• In general, we feel that FWP should focus more attention on habitat protection and 

 enhancement. The citizens of the state rely on FWP to maintain and enhance wildlands and 



habitats for all species of animals that are native to the state and nonnative species that 



are managed as game animals. 



• I actively support attention to nongame and threatened and endangered (T&E) species. 



By statute, these concerns are the department's responsibility. These other species are all part 

 of the ecosystem. Habitat — and the plant life with it — must be protected. 



Response: As proposed under the preferred alternative, FWP would continue to 

 emphasize hunting and trapping as tools to manage wildlife populations but expand 

 efforts to recover and delist T&E species and increase I&E efforts directed at 

 nonhunters. 



ISSUE #9 

 Trophy Hunting — 10 comments 



Summary ji 



For various reasons, about half the public comment addressing this issue favorably view actions that 

 would increase age class diversity or increase numbers of large mature males in big game 

 populations. The other half attached a negative connotation to the term "trophy hunting." Some share 

 the perspective that harvesting wildlife for trophy value is either unethical or that encouraging taking 

 a trophy animal is not really a part of FWP's mission or mandates. Some people would just rather it 

 be called something else such as managing for age diversity. 



Samples of Comments 



• Greater emphasis on trophy hunting — would help ecosystem management encourage 

 --. maintenance of the herd to produce older-age males. 



• I see the merit of restricting hunting of trophy big game "bucks" or "bull" which makes for 

 better reproduction as well as attracting trophy hunters, and I support this goal. 



• I do not agree with providing trophy hunting, as it is ego-driven, works hunting into the 

 negative "hands" of anti-hunters, and does not recognize that hunting should only be 

 performed if sustenance is gained. Even though you propose limiting trophy himting to just a 

 few hunters through quotas and permits, it implies that FWP condones trophy himting, which 

 is contrary to the purpose of FWP. 



• readers are very easily led to think that increasing the number of males to physical or 



phenotypical maturity is trophy management. I suggest there is a very clear distinction 

 between these two concepts and the BIS does not adequately address age class distribution and 

 physical maturity as a biological issue as opposed to trophy hunting as a social issue. I am not 



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