Section 232-28-291. Special hunting season permits.

The commission may establish special hunting seasons and may set the conditions for each category and hunt.

1. Deer, elk, cougar, or black bear special hunting season permit applications:

A. To apply for special hunting season permits for all categories of deer, elk, cougar, or black bear, applicants must have a valid Washington big game hunting license and a valid transport tag for the appropriate species. To apply for a particular hunt, each applicant for deer or elk must have the proper transport tag as identified in the special deer or elk permit regulations.

B. Multiple season deer and elk permit applications may be purchased without additional licenses or tags. Persons who are successfully drawn must purchase a multiple season permit for deer or elk and may also apply for archery, muzzleloader, or modern firearm special hunting season permits for the species drawn.

2. Mountain goat, moose, and bighorn sheep special hunting season permit applications:

A. Persons who have previously harvested a mountain goat, bighorn sheep ram, or bull moose in Washington are ineligible for a special hunting season permit for that category. This lifetime harvest restriction does not apply to individuals who harvested a mountain goat before 1999, raffle or auction hunt authorizations, ewe-only bighorn sheep hunts, or antlerless-only moose hunts.

B. Successful applicants under this section must purchase the appropriate hunting license by the deadline established by the department (a minimum of 15 days). Failure to purchase forfeits the permit to an alternate applicant.

3. Wild turkey special hunting season permit applications

A. To apply for wild turkey special hunting season permits, each applicant must have a valid small game hunting license.

B. Fall wild turkey special hunting season permit holders must have a valid turkey transport tag in possession to hunt turkeys in fall special hunting seasons.

4. Special hunting season permit applications:

A. Maximum group sizes are determined for each category. If a group application is drawn, all hunters in the group will receive a special hunting season permit and each hunter in the group can take an animal. If the number of permits available in a hunt category is less than the maximum group size, then the maximum group size is equal to the number of permits.

i. Maximum group size for deer categories is 8.

ii. Maximum group size for elk categories is 8.

iii. Maximum group size for bear categories is 2.

iv. Maximum group size for cougar categories is 2.

v. Maximum group size for mountain goat categories is 2.

vi. Maximum group size for bighorn sheep categories is 2.

vii. Maximum group size for fall turkey categories is 4.

viii. Maximum group size for moose categories is 2.

ix. Maximum group size for multiple season deer is 2.

x. Maximum group size for multiple season elk is 2.

B. An applicant may purchase only one application for a special hunting season permit for each category.

C. Permit applications will allow four choices for all categories except the quality category for deer and elk will allow two choices.

D. Permits will be drawn by computer selection using a weighted point selection system.

i. Applicants will receive one point for each application category purchased.

ii. Once drawn for a permit, the applicant's points will be reduced to zero in that category.

iii. An applicant's accumulated point totals, immediately prior to sales of the 2010 permit applications, will be replicated across all categories for that species. The point replication will only occur in 2010, during the transition from single species categories to multiple categories of the same species. Applicants for any new category added in the future will begin with the point awarded at the time of the initial application purchase.

E. Incomplete, ineligible, or inaccurate applications will not be accepted or entered into the drawing.

F. Permits will be voided if the applicant is found to be ineligible or to have provided an application based on inaccurate information.

G. The purchase of an application will result in one accrued point for the category purchased.

H. If an applicant makes a mistake, applies for the wrong hunt, and is successfully drawn, the special hunting season permit can be returned to the department of fish and wildlife Olympia headquarters before the opening day of the special hunting season. The applicant's points will be restored to the level prior to the permit drawing.

I. Anyone may apply for a special hunting season permit for deer, elk, bear, cougar, and wild turkey.

5. In addition to requirements for special hunting season permit applications, following are application requirements for:

A. Special hunting seasons for persons of disability: Only applicants with a Washington disabled hunter permit are eligible to apply for any special hunting season permits for persons of disability.

B. Special hunting seasons for youth: Only persons who are eligible to lawfully purchase a youth special hunt application are eligible to apply for special hunting season permits for youth.

C. Special hunting seasons for hunters age 65 and older: Only applicants sixty-five years of age or older on or before March 31 of the current license year will be eligible to apply for special hunting season permits for hunters age 65 and older.

D. Special hunting seasons for master hunter program graduates: Only persons who hold a valid certificate from the Washington department of fish and wildlife's master hunter program are eligible to apply for special hunting season permits for master hunters.

6. Citizen reward for reporting violations - bonus points: A person who provides information which contributes substantially to the arrest of another person for illegally hunting or killing big game or an endangered species as defined by Title 77 RCW is eligible to receive ten bonus points toward the special hunting permit drawing for one application category of deer or elk special hunting season permits.

A. Only ten bonus points can be awarded for providing information for each person charged regardless of the number of violations involved.

B. Selection of bonus points is in lieu of application for a cash award.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210, 77.12.150, 77.12.240, 77.32.070, 77.32.530. WSR 10-10-061 (Order 10-94), § 232-28-291, filed 4/30/10, effective 5/31/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210, 77.12.150, 77.12.240. WSR 09-09-083 (Order 09-53), § 232-28-291, filed 4/15/09, effective 5/16/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210. WSR 08-09-090 (Order 08-78), § 232-28-291, filed 4/18/08, effective 5/19/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-11-032 (Order 06-92), § 232-28-291, filed 5/8/06, effective 6/8/06; WSR 05-02-046 (Order 04-327), § 232-28-291, filed 1/3/05, effective 2/3/05; WSR 03-16-087 (Order 03-175), § 232-28-291, filed 8/5/03, effective 9/5/03; WSR 03-13-047 (Order 03-129), § 232-28-291, filed 6/12/03, effective 7/13/03; WSR 03-02-005 (Order 02-301), § 232-28-291, filed 12/20/02, effective 1/20/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.040, 77.12.020, 77.32.070, 77.32.530. WSR 01-10-048 (Order 01-69), § 232-28-291, filed 4/26/01, effective 5/27/01.]

RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210, 77.12.150, 77.12.240, 77.32.070, 77.32.530. WSR 10-10-061 (Order 10-94), § 232-28-291, filed 4/30/10, effective 5/31/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210, 77.12.150, 77.12.240. WSR 09-09-083 (Order 09-53), § 232-28-291, filed 4/15/09, effective 5/16/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210. WSR 08-09-090 (Order 08-78), § 232-28-291, filed 4/18/08, effective 5/19/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-11-032 (Order 06-92), § 232-28-291, filed 5/8/06, effective 6/8/06; WSR 05-02-046 (Order 04-327), § 232-28-291, filed 1/3/05, effective 2/3/05; WSR 03-16-087 (Order 03-175), § 232-28-291, filed 8/5/03, effective 9/5/03; WSR 03-13-047 (Order 03-129), § 232-28-291, filed 6/12/03, effective 7/13/03; WSR 03-02-005 (Order 02-301), § 232-28-291, filed 12/20/02, effective 1/20/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.040, 77.12.020, 77.32.070, 77.32.530. WSR 01-10-048 (Order 01-69), § 232-28-291, filed 4/26/01, effective 5/27/01.