WY HB286

[Hawk Tuah]

They ought to just hire you, fire the rest, and we'd be good to go.

No. I think game commissioners should write quotas and seasons. Not an individual person.

How about you and BHA? Who do you think should write game quotas and seasons?

 

[BuzzH]

No. I think game commissioners should write quotas and seasons. Not an individual person.

How about you and BHA? Who do you think should write game quotas and seasons?

I think you should, you're an expert on everything. Can read between the lines, walk on water and kill 15-29 lions a year with your buddies.

I bow down...

 

[Hawk Tuah]

I think you should, you're an expert on everything. Can read between the lines, walk on water and kill 15-29 lions a year with your buddies.

I bow down...

Just so that we're all clear on this: Is it the official position of BHA that state legislatures should write game seasons and quotas instead of commissioners...or just you?

 

[JM77]

Wyoming after HB 286 passes.

 

[Hydrophilic]

It's incredible to me that hunters still point to lions as the culprit for declining mule deer populations when WY has winter kills with 30-50% doe mortality and 100% fawn mortality in recent years.

If lions weren't the issue when deer populations were better and lion quotas existed, then exterminating them won't solve the winterkill problem.

If your feet are cold because you aren't wearing boots, putting on an extra pair of gloves won't solve the problem.

Mule deer death rates deepen in western Wyoming - WyoFile

One of Wyoming’s flagship mule deer herds has lost more than half of its animals to an unusual inverted snowpack that’s still killing scores of animals

wyofile.com

When have the majority of hunters not blamed predators, even when studies and best available data suggest otherwise? Its easy, convenient, and does a good job of ruining hunter credibility with other stakeholder groups.

 

[appaloosa]

I'd hold back a little on the harsh criticism towards Schmid. He is one of the few G&F Commissioners who truly listened and asked questions of me in 40+ years of involvement with these kinds of issues. Has it crossed your mind this bill is a wake up call to G&F that something needs to change, even if only temporarily, with lion management?

I was a dedicated lion hunter for 15 years and it has been routine for the G&F to use information gathered from houndsman to manage lions. They truly do not know how many there are. They are beginning to understand that unlimited quotas, year long seasons and harvest rates don't affect the populations of big cats in many areas of Wyoming. Folks sympathetic with the plight of mule deer in Wyoming are fed up with the lack of willingness to put more pressure on lions. Maybe, this bill will move that needle. Trust me, from my 15 years of experience hunting lions, they kill a lot of mule deer. I'm frankly tired of G&F providing enough lions to satisfy houndsman who care only about having a track to run every time they go looking. Our mule deer herds are at record lows for modern times in many areas and that makes every doe mortality a big deal.

The only thing that has crossed my mind is this is an attempt by the Legislature to strip management authority away from the game and fish commission.
If you think this is a good precedent and behavior that should be supported by hunters then good on ya pal. Not my cup of tea.