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[billythekidrock]

blacktail hunter wrote: I just talked to the WDFW enforcement and they said they are in the process of making ALL ELECTRONIC CALLS illigal because "IT IS TO DANGEROUS, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT CALL IN BEARS OR COUGARS IF YOU ARE CALLING COYOTES" MY RESPONSE WAS "AND TAHT IS A BAD THING?" so use them while we can. And you can use them on anything besides waterfowl, wild turkeys, or deer........
bear, cougar, elk, racoon, coyote, fox,hog, rabitt, bobcat, goat, moose, big horn, crow are all far game.

Who did you talk to about this?

[blacktail hunter]

The enforcement program of th WDFW

[billythekidrock]

The Enforcement office in Olympia? Did you get a name? Can you get a name?
I talked with a woman down there today and she said that is not true. I also called Education and they said it wasn't true.

That being said, I know that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing down there and I don't trust em one bit.

I will pm you a link to this topic on another forum.

[blacktail hunter]

i will try and find out for you! they also said the same thing about baiting. you can not bait bear. but deer elk cougar coyote bobcat all that you can. but again the "are in the process of changin that" :o

[billythekidrock]

We, as hunters and sportsman, need to go to the meetings and have a say in these matters. If they ban baiting for deer, then what happens when you shoot one out of an orchard?

[blacktail hunter]

as long as you didnt place the fruit as bait and it is a natrual matter then you should be fine in my opinion (but they dont really care about our opinion

[billythekidrock]

On Monday the 8th I contacted WA F&G about electronic calls.

This afternoon I called the Enforcement number from the website and asked to talk with someone about the legality of electronic calls. The quoted text is her exact words that I wrote down.

The lady said that they "might become illegal" in the future due to mis-use such as using them for deer/turks/ducks, but there is "nothing in the works". When I mentioned the post I discovered she asked "what website?" and I just told her it was a hunting site. She stated "we had a meeting with Education and that has not come up". I asked "Mik" and she stated "yes".

So I called Mik in Hunter Education.
I told him that I wanted to know if electronic calls will be illegal for bears and cougar or if any changes were happening for next year. He replied, "Couldn't tell you, if I could I would predict the lottery", and "I don't want to speculate on next year". When I told him about the post he said, "Mentioned?, very possible but I have not heard anything".

He was very noncommittal and almost hedging in my opinion. When I told him that I don't use Ecalls, but did not want to lose the "right" (yea, I know) he told me to watch the website for proposed rule changes and annual meetings. When I told him that calling, including ecalls was an effective way to control predators under todays laws, he told me to write to the Commission and tell them of my experiences.

All and all I am a bit wary. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing down there.

________

Update!
According to the News Tribune of Tacoma, Thursday October 11, 2007.

"The commission will discuss the rules Friday Morning. It will also consider changes to rules on the use of decoys and calls, get briefings on changes to the advanced hunter education program and proposed fishing rule changes for 2008-09 seasons."

This really pisses me off! Like I stated before "noncommittal and almost hedging".
So on Monday the 8th when I called they did not know about the "considered rule changes" but apparently it was prior to Thursdays deadline (probably late Wednesday)?

[billythekidrock]

So it looks like this decoy/call issue is about waterfowl. But there are still a few things that bother me.
Here is part of the agenda.
"4. USE OF DECOYS AND CALLS - RULE ACTION:
The Commission will consider adoption of permanent amendments to WAC 232-12-257, Use of decoys and calls, which would bring the rule in line with other wildlife area rules currently under consideration. The Commission held a public hearing regarding these proposed rules at its June 1-2, 2007, Commission meeting in Spokane. The Commission postponed rule action to this meeting, in order to allow more time for staff to address comments received.

Staff Report:
Don Kraege, Waterfowl Section Manager, Wildlife Program "

Here is the link to the minutes from the June meeting. http://wdfw.wa.gov/com/minutes/jun0207.htm
Here are parts of those minutes.
"WATERFOWL REGULATIONS, USE OF DECOYS AND CALLS - RULE BRIEFING & PUBLIC HEARING:
Don Kraege briefed the Commission on proposed permanent rule amendments to WAC 232-12-257, Use of decoys and calls, which would bring the rule in line with other wildlife area rules currently under considerations. The Commission will consider adopting permanent rule amendments at its August 3-4, 2007, Commission meeting in Anacortes."


which would bring the rule in line with other wildlife area rules currently under consideration
What other wildlife area rules? What consideration? If you are considering something, how to you make something else in line with the consideration?

The Commission will consider adopting permanent rule amendments
What are the rule amendments and where do I find them?

[csumerall]

thanks for keeping us updated billy

[sss5358]

blacktail hunter wrote: I just talked to the WDFW enforcement and they said they are in the process of making ALL ELECTRONIC CALLS illigal because "IT IS TO DANGEROUS, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT CALL IN BEARS OR COUGARS IF YOU ARE CALLING COYOTES" MY RESPONSE WAS "AND TAHT IS A BAD THING?" so use them while we can. And you can use them on anything besides waterfowl, wild turkeys, or deer........
bear, cougar, elk, racoon, coyote, fox,hog, rabitt, bobcat, goat, moose, big horn, crow are all far game.

And so our extremely smart and talented Fish and Wildlife department thinks non electronic calls won't do the same thing? Or is it becasue they think we might actually bag something and of course quote "it's all about enforcement" not about success. go figure.