WDFW offers special hunt drawing for early hunter reporting

Hunters who report their 2020 black bear, deer, elk, or turkey hunting results by Sunday, Jan. 10, will have the opportunity to win one of nine deer and elk incentive permits for fall 2021, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials said December 22.

WDFW Game Division manager Anis Aoude said the department is offering the special permits, which will be awarded through a drawing this spring, as an incentive to encourage hunters to report their results as soon as possible.

“Special hunts include five deer permits and four elk permits in various areas of the state,” said Aoude. “This is a great opportunity for hunters to get an incentive for turning in their hunter reports early.”

To qualify for the drawing, hunters must submit a report by Jan. 10 for each black bear, deer, elk, or turkey tag they purchased, and each special hunting permit they received in 2020. The permits will be valid from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2021.

All hunters, regardless of their success in the field, must submit hunting reports for each transport tag by Jan. 31. Failure to meet the deadline can result in a $10 reporting fee, which hunters must pay when they buy a license for the 2021 season.

“Annual hunting reports are a primary source of information for managing game populations and developing future hunting seasons,” Aoude said.

Hunters can report online. To report online, hunters will first need to establish an online account by creating a username and password and providing an email address. Individuals can use these accounts for many purposes, including filing harvest reports and purchasing hunting and fishing licenses.

Anyone with questions regarding the online system can contact WDFW's Licensing Division at (360) 902-2464.