WDFW Q & A Thread - Questions for Stacie Kelsey, WDFW

[G-Man]

I have found that people do tell. It's a bragging right to say they screwed with the state. I personally talked to a guy who brazenly indicated he was the one that had stocked a numerous amount of shakers into each of the lakes. I told thim that was really stupid and gave him a lecture. Did he care? Probably not. But it got him on our radar.

Now this is what gets my dander up. A person who has admitted to illegally stocking fish, should have their license revoked, permanently, at a minimum, heck I'm for sticking them with the bill for rehabbing the lake. Forget to pinch down a barb or take more than a minute to fill out your catch record and you end up forking over a wad of cash to the State, guaranteed. I just don't grasp why the major offenders get off so lightly, and to be fair, it is the same with most any other State.

[Stacie Kelsey]

I have seen that fish and wildlife offenses are started to get the right treatment by judges and DA's over the past few years. I think in the past it wasn't tKen so seriously. "it's just fish".

But our Officers have spent time educating them on why it's important. And there are programs for the public to be able to turn these people in when they see violations. Heck a couple of weeks ago I got a call about an oversize sturgeon being hauled out of one of my lakes. I give my card out to a lot of people. I was able to instruct the anglers to get it back in the lake and it happily swam off.

People can really make a difference by making the calls. Be a good witness. Good things can happen!!

[Mike Carey]

Forgive this topic changer, but someone just posted a fish they caught on Riffe and he (and I) were curious just what it is?

[Stacie Kelsey]

It's a big fat pikeminnow. They should be getting ready to spawn pretty soon. Probably belly full of fish!

[G-Man]

Forgive this topic changer, but someone just posted a fish they caught on Riffe and he (and I) were curious just what it is?

It's a big fat pikeminnow. They should be getting ready to spawn pretty soon. Probably belly full of fish!

AKA as crab/crayfish bait.

[Anglinarcher]

I have found that people do tell. It's a bragging right to say they screwed with the state. I personally talked to a guy who brazenly indicated he was the one that had stocked a numerous amount of shakers into each of the lakes. I told thim that was really stupid and gave him a lecture. Did he care? Probably not. But it got him on our radar.

Now this is what gets my dander up. A person who has admitted to illegally stocking fish, should have their license revoked, permanently, at a minimum, heck I'm for sticking them with the bill for rehabbing the lake. Forget to pinch down a barb or take more than a minute to fill out your catch record and you end up forking over a wad of cash to the State, guaranteed. I just don't grasp why the major offenders get off so lightly, and to be fair, it is the same with most any other State.

We agree on this one for sure.

[Anglinarcher]

Forgive this topic changer, but someone just posted a fish they caught on Riffe and he (and I) were curious just what it is?

It's a big fat pikeminnow. They should be getting ready to spawn pretty soon. Probably belly full of fish!

AKA as crab/crayfish bait.

In past years it might have been considered osprey food. LOL

[Stacie Kelsey]

A couple of our guys up north had a close encounter of the cougar kind. They were doing a habitat survey and the cougar was following them with it's ears back and hissing. It was within striking distance. They were able to get back to their truck without any attack.

Just a reminder to all of you out fishing. Be aware of your surroundings at all times!!

[Marc Martyn]

A couple of our guys up north had a close encounter of the cougar kind.......

Did he look like this?[laugh] Were any Huskies running?

Before all the fans on the west side starts sending hate mail, I'll tell you I am a Boise State Bronco's Fan. Now there is a winning team![thumbup]

[Stacie Kelsey]

I don't think it was quite that still!!

[yooper_fisher]

In MI the scariest thing in the woods was a skunk... I may have to rethink that in WA.

[Marc Martyn]

If you are sitting around a campfire late at night and hear a cougar scream, you may be running for the car. It will send chills up your back like you will never experience again.

[Amx]

Try riding a horse when he smells, or sees, a cougar. YAHAW RODEO. Did that once on the John Wayne Trail in the late '90s. I just KNOW that cat was up on the rock ecaped/wall/outcropping thing in the bushes watching us.

[rjn cajun]

It`s never happened to me but a guy in our huning camp was walking down a game trail 2 years ago and felt something wasn`t right. Turned around and there was a big female kitty. He shot her and brought her to camp. We had to call the wardens because she had kittens. Come to find out he was real close to the den. Every time I`m hunting now I check behind me every so often.

[ResQ]

I had a cougar chase me out of its area while deer hunting as a teenager. It was siding me about 5 yards or so away from me. Ran me all the way back to the truck (about 100 yards). That was the longest 100 yards lol.

[Anglinarcher]

A friend of mine got a cougar with a bow a few years ago, at 10 yards; cougar died 1 yard from him. NO, he was not hunting cougar, but the cougar was hunting him.

He was in a ground blind in the Northeast part of the state, overlooking a good White Tail trail. The deer had been using the trail, but they were moving through fast. Bucks and Does were legal that year for archery, in that area, so when he heard a sound he came to full draw and turned around. As the cougar and his eyes met, the cougar lunged. He was already at full draw so he released the arrow and it hit the center of the chest, nailing the hart. It was a lucky shot, and the event really messed my friend up.

He had his bear tag, and with deer and bear tag the cougar came with it, so he called the Warden to come and stamp the animal. He told the Warden the story and his response was the most chilling yet. The Warden said, "I wonder if that was the Cougar that was stalking the kids at the bus stop down the road a mile or so last week".

Last year we had our annual 3D archery shoot at Camp Wooten, just East of Walla Walla in the blue mountains. One of the campers found a dead deer near the mass camp so he put his game camera to see what might show up. Four cougars showed up that night, all at once, to feed on the deer. The camera was less then 25 yards from camp, a camp that had over 500 campers that weekend.

Should I go on, I have two more cougar stalking and/or attacks I can give you. One in Idaho and one in Utah, both to relatives.

Cougar are far more numerous then the office managers think (the normal rule makers and Washington State managers - not entirely their fault with the cut-back of funds), and are far less afraid of us then most of US think. Now that we cannot hunt them with Dogs, they fear humans even less.

Watch your back, but most importantly, make sure your slow, juicy, tasty friend is behind you. It might save your life.

[MarkFromSea]

If you are sitting around a campfire late at night and hear a cougar scream, you may be running for the car. It will send chills up your back like you will never experience again.

I had this happen once while camped above Conconelly(sp), it sounded like a banshi, some sort of evil demon screamin, I figured it was a cat in heat. Didn't sound like a hollywood scream of a cougar. I was the only person up there at the time so it was not someone trying to play a joke. about 15 years ago, end of a road, still remnants of snow drifts left here and there, spring, west of the reservoir. It was a bit spooky but I was already set to sleep in the back of the station wagon so I put another log on the fire, kept the dog close(for his protection) and had another beer! LOL

[rjn cajun]

A friend of mine got a cougar with a bow a few years ago, at 10 yards; cougar died 1 yard from him. NO, he was not hunting cougar, but the cougar was hunting him.

He was in a ground blind in the Northeast part of the state, overlooking a good White Tail trail. The deer had been using the trail, but they were moving through fast. Bucks and Does were legal that year for archery, in that area, so when he heard a sound he came to full draw and turned around. As the cougar and his eyes met, the cougar lunged. He was already at full draw so he released the arrow and it hit the center of the chest, nailing the hart. It was a lucky shot, and the event really messed my friend up.

He had his bear tag, and with deer and bear tag the cougar came with it, so he called the Warden to come and stamp the animal. He told the Warden the story and his response was the most chilling yet. The Warden said, "I wonder if that was the Cougar that was stalking the kids at the bus stop down the road a mile or so last week".

Last year we had our annual 3D archery shoot at Camp Wooten, just East of Walla Walla in the blue mountains. One of the campers found a dead deer near the mass camp so he put his game camera to see what might show up. Four cougars showed up that night, all at once, to feed on the deer. The camera was less then 25 yards from camp, a camp that had over 500 campers that weekend.

Should I go on, I have two more cougar stalking and/or attacks I can give you. One in Idaho and one in Utah, both to relatives.

Cougar are far more numerous then the office managers think (the normal rule makers and Washington State managers - not entirely their fault with the cut-back of funds), and are far less afraid of us then most of US think. Now that we cannot hunt them with Dogs, they fear humans even less.

Watch your back, but most importantly, make sure your slow, juicy, tasty friend is behind you. It might save your life.

Sounds like the pic I saw on another site and also the news. It was a game camera but it looked to me there was 6 to 8. Which is very odd considering they are teritorial. I heard the report for last year in my hunting GMU and it was well over 120 cats in that GMU. With the amount of kills that each cat does in a month we are lucky to have any big game left to hunt. Bring back the hounds. This is another topic in itself.

[Stacie Kelsey]

Oh we know they are out there in large numbers. We get weekly calls regarding cougars. But not much can be done other than send Enforcement out to make determinations on the sightings and trap the ones that need to be.

Until we get the hunting methods changed back then their population along with bears is going to continue to grow. Oregon is trying to get a bill out to change cougar hunting. I hope they can.

[natetreat]

A couple of our guys up north had a close encounter of the cougar kind. They were doing a habitat survey and the cougar was following them with it's ears back and hissing. It was within striking distance. They were able to get back to their truck without any attack.

Just a reminder to all of you out fishing. Be aware of your surroundings at all times!!

I'm up north! Where did this happen, and I'll keep my distance. A couple of lakes that I like to fish are regular cougar haunts. I've seen/heard cougar evidence up by Lake Hancock, Grieder Lakes and Lake Fontal. It always gives me the willies. Their scream is outta this world.

My dad and I were driving late about ten miles outta Forks to fish the Bogey and we saw a young cougar that caught our headlights just sitting by the road. I did a double take because I thought it was a deer, but there was the whippy tail as it turned to disappear into the bushes. They must be getting brave to come so close to town.