03/11/2025
My elected Representatives to the Legislature,
First off, the WDFW admin was given a directive from the Governor to reduce their budget significantly. The WDFW admin decided one way they would do that is to eliminate the Bob Oke game farm, ending the state's involvement in raising pheasants. Because this is the ONLY source of pheasants for Western WA, It would mean the end of pheasant hunting in Western WA. The game farm also supplements the wild pheasant population in Eastern WA so that would also be greatly impacted as well. p[lease note that our license fees pay for the majority of this program. At its inception we hunters paid the costs and we are very willing to continue to do so.
WDFW has submitted their budget proposal to the Governor. The Governor has signed off on it initially and it will go to the legislature for approval from the house and senate. If the house and senate sign off then the Governor will give it the final signature.
The game farm is funded through fiscal year 2025 but not beyond that in the budget proposal. The cancellation of this resource will have a ripple effect though the state, Hunters will not be paying the $84.50 pheasant hunting license fee, sporting goods stores that sell them will lose those fees, as well as the sale of hunting equipment and upland hunting clothing, Upland hunters will travel to adjoining states where there is a population of wild pheasants which are non-existent in western WA.
Many seniors like myself have hunted the release sites for 20 years or more and many of us are too old to travel long distances to enjoy the sport we love and many of us have passed this love onto our children and grandchildren, and in my case, to my great grandchildren.
For The above stated reasons I am asking you to vote NO on this particular budget proposal from the WDFW.
Respectfully submitted
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