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State set to go WILD on March 1
Blue Mountain spring bear hunters and spring turkey hunt raffle ticket seekers will be among the first sportsmen in Washington this year to go WILD.
Beginning March 1, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife moves a step further into the digital age when all state hunting and fishing licenses will be sold over a new, computerized system dubbed Washington Interactive Licensing Database, or WILD.
And with a March 18 application deadline for Blue Mountain spring bear hunting permits for the April 15 to May 31 season in seven game units in the Blue Mountains, and the final day to buy raffle tickets for a chance for two hunters to chase wild turkeys from April 1 through May 31, this select group of sportsmen will be the first to put the new system through its paces.
And if all goes as planned, sportsmen should see a quicker turnaround time at their local license dealer, not to mention a more wallet-friendly document, said Diane Ludwig, license sales manager for the Fish and Wildlife's Licensing Division in Olympia.
Ludwig said during the past 18 months, basic information on about 1.5 million sportsmen already has been entered into the new computer database, so most purchases should only take a couple of minutes.
While the system goes online March 1, most anglers and hunters are not required to buy their 2001 license until April 1.
However, Ludwig said most license dealers statewide will be receiving only one computer, so customers may have to stand in line, "but hopefully, it will be a quick line."
"Our larger license vendors - such as Fred Meyer - will likely be receiving more than one machine because of their sheer volume," she said.
Hunters and anglers, however, can avoid lines by purchasing their licenses over the telephone or Internet, although Internet license sales won't be online until May 1. However, beginning March 1, bear and turkey permit applicants must use the Internet or telephone (877-945-3492) to complete and submit their application. Instructions for submitting permit applications electronically using WILD will be available March 1 at license dealers and on the state's Web site - www.wa.gov/wdfw/.
One concern that has surfaced among sportsmen regarding the new system - which is being installed and operated by MCI WorldCom - is the need for sportsmen to provide their Social Security number.
Ludwig said that under state and federal laws aimed at collecting delinquent child support, the state is required to obtain the Social Security number of each person applying for a hunting or fishing license.
"Once the numbers are collected, they are only stored in the computer. There is no record anywhere on the license," she said.
Another highlight of the new license is that it will be about the size of a credit card and will be printed on durable, waterproof paper. Licenses, which include an adhesive-backed validation sticker indicating which hunting or fishing license has been purchased, will be issued on the spot to those buying in person. Licenses sold over the Internet or phone will be mailed.
One of many useful features of the computerized system is that it will be able to stop fraudulent license purchases and will speed up the process of replacing a lost one. Besides hunting and fishing licenses, the system also will dispense waterproof transport tags and catch record cards.
All this convenience, however, does come with a price.
In addition to the fees dealers charge, MCI is tacking on an additional 9.5 percent transaction fee. The dealer's fees can be avoided by going online or calling.
While sportsmen may have to pay a couple of dollars more for their licenses, the new license system will save the state more than $1 million each year by eliminating the need to print, ship and deal with the huge inventory of traditional license documents.
Ludwig said the state has been testing the system for several months, and most of the people who have used it are pleased with the results.
"Once we get past some of the minor glitches we're sure to encounter, the system will be quick and easy for sportsmen to use. And the new license certainly fits better in a wallet or purse," she said.
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