The only reason a WMA stamp is tied to the camping permit is because the state needed a way to be able to identifiy the applicants. Remember just a few years ago the whole place was 1st come 1st serve for the whole 6 month season you could ty up a spot from before archery to the day after turkey season. That was outrageous. I do not blame any one for taking advantage of the way the system was. I have hunted in the for 21 years, I know the place well, and have killed several deer in there. I just remember the good ole boy network of taking all the best camps sites year after year, and seeing a lot of drunks the same ones year after year. Getting into fights screwing up others equipment if you rubbed them wrong. I can tell you this is why they changed the camping format. It was to break up the cliches. I have nothing against people with campers. Just dont need to here about the expense of hauling 1 back, and forth, and how much of a pain they are to set up. It is the choice you made to have more comfort. It is not a requirement to camp in the woods.
I hope, and want each of you guys to be able to enjoy the woods. GS is a fun, and good place to hunt. There are some real sweet spots. The camping should be as enjoyable as the hunting, and the sharing of the sites so others have a shot at a good spot during the season is the only way to go. Now I will share a couple of pics from back in the day.
This is about 10 years ago for any of you long time hunters. Any 1 recognize the fella in the back groud.
Here is 1 from a few years ago.
Sorry for using caps, but my work computer does not take lower case letters and I forget to turn off the cap lock! Well the man from the FWC called me last night and we talk for about 20-30 min.
They are trying to do it this way and see how it works and the realize they have a big problem on there hands.
So you ready for this? The 1st come, 1st serve is going to be done like this! The Thursday before the season opens They will open the gate up to get you off the road at 8am. They are installing another gate up to keep you out of the campground, the line will start there. That gate will be open at 8 am Friday the day before the season opens. That means you will have to take two days off work and be in line for 24 hours before you can try and get a camping spot. I told him that idea suck! I ask him what do you think is going to happen with everyone being bored and in line for a day? I told him it sounds like the party will start and fires will be started along the road, etc!
He all so told be that if you do not have a camp sent up in your spot (like my camper there) you will for fit you camping spot and they will give it to someone else. I told him they need to check people who are applying for camping spots to make sure they have a hunting license and if they don't, they don't get a camping permit!
So what do you all think? May be it is time everyone calls and say something to the FWC!!!
Budman:
Ok. What about short term camping? Weekenders or 1-2 days during the week. How are they handling it? From what you are saying, if 45 people get a site at the Rock Ridge site as an example first come first serve, what will happen to those looking to camp only short term? Also, did he say if you need to remove the camper or just leave it there during each season? This is getting better…sweet.
He did not say much on the short term camping, but they will have something in place to fix that problem. He said if there is not a camper-tent set up in the site that you get. They will give the site to someone else and you would lose it-give it up. So if you get a site make sure you save it some how. He said they are still work on all the fine details.
I see they updated the rules on giving out camping sites on the FWC website. They have both long term and short term solutions for the spaces not given out during the draw.
