WSR 19-22-061
PERMANENT RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Order 19-275—Filed November 5, 2019, 9:33 a.m., effective December 6, 2019]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: WAC 220-415-080 2019-2020 Spring black bear special permits, the purpose of the amendments are to align the rules with the appropriate season dates, increase permit numbers in areas where needed, open a new hunt area to address needs, and expand and improve upon information and biological samples collected from harvest bears through a pelt check (with evidence of animal sex included).
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| • | Adjusted years for spring black bear special permit hunts beginning April 2020 and ending June 2020. The title will be as follows: WAC 220-415-080 2020 Spring black bear special permits. |
| • | Added language to adjust the numbers of permits offered in: |
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| º | Blue Creek, GMU 154 increased permits from 15 to 18. |
| º | Dayton, GMU 162 increased permits from 15 to 18. |
| º | Wenaha, GMU 169 increased permits [from] 45 to 60. |
| º | Mt. View, GMU 172 increased permits [from] 15 to 24. |
| º | Lick Creek, GMU 175 increased permits [from] 15 to 18. |
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| • | Added a new hunt area: Peola, GMU 178 with 5 permits. |
| • | Remove Kapowsin hunt area. |
| • | Technical edit to list GMU 648 prior to GMU 638 under the Copalis Hunt Area to clarify that GMU 638 is where the U.S. Forest Service lands are excluded. |
Added language to include a mandatory reporting of harvest within seventy-two hours of kill and mandatory pelt check, with evidence of sex, for sealing within five days of notification of kill. This is in addition to the submission of the first premolar.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-415-080.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 19-18-050 on August 30, 2019.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: November 5, 2019.
Larry M. Carpenter, Chair
Fish and Wildlife Commission
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 18-11-061, filed 5/11/18, effective 6/11/18)
WAC 220-415-080((2019-2020))2020 Spring black bear special permits.
It is unlawful to fail to comply with the provisions of this section. A violation of this section is punishable under RCW
77.15.410,
77.15.245, or
77.15.280, depending on the circumstances of the violation.
Who May Apply: Anyone with a valid Washington big game license, which includes black bear as a species option.
Hunt Areas, Permit Levels, and Season Dates for Each License Year:
Hunt Name | Hunt Area | Permits | Season Dates |
Sherman | GMU 101 Note: Mandatory bear identification test required. | 50 | | April 1 - June 15 |
Kelly Hill | GMU 105 Note: Mandatory bear identification test required. | 50 | | April 1 - June 15 |
Douglas | GMU 108 Note: Mandatory bear identification test required. | 40 | | April 1 - June 15 |
Aladdin | GMU 111 Note: Mandatory bear identification test required. | 50 | | April 1 - June 15 |
49 Degrees North | GMU 117 Note: Mandatory bear identification test required. | 100 | | April 1 - June 15 |
Huckleberry | GMU 121 | 100 | | April 1 - June 15 |
Blue Creek | GMU 154 | ((15))18 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Dayton | GMU 162 | ((15))18 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Tucannon | GMU 166 | 5 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Wenaha | GMU 169 | ((45))60 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Mt. View | GMU 172 | ((15))24 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Lick Creek | GMU 175 | ((15))18 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Peola | GMU 178 | 5 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Couse | GMU 181 | ((4))5 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Grande Ronde | GMU 186 | 5 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Kitsap | GMU 627 | 5 | | April 15 - May 31 |
Mason | GMU 633 | 5 | | April 15 - May 31 |
Bear River | GMU 681 | 20 | | April 15 - May 31 |
Long Beach | GMU 684 | 12 | | April 15 - May 31 |
North Skagit | That portion of GMU 418 that is designated as the hunt area by DNR, Sierra Pacific, Weyerhaeuser-Columbia Timber Lands, and Grandy Lake Timber company. Note: Mandatory bear identification test required. | 30 | | April 15 - June 15 |
Copalis | GMU 642, ((638))648, and ((648))638 (excluding U.S. Forest Service lands). | 50 | | April 15 - June 15 |
((Kapowsin | That portion of GMUs 653 and/or 654 that is designated as the hunt area by Hancock Forest Management, Hampton, and Olympic Resource Management. | 150 | | April 15 - June 15)) |
Bag Limit: One black bear per black bear special permit season.
License Required: A valid big game hunting license, which includes black bear as a species option, is required to apply for a spring black bear special permit. One black bear transport tag is included with a big game hunting license that has black bear as a species option.
Hunting Method: Hunters may use any lawful big game modern firearm, archery, or muzzleloader equipment for hunting black bear. The use of dogs or bait to hunt black bear is prohibited statewide.
Other Requirements: Hunters that are selected to hunt in GMUs located in grizzly bear recovery areas, as identified by the department, must successfully complete the annual WDFW online bear identification test with a passing score (80% or higher) or carry proof that they have passed an equivalent test from another state. The WDFW test may be taken repeatedly until a passing score is achieved. All hunters must carry proof of passing a bear identification test while hunting in the GMUs identified by the department.
Harvest Check, Submitting Biological Samples and Bear Teeth:All successful bear hunters must
validate (notch) their bear tag, notify the department within 72 hours of kill (excluding legal state holidays), provide the hunter's name, date and location of kill, and sex of animal. The raw pelt, evidence of sex, and the first premolar must be presented to an authorized department employee for sealing within 5 days of notification of kill. All permit hunters must comply with harvest reporting and submission of biological samples ((
including the black bear premolar located behind the canine tooth of the upper jaw))
as described above. Failure to comply with the submission of biological samples is a misdemeanor pursuant to RCW
77.15.280.