Behave yourself out there

New conduct rules are being enforced this year on 900,000 acres of public lands managed by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department.

The state put the laws on page 56 of the 2008 hunting regulations pamphlet and gave enforcement agents the authority to issue citations to people who abuse the rules.

As always, parking permits are required in department lands and access sites.

Most of the rules are common sense:

•No disorderly conduct; no keggers; no fireworks; no dumping from RVs; no more than 30 people in a gathering without a permit; no camping at one site for more than 21 days within a 30-day period.

Some of the proposals are simply clarifications of rules already on the books:

•No digging pits for waterfowl hunting; no tree cutting; no motorized off-road travel except in designated areas.

Some proposals stem from new types of uses that threaten wildlife areas or public safety:

•No shooting of tracer or incendiary ammunition; no unleashed pets near access areas or campgrounds; no wire, staples or nails in constructing camps, blinds or tree stands.

Some proposals get technical:

•No shooting within 500 feet of a designated campground. Spent shell casings are specifically listed as litter that must be cleaned up; campfires are limited to a maximum of 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet high.