Petition Against Waterfowl Guiding in Idaho

[duksnfish]

Good evening folks! Many many of us know this has been a hot topic here in Idaho so the Idaho Waterfowl Association decided to put this online petition out for signatures, so here is the petition to be signed by everyone who does not support Outfitting and Guiding in the State of Idaho. This petition is sponsored by the IWA and has been coordinated and verified by the IWA BOD. You can direct questions if you want to them, but, it was decided to post this for 2 weeks and then submit it to the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Board and to the Idaho Fish and Game. Now is the time to show your support against Outfitting and Gudiding of Waterfowl in Idaho.
Thanks

Rick Martin
IWA Member

Here is the link to sign:

[url "http://www.petitiononline.com/iwa12009/petition.html"][#1e5000]http://www.petitiononline.com/iwa12009/petition.html[/#1e5000][/url]


To: State of Idaho Outfitters and Guides Board
To State of Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board and Idaho Fish and Game

PETITION AGAINST OUTFITTED AND GUIDED WATERFOWL HUNTING IN IDAHO

By providing my ‘Digital Signature’ on this petition, I acknowledge that I am against all outfitted and guided hunting for waterfowl within the State of Idaho.

This petition is being requested to be signed by all Waterfowl Hunters and other sportsmen whom are or would be against outfitted and guided waterfowl (ducks, geese, and other waterfowl) within the State of Idaho on all Public and/or Private Lands within the State.

We the undersigned are not trying to take away the private land rights of people in the State of Idaho; we are just requesting that NO Outfitting and Guiding for waterfowl be allowed by the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board (IOGLB) within the State.

Some of the reason(s) why we, the sportsmen of the State of Idaho are against this activity are as follows:

1) The continual decline of waterfowl hunting opportunities is a common concern by all sportsmen in Idaho on both public and private lands;

2) Guiding will lead to fewer opportunities for the average waterfowl hunter in Idaho. Waterfowl guiding typically results in the outfitters leasing large tracts of hunting properties. Already a limited commodity;

3) The enforcement branch of both the Idaho Fish and Game and the IOGLB is already spread to thin and has limited time and finances to devote to waterfowl hunting. Additional responsibilities to try and monitor waterfowl guiding does not seem prudent;

4) In general, some of the largest and biggest impact to waterfowl hunting in Idaho is centered along the Snake River corridor. This same corridor is also the center of ever growing development and as that development continues, waterfowl hunting opportunities will continue to diminish. This does not mean that the rest of Idaho does not have similar impacts such as the Panhandle Region;

5) Those people that would benefit from Outfitting and Guiding in Idaho would economically benefit a limited few but take away the opportunity to hunt waterfowl from many;

6) With the increased Outfitting and Guiding, we foresee a much greater impact to not only the land, but also a potential impact to the waterfowl in Idaho. There is already a great debate in the Southwest part of the State over goose numbers and what has caused them to decline along the Snake River Corridor. Can the State afford to increase the pressure on geese in areas like this;

7) Currently the Access Yes program is beginning to work for the good of all hunters in Idaho, including waterfowl. We feel that Outfitting and guiding for waterfowl in the State will have an impact on Public access to Access Yes areas. Some of those places will start to dwindle, as some access points, that may be granted now through private property or easements, will start to disappear from the program as private land owners in the program begin to be paid by the highest bidder to access water fowl hunting areas thus cutting out many of the citizens of Idaho;

These are but a few of our concerns on the issue of Outfitting and Guiding for Waterfowl within the State.

We the undersigned ask the IOGLB and Idaho Fish and Game, PLEASE do not allow Outfitting and Guiding of waterfowl in the State of Idaho, but leave it for the common good of the common person to have and to enjoy. The signers of this petition also ask the IOGLB and IDF&G to put together a permanent policy against all guided waterfowl hunting in the State of Idaho.

This petition is sponsored by the Idaho Waterfowl Association.

Sincerely;


Sincerely,

The Undersigned
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[iwantabuggy]

I am an avid hunter and I am not a guide, so don't take this the wrong way. It seems to me there are plenty of ducks and geese to support some guided hunts. It also seems like a pretty selfish act to me, when you try to block someone else from supporting their families. Guiding has been going on for years and should not be blamed for the decline of waterfowl populations. Shame on you.......

MHO.
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[duksnfish]

Thats cool we all have our opinions, but, guding for waterfowl has not gone on for years in Idaho. There is a moritorium on it in Idaho and there are only like 4 or 5 licenses state wide as incidental to fishing. I dont take it personal any how, I just posted it for the Idaho Waterfowl Association which I am a member. If you know of people guiding for waterfowl, its illegal unless they can provide that license and you should be law abiding and turn them in.

With over 177 signatures and almost 300 supporting the ban already, id say its a pretty hot topic in which most of the idahoans dont want it to happen in the future. If you havent looked at the IWA website, [url "http://www.idahowaterfowl.org/"]http://www.idahowaterfowl.org/[/url], I encourage you to look at it and read some of the background and feelings on it.

You said not to take it personal, I dont. But you sure didnt have to put the "shame on you" comment in your reply, that starts to put it personal on your part. You dont have to support it, its your right to do so, but yes dont make it personal at all. Thanks for your thoughts.
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[iwantabuggy]

You are right. I take the shame on you back. I shouldn't have said that. My apology. That's what makes this country great. We can all have our own opinions.
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[Got_Bait]

You're right about that buggy. Plus from your previous post, it sounds like you are looking at it a little differently than I am. I'm not so much worried about all the birds getting shot out of the sky, as all the good spots taken. As an avid waterfowl hunter, I struggle find good spots, and then get permission from landowners to hunt ducks and geese where alot of birds are frequenting. If there was a bunch of guiding going on, the average hunter like you and me would have even less good places to hunt. Unless we want to start paying a fortune to do something we've been doing for free for all our lives. . . .
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