggers from Trout Lake and Vancouver. I couldn't believe it but they all still have all their teeth and I think a couple of them might even be able to read. Ha! Great guys and hope to see more of them in future winters. At least having everybody come in my back yard to hunt I get to meet everybody.
So a big sigh of relief and get back to traing for next winter. gotta git. Bill

Nice job to all whom participated This is a great step forward. Now if we can all work together to create some guidelines that will help keep things positive with all houndmen, we will be moving in the right direction.

Would it help to send letters to county officials in areas that haven't jumped on board? Lets spread the hunts to other areas.

Hey coyote Hunter. I'd say to contact your county commissioners, your regional director of the WDFW and your legislators for your county. They are the ones that can get this done. Unfortunately, a lot of the West side counties have Bunny Huggers as Commissioners and Legislators. You need some specific instances (cougar sightings, domestic pet or animal attacks) to throw at them to prove you need some cougar reduction. good luck gotta git. Bill

it would also be nice if you had to live in washington to get drawn. these guys from out of state are taking away oppurtintys for us. put in 2 yrs and have never been drawn. seen some guys from idaho put in for the first time and were drawn. thats just my opinion. see you guys in the woods.

wablkandtan wrote:it would also be nice if you had to live in washington to get drawn. these guys from out of state are taking away oppurtintys for us. put in 2 yrs and have never been drawn. seen some guys from idaho put in for the first time and were drawn. thats just my opinion. see you guys in the woods.

You do have to be from Washington to even be a "hound handler" if you know of two guys from Idaho that drew you know two guys who broke the law and you should complain about it.I personally find it hard to believe that WDFW didn't pick it up if they drew.Personally I would like to see the resident requirement be taken off the handler portion,but it was put in to keep the guiding to a minimum.Remember this was NOT set up as an open cougar season but as a fact finding study to gather data that would show Washington citizens and legislators that hounds are needed as a management tool in cougar control,not only through harvest but behavioral modification(pursuit season).

Guys and gals if you live in Washington State or know someone who does it is imperitive that we get ahold of our state Senators and get them to pass this.The antis are furious that this slipped through the house and are bombarding the senate.Remember when you call or email to remind them about the science behind passing this and the safety aspects.Please don't use the heritage arguement because it really is moot because the majority voted thru I-655 that hound hunting be outlawed but we can get around this by using the science of management and the public safety concerns(what legislator wants the blood of a human attack on their hands?)

Yep.. If it stalls the senate it will be dead.. until next year.. We need to stay behind this..

Buddy

Passed by the Senate and Speaker of the house signed bill 2438 today. This BILL will be on it's way to the governor after the speaker of the Senate signs. A reminder to e-mail or Call Gov. Gregoire

The Gov. signed it this morning and left it intact too.Yee Haw!!!!!!!!!!

Great news! Now we just need to get some more counties involved. I believe a great deal of this decision was made due to the fact that so many people called in or sent messages; Not only folks in Washington State but also fellow houndmen from other States. A thank you to the houndsmen from the other states. Your team effort paid off When decisions are made on how to impliment guidelines, I hope all houndmen views are considered; for there would not have been this extention without there input/comments.