Toll-Free Reporting

Wildlife management

Two toll-free hotlines-one for reporting poaching incidents, and one for reporting dangerous wildlife-are now being operated out of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Enforcement Program in Olympia.

The dangerous wildlife hotline was established last month to allow callers to report encounters or threats by cougars and bears. That toll-free number is (888) 879-6069.

The long-standing Poaching Hotline, (800) 477-6224, is for reporting fish and wildlife violations in progress.

Calls coming in on both hotlines will be answered by enforcement staff between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. A voice-messaging system will allow the public to leave information if enforcement staff is busy with other hotline calls during business hours.

After hours, callers should leave the details of their situation on these voice messaging systems so officers may follow up. But callers also will be directed to contact their local Washington State Patrol office so that the State Patrol may dispatch an available Fish and Wildlife officer to respond.

Staff in the six department regional offices around the state, such as the one in Spokane at 456-4082, will continue to respond to general customer service questions.

General information requests about fish and wildlife issues also may be routed to the agency’s general information number in Olympia, (360) 902-2200.