Are our game wardens getting the job done? Does anyone else think that enough is not being done to reduce poaching and other game violations? I have seen more and more people who belive the rules and regulations pamphlit is just list of suggestions. If you don't believe this just visit one of our many "meat" fisheries. (blue creek, Samish, snohomish, ect.) Allot of these people will argue that the regs are hard to understand, this is not true. In many areas the mere thought of a gamie near buy would make many of these people pack up and leave. I think we need game agents that are willing to get them off of our waters. I hear people who say they are already a bunch of hard a%@es and should be more lenient. If this is so why doesn't it stop? Has any one seen a fishcop actually hike into blue creek? Am I too serius about this? We constantly here about lost opourtunities and access. If we want this to stop we need accountability for every one. Ever tried to call in a report to the poaching hotline? I have several times and never seen any responce. is this just another failure to add to the already endless list fro the WDFW?

I have been seeing lots of enforcement on the salt water lately, especially, on the weekends.

I believe the issue has to do with WDFW's obsession with "wild" fish. The snagging in the hatchery zones is tolerated (to a degree) because these are hatchery fish earmarked for consumption. This can make hatchery areas uncomfortable to be in if you are trying to do the right thing.

On the other hand, you will probably face a firing squad for keeping or improperly treating an unmarked fish. Maybe this is the way it should be, but I saw alot of "wild" fish roughly handled and probaly killed by the charter boat fleet. A

Just about every trip I take out to Sekiu or Neah Bay I meet up with enforcement. Visit are usually pretty short and always cordial.

Two issues are at hand.

#1. So many areas to monitor.
#2. Reductions in staff at WDFW.

Many times there are one or two officers on duty in any given region. This means that they cover a number of counties. How many places are there to fish in Grays Harbor County? About 200. So one or two guys are supposed to check all of these places every day, and see every violation? They also have a myriad of other things they do other than look for fishing violations.

If you (not just you W. Coyote, I mean everybody) voted for Tim Eiman's initiative to lower vehicle license tabs, you contributed to lower enforcement levels.

You do see emphasis patrols from time to time in different areas, like Sekiu, the Skok, Cowlitz (They take a jet boat to Blue Creek, not walk in. This maximizes their effectiveness instead of wasting time to and from their vehicles to walk down the trail.)

One solution I might suggest would be that you join Eyes in the woods. It is a voluteer group of hunters and fishermen who are trained observers who look for violations and report them. Here is a link. Eyes in the woods
Sometimes the folks manning game check stations are WDFW employees, other times they are volunteers.

It is our job to help enforcement. Anybody can complain, but these folks are part of the solution. The volunteer hours also count towards your AHE Master Hunter project, if you should choose to do so.

You never know who is an observer, heck, I might even be one. Will you ever really know?

Give it a try, and lend a hand.

Can't police act as game wardens? I was fishing off of a lake washington dock a few years back and had my fishing license checked by a couple cops. If this is still true, has anyone else been checked by cops? I think it's a good idea and hope to see more of it in the future.

--Bank Angler

County Sheriff's deputies and State Patrol regularly respond to game violations and trespass calls related to fishing and hunting. Most of their emphasis, however, is geared towards Titles 9, 9A and 46 of the RCW's, (crimes against persons, property and traffic), but they also enforce Title 77 (fish & wildlife) of the RCW's on an occasional basis.

There are also some city police who are versed fairly well in title 77 of the RCW's, but again, they tend to concentrate on Title 9, 9A, and 46 crimes and infractions.

Generally, not always (note the broad disclaimer), deputies, troopers, and police will call in to WDFW to have them send a game officer more acquainted with fish & game violations because of their lack of familiarity with the hunting and fishing regs.

EXAMPLE: I had written permission to hunt on a piece of property posted "no hunting without written permission". I shot a cow elk with my muzzleloader on New Years Day. I had a modern firearms tag, a special permit good for all of January, and I was in a firearms restriction zone.

As I was driving out of the farmer's driveway a deputy pulls up, asks what I was doing, my ID, my hunting license and pulls out his ticket book.

He says that I can't hunt on property posted no hunting, that I am poaching a cow elk, hunting out of season, and that I am using the wrong weapon for my tag.

I politely corrected him letting him know that I can hunt on property marked "no hunting without written permission" when I have said written permision on my person, and I showed him my note.

I then showed him my special permit for a cow elk for the month of January in this particular unit.

I then showed him a map and legal description of the unit, and the description of the firearms restriction for the unit showing that it was okay for me to use my muzzleloader here. I invited him to call State Patrol dispatch and talk with a WDFW enforcement officer, which he did, verified what I was saying was true, then he apologized.

It was his lack of familiarity of the game laws and the area he was patroling that could have created a big hassle for me. Luckily I knew the rules and regs, had a basic understanding of the RCW's, and I was polite and respectful.

WDFW game officers are specialists. They need to enforce fish and game violations, and while it is nice for the other departments to help out from time to time, they will almost always defer to a game officer.

Yes, police can right you tickets for fishing violations. any commisioned officer in the state can right you tickets for any rule on the books.


One could say that the poachers are not the ones getting waters shut down but its the people calling all the time. For instance the barrier dam silver fishery. the sign was practically at the dam but because there was so many people whinining to the state about the snagging going on the sign got moved way the hell back down river. These fish were surplus silvers that were clogging the fish ladder.The people calling were people that could catch no fish! and were just jealous of the people who were catching fish.
I had a couple fish that were hooked just outside the mouth that I kept. some joe blow logger jerk called the warden and was all checking out my truck like he was the savior of the fish or something. He was standing on the bank waiting for a spot to fish. He started whining about how I had to let the fish go I told him to get a life and take up carp fishing, from there I had to say nothing else after that everybody started laying into him. he was to stupid to realize that the faster I limited the faster he had a spot to fish. The warden came and at first tried to right me a ticket just on heresay, After explaining what happened he did not right me up. We talked for awhile and he told me how he was sick and tired of getting called on snaggers and pulled away from the elk and dear poachers. They get called they have to respond legit or not thats the way it is, and thats why $hit gets closed.

I only call when I am sure the wardens will have a case and only on people that are poaching on naturally spawning fish runs.
The state said it themselves I a response to the letters written regarding netting in the columbia river "sportsfishermen could never catch all the surplus hatchery fish." That is why they let the nets in the columbia even risking the catch of native fish.
Hatchery fish are not important and the more fisheries that get closed the more pressure there is on wild fish!

By the way, on the cowlitz silver fishery the first year they opened the upper pool the wardens would stand up in the p-lot and watch people snag fish but write no tickets. The the unspoken word was that is was ok because of all the surplus fish.

Micro,

Those are truly words of a knoble sportsman.

"Any dumbass can snag, but a real sportsman makes them bite." no floosing allowed. Try a bobber & eggs. You might attually get to see a bite. Backbounce a bait and you'll fell what a mouth bites like. They are better than a tail rub.

You're no better than the guy convicted of rape. Does the word consentuall mean anything to you.

Micro,

Those are truly words of a knoble sportsman.

"Any dumbass can snag, but a real sportsman makes them bite." no floosing allowed. Try a bobber & eggs. You might attually get to see a bite. Backbounce a bait and you'll fell what a mouth bites like. They are better than a tail rub.

You're no better than the guy convicted of rape. Does the word consentuall mean anything to you.

OK here we go...

There is WAYYYYYY!!!!! to little enforcment!!!!

Hatchery fish or not poachers should be cited and fined.. Wild fish should be protected at all costs..

Neither of thoes is eber going to be a priority of WDFW. Here is the other options..

Anglers need to NOT TOLERATE POACHING!!

If you are up on the North Lewis and the a guy next to you is snagging tell him to stop or you WILL turn him in and testify against him in court.

These behaviors exsist because good honest fishermen tolerate it..
Another thing.. in the fall it's not just the usual poacher thats snagging it's my experience that MOST bank anglers are snagging many of these people spend all winter drift fishing for steelhead but when the salmon ar around they instantly become snaggers.. It's sick! i think a ban on drift bobbers fished alone would be a good start unfair but lets face it snaggers arenlt gonna try snagging with bait,,,

For your information I wasnt flossing I was tossing a jig and the majority of the fish I land are hooked INSIDE! the mouth. I dont intentionally snag fish though it does happen sometimes. Two of the fish I kept that the jerk was all hot and bothered about hit the jig on the drop and were hooked just outside the choppers. I have also had fish especially silvers hit the jig only to flip and roll and have the hook come out and hook the fish in the side. It is illegal to INTENTIONALLY snag or ATTEMPT to snag fish. It is not illegal to keep a legitimatly hooked fish. Bobber and eggs works alright if you like playing alot of jacks but I will out fish you 10 to 1 using jigs catching mostly adults. I have been fishing jigs for silvers for about ten years now in salt and fresh water. I am not one of your so called dumbasses that just started and dont have a clue so they yank away. I am the jig king though it looks like me and Cowlitz got to have a fish off some day he has some good info out on another board.

Micro is right on! - Rob Allen

If enforcement was truly "doing there job", they would be down at the Wallace Gravel Pit on the Cowlitz right now citing that stupid pit owner for closing off OUR perpetual fishing easement that we fishermen had paid $40,000 in 1971 to fish the banks of the Cowlitz River!

Micro tells it how it is again, and if you weren't such a newcomer to our board, you would know better! Try going back and reading this thread; "Learn my hottest method for jig fishing coho!" This will tell you the difference between snagging, and legally catching fish.

Micro, my last "duel" was supposed to be with 4Salt, but we settled before our aids could be chosen! If I recall, you were to me one of my choices! It never fails!! The young rooster is always egging on the old rooster!!

It would truly be fun to have a jigging duel with you this year if the silver run is as big as they have predicted it to be.

Cowlitzfisherman

I see the Jig flossing method that has been used on the samish has finnally made it's way to the Cowlitz. I guess that will be the "in" thing for steelhead this winter. This is a classic example of people causing loss of opourtunity again snaggers out of controll in one spot closes it down. I don't care if they are surplus fish, they are better off being used to seed a river system than to perpetuate a mentality that any snagging is ok. I want to see this state change the definition of a legally caught fish to in the mouth only!

W coyote. Im not sure if he if using the same jig method that we see on the samish. I dont have a problem throwing and swimming a jig in, or fishing it under a bobber. Its the guys who leave it sit on the bottem and wait for the fish to swim into the line then set that is wrong. they claim that the fish hit the lure because its hooked in the mouth but the lead jig head upens the mouth so the hook that follows gets inside the lips. you well always know the ones who practice this method because they defend it to the end....becareful on the samish, there is one big guy who isnt afraid to come to blows about it, I am fortunate to be big enough to make him think twice, but would hate to see this jerk get the advantage over a smaller guy. Hes a big mouth you cant miss him. DJ

You guys are just to much sometimes!

Why is it that some people only believe that the method, that they only know how to do, or the method that "they personally" prefer to use, is the only morally, ethical, and legal method, or way, to catch a fish?

Why do you guys cry so much? Is it that someone else has figured out a way to catch fish that you don't like to do? Is it that some guys can catch fish by making them angry and attack their jigs when your baits or fly's can't? Is it that someone is catching fish and making the "expert" fishermen that you consider yourself to be look bad? Can you explain to us why you guys keep whining and whining?

Last week it was the "line" flossing with corkies; the week before it was line flossing with bait; now its line flossing with jigs! What are you going to whine about next week? Is it going to be line flossing with spinners next? Maybe it will be line flossing with polarized glasses, bait and jigs?

Give it a brake, and if a guy wants to fish in a different method than you do, who really cares? The state hires guys (game wardens) to make calls on who is snagging and who is not. So why don't you let those guys do what we have paid them to do instead of trying to be your own self appointed judge and jury?

There really are no methods of fishing that I know of that can't be misused to snag a fish. Some methods may be a little harder than the others to use, but fisherman can make them all work if they really want to convert the method to snagging!

Anyway, that's my opinion on this flossing crap!


Cowlitzfisherman

I cannot figure out how some guy sitting at the terminal end of hatchery fish can call and have a warden show up because there is snagging going on when in October 2002 while I was fishing clients for Coho in lower Cow, there was 6 Jr. High boys snagging and keeping everything they caught even the BLACK BOOTS and Wild Coho bound for the Toutle System, I yelled over and asked why they were snagging and keeping these fish, there response "MR. xxx at the C&C Market pays us a $1.00 a pound even for the dark ones head and all.
I called the WDFW Region 5 and immediately reported this, I was told they would get back with me to sign the complaint and would look into this. In December I went to WDFW Olympia office to pay for my 2003 Guide Licenses, while there I thought I would follow up, since they never returned my call. Guess what they could not find the report, so I filled out a report and signed it, at the North of Falcon meeting at SeaTac in April I talked to the head enforcement officer for Region 5 and he had NO Clue about this violation, and he took my phone number and said that he would follow up on this. To this day I have not yet heard a word on this. I don't think WDFW could have had an easier major violation to do a Sting on than this!

Flossing, snagging hatchery fish for personal consumption is one thing but I think snagging and selling is several steps above when you have a state licensed buyer (tax license, business license etc.) for the record straight I am against flossing snagging and any illegal way of catching fish!

Cowlitz I agree it's not about any specific method Hell the Kalama gets full of guys snagging coho with flies in the fall I think that is exceptionally lame.. I have never seen anyone snagging with a Jig and Bobber. Mostly what i see down here is guys slowly retrieving or plunking a corkie tied behind the hook so thats the method I harp on..

Cowlitz Wow, looking at the number of posts that you have made I would expect you would dislike unsportsmen like fishing as much as anyone. Im not whinning about anything, I have a passion for fishing and a respect for the fish that I catch, does that mean I must keep it to myself. I catch my share in fact I would put my best g-loomins rod up against yours anyday, but it has to be a 2 river contest one day on yours and the next on mine. I do believe the guys that are leaving there jig on the bottem are lining fish, thats my stand and I say so to the people who do it. I dont back down from anyone. So I replyed with this report in a nice way, I didnt throw stones, I didnt look up all the posts that you have made and pointed out all the times that you have stated your opinin. I dont call the gamecops on every thing I see due to the result usually is threats of whole water sections being shut down my the same gamecops for a few bad apples.....infact are you a person who leaves his jig on the bottom, you defend it like you are.....I well agree that every lure can be used to floss fish and sometime some of the fish I catch are probly flossed, but I try to be ethnical in all my fishing and I dont feel like Im a whining about anything.....DJ

DJFISHS2XS

Since you had joined Bob's board on 12-19-02 and I had written a pretty extensive article concerning "jigging", on 1-27-03, I find it very strange that you do not recall the article since it was very big and on the board for quite some time. Obviously you did not read the thread! Maybe you should now go back and read it and then make your apology. Try doing a search and look under; " Learn my hottest method for jig fishing coho!"

Maybe a little lip biting will do you some good! I try to do my homework before I make such statements about other members. Yes, it does take a little time and work sometimes to do it, but it usually will prevent that dreaded "foot in mouth disease"! Read it and then come back and ask me again how I do "my" jigging!

Oh, and by the way, you said;" I catch my share in fact I would put my best g-loomins rod up against yours anyday, but it has to be a 2 river contest one day on yours and the next on mine."

I hate to be the bearer of this news, but I will tell you anyways; it is not the "fishing rod" or the rods names that catches the fish or makes the difference, it's the person with the knowledge and experience who is using the rod that makes the real difference!

Remember that, and you will proper grasshopper.


Cowlitzfisherman

This on and on and on thread reminds me of a bunch of macho guys comparing penis size....Gimme a break guys....let's talk about who can spit the furthest....I bet I can fart louder than you CF! I will match one of my flutter blasts to your tight little squeakers any day...come on...chicken??? buck buck buck!!!

Cf I've noticed over the last few months you've been quick to jump on and dig your claws into a thread and turn it a different direction. Nobody was saying jig fishing is bad or bait fishing or whatever. All fishing is going to have a few scumbags that will make it look bad. Most guys don't care how you fish just as long as you are doing it legally. Which I believe you do.

Now Micro on the other hand has the gall to post on this board that he broke the law, and act as if it was no big deal that he did it. Then turn around and talk down on a true sportsman for calling the game warden to report a violation. That has to be the smartest thing I've ever seen on this board.

Anytime someone is questioned about their method the individual automatically assumes the other guy can't catch fish. Hey boys I catch plenty of fish and I don't break the law. Too bad you can't say that. Now that I know where ya'll stand I remember to take what you say with a grain of salt.

Grandpa...I agree and usually dont jump into things. But Im stating the fact that I DONT LIKE JIGS LEFT ON THE BOTTOM BEING USED JUST LIKE THE OLD LEADED TROUBLE HOOKS TO SNAG , and I get jumped buy someone that used to carry some respect on this board, and the guy jumps in with out reading what is being said

COWlLITS
Grasshopper?????"(note to self: "if I ever think I know every thing about fishing please take up golf")

So you have written a story on jig fishing and now you act like you invented the method. I emailed you a pic of 2 jigs that I have caught a ton of silvers on...."what you use jigs" you might say, Yes your story is right on, never questioned it one bit...you see you and I both keep the jigs moving so the fish has to move to eat it.....you and I are not LEAVING it on the bottom waiting for the fish to line itself. these jigs that I took the pic of are a few years old, I tied them up and keept them in my box awaiting your story so I could learn how to use them. the files are just a hair too big for the Boards pic loader. (if any one can make them smaller for me email me and I well send them to you)....ones a nice pale blue and white and its great for clear water. the other is green/purple its great but you dont want to fish it when the chums are in.

you need to reread my 2 posts and you can make yor apology. glow ball noticed it right off.
I dont expect you to do any lip biting your a grown man and I think your too far down the egotistical trail to be saved.

I do agree that its not to rod, but you see Im faithful to G-loomis because my good friend Mr. John Rowe the CEO of IZOR line sent me it for getting a large tackle distributor stocking area stores with IZOR line (several years ago). The new lamaglass that I won earlier this month in a salmon derby has a great feel but I feel bad about retiring the loomis....I think Mr. Rowe would understand if I lose the loomis in a fair bet......

I agree with the analogy of working the jig like you were bass fishing. My 15 years of fishing local level bass tournys on the east coast with the bass masters, realy has given me the right twitch for swiming the bait. In fact the word twitch was in the title of the artical SST magazine published near the time frame that your wrote your story wasnt it.

in closing take yor head out of the clouds reread the posts that in your words I was whining about see that I have agreed with your syle of fishing the whole time. I wanted to point out in my first post to w.coyote that I thought micro might have been fishing the jig right (swimming it) but still should have released the 2 caught in the out side of the mouth. you didnt need to give your cowlipservice to the conversation, and again WOW I would think that someone in such high esteam on this board (in your own mind) would jump in and TRY to treat people like your the master (think again) I told you I dont back down, lets here from your peers....

you proper grasshopper?????DJ

DJFISHS2XS

Please except my apology! I had your name mixed up with "w. coyote". I must be getting old or I have been sniffing grandpa's farts!

This site as been loading up so damn slowly lately, that I must have used your name in error (still no excuse). I can understand you getting all excited on my reply to you. It was meant to reply to coyote. Some how I was answering parts of your post and parts of Coyotes post. Some how I got screwed up! It happened to the best of us after you make thousands of posts.

I still meant what I said about the rods! And the reason why the "grasshopper" remark most likely went over your head was most likely because of your age. That came from a movie series that came out when you were just a little pup. I think after a while that you will find that after you have written over a thousand posts that you're not going to make everyone happy. Most of my writings or posts go into some detail, and are just not those typical one liner posts!

Come back in a couple of more years and tell me your opinion then. As for what glowball had said, well grandpa's farts are really strong and they DO effect what comes out of your mouth! He's got to stop sniffing them old loose farts!

Just to show you that there are no hard feeling I am posting a pic of your jigs for you!

Cowlitzfisherman

apology accepted, the betting of the rods was just a ploy to get someone to take me on the cowlitz, I have never fished it and would like to.

and yes I remember david carridine snatching pebles out of the masters hand.

I figure we had wires crossed, out of respect I tryed to go easy but its tough,
thanks for posting the pics, that blue on white also work in the salt, looks like a herring I guess, I also tie white ones with a little orange on the belly and knock the snot out of the dollys in the skagit. I purchased flesh colored maribu at the fishing show and well tie them up for dollys as well. no hard feelings, Im sorry for being so bull headed on my end too.....DJ

Can you say off topic? Common guys. This is supposed to be about enforcement not jig fishing or farting or whatever.

As far as enforcement goes. I've been fishing in this state for over 25 years. I've been thoroughly checked twice and encountered enforcement of any kind only when salmon & steelhead fishing.

I don't think enforcement on fish is really a priority to the WDFW, at least in many areas.

Take the skagit river (an enforcement free zone I think) I've fished the skagit probably 50 times in the past decade and never seen any enforcement, but encountered lots of suspect behavior. For example, two poleing is the norm on the skagit for salmon fishing.

I suspect our game wardens are afraid of the lawless types that poach on the skagit, I've seen guys breaking the rules, while packing a visible gun. Makes a confrontation a bit unerving.

Some good points here concerning the snagging, but the morality police in this board as always look over most of the root cause of this type of behavior (Snagging).

1) Inbred, backwards arse, stupid people that do not care (small percentage, like litterers)

2) People that do not know how to fish and have to explain to wife/friends why they spend so much money and always come home empty handed (larger percentage)

3) Like growing up with a step-sibling that is always having different rules for them, they can do no wrong, get extra attention, and when asked why the parents always say (she/he is more special and needs the attention, etc). Larger percentage as time goes on.

In our world that stepchild is the tribes.
I myself do not resort to snagging (yet), but I do resent the tight regulations on fish that we mostly pay for, then watch the netters (or snaggers on the Quilcene) that do not have the same set of rules. Makes the rules a little harder for me to swallow. I think it is called "resentment", and in most other areas of life we would not alow the different rules, let alone defend them with the "it's their right" or "well, thats the treaty" BS.... Rules are supposed to be for the benefit of the fish, that should apply to EVERYONE!
If I ever have the need to practice "Subsistance" fishing to feed my family, I will do what it takes to do just that. Thankfully, right now I can catch a few to eat and a lot to release.......

CFM, right on as always....

MC

Respect should start with WDFW...Those folks get slammed pretty hard here and I , for one, do not feel they deserve most of it. They are undermanned and overworked for the most part. All any of us has to do is obey the rules and help the WDFW enforcement team instead of ripping them a new one all the time. Sportsfishermen are mostly above board and honest but as in any walks of life there are the rats who spoil it for all the rest of us. So smoke out the rats and let them know they are rats whenever you can. Some of the vermin carry guns and attitudes so don't be stupid. Take pictures..call the cops...

If ya' all read my post on this and other simular threads you might understand that I am not a snagger dammit and I really hate to be made out like one dammit.

I just hate to see more fisheries shut down, especially terminal and hatchery fisheries. As I have said many time before that will just put more pressure on the native stalks. theres is nothing that chap my hide more than people snagging native fish. I can care less about hatchery fish. This does not mean that I grab my meat stick and snag hooks and head to hoodsport every day. It just means that to me in my opinion hatchery fish dont matter. hatchery fish are raised for sport and commercial fishermen. I prefer to actually catch the fish but I am not going to distract the wardens by calling on hillbillies that prefer to snag fish as long as they are hatchery fish.

I will however do everything I can to bust people snagging native fish.


The top two jigs are an example of some of the jigs I use. the bottom jig is what I would use if I were snagging, there would be no sense in putting any effort into tying jigs up nice if I were going to snag.

The left jig is one of my cowlitz favorites the right jig is my saltwater favorite. The bottom jig I just tied up to get the point acrossed that I would not take the time to come up with good jigs if I was just snagging.





By the way it is legal to keep a salmon hooked in the head dammit!
:p

http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/index.cfm?fuseaction=Section&Section=220-56-215

Mooch Been down the 100 road this summer?sure has changed,huh.Now there is a spot I wish I could get a gamey to keep an eye on.It only took two poachers a couple of trips to wipe out the resident steelhead we played with last christmas eve.

There are not enough game wardens and consequently there is not enough enforcement.

To sit here and debate whether or not a person is snagging fish at these terminal fisheries is moot.I believe that many a person goes to these stack up points with the best of intention but ends up schooled in whole new art.And it aint fishin.

I did some humpy fishing a couple a weeks ago on a favorite z spot.I was the first and only to fish these fish.I managed three reel quick on a pink jig without spooking the fish. then moved to the tail out and cast up into them with a pink worm.got three more,before my leader broke,leaving the pink worm hanging in its mouth.no more bites.I moved up in the canyon where I could see down on the fish and watched for a good ten minutes as the rest of the school tried to get away from the fish with the pink worm.The worm finally came loose and everything went back to normal.I left them alone.

Now how in the hell does a sportsmen figure he is going to go down to a river running at record lows,get in line with a couple hundred snaggers and "catch" a fish?The idea is a big lie.

LtlCLEO --
Did not realize that the upper or canyon section was open for salmon fishing. Did I miss something?

Tight lines
Smalma

Don't want to start a pi$$ing match here, but time after time I hear the same people saying;" there's not enough enforcement....there's not enough enforcement"

Well, does anyone know "what enough" is? How many more to do you want to have? Do you have any idea what hiring just one new enforcement officer costs the state a year (us)?

Could that same amount of money be better used elsewhere in the department or other law enforcement areas? Funds are always limited in any government or public service, so how many new enforcement officers can you justify hiring. And if you can come up with that figure, what would the cost of doing so be, and for what county or area do you propose to assign them to? Since most of the heavy poaching and snagging only occurs for a short time, (2-3) months is it worth spending what little funds WDFW has for extra enforcement officers?

I hear lots of people talking and complaining, but not very many people are being realistic about who in the department really needs what. Please don't come back and say the same old things, i.e. WDFW needs more funding (hell, we need that)! If you want more enforcement, you need to show the reason for its need and justify its needs just like all other enforcement divisions must do.

Would it not be better to train a group of "specially trained officers" that could be used by the state for both public safety and game enforcement? That way, when the big push or need for game enforcement was low, they could be used for other law needs of the state.

It's Just a thought, but it's one more thought then most of you have suggested. So do you have any better ideas?


Cowlitzfisherman

Not a bad idea CFM, but working for a large city, and having seen several of these "let's hire a guy and he can work for all the departments" fiasco's I find I would like to respond.

What you would see , is that even though the intentions were good, the individuals would end up doing 90% or more of their work for one department. You would be able to trace the reason for this directly back to which department had more political clout , and it would not be the WDFW.


No, I have no ideas yet...

On the lighter side...

We could learn something from the feds when it comes to citizen involvement.

Perhaps the following report form, with just a bit of modification, could be adapted to
keeping enforcement busy with the snaggers while the real poachers ply their trade.



As requested by Steven Ray Russell (aka Mean Mr. Mustard) Hmmm...