Special
Hunt Permits and the Weighted Point System
Q:
Will there be application cards?
A: Application cards will no longer be used. Applications will still
be purchased through license
dealers, but will actually be electronic. To submit the application
you have purchased, you must either call the toll-free telephone number
at (877) 945-3492 or visit the Internet at www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.
No paper applications of any kind will be accepted.
Q:
Will there still be partnerships?
A: There will still be "partnerships", but the new system will allow
more than two for some game animal species. We are now calling this
a "Group" which consists of the Leader of the Group and Members of a
Group. A hunter may also apply as an Individual. The group sizes vary
depending on species. Consult the hunting pamphlet for the maximum group
sizes by species.
Q:
If I am part of a group application, are my chances of getting a permit
greater than if I apply by myself?
A: Those who apply as an Individual actually have the advantage over
those who apply with a Group. In fact, the larger the group, the more
your chances of being selected for a permit are reduced.
Q:
What is the purpose of group applications?
A: There are some very good reasons for hunters to apply as a group.
- If the special
hunt season takes place outside the general hunting season time frame
and the hunter does not want to hunt alone.
- Many mountain
goat permit applicants apply as partners because of safety concerns
while hunting in alpine country.
- There are groups
of hunters that like to hunt together every year and the Group application
ensures that if the application is awarded permits, everyone gets
to hunt together.
Q:
Why does the department of fish and wildlife award special permits and
what game species are affected?
A: Special permits are awarded for a variety of wildlife management
purposes. In most cases they are awarded to control a species' population
size. In other cases they provide special recreational opportunities.
Species for which special hunt permits are awarded include deer, elk,
mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep, black bear, and turkey.
Q:
Can I still hunt if I am not selected to receive a special hunt permit?
A: For deer, elk, bear, and turkey there are general hunting seasons
available to the hunter whether he/she is awarded a special hunt permit
or not. To hunt mountain goat, moose, or bighorn sheep the hunter must
have a special hunt permit.
Q:
When is the deadline to apply for a special hunt permit?
A: The application deadline for the spring black bear drawing is in
March. The application deadline for deer, elk, mountain goat, moose,
bighorn sheep, and fall turkey is in June. This specific date is liable
to change from year to year, so please consult the current hunting pamphlet
to be certain.
Q:
Where can I purchase a special hunt permit application?
A: Applications can be purchased at all hunting license
dealerships, using the Department of Fish and Wildlifea toll-free
telephone number (866) 246-9453, or over the Internet at WDFW
Online Sales and Services website.
Q:
If I purchase a special hunt permit application over the internet or
using telephone sales, do I have to wait until I receive it in the mail
before I can call in my hunt choices?
A: Special hunt permit applications can be submitted immediately after
purchasing them.
Q:
When will I be notified if I was selected to receive a permit or not?
A: All applicants for the spring black bear permits will be notified
by mail by the end of the last week of March. Those applying for deer,
elk, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep, or fall turkey will be notified
by mail by the end of the first week in August. WDFW is unable to notify
applicants over the telephone whether they have been awarded a permit.
If no notification has been received by the end of the week after notifications
are to be sent out, it is advisable to call the Olympia headquarters
to see if there has been a difficulty.
Q:
How do the hunt choices work?
A: When the drawing occurs, it is as if all of the applications for
a species are placed in a barrel. The computer spins the barrel by issuing
random numbers to each application. The lowest random number that is
issued to each application is the number used to order the applications
from the lowest random number to the highest. It is the same as drawing
cards from a barrel one by one. The application with the lowest random
number is drawn first from the barrel and the hunt choices are checked.
As each application comes up for consideration, the first hunt choice
is checked to see if there is a permit left to be awarded. If there
is none left, the second hunt choice is checked. If there is a permit
available for that hunt choice, the application is selected for that
hunt. If not, the process continues until all of the hunt choices on
the application have been checked. If all of the hunt choices marked
on the card have run out of permits, no permits are awarded to that
application.
Q:
How do I build up points?
A: Each person who applies for a special hunt permit for a species receives
a point for applying. If that person is not awarded a special hunt permit
during that drawing the point is retained. If the person is awarded
the permit, that person's point total drops to zero. If the person who
was not awarded a permit for that species applies the next year, they
then have two points. A single point is built up each year the person
applies for a species until the person is awarded a permit.
Q:
What is the value of building up points?
A: Building up points is very much like putting more application cards
into the barrel. Those that have more cards in the barrel have an advantage
over those that have less. The more points a person has built up for
a species over time, the greater are the chances that his/hers will
be selected.
Q:
I heard that the points have multipliers on them. What is that for?
A: Some permit drawing systems are designed so that one random number
is issued for each point built up for the species by the applicant.
It is the same as having one card in the barrel for each point (one
point - one card, two points - two cards, etc.).
Washington's system
places a multiplier on the points. The number of points is squared
and it is this number of random numbers that are
issued to the application (or number of cards in the barrel). If
a person applies for an elk permit for the first time, they have
one
card in the barrel. If a person has built up two points, they have
four cards in the barrel. If a person has three points built up,
nine cards are in the barrel and so on.
Placing a multiplier
on the points more noticeably increases the chances of being selected
over someone who is a new applicant or
was recently
awarded a permit as points are built up.
Q:
What if I apply in a group and we have a different number of points
built up? Whose points are used?
A: On group applications, the points of all of the applicants are averaged
and the average is used in the drawing for that application. If the
first group member has two points and the second one has six, then four
points are used for the drawing. If the first member has one point,
the second member has two, and a third member has four, then two points
are used in the drawing for that application. The averaged points are
rounded to the nearest whole number.
Q:
What happens if a group application comes up and there are fewer permits
left than there are members in the group?
A: If there are fewer permits left for a hunt than there are members
in a group whose application is drawn, none of the applicants on that
application are awarded a permit. The drawing continues until either
an Individual Application or a Group Application with fewer members
is drawn for that hunt. This is the way it was done when the drawing
was actually done using barrels and cards. It is not possible to award
more permits for a hunt than what is allowed by the Fish and Wildlife
Commission.
Q:
Do I build up one point for each hunt choice I put on my deer application?
A: No. Only one point is built up per year per species.
Q:
Can I transfer the points I build up for deer to my elk application?
A: No. Points are not transferable to other species. Points cannot be
donated to other hunters, either.
Q:
If I received an elk permit last year, can I apply this year?
A: Yes. All waiting periods have been removed. The only exception to
this is bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and moose. A hunter can only draw
one special hunt permit for these species in his/her lifetime.
Q:
If I get a bighorn sheep permit, can I be in the bighorn sheep raffle
drawing?
A: Yes you can. The once-in-a-lifetime goat, sheep, or moose permit
only applies to the special hunt permit drawing system. Even after drawing
one of these permits a hunter can still be in the raffle drawing or
even bid for the auction permits. The only restriction is that a person
can only have one bighorn sheep, or mountain goat, or moose hunting
license in a single hunting season.
Q:
Will I lose all my points if I skip a year?
A: No. You are in the permit drawing system for the life of the system.
Your points will be waiting for you when you apply again, even if it
is several years.
Q:
How can I keep building points, even if I know I cannot hunt this year?
A: If you want to continue to build points, but want to make sure you
do not get selected for a permit, special hunt choice numbers are provided
for your use. If you apply for the following hunts only, your application
cannot be awarded a permit and you will automatically accrue your point
for the year. It is still necessary for you to do everything everyone
else is required to do. Applications and supporting hunting licenses
or transport tags need to be purchased on time. The application also
needs to be submitted on time.
1999 - Deer
2999 - Elk
3999 - Turkey
5999 - Bighorn Sheep
6999 - Mountain Goat
7999 - Black Bear
8999 - Moose
9999 - Cougar |
