SEASON SETTING PACKAGE
Thanks to Alan, Bob and Pat for attending the commission meeting. We testified on visual aids for bows and crossbows, the 20% deer short fall, more branch antlered elk opportunity in the clockum and more bear opportunity in the Blues to help decrease elk calf predation.
1) The department clarified that scopes on crossbows for the disabled would only be allowed for disabled persons that first qualified for a crossbow under the current rules and then qualified as visually impaired (20/200 vision as defined in the WAC). Those that shoot a bow could use visual assistance if they meet the visual impaired rule as well. This was a last minute change that we had no opportunity to review. i think we need to do some additional review to make sure that it is written correctly.
2) The 20% deer shortfall presentation was to make sure the commission was aware of the problem, I asked the wildlife subcommittee to make in an item for their review. We also thanked the department for working with us on the Yakima deer antlerless cuts and on making some archery deer shortfall correction in this season package. We will need to follow up in the coming months with both the commission and department with more specific proposals on how to correct this problem.
3) A combined effort from Commissioner Perry along with the data we provided resulted in the Alpine unit 249 being returned to us as an any elk hunt. With only 5 commissioners remaining at this stage of the meeting it was necessary to get a 100% approval vote. We had good information and Com. Perry was for returning this opportunity to us. The combination served to sway the rest of the commission to giving us back this hunt. We had lost Branch antlered opportunity in The Alpine and Ellensburg unit this year and we had our rut hunt in the Teanaway moved to November early December. We argued that the any elk damage hunts given to firearm hunters, with a 70% success rate could and most likely result in 20 to 25 bulls being taken by that group. MF and ML also have the mission unit for Branch antlered bulls. The loss of the opportunity this year would have created and un equitable situation for branch antlered harvest. The commission agreed. More pre commission meeting discussion should occure on this herd over the next year, especially with the Clockum herd management report coming out this year.
4) Testimony by Kelly White and Bob Burdick plus backing from several commissioners allowed for an approval of 55 more bear permits in the blues (a 50% increase) to help cut down on calf elk predation. An interesting side note was the introduction of the question as to whether their needed to be formal policy on managing a predator species for the benefit of another species. There appears to be no policy, at this time, on this issue. It would have significant impact on an area like the Blues.
Rick Liebel also successfully negotiated , prior to the meeting, wth the department on the Archery share of a cuts that were made in the Yakima deer herd antlerless harvest. Deer survey results indicated a 50% drop in this herds population. Archers will lose only the antlerless opportunity in the first 2 weeks of the early season in the Yakima units (sept 1-14th). MF and ML had their antlerless opportunity cut in 1/2. Thanks to Rick for working out a fair and equitable solution.
This commission appears to be very keyed into the Science behind the management. We need to make sure that all our recommendations are based on science and not just on what we think should happen. The WDFW has been advised to do the same.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them .
Steve