What all do I need?

[Tex-Ex]

Hey everyone, I just recently moved to Seattle within the past month and I'm trying to get acquainted with Washington's policies. I have seen plenty of first time posters come on trying to find out where to find all the animals, but I just want to know the process for actually being able to legally hunt.

I have hunters ed from Texas, which I read carries over, so I should be good there. If I buy a license (modern rifle, deer+elk probably) is this all I need? I have been looking at the GoHunt app and several different Google maps to determine which GMUs allow for what hunting. Then I came on this site and started reading about guys with tags for certain areas.

I just want to make sure I don't go buy my license, go shoot a deer, then have a WDFW officer write me a fat ticket for not having a tag or something. Maybe it's simpler than this, but I haven't figured it out yet.

[sebek556]

yes your hunters ed course will carry over, then you buy your tags in which you state your method modern,archery,muzzle loader for everything your thinking of hunting. same game is a license into it's self also. make sure you bring your hunters ed card with you and proof of residence as well.

[BLKBEARKLR]

Just make sure you are reading the regs accordingly there is a general hunt for deer and for elk. But there are a lot of areas that are special draw only. You cannot go in there with a general season tag. That was probably what you were reading.

If you buy the elk and deer might as well spend the extra little money and get the bear and cougar combo, never know what can happen out there.

Best of luck to you hunting this year.

Joe

[Pathfinder101]

If you buy the elk and deer might as well spend the extra little money and get the bear and cougar combo, never know what can happen out there.

Best of luck to you hunting this year.

Joe

That's good advice.  You would be pretty bummed if you were out deer hunting and a 400lb black bear stood up in front of you and you couldn't kill it...  Same thing with a cat.

[Tex-Ex]

If you buy the elk and deer might as well spend the extra little money and get the bear and cougar combo, never know what can happen out there.

Best of luck to you hunting this year.

Joe

That's good advice.  You would be pretty bummed if you were out deer hunting and a 400lb black bear stood up in front of you and you couldn't kill it...  Same thing with a cat.

Good point guys, that would be a bummer. I'll recheck the regs to make sure I'm looking at the right thing. Thanks for the advice, now I just need to get myself in gear and get started scouting. Also trying to figure out how to convince the wife I need to use her forester to put a deer/bear/elk/cat in...

[buck man]

If you buy the elk and deer might as well spend the extra little money and get the bear and cougar combo, never know what can happen out there.

Best of luck to you hunting this year.

Joe

That's good advice.  You would be pretty bummed if you were out deer hunting and a 400lb black bear stood up in front of you and you couldn't kill it...  Same thing with a cat.

Good point guys, that would be a bummer. I'll recheck the regs to make sure I'm looking at the right thing. Thanks for the advice, now I just need to get myself in gear and get started scouting. Also trying to figure out how to convince the wife I need to use her forester to put a deer/bear/elk/cat in...

Good advise. I killed my first cat in twenty three years of buying the quad combo. Worth every penny to see that cat on the wall. Killed some real good bears too. !! 

[GreyWolf]

Welcome to Washington Tex!

Seeing as you said you just moved here, hopefully you already got your new drivers license rolling because to get your Washington hunting license you have to be an established resident of the state of Washington for the past 90 days. Your license will have an issue date on it for proof of when you established yourself.
This is from the regs:
Resident: A person who has maintained a permanent place of abode within this state for at least 90 days immediately preceding an application for a WDFW license; has established by formal evidence (drivers license or voter registration card) an intent to continue residing within this state; and who is not licensed to hunt or fish as a resident in another state. WAC 220.55.061
I just moved back here & I didn't know that when I went to get my hunting license and the girl that was selling the licenses told me to come back next month after I had been here 90 days... I felt like a teenager trying to buy beer again.

[Tex-Ex]

Welcome to Washington Tex!

Seeing as you said you just moved here, hopefully you already got your new drivers license rolling because to get your Washington hunting license you have to be an established resident of the state of Washington for the past 90 days. Your license will have an issue date on it for proof of when you established yourself.
This is from the regs:
Resident: A person who has maintained a permanent place of abode within this state for at least 90 days immediately preceding an application for a WDFW license; has established by formal evidence (drivers license or voter registration card) an intent to continue residing within this state; and who is not licensed to hunt or fish as a resident in another state. WAC 220.55.061
I just moved back here & I didn't know that when I went to get my hunting license and the girl that was selling the licenses told me to come back next month after I had been here 90 days... I felt like a teenager trying to buy beer again.

Welp, I guess that means I won't be doing any hunting this season unless it's late modern. We just moved into our place this past Monday. We were waiting to change all of our identification until we had an address. Good to find out now though, I'm glad you brought this up.

[GreyWolf]

Just trying to save you some pain, sorry to have to be the barer of bad news.

You can always shoot coyotes in the winter, helps out everything for next season.

[Tex-Ex]

It's all good, and I actually may have found a loophole. I was searching the WA state licensing, and it states:

You’re considered a Washington resident when you do any of the following:

    * Arrive in Washington and begin establishing a home in the state.
    * Register to vote.
    * Receive state benefits.
    * Apply for any state license.
    * Seek in-state tuition fees.

I applied for a WA state license for Radiologic Technology in early July so this might, if I'm lucky, count. I'm not sure how to prove the date I applied though.

Even so, coyote hunting wouldn't be bad if that's all I get to do 

[CAMPMEAT]

How long have you lived in Washington State ? If it's less than 6 months, then you are not a resident until after 6 months. Licenses and tags are VERY expensive. I thought it was 6 months ?

[xd2005]

Here's the language of the actual WAC.b At first read, I'm not sure if #5 helps or not, but is probably your only hope. Good luck!

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=220-55-061

WAC 220-55-061
   Agency filings affecting this section
Residency of purchaser.
  (1) A purchaser of a resident fishing or hunting license is required to be a resident of the state of Washington, and pursuant to RCW 77.08.010(38), must have maintained a permanent place of abode within the state for at least ninety days immediately preceding application for a license, and must establish by formal proof an intent to continue residing in the state. This also applies to persons whose primary residence is Washington but who maintain a residence elsewhere.

     (2) The primary method of establishing that the purchaser has maintained a permanent place of abode within the state for at least ninety days immediately preceding application for a license and establishing by formal evidence an intent to continue residing in the state is possession of a Washington state driver's license issued at least ninety days prior to application for a resident fishing or hunting license. Any licensed driver who does not have a Washington driver's license, issued at least ninety days prior to application for a resident fishing or hunting license, will be presumed to have not maintained a permanent place of abode within the state for at least ninety days immediately preceding application for a license, and will be presumed not to intend to be a Washington resident.

     (3) Persons who are not licensed to drive may use a Washington state identification card, issued at least ninety days prior to application for a resident fishing or hunting license, to establish that the person has maintained a permanent place of abode within the state for at least ninety days immediately preceding application for a license and to establish by formal evidence an intent to continue residing in the state.

     (4) Persons who are too young to obtain a Washington state driver's license may use a Washington state identification card or a school identification card to establish residency and to establish by formal evidence an intent to continue residing in the state.

     (5) Persons who cannot establish having a permanent place of abode within Washington for ninety days preceding license application and cannot establish by formal evidence an intent to continue residing in the state by means of subsection (2), (3), or (4) of this section may submit evidence of residency and intent to continue residing in the state to the department's license office in Olympia, and, upon determination of sufficiency of proof, the licensing office will issue authorization to allow purchase of a resident license. Such evidence shall include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:

     (a) Becoming a registered voter in this state;

     (b) Receiving benefits under one of the Washington public assistance programs;

     (c) Paying higher education tuition fees at resident rates;

     (d) Maintaining an abode within Washington, as shown by utility bills, a lease agreement, a contract or deed to real property, or a county tax assessment; or

     (e) Documenting use of a residence address in Washington for federal tax purposes.

     (6) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of this section, a member of the armed forces stationed at a military installation in this state (other than on temporary duty), is eligible to purchase a resident fishing or hunting license after presenting a valid military identification card and evidence that the member is stationed within the state, including, but not limited to, official orders or billeting documents.

     (7) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, proof of residency and intent to continue residing within the state are satisfied by presentation of a resident fishing or hunting license issued to the license applicant during the previous licensing year, showing the purchaser's Washington Interactive License Document (WILD) number, and verbal confirmation by the purchaser that all personal information on the previously issued license remains valid. If the applicant requests a change of any of the personal information on the license, proof of intent to continue residing in the state must be presented as provided for in subsection (2), (3), or (5) of this section.

[Tex-Ex]

How long have you lived in Washington State ? If it's less than 6 months, then you are not a resident until after 6 months. Licenses and tags are VERY expensive. I thought it was 6 months ?

I've been here since mid-July, but I just signed a lease which started Aug 1st.

[cwuwildcat]

If you're going for elk, you have to declare east or west side also.

[christopheri]

If you have a WA drivers license then you will be able to get resident tags. Welcome to Washington state.