I don't think we do.

Voter referendums have been the death of trapping and hunting opportunitues across this country. Horrible idea.

As far as voting for DNR commissioner/secretary, or whatever your state calls them, the only way that would be a good idea is if only licensed hunters, trappers, anglers were elegible to vote. General election would also be a horrible idea.

Governor's appointments are better than we the people in this instance.

That might fly if the agency only managed fish and game, but our DNR in Wisconsin is a single agency that also includes forestry, air, water, soil, etc. Lots of stakeholders besides just hunters, trappers and anglers.

Though I do agree only licensed hunters, anglers and trappers should get to vote in our spring hearings that directly influence hunting, fishing and trapping regulations. Online voting for that was the worst thing to ever happen.

If you live in a liberal state like ours there is no difference -- We haven't had a R gov. in over 30 years -- I would rather take my chances with single issue voters - at least we can win some of the smaller elections where the citiots don't pay as much attention.

So wonderfully spoken Donner. Good luck

Let me know when wildlife issues on a ballot go our way.

Let me know when they're on the ballot, said in a Groucho Marx accent.

I personally would rather lobby or discuss issues with a gov and his/her staff even if policy does not fit my thoughts the best than turning things over to 4-4.5 million citizens who don't, hunt, fish, trap or really think wildlife management should include lethal dispatch of a whole host of species. If we were under the whims of the general public in the whole US most of us would be hunting less with less place to hunt and trapping would have some serious head winds to face.

Bryce

It would be nice to see someone named that had worked their way up the ranks from warden, preferably someone that also hunted, fished and trapped. I know that is hoping for too much.

Correct as can be Donnersurvivor. Well said.

If anyone questioned Coles ability to effectively run the WDNR and what his politics were, only needed to watch his participation in the zoom meetings.

This was Coles' previous job:

Preston Cole, Commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood Service.

Prior to moving to DNS Cole was the Director of Operations, City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works.

His forestry experience was tree trimming and planting trees in boulevard medians in the City of Milwaukee. Being a minority it would have been racist to question his qualifications. I expect a similar political appointment from Gov. Evers this time around.

In these Democrat administrations there are a whole lot of boxes to check before you ever get to experience and qualifications. Been going on in MN for a while.

The only box that matters is the size of the campaign donation.......

........as long as you checked the right race, gender, or preferred pronoun boxes.

X2

He was also chair of the NRB as well as a past forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
He received a Bachelors degree in Forest Management from the University of Missouri.
That said, I still don't like what he has done for WDNR.

A new 1 was named this week. I hadn't heard of the lady before this week. She's from Madison.