H-2265 _______________________________________________

HOUSE BILL NO. 1210

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State of Washington 50th Legislature 1987 Regular Session

By Representative Bumgarner

Read first time 3/10/87 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to wildlife; adding a new section to Title 77 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 77.12 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to Title 77 RCW to read as follows:

All rules adopted to enforce Title 75 RCW or this title shall be consistent with the state's wildlife conservation policies as follows:

(1) The harvest of each species shall be limited in order to provide normal family group relationships within the species and to provide members of the species with a reasonable chance to achieve full growth and maturity.

(2) Except as provided in section 2 of this act, game mammals shall be permitted to mature and have a chance to reproduce. Mammals and birds shall not be hunted, when stressed or disadvantaged by winter conditions, during their mating seasons, during gestation, or while raising their young, and hunting seasons shall be adjusted accordingly.

(3) Male mammals shall not be killed until they are at least three years old. If identifiable from males, the females or young of any species shall not be killed except as provided in section 2 of this act. The following factors shall be used for identifying antlered and horned species that may be killed:

(a) East of the crest of the Cascade mountains, deer shall have a minimum of three points on each antler exclusive of brow times, and west of the crest of the Cascade mountains deer shall have a minimum of two points on each antler;

(b) Elk shall have a minimum of four points on each antler;

(d) Big horn sheep shall have a three-quarter curl or better on the longer horn;

(e) Antelope shall have a ninety degree bend at the horn tips and shall have formed prongs on each horn.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The game commission, in consultation with the director of game, shall adopt rules authorizing game cropping including females and young as provided in this section. Game cropping shall be authorized only if the director finds in consultation with department biologists that the habitat is seriously endangered and that feeding, capturing, or relocating the game is not feasible.

(2) A game cropping hunt shall only be authorized if the requirements of subsection (1) of this section are met and the biologist designated by the director of game, and a majority of the applicable county commissioners agree that a hunt is necessary to reduce the surplus game population, and agree with the planned number of game to be cropped. Notice of the intended hunt and any applicable plans shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected area not less than ten days before the drawing for permits will occur. Notice may also be published in any local hunting newspaper or periodical. Special permits shall be issued to the landowners in the affected area. The landowners may distribute the permits to anyone holding a valid state hunting license. If public land is involved permits shall be distributed at a public drawing held at the superior court in the county where the surplus game exists. The terms and conditions of the permits shall be clearly marked on the face of the permit. Violation of a term of the permit is a violation of Title 75 RCW and this title.