Effective Date For Ban Set

A newly adopted ban on the use of dogs and bait in hunting bear, cougar and bobcat takes effect Dec. 5, state officials say.

That is the date Initiative 655 becomes law, and hunting rules reflecting the change are set for adoption by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission at a meeting in Spokane on Nov. 15-16.

No refunds are being offered to the 506 hunters with cougar licenses. The cougar season opens Nov. 27 and closes Jan. 31 to Feb. 28, depending on the area. Bear season is closed.

Bobcat hunting, which does not require a special permit, is open through March 15 in Western Washington and the season is Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 east of the Cascade crest.

Initiative 655 is likely to cut the bear harvest by as much as one-half and the cougar harvest by as much as 85 percent. The number of complaints about those animals are expected to increase as well, officials said.