Free: Contests & Raffles.
WDFW WILDLIFE PROGRAM Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091 wildthing@dfw.wa.govDear Permit Applicant,Some timber companies in western Washington have recently announced plans to begin requiring permits and charging fees to hunt on private forestlands where these access restrictions were not previously in place. We are notifying you to make sure you are aware of these changes, which may be a consideration in applying for special hunting permits this year.The five game management units currently affected by new access requirements are GMUs 501, 506, 530, 672 and 667. Your special permit application history shows that you have previously applied for a special hunting permit in one or more of these areas.If you plan to submit hunt choices for deer or elk in any of these areas this year, we advise that you check timber company websites or hotlines for more information on the new requirements before you submit your special permit application. The deadline for submitting a special permit application this year is May 22.In recent years, WDFW has made a concerted effort to work with private timber companies throughout the state to expand hunter access to commercial timberlands. However, while we've been successful in a number of areas, WDFW does not have the legal authority to regulate private landowners' decisions about restricting access or charging fees to hunt on their land.Sincerely,WDFWWildlife ProgramYou have received this e-mail as you are a customer of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Under the previous system, all applications for special deer permits were randomly drawn from the same pool, each weighted according to the number of points the applicant had accumulated from past drawings. The computer calculated these points and registered the hunter's preferences and then drew successful applications for all special deer hunts from the same pool. The same was true, under the previous system, for other permits.WDFW now allows separate applications for specific categories of deer, elk, bighorn sheep, moose, and cougar permits. Specifically, hunters may purchase and submit separate applications for a variety of categories, to include:Buck or bull permitsAntlerless permitsSecond tag permitsQuality hunt permitsYouth hunt permitsSenior hunt permitsDisabled hunter permitsMaster Hunter permitsWDFW then conducts a separate drawing for permits in each category.This approach has several advantages over the previous system. First, it reduces the number of applicants in each drawing, thereby potentially improving hunters' odds of being selected. Also, those who are interested in more than one kind of hunt have a chance of being drawn for each of them.Department managers are hopeful that these improvements will result in greater customer satisfaction and increase applications for special hunting permits. The additional revenue is intended for use in increasing hunter access to private property.This plan was developed with broad public input and the strong support of the Department’s Game Management Advisory Council.
QuoteUnder the previous system, all applications for special deer permits were randomly drawn from the same pool, each weighted according to the number of points the applicant had accumulated from past drawings. The computer calculated these points and registered the hunter's preferences and then drew successful applications for all special deer hunts from the same pool. The same was true, under the previous system, for other permits.WDFW now allows separate applications for specific categories of deer, elk, bighorn sheep, moose, and cougar permits. Specifically, hunters may purchase and submit separate applications for a variety of categories, to include:Buck or bull permitsAntlerless permitsSecond tag permitsQuality hunt permitsYouth hunt permitsSenior hunt permitsDisabled hunter permitsMaster Hunter permitsWDFW then conducts a separate drawing for permits in each category.This approach has several advantages over the previous system. First, it reduces the number of applicants in each drawing, thereby potentially improving hunters' odds of being selected. Also, those who are interested in more than one kind of hunt have a chance of being drawn for each of them.Department managers are hopeful that these improvements will result in greater customer satisfaction and increase applications for special hunting permits. The additional revenue is intended for use in increasing hunter access to private property.This plan was developed with broad public input and the strong support of the Department’s Game Management Advisory Council.Remember the above quote from 3 years ago? (Especially the part that I put in bold towards the bottom)Where's all the extra money going?