NEW WASHINGTON LAW

[boneaddict]

Proposed on the books to take effect in August. Shed hunting PROHIBITED on state land from February 15th- April 30th. Also proposed is no picking up rocks or fossils etc.

They are accepting input until May 2nd.
[email protected]

 

[madmax88]

Where did you get this info?

 

[Bornforhorns]

All I can say is, "told you".

 

[boneaddict]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/land_line/

look at the proposals towards the end. Some of these are reseanable, but some are real zingers.

 

[boneaddict]

WAC 232-13-180 Resource Removal (1) (a) Except for down dead wood collected for camping on department lands, it is unlawful to remove timber, wood, soils, minerals, fossils, plants, plant seeds, or other property or artifacts from department owned or controlled public lands, waters or access area without a permit from the director.
(b) Unlawful removals valued at over $250 constitute theft under chapter 9a.56RCW.
(2) It is unlawful to collect shed antlers on department-owned or controlled public lands, waters, or access areas from February 15 through April 30th.

No pickin up cool lookin rocks either I guess.

 

[groundhog]

Bone,
Thanks for the heads up. My Dad is on the Big Game Round Table here in eburg and he says that some of the proposals are totally out of the blue. Things that were never even discussed or brought up during their meetings..... I agree with some of the proposals but having our public lands closed to horn hunting and rock hounding from Feb 15 to April 30 is a very bad idea. It will just create a much worse problem on private and federal lands. They will in effect put out a small (percieved)
fire and create a much bigger one.
I spend a lot of time in the hills and for the most part I don't see many folks out there. I have never seen a biologist for the state actually out there. Makes me wonder how they come to the conclusions that they do? Hear say from folks who exaggerate to keep other people on their couches???

 

[mooseman]

voice your opinion and to think we live in a free society.

 

[flyguide]

>Proposed on the books to take
>effect in August. Shed
>hunting PROHIBITED on state land
>from February 15th- April 30th.
> Also proposed is no
>picking up rocks or fossils
>etc.
>
>They are accepting input until May
>2nd.
>[email protected]


Guys, this law is ridiculous. I have sent several e-mails to WDFW voicing my concern about this. There is enough State mandated landed closed alreay in this state. Removing our access to all of it for 2 1/2 months? Come on, they are not making decisions in the best interest of the sportsman OR the wildlife. They are going to lose support and hunters on this one. Shed hunting is what keeps a lot of us going in the spring when there isn't anything else to pursue.

There will be no enforcement, their ability to patrol shed hunting is futile, there is too much land, too many users, and not nearly enough officers. What will happen is that only the people willing to take risks and do it illegally are going to pick up antlers durig that time. The rest of us will be lucky to get any. Not being able to remove an antler from February 15 - April 30th, that is just over the top. I can't even hardly say it outloud. They are going to make criminals out anyone out for a nature walk during that time. Who in their right mind wouldn't pick up a horn if they saw one? They can't expect people to just leave them on the ground, maybe they want us to just stash all of them under a bush until May 1? That is exactly what will happen and it is not an honest, nor rewarding way to pick horns.

The bottom line is that they are taking 2.5 monthes worth of my access to public lands. As far as the Lt Murray and Oak Creek go, the feeding stations are being run fine. Those animals are coraled up in an isolated zone. But closing ALL state lands is just ridiculous. It is our land and the fact is, IT'S NOT A RESOURCE IF YOU CAN'T USE IT. It is our land and I would like to shed hunt on it.

Email WDFW and tell them what you think, I have put up with enough of their poor managment over time and I won't stand for it on this one. Every e-mail helps, please do something.

 

[boneaddict]

Unfortunatley I'm not sure who is driving this other than them trying to jump on the band wagon with UTah. This weekend was a farce at Oak Creek I guess. About two guys came out in the middle of the night with full packs, and everyone in line found none. Thats the way the whole state will be now. I sent a letter, I hope it means something. Unfortanately I doubt it does. It amazes me that they can just make laws up without voting or anything. Are these even elected officials at the headquarters in Olympia? This is really going to screw with the law abiding citizens. The rock hounding thing really bothers me with my kids. Instead of them painting peoples property or playing nintendo, I have them out hiking and interested in the world. Now thats illegal.

 

[groundhog]

Bone,
I feel your pain. My kids love to look for rocks and antlers. Now they want to make horn hunting and rock hounding a crime!

It is interesting to read the comments on the post Northern Elk sheds! I am tempted to copy some of them and forward them on to our game commissioners. I think Dleonard said it best when he said.

"You are completely right about this law being there to protect the animals. Now, I would like you to think about that for awhile, then let us know how it does anything to protect the animals.
Come on, you can come up with something. Anything."

Stopping folks from picking up sheds and rocks is not going to have any positive effect on wildlife. Everyone will still be out there and I do not believe they are having a negative effect.
If horn hunters and rock hounds are having a negative effect on our elk herds then why do we have more big bull elk and more elk than ever before?

I also noticed that Washington State is mandated to manage for healhy wildlife populations and wildlife oriented recreation. Deer and Elk populations are healthy. Better than say five years ago. So why now?

Also I believe horn hunting would fall under the mandated wildlife oriented recreation. They should not be able to take it away from us without verifiable proof that the law is needed.

I already emailed them once but I am going to send another with some new points. Everyone needs to get their comments heard!!!

 

[boneaddict]

Basically I am comparing this to gun control.....
The criminals will still get what they want when they want, even more so, now that the law abiding folks will be at home with nothing. We have laws on the books now to protect wildlife from harassment. Enforce those laws. Its us law abiding citizens with cell phones or the visual eye to keep these bad folks at bay. Enforce the laws we have, don't take away more rights from responsible folks. I guarantee those guys will still be out there casusing mischief.

 

[MADMAX]

LAST EDITED ON May-04-07 AT 02:08PM (MST)[p]I'd say oak creek was a farce, I left Poulsbo 5/1/07 at 2am and drove over got there around 6am, the parking lot had about 200 people there maybe 75 rigs , camps, horses, tents, 5th wheels, quads, etc, people were hitting the hill at 1201 am, the line by 8am to drive in was out to hiway 12, I saw maybe 6 guys with horns total,, did 3 different hikes that day and drove home empty handed,,that was my 5th and final shed trip this year, I have been shedding for about 10 years and have gotten my share of nice racks but will probably think hard about going out anymore , opening day at oak creek was definetly a zoo.
As I understand it after talking to a couple horse guys, who got zero by the way, that local guys were up there all spring piling them up and marking them with GPS to do the big haul out without fear of a ticket, as the story goes they crossed the river in a rubber raft and snuck in.
Do not know if its true but my 2 cents.

 

[wyohikeit]

There are some thoughtfull comments in this post! You and I know that these laws are useless, BUT there are a lot of touchy feely do gooders around us that seem to think that any law that says its going to protect Bambi is the right thing to do!
In Wyoming the only reason there is not a shed antler season right now is the fact that those of us who know it could and would not be enforced, voiced our opinion long and loud enough that the Game and Fish backed down.If you realy care make some noise!!! Let the law makers know what you are thinking! Sometimes letters to the editor in local papers get a lot of attention! Have meetings , make phone calls fight them on this or you will be like Utah stuck will more STUPID legislation!!!



Time in the hills is always worth more than money