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Hoopengarner on Outdoors
By Ken Hoopengarner 509-582-1544 Back to Hoopengarner home page	State demands reports from hunters Successful big-game hunters usually aren't bashful about sharing their adventures afield with just about anybody who will listen. Now, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to hear from everyone who purchased a deer, elk, black bear or turkey tag this season - even if they didn't go hunting or were unsuccessful. Lee Stream, the state's regional wildlife program manager in Yakima, said the new mandatory reporting system will not only improve the amount of information the state collects on big-game species and turkeys, but it also will be much more accurate. In the past, only successful hunters needed to report their hunting activity and only about 40 percent of them did, he said. To fill in the some of the blanks, the state conducted post-season mail surveys to assess big-game animal populations and hunter effort and success. Survey information also was collected along with reports from hunters in the field at highway check stations and at meat lockers. Stream said, however, that the response was low to the volunteer mail survey, which was sent to about 10 percent of all hunters. "We used a system called a 'three-wave' mailer," he said. "We would send out the form, and some hunters would respond. Then we'd send out a second and a third trying to collect more information." The survey cost the state about $350,000 a year, and the information gleaned was often not all that useful. "By the time some hunters received the survey and mailed it back, many had forgotten where they hunted," he said. The low response left wildlife biologists with inadequate information for managing big-game populations. And that, in turn, forced the state to be more conservative in setting hunting seasons and allocating special tags, such as antlerless or branched-antler permits. "Managing wildlife populations is a tricky business at best. But with a better reporting system, we should be able to do a better job managing, tracking and allocating our wildlife," Stream said. The new hunter reporting system was approved by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission in April and makes it mandatory for all persons holding a state hunting license to report their activities, whether they hunted or not. Under the new rules, successful hunters have 10 days in which to report the harvest of an animal, and everyone who purchased a deer, elk, bear or turkey tag has until Jan. 31 to respond. To improve compliance, the state is offering incentives for early reporting and imposing penalties on hunters who do not respond. Hunters who fail to report - either by phone or via the Internet - will be blocked from purchasing a new hunting license. To encourage early reporting, hunters who submit their report on or before midnight Jan. 10 will be entered in a drawing for one of nine deer or elk special permits for next year's hunting season. While the new system is expected to increase the amount of information available to wildlife managers - and ultimately could benefit hunters - many sportsmen are opposed. Don Larsen, a state wildlife biologist in Kennewick, said one of the state's biggest concerns is the accuracy of the reports. "If hunters do not respond accurately, there could be a blacklash, such as a reduction in permits," he said. To make reporting as easy as possible, the state has two systems in place: an automated toll-free phone line at 877-945-3492 or via the Internet at www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. I used the Internet system recently to report that I hadn't bagged a turkey in 2001. The key when using either system is to have your Washington Interactive Licensing Database identification number at the ready and to enter it correctly. The 11-digit WILD ID number is listed below your address on the state recreational license. Once you're in the state's database, you'll be prompted to report by species tag. The information requested includes whether or not you hunted, total number of days hunted and the two game management units where you most hunted. If you did bring down a big-game animal or a turkey, you will need to enter a few more details, which I'd love to provide one of these years. For more information on the reporting requirement or the incentives hunting permits, hunters can turn to Page 7 of the Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet or attend the Jan. 8 meeting of the Richland Rod and Gun Club at the Richland Maintenance Facility, 2700 Queensgate Drive. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Larsen will be available after the meeting to answer questions. n Ken Hoopengarner has been the Herald's outdoor editor for 20 years. He can be reached at 582-1544 or via e-mail at khoopengarner@tri-cityherald.com.
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