Washington Cougar hunts

Post by **Buddyw** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:16 am

Proposed Rules for the Cougar Hunt are up for review.

Currently Klikitat county is the only county requesting inclusion. I would recomend people call their County Commissioners and ask to join the program it has been a success. They must request inclusion by August 2008..

Here are the Permits so far.

9001 Okanogan 17 Males or 7 Females
9002 Chelan 6Males or 2Females
9003 Ferry Okanagon 16male or 6 Females
9004 Steven-PendOreille 23 Males or 9 Females
9005 Klickitat qouta's Not determined

Let's get on the ball with your county commissioners and get more counties involved. They need to hear from you.!

jbc67 · Post by **jbc67** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:54 pm

Let's Go Boys!! All Washington Residents---call your commissioners!!!

Post by **Buddyw** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:54 am

Here is a Link to Find your County commsisioners contact info.

In places like Clark County and Counties that don't have much Public land to hunt. I would encourage you to ask them to work with bordering Counties.

Things to consider, Boot Hunters shoot Cougars without knowing what they are shooting many times it can be a un Knowingly a Female with Kittens. Using Dogs is the only responsible and effective way to properly manage cougars. Also the Pursuit season is a Great Non-leathal tool to curb Human cougar interactions by Keeping a fear of humans in these cats without harming or hurting them. This Allows us to selectively harvest cougars.

Encourage them to be Pro-active.

http://www.statelocalgov.net/state-wa.cfm#County

jbc67 · Post by **jbc67** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:19 pm

I have a question. Here is the Bill that became a Law, which extends the cougar hunting program here in Washington.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdo ... 8-S.SL.pdf

There are several references to a pursuit season in here. Are we going to have a pursuit season in Washington then?! Has anybody heard?!

Machias · Post by **Machias** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:37 pm

We've had a pursuit season for the last four years. If you are drawn for a permit, once the harvest quotas are met then the kill season turns into a pursuit season. Usually at the end of Dec, beginning of Jan it turns into a pursuit season and goes till the end of March.

jbc67 · Post by **jbc67** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:36 am

thanks for the response. I should have clarified. I knew that pursuit was allowed until the end of the season if you had a kill tag and the season limit hadn't been reached. I was just hoping that all the words of a pursuit season might mean that there was a pursuit season for those that didn't draw for one of the limited kill tags.

Machias · Post by **Machias** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:41 pm

They do another draw later in the season and give some of the hunters that live in those open units a pursuit only permit. I'd be suprised if they opened it up for a general free for all pursuit. Be nice!

I wish they'd just open a bobcat pursuit season!!

:)

Post by **Buddyw** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:50 pm

Yea.. It would be nice... I don't know, it probably won't work but we really should be pushing for a more open access pursuit season for Hound hunters. Just got this Email today. I'm sure it will be upon Def ears but we should ask for a training/Pursuit only season along side of the Kill tags.

Like I said probably won't go anywhere but we need to keep pushing for it. As of right now all the cougar hunting is open to EVERYONE.. So if Deer and ELK hunters draw all the cougar tags.. They probably will get most of the PURSUIT tags ALSO!! Something to think about we need to get at least some kind of pursuit season!!

WDFW invites hunters, others to help
develop hunting seasons for 2009-2011
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is inviting hunters, conservation groups and the general public to help shape state hunting seasons for 2009-11.
Through July 13, WDFW will accept public comments on issues ranging from general hunting hours to mule deer seasons. A questionnaire on those issues is posted on the department’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasonsetting/index.htm .
Hunters and others can also suggest their own ideas for future hunting seasons, said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager.
“This is the first of several opportunities people will have to participate in developing hunting seasons for the next three years,” Ware said. “We have certain management goals that we must meet, but we want to involve hunters and other members of the public in helping us determine how best to achieve them.” Once the first comment period is over, WDFW will assess recommendations received from the public and use them in developing various season alternatives and proposed hunting regulations for 2009-11, Ware said.
In mid-August, WDFW will post those alternatives for public comment on its website and kick off a series of public meetings throughout the state. Evening meetings are planned Aug. 25 in Everett; Aug, 26 in Aberdeen; Aug. 27 in Tacoma; Aug. 28 in Vancouver, Wash.; Sept. 2 in Wenatchee; Sept. 3 in Spokane Valley; and Sept. 4 in Pasco. Specific times and locations of those meetings will be announced in July.
In March and April 2009, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will take public comments and consider adopting the proposed hunting seasons.
WDFW will provide regular updates on the hunting season-setting process via the WDFW website noted above. Interested citizens can also receive updates through the mail by calling (360) 902-2515 and asking to be added to the mailing list.

WAcoyotehunter · Post by **WAcoyotehunter** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:43 pm

Dear Commissioners,

Stevens and Pend Oreille County have been part of a WDFW permitted cougar hunting pilot program using hounds to pursue and harvest cougars. Currently there are 23 permits issued for the two county area . I'm not sure exactly how the WDFW decided to allocate so few tags, considering the size of the two county area, it appears to be quite low. The WDFW is currently hearing county requests for inclusion in the hound hunting program. Since Pend Oreille County is already included, it might be a good opportunity for the Commissioners to request an increase in the number tags allocated.

Another proposal that appears to make biological sense and would help deter cats from encroaching on populated areas would be the addition of a "pursuit only" season. License holders would be able to pursue, but not legally harvest cats and would effectively haze them away from populated areas. Please consider supporting these management tools for Pend Oreille County.

Sincerely,

Bart

Wildlife Biologist

Bookem · Post by **Bookem** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:58 am

well just to put in my 2 cents wa i have a life long freind that works for the game dep for there hunter safty programe and who grew up running dogs and he tells me they want us back but cant trust us to just pursue and not kill im new to this sight but have been runningdoggs running dogs for most of my life iv learned one thing about hound hunters they are the most selfish hunters i know we dont stick together its always my dog this or my dog that, to me it doesnt matter what dog does what ,its about a way of life and a hunting tradition and if all of us dont stick together and reach out past our own little groups and that includes the outlaws or the ones who obey the laws where always going to lose. so you all dont get me wrong i fell in love with this way of hunting a long time ago and have a son that loves it just as as much as i do and would love to see him with his own hounds some day but the way some hound hunters are i feel where doomed. well thats just a little bit of how i feel on the situation. if i knew someone i could orginize something with where i live i would do it, just a little something to think about, so you guys keep screaming"em

Bearkiller · Post by **Bearkiller** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:21 am

Thats the same stuff that was said 15 years ago. The problem is jealousy. Its human nature. Nothing we can do about it. I moved away. Its less stressful that way.

Bookem · Post by **Bookem** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:26 am

oh yea i know i was just saying that if we want to have it stick around that is how it has to be but i hunt with guys that are like that your dog out does theres they dont want you to dump dogs the next time personally i dont care if your dog or mine lets scream the hell out of what there chasing and treeing

Washington Cougar hunts

Washington Cougar hunts

It's Time to speak up!!!

Here's a copy of the letter sent to my commisioners