HB 1261 Would Increase Penalty for Failing to Report Harvest from $10 to $20

[bigtex]

The fiscal note for this bill has been published. WDFW currently sees approximately a 40% noncompliance rate when it comes to reporting hunting tags.

It should be noted that under the current law only those who fail to report and purchase a tag the following year are fined the $10. So if you fail to report your 2019 deer tag and buy a 2020 deer tag you are fined $10, but if you don't buy a deer tag in 2020 but do buy a deer tag in 2021 you are not fined. This bill will change this loophole and you would be fined $20 in the next year you buy the same tag.

In 2020 WDFW received $576,310 in fines for failing to report tags. WDFW assumes that increasing the fine amount will lead to better compliance, however closing the aforementioned loophole will also increase the amount of fines collected. It is believed this bill will lead to an additional $457,000 given to WDFW via the administrative fines.

[ne kid]

I'm sure the extra money will be put to good use. LOL

[Jingles]

I'm sure the extra money will be put to good use. LOL

Yea so they can buy up more land and post it authorized vehicles only  yet allow skinney skier groomers to groom trails

[Karl Blanchard]

Once again....Absolutely not!!!! Until they can accurately track it and be accountable, Absolutely not!!!

[fishngamereaper]

They need to fix the system first. I guess maybe no one has fought the fine but it would seem pretty easy to do based on the chronic issues that seem to plague the reporting system.

I've been charged a couple times since they implemented the fine and Im religious about reporting. It's also happened with crab catch records. 

I find it hard to believe that only 6 out of 10 hunter's report.
And how in the heck do they come up with harvest stats and set seasons with that low percentage of reporting... something doesn't add up.

[Karl Blanchard]

  I literally had all my confirmation numbers from my reports and they wouldn't wave it. They've lost a good amount of money from that $10 fine as I continue to scale back on tags and apps family wide.

[Special T]

I literally had all my confirmation numbers from my reports and they wouldn't wave it. They've lost a good amount of money from that $10 fine as I continue to scale back on tags and apps family wide.

If you had conformation numbers and they didnt take care of it that is BS!

[fishngamereaper]

I literally had all my confirmation numbers from my reports and they wouldn't wave it. They've lost a good amount of money from that $10 fine as I continue to scale back on tags and apps family wide.

Yup .
I screenshot my reports but unfortunately the poor gals at the local sportsman's don't have a say in it.. computer tells them to charge the fine...and who has the time to call wdfw and try and fight the fine...

Well, I guess I do now if it happens again...

[KFhunter]

I wonder if its my cougar tag doing it, I hold that open (unreported) way after I have bought my licenses for tbe following year cause I'm still hunting it.

And they ding me that 10 bux religiously

So done with this state, guess I'll report cougar with the rest of my tags

"Did not hunt"  save me 20 bux

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Special T]

I wonder if its my cougar tag doing it, I hold that open (unreported) way after I have bought my licenses for tbe following year cause I'm still hunting it.

And they ding me that 10 bux religiously

So done with this state, guess I'll report cougar with the rest of my tags

"Did not hunt"  save me 20 bux

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Cat tags do not have mandatory reporting because they require pelt sealing

[bbarnes]

Most hunters don't turn in there reports in the corect GMU anywaY.Hunters don't want others to read the units the most wildlife is being harvested it FLOODS the GMU with hunters FYI!!!!!

[JimmyHoffa]

I wonder if its my cougar tag doing it, I hold that open (unreported) way after I have bought my licenses for tbe following year cause I'm still hunting it.

And they ding me that 10 bux religiously

So done with this state, guess I'll report cougar with the rest of my tags

"Did not hunt"  save me 20 bux

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Cat tags do not have mandatory reporting because they require pelt sealing

Changed last year or maybe the year before.  Pelt sealing is for the successful.  The harvest reports get data like GMU and days of effort even for the unsuccessful.