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Your State Will Be Next!
This Friday, February 17th, Lorna Smith, a new commissioner to the WDFW, will present a radical new model of game management in Washington state. Past readers of this blog recall that in 2022 the WDFW commission canceled the annual spring bear hunt in Washington, claiming lack of scientific evidence for the hunt, despite 48 years of data and the elk population being significantly below target. The main reason for the cancellation of this hunt had to do with the commissioners that our governor has appointed, the majority of whom are anti-hunting. This appears to be the next move in this high stakes game of chess for our hunting heritage.
This radical new model of game management is straight out of the playbook of Wildlife for All, an anti-hunting organization whose entire premise is to “focus on biodiversity conservation, not management of consumptive uses.” The other group involved is Washington Wildlife First, whose website explicitly states their mission is to “Elevate Conservation over Consumption”. Their website also actively pushes for adding commission members who align with this new way of thinking. The playbook of these anti-hunting, extremist organizations is to load up wildlife commissions with people who think the same way and then, from within, make these changes. Washington sits at ground zero in this battle.
Items on the agenda to be discussed on Friday include a multitude of topics, all of which fall in line with this new way of thinking. Setting the stage with topics such as: “Washington wildlife is part of the Public Trust”, “Changing faces, changing values, changing funding support”, and “including other species as a protected species, i.e. coyote, ground squirrel”. It is clear that this monumental shift is a direct attack on hunting and trapping and will be detrimental to science based wildlife management in the state.
Interestingly enough, under Wildlife Management Issues, one of the first topics talks about Best Available Science, which was conveniently ignored when deciding to eliminate the spring bear hunt. I wonder what else falls under that category or stands to be ignored.
Hunters need to get involved in politics at the state level, RIGHT NOW! Make no mistake, these groups have a national campaign. On the homepage of Wildlife for All, it says “Wildlife for All is a national campaign to reform state wildlife management to be more democratic, just, compassionate, and focused on protecting wild species and ecosystems”. For those who want to provide comments on this agenda please email [email protected]. The days of sitting on the sideline are over, it’s time to get involved in your state and go on the offensive before this type of change gets a footing in your state. It WILL happen, make no mistake!
The agenda of animal rights groups is scary. Much like the corruption in DC, they don’t even care that people know just how crooked they are. They are showing their hand…and winning for some reason! I agree with Brian…we all need to be more vocal and get more involved.
Have you not read their big hunting season changes for the year? They cut quota for elk tags in the blue mountain hunt units in half while eliminating some altogether. The wolves were the beginning of the end for this herd. There maybe areas that would allow for wolves in the eco but not this tiny area. The elk were thriving when only cats and bears were their demise. Day one of the introduction not reintroduction of wolves is when you start seeing the herd reduction. They are liars if they say otherwise. Until the communist inslee is removed from governor nothing will save this state. Besides going net zero emissions means 40% of the entire land mass must be covered with solar panels, animals and plants are a thing of the past.
I’ve said it before and I will keep saying it until it eventually sinks in: Anyone, especially a hunter, who votes Democrat is a self-destructive idiot. Period.
It’s unlikely pro-hunting comments will change anything in Washington state. The problem is a majority of deep-urban tree huggers have more votes than rural areas, naturally. This is the problem. Any west coast state has it’s urban areas (Portland, San Francisco area, Los Angeles, San Diego) that dominate politics. Look at eastern Oregon wanting to join Idaho as an example of the frustration the rural areas face. I don’t see a solution short of Safari Club International bring a lawsuit, which they would most likely lose. These tree huggers don’t care. It would take a 50,000 sportsman’s March to get their attention.
I suggest that anyone reading this article also go to howlforwildlife.org and join. This is a place to have your voice heard and be involved. You will receive notification of all states on issues and laws attempting to be passed like here.