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2003-05
HUNTING SEASON RECOMMENDATIONS
We encourage you to review
these regulations and submit your comments to WDFW, Attention 03-05 Hunting
Season Comments, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091, by March
31, 2003 or by email to wildthing@dfw.wa.gov.
You are also encouraged to attend the Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting
in Moses Lake on April 11-12 to provide your comments in person.
These recommendations are based
on the objectives and strategies identified in the recently adopted 2003-08
Game Management Plan. They have been significantly shaped and modified
after receiving public comments during the last four months and are ready
for your final review prior to Commission action at the April meeting.
Disabled, Youth, and
Senior Special Hunting Opportunities
One of the most significant changes in these recommendations is providing
additional opportunity for disabled, youth, and senior hunters. The public
identified this theme as a priority during the development of the Game
Management Plan. These recommendations were developed in close coordination
with the public through surveys, public meetings, email, written input,
and oral comments.
A number of antlerless deer
permits have been set-aside for these groups. Out of over 13,000 permits
that include antlerless opportunity across the state, over 125 permits
are recommended for hunters with disabilities, nearly 2,000 for youth,
and 500 permits for seniors. This is in addition to continuing antlerless
general season opportunity for white-tailed deer in many of the 100 series
game management units (GMUs).
We are recommending that the
youth and disabled hunter “any deer” season in many north
central Washington GMUs be changed from a general season to a permit season.
This addresses concerns from many hunters about the general season, will
allow us to better control harvest rates, and to distribute participants.
Expanded youth opportunity
is also recommended for upland game birds and a new opportunity is recommended
for spring turkey hunting. A new moose hunting opportunity is also recommended
for hunters with disabilities. Permits are being recommended for one of
the more accessible areas in northeast Washington.
Equitable Allocation
of Opportunity Among Hunters
In order to reduce crowding and provide a variety of hunting opportunities,
deer and elk hunters in Washington must choose between separate archery,
muzzleloader, and modern firearm hunting seasons. At times, this situation
results in a competition for allocation of hunting opportunity between
the different groups. WDFW is developing more objective criteria for making
decisions on which group should receive new opportunity. The idea is to
look at statewide participation rates for each of the three groups and
attempt to achieve those rates in each of seventeen districts across the
state. In addition, we are trying to achieve hunter harvest, which is
proportionate to group size. These criteria will result in better distribution
of hunting opportunities and a more equitable way to determine which group
receives available opportunity.
After careful deliberations
with hunters, the attached recommendations begin to better distribute
opportunity. When available, the guideline is to provide additional opportunity
to the group that is furthest behind in participation rate or proportion
of harvest. However, all groups would share reductions in opportunity,
at some level, when necessary due to resource or management concerns.
Summary of Major Changes:
Small Game Season Recommendations:
- Establish a consistent
opening day in eastern Washington for all upland birds (pheasant, chukar,
gray partridge, and quail) on the first Saturday in October
- Add gray partridge and
chukar to youth weekend in September
- Add a youth spring turkey
hunt the weekend prior to the general season in select game management
units
- Increase permit levels
for fall turkey hunting
- Shorten the September eastern
Washington Canada goose season to one weekend, so the days can be added
to the regular season
Deer Season Recommendations:
- Extend the modern firearm
general season in the Okanogan and Chelan areas by five days
- Consider restricting whitetail
buck harvest in GMUs 101-124 to 3 point or better for all groups -OR-
maintain whitetail buck season in GMUs 101-124 as per previous regulation;
the attachment shows two options, however WDFW will make a recommendation
to the Commission pending further assessment and public comment (there
is an error in the Memo to Hunter Enthusiasts package, late archery
whitetail seasons for these same units should have included both these
options as well)
- Change the late whitetail
season in GMUs 127-142 to permit only
- Extend antlerless mule
deer for entire early season for archers in several southeast Washington
GMUs
- Add antlerless mule deer
opportunity in several GMUs in the Yakima and Ellensburg areas for archers
during both early and late seasons
- Add late “any whitetail”
opportunity in several north central Washington GMUs for archers
- Add two days onto the early
muzzleloader deer season
- Expand early muzzleloader
deer seasons in over 12 GMUs
- Expand or shift late muzzleloader
deer seasons in 5 GMUs
- Create a separate pool
of permits for muzzleloader deer hunters, with over 300 new permits
- Provide 1150 antlerless
“B” tags that allow hunters to take a second deer
- Create several “deer
areas” from parts of GMUs
Elk Season Recommendations:
- Modify the definition of
a three point elk
- Shift the early archery
elk season to start after Labor Day and run 14 days
- Add several GMUs in the
Yakima and Colockum elk herd areas for early muzzleloader seasons and
a couple in western Washington
- Shorten the late muzzleloader
season in two units in Klickitat county
- Provide a separate pool
of antlerless elk permits for muzzleloader hunters
- Create several “elk
areas” from parts of GMUs
Equipment Regulation Recommendations:
- Add regulations to make
the use of night vision equipment and laser sights illegal for deer
and elk hunting
- Modify the archery equipment
regulation to set minimum arrow weight of 300 grains
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