Special Hunt Submit not working?

[Buckhunter28]

Curious if anyone else is encountering the same issue. I purchased my license, tags, and preference points this morning, and selected my weapon choice for deer and elk when prompted. However, when I go to submit my application, it keeps denying and saying I don’t hold the correct weapon type(modern firearm) for deer. I know I 100% selected modern when prompted to. Is anyone else encountering this? Not surprised at all with Washington’s broken systems

[Buckhunter28]

Upon further investigation, the system won’t allow me to apply for muzzleloader or archery hunts either, but no where am I given the option to select my weapon type(I already did this while purchasing). I had no problem submitting my moose application.

[Fidelk]

Did you check the "2026 Special permits" thread.....others were having problems?


Hunting Washington Forum »Community »Advocacy, Agencies, Access »2026 Special permits

[MADMAX]

Curious if anyone else is encountering the same issue. I purchased my license, tags, and preference points this morning, and selected my weapon choice for deer and elk when prompted. However, when I go to submit my application, it keeps denying and saying I don’t hold the correct weapon type(modern firearm) for deer. I know I 100% selected modern when prompted to. Is anyone else encountering this? Not surprised at all with Washington’s broken systems

I had the same thing happen
Email and call them
Check your tag probably blank on weapon choice


https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,296278.0.html

[CNELK]

Check your elk and deer tags to make sure your weapon choice is printed on them, and that your elk tag shows whether it’s for east or west.

I’m bringing this up because I ran into a problem when I applied. My application kept getting rejected, saying I needed to select a weapon for both deer and elk—even though I had already made those selections when I bought my tags online.

When my tags arrived in the mail, I didn’t look at them closely. Later, I checked my account online but couldn’t find any record of my selections. That made me go back and look at the physical tags, and I realized both my deer and elk tags were printed blank—no weapon choice, and for elk, no east or west designation.


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[elkaholic123]

Usually you have to wait a certain amount of time before you can submit special permits after purchasing!

[jstone]

Why can’t things just work correctly

[Kingofthemountain83]

They're trying to tell you something...

[HntnFsh]

Usually you have to wait a certain amount of time before you can submit special permits after purchasing!

I've never had to.

[jstone]

Used to add the permit right after buying them

[Buckhunter28]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I apologize for missing that this had already been posted elsewhere, I’ve really never ventured into that area of the forum but I appreciate the link being shared! I have sent an email to WDFW and will call them on Monday. I was able to submit my moose application so I don’t think it’s a matter of enough time having not passed. Hoping for resolve before the 20th

[Buckhunter28]

Curious if anyone else is encountering the same issue. I purchased my license, tags, and preference points this morning, and selected my weapon choice for deer and elk when prompted. However, when I go to submit my application, it keeps denying and saying I don’t hold the correct weapon type(modern firearm) for deer. I know I 100% selected modern when prompted to. Is anyone else encountering this? Not surprised at all with Washington’s broken systems

I had the same thing happen
Email and call them
Check your tag probably blank on weapon choice


https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,296278.0.html

So have you gotten resolve to this issue and you’ve since been able to submit your application? I purchased everything online and haven’t received my tags in the mail yet so I can’t confirm if they are blank or not

[Buckhunter28]

Curious if anyone else is encountering the same issue. I purchased my license, tags, and preference points this morning, and selected my weapon choice for deer and elk when prompted. However, when I go to submit my application, it keeps denying and saying I don’t hold the correct weapon type(modern firearm) for deer. I know I 100% selected modern when prompted to. Is anyone else encountering this? Not surprised at all with Washington’s broken systems

I had the same thing happen
Email and call them
Check your tag probably blank on weapon choice


https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,296278.0.html

So have you gotten resolve to this issue and you’ve since been able to submit your application? I purchased everything online and haven’t received my tags in the mail yet so I can’t confirm if they are blank or not

Just saw your reply further down in your other thread you started and that resolve is being worked on for you, I will get ahold of them asap! Thank you!

[fishngamereaper]

I smell an extension to the deadline for apps...

[MADMAX]

Curious if anyone else is encountering the same issue. I purchased my license, tags, and preference points this morning, and selected my weapon choice for deer and elk when prompted. However, when I go to submit my application, it keeps denying and saying I don’t hold the correct weapon type(modern firearm) for deer. I know I 100% selected modern when prompted to. Is anyone else encountering this? Not surprised at all with Washington’s broken systems

I had the same thing happen
Email and call them
Check your tag probably blank on weapon choice


https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,296278.0.html

So have you gotten resolve to this issue and you’ve since been able to submit your application? I purchased everything online and haven’t received my tags in the mail yet so I can’t confirm if they are blank or not

Just saw your reply further down in your other thread you started and that resolve is being worked on for you, I will get ahold of them asap! Thank you!

For me all good now
Got the correct tags and all my permits in
Cheap *censored*s charge me a buck to fix their honk up anyway yes my corrected tags are in my wallet
You must be proactive get on the phone.
Stay on hold until you talk to somebody and document with an email.

[Buckhunter28]

Curious if anyone else is encountering the same issue. I purchased my license, tags, and preference points this morning, and selected my weapon choice for deer and elk when prompted. However, when I go to submit my application, it keeps denying and saying I don’t hold the correct weapon type(modern firearm) for deer. I know I 100% selected modern when prompted to. Is anyone else encountering this? Not surprised at all with Washington’s broken systems

I had the same thing happen
Email and call them
Check your tag probably blank on weapon choice


https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,296278.0.html

So have you gotten resolve to this issue and you’ve since been able to submit your application? I purchased everything online and haven’t received my tags in the mail yet so I can’t confirm if they are blank or not

Just saw your reply further down in your other thread you started and that resolve is being worked on for you, I will get ahold of them asap! Thank you!

For me all good now
Got the correct tags and all my permits in
Cheap *censored*s charge me a buck to fix their honk up anyway yes my corrected tags are in my wallet
You must be proactive get on the phone.
Stay on hold until you talk to somebody and document with an email.

Thank you immensely, I’ll be ringing their line first thing Monday morning. I’d love to say it’s unbelievable they can charge even a dollar for their f**k up, but it is Washington bureaucracy!

[MADMAX]

Mail
And they sent a return address envelope with postage to send my old tags back. They were adamant I could not keep them ha ha

[Buckhunter28]

Mail
And they sent a return address envelope with postage to send my old tags back. They were adamant I could not keep them ha ha

Awesome, thanks a ton for the help! I apologize for double asking some questions that you’ve already given answers to, I’m bouncing between reading this thread and the other one haha!

Bummer about returning the old tags, maybe I should skip applying for hunts this year and keep my semi-governors tags instead

[Kingofthemountain83]

Mail
And they sent a return address envelope with postage to send my old tags back. They were adamant I could not keep them ha ha

Awesome, thanks a ton for the help! I apologize for double asking some questions that you’ve already given answers to, I’m bouncing between reading this thread and the other one haha!

Bummer about returning the old tags, maybe I should skip applying for hunts this year and keep my semi-governors tags instead

That's where my mind is on this... Thinking about buying online and getting an any season, any side, elk tag... And skipping the draw...

[jstone]

Any better?
Has anyone tried to go to a store to buy them? How was that

[Kingofthemountain83]

Any better?
Has anyone tried to go to a store to buy them? How was that

I got my license and tags at a store no probs... On waterproof paper with access pass on a holder... Waiting till the regs come out to get special permits... Like usual... My dad did the same... Except his was really cheap this year! The 65 and over discount is pretty good... 

[Buckhunter28]

Well I’ve been Anne’s at work and keep forgetting to call WDFW as soon as the office opens, the few times I did try mid day I couldn’t reach anyone.

However, I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when THEY called me! They caught the error on their end of no weapon choice as they were about to mail my tags out so we got it fixed in about 3 minutes tops. 10 minutes after that, I was able to submit my special hunt applications no problem! I was very pleasantly surprised with how this was handled by the agency.

[MADMAX]

Any better?
Has anyone tried to go to a store to buy them? How was that

I got my license and tags at a store no probs... On waterproof paper with access pass on a holder... Waiting till the regs come out to get special permits... Like usual... My dad did the same... Except his was really cheap this year! The 65 and over discount is pretty good...

its 70 not 65

[HntnFsh]

 

[Kingofthemountain83]

Any better?
Has anyone tried to go to a store to buy them? How was that

I got my license and tags at a store no probs... On waterproof paper with access pass on a holder... Waiting till the regs come out to get special permits... Like usual... My dad did the same... Except his was really cheap this year! The 65 and over discount is pretty good...

its 70 not 65

I'm sure they know that! My mistake! He still qualifies! 

[Molon5labe]

Sounds like your selecting the wrong hunt number. For example say "desert" has a special hunt for rifle and archery. It'll let you select "desert" but you may be selecting the archery hunt when your license is only good for rifle. Make sure your selecting the right "desert" in the drop down

[Mtnwalker]

Sounds like your selecting the wrong hunt number. For example say "desert" has a special hunt for rifle and archery. It'll let you select "desert" but you may be selecting the archery hunt when your license is only good for rifle. Make sure your selecting the right "desert" in the drop down

  Always go by hunt number, their system will show you options that aren't actually options for you

[Jlittlebear31]

I just got off the phone with "Emily" from WDFW.  She said that tag areas and weapon choices were not being saved by their system (even though they had been selected by the customer).  She got into my account and fixed everything.  I'm now good to go,

[SHED REAPER]

Must have the bugs worked out, just submitted for myself and my 2 boys

[Kingofthemountain83]

Still waiting on printed regs... Week before the deadline...

[gee_unit360]

Still waiting on printed regs... Week before the deadline...

They only have all year to figure it out… 💩

[Buckhunter28]

Sounds like your selecting the wrong hunt number. For example say "desert" has a special hunt for rifle and archery. It'll let you select "desert" but you may be selecting the archery hunt when your license is only good for rifle. Make sure your selecting the right "desert" in the drop down

This is solid advice for others maybe struggling! I was trying to submit based on the correct hunt # though, I always use that for my submission! if you see my above post, WDFW actually contacted me to let me know that my weapon choice selections were not retained during the purchase process and it’s a bug they are experiencing in the system this year

[Olydog09]

They're trying to tell you something...

YOU know what is happening. It is by design.  Year after year it has been harder and harder to work thru their system. I cant even find the special draw unit numbers nor do I have a place to put them on the application. I purchased moose draws but they don’t show on my account yet when I try to add them again it says im at my limit of allowed submissions. This state sucks so hard. Sorry im just extremely frustrated at present. Best of luck to you this year.