Hunting. More of it and more exotic animals.

In the past week State Rep. David Taylor (R-15th, Klickitat and Skamania Counties) has proposed three bills that would open up more wolf hunting. He would like to void all state laws for wolf conservation (.pdf), reject the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s gray wolf conservation plan (.pdf), and require the Department of Health to conduct a study of the epidemiological consequences of diseases carried by wolves (.pdf). Taylor would also like to remove the requirement that first-time hunting license buyers complete a gun safety, conservation, and sportsmanship class—as long as they are over 21 (.pdf). State Rep. Brian Blake (D-19th, Pacific and Wahklakum Counties) proposes that the State make it legal to use dogs to hunt cougar (pdf). While Blake doesn’t technically represent a Central Washington district, this bill has support from a number of Central Washington reps, including Taylor, Bruce Chandler (R-15th), Mike Armstrong (R-12th, Wenatchee), Cary Condotta (R-12), and Bill Hinkle (R-13, Kittitas and Grant Counties). On the flip-side Blake would also like to make laws regarding the use of body-gripping traps (e.g., steel-jawed leg hold traps) more restrictive (.pdf and .pdf), which has support from Democrats, Republicans, animal lovers, and wild critters alike.

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8 replies on “What’s a Pressing Issue for Central Washington Legislators?”

  1. The irony of a presumably small-govt repub requiring “the Department of Health to conduct a study of the epidemiological consequences of diseases carried by wolves” is ginormous.

    Right, cause DOH coffers are overflowing right now and the epis are just sitting around playing scrabble and waiting for things to do.

  2. I have an idea, Mr. Small-Town-Values: Howsabout we don’t spend a fucking dime researching “epidemiological outcomes,” demand your legislation be revenue-neutral, vote it down, and then cut funding to the relevant state agencies that issue permits? How’s that for small government?

  5. I can understand hunting deer and elk. That’s food, and it’s tasty food. Plus, deer can be a pest, especially closer to urban areas, and they will easily overpopulate.

    But I’ve never understood hunting carnivores, especially considering it’s almost always for sport rather than food.

    I don’t hunt animals, personally – except the kind wearing robes and AK’s. And after bagging several of them, I don’t see how hunting a coyote can compare.

  6. @5: i’ve been told by hunters that killing carnivores increases the amount of game animals. particularly the wolf/elk balance.

    if we want to eliminate govt. waste, we could start with Wahkiakum Co. it isn’t large enough to justify it’s existence.

  7. I support the use of body-gripping traps as long as they are certified through a rigorous program of testing on Republican lawmakers. And Tim Eyman; any steel trap that can clamp hold securely on Tim Eyman’s head, and deform its (the head’s) shape by a minimum of three inches, for a minimum of twenty-four hours, shall be passed for general use in sport hunting, supermarkets, schools, the 358 bus, etc.

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