Here is the link..http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/176473.html

Commission will discuss new rules for agency landThe News Tribune Published: October 11th, 2007 01:00 AM

The state Fish and Wildllife Commission is expected to vote on new rules governing public behavior on department land.
The proposed rules govern camping, dumping, vehicle use, livestock, use of firearms and other activities on the agency’s wildlife and water-access sites.

“Public demands on these lands have grown … with our state’s population,” said Mark Quinn, lands division manager. “The new rules are designed to address emerging issues and protect both public safety and the fish and wildlife species that rely on these areas.”

The scheduled action follows several public meetings and a written comment period on the proposed changes. The proposals, which were amended to reflect public comments, are on the department’s Web site at wdfw.wa.gov/lands/proposed_wac_232-13.htm.

The commission will discuss the rules Friday morning.

It also , get briefings on changes to the advanced hunter education program and proposed fishing rule changes for the 2008-09 seasons.

Fish and Wildife meeting

When: 8:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: Room 172, Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E., Olympia

Information: wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm

Pretty sensational title for your thread. No where in the article, nor in the WDFW pdf did they mention the outlawing of decoys or calls. Got anything to back this up, or are you making this up in your own mind?

Sensational? Maybe. The title was a question meant to get attention. I see where your problem is though. When I posted I tried to "bold" the pertinent text and it deleted it. Here is the cause for concern.

"It also will 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 the 2008-09 seasons."

What frustrates me is that I heard about this online and I called F&G to ask about it. I called both Enforcement and Education. Though both denied anything about electronic calls, Enforcement said they had just talked with Education about calls. Education denied that ever happened. Below is my conversations with Enforcement and Education only days before the article came out in the News Tribune. I also find it interesting that this meeting was the day before and during the opening of modern firearm season, when most people would not be able to attend.

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.

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.

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?

Correct me if I am wrong but the meeting is about the use of electronic calls right? Aren't electronic calls already prohibited for waterfowl?

Yes Paul 12, You are not allowed to use electric calls or motion decoy that are powered by electric motors. They were trying to fix it so it can go back to were we can use them. I think they should be allowed in the late season only not the calls but the decoys. They changed it because they say it’s an unfair advantage. And in the late season ducks are pretty smart to decoys by then so in the last 3 weeks I say we should use them. I have some wind operated that I use only in the late season and it really helps, it will make them take a closer look. Jim W