By Wayne Kruse
Jan. 10 is the deadline to file this year’s hunting activities reports in time to have a chance to win one of nine 2014 special hunting permits. Those who meet the deadline 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 through Dec. 31, 2014.
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 2013.
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 2014 license.
The drawing for special permits is an incentive to file reports early, according to state game manager Dave Ware.
Hunters can report by phone (877-945-3492) or at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Hunters should be prepared to provide the game management unit they hunted and their individual WILD identificaion number, printed on license documents.
More information on the incentive permit drawing is available on page 17 of the 2013 Big Game Hunting pamphlet, or at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/.
