Hunters who to file a hunting report by Jan. 10 will have a chance to win one of nine 2013 special hunting permits.
Those who meet the deadline for reporting their hunting activities for black bear, deer, elk or turkey to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will be included in a drawing for five deer permits and four elk permits in various areas of the state. Those permits will be valid from Sept. 1-Dec. 31.
To qualify for the drawing, hunters must submit a report for each black bear, deer, elk or turkey tag they purchased and for each special hunting permit they received in 2012.
All hunters, whether successful or not, are required to submit hunting reports for those species by Jan. 31. Failure to meet the deadline can result in a $10 fine, payable before a hunter can purchase a 2013 license.
Dave Ware, the department’s game manager, said the annual hunting reports are an important source of information for managing the resource and developing future hunting seasons.
“The drawing for special permits is designed to give hunters an extra incentive to file their reports early,” Ware said in a prepared statement. “If everyone waits until the last minute, it creates problems with reporting.”
Hunters can report by phone toll free at 877 945-3492 or onlinre at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Hunters should be prepared to give the game management unit they hunted and their individual WILD identification number, which is printed on license documents.
Whether reporting online or over the phone, hunters should follow the prompts until they receive a confirmation number for each report, Ware said.
As in recent years, hunters are required to file separate reports for general-season hunting activities and for special-permit hunts for deer, elk, black bear and turkey.
More information the WDFW’s incentive permit drawing is available on page 17 of the 2012 Big Game Hunting pamphlet at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations.
