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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Outdoors blog

Hunters must file season-end reports

HUNTING -- Washington Fish and Wildlife officials adding incentive to get hunters to file their manadatory post-hunt report forms by phone or online.

Hunters who file reports will avoid hassles when they try to buy a license next year -- and they'll have a chance to win one of nine 2011 special hunting permits.

Hunting activity reports are required for hunters who bought tags for black bear, deer, elk, or turkey. The reports must be filed by Jan. 10.

Read on for details and this year's new reporting requirements.

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, 2011.

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 2011 license.

Dave Ware, WDFW game manager, said the annual hunting reports are an important source of information for managing the resource and developing future hunting seasons.

Hunters can report by phone (877 945-3492) or online.

New this year, WDFW is requiring hunters to file separate reports for general-season hunting activities and for special-permit hunts for deer, elk, black bear and turkey. That change will give game managers more information about hunters' success during both kinds of seasons - general and special permit, Ware said.

Whether reporting online or over the phone, hunters should follow the prompts until they receive a confirmation number for each report, he said.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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