Purpose: To adopt WAC 232-28-281 1998-99 and 1999-2000 Elk general seasons and 1998-99 special permits.

Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 232-28-242, 232-28-265, and 232-28-268 [repealed in WSR 98-10-019].

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.040.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 98-05-088 on February 18, 1998.

Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: The adopted version of WAC 232-28-281 1998-99 and 1999-2000 Elk general seasons and 1998-99 special permits, differs from the proposed version filed with the code reviser in the following specifics:

The following adjustments are those proposed since the code reviser (CR-102) filing:

1. Bag limit definition changed from "annual (July 1-March 31) hunting season" to "1998 hunting season."

2. Tag Required changed to Elk Tag Areas.

3. The sentence "Spike bull only or 3 point minimum restrictions apply in most game management units" dropped from Any Bull Elk Seasons heading.

4. Spike Bull Restriction GMUs changed to Spike Bull Restrictions.

5. 3 point Restriction GMUs title changed to 3 point Restriction. The first sentence amended as follows: Legal ((B)) bull elk taken ((in these GMUs)) must have at least 3 antler points on one side only.

6. GMU 485 dropped from 3 point GMUs.

7. GMUs Closed to Elk Hunting was amended as follows: 418 (Nooksack) and 437 (Sauk) except for Elk Area 041, 485 (Green River), 522 (Loo-wit) and 636 (Skokomish).

8. The first sentence in Special Permits amended as follows: Only hunters with elk tag((s)) prefix identified in the Special Elk Permits tables may apply for special bull or antlerless permits.

9. Blue Mtn. Elk Tag Area amended as follows: GMUs 145-186. ((, with GMU 157 limited)) Elk hunting by permit ((to all hunters)) only in GMU 157.

10. Northeastern Elk Tag area amended as follows: GMUs 101-142((,)). Modern Firearm by permit only in GMUs 127 and 130.((are permit)).

11. Colockum Elk tag area amended as follows: GMUs 300, 302, 304, 306, 308, 314, 316, 328, 329, 330 (Elk hunting by permit only in GMU 330), …

12. In the Yakima Elk Tag area GMU 302 is deleted.

13. In the Western Washington Elk Tag area description GMU 485 was added to the closed units and the underline in 636 was dropped. The last sentence was amended as follows: Elk hunting by permit ((Permit)) only in GMUs ((485,)) 524, 556, 602, 621, and PLWMA 600 (Pysht).

14. The "Permit Only Units" section is deleted because the verbiage is described previously.

15. In the Northeast Modern Firearm Elk units, "GMUs 101 through 142" were amended to "GMUs 101 through 124, 133 through 142."

16. In the Yakima general season, GMU 302 is deleted. The legal elk for the October 31-November 8 modern firearm elk season in GMU 372 was changed from antlerless only to any elk.

17a. In the Western Washington General Season for any elk, GMU 578 was added.

17b. In the Western Washington General Season, for 3 pt. min. or antlerless, GMU 568 was deleted. (This unit is already open for any elk above.)

17c. In the Western Washington General Season for 3 pt. min., GMUs 504, 505, 506, 510, 513, 516, 520 replaced by 504 through 520; GMUs 603, 618, 638 through 681, 684 replaced with 603 through 618, 624 through 633, 638 through 658.

18. Also in the Western Washington General Season, GMUs 674, 578, 582, 588 replaced by 574 through 588. GMU 485 was deleted from permit only units.

19. In the Early Archery Elk Season, Blue Mountains tag area, GMUs 175, 178, 181, 186 replaced by GMUs 175 through 186.

20. GMU 372 added to early archery Yakima any elk and deleted from spike bull or antlerless.

21. In early archery Western Washington seasons, GMU 472 deleted from 3 pt. minimum or antlerless and added to 3 pt. minimum. Also, GMUs 504, 505, 510, 513, 516 replaced by 501 through 520; GMUs 672, 673, 681 replaced by 667 through 684. In the 3 pt. minimum hunts, GMUs 615, 618, 624, 627 replaced by 612 through 633, and 642, 648, 651 replaced by 638 through 658.

22. In late archery elk seasons for Northeast, GMUs 121, 124, 127 replaced by 117 through 130.

22a. In late archery elk seasons for Yakima, GMU 335 was added to the November 25-December 8, 1998 and November 24-December 8, 1999 spike bull or antlerless seasons.

23. In late archery elk seasons for Western Washington, the two 3 pt. minimum or antlerless hunt listings were merged into one. Also, GMU 454 was dropped from 3 pt. minimum or antlerless and added to the any elk season.

24. In early muzzleloader elk seasons for the Colockum tag area, GMU 316 south of Hwy 2 was deleted from the any bull hunt. The spike bull only hunt was amended to add the phrase "south of Hwy 2" to the 316 unit.

25. In the early muzzleloader elk seasons for Western Washington, GMU 454 was deleted from 3 pt. minimum and added to any elk hunts. GMU 437 was deleted. GMU 484 was dropped from the any elk hunts and added to the 3 pt. minimum hunts.

26. In late muzzleloader elk seasons for Northeast, GMUs 130, 133, 136 replaced by GMUs 127 through 139.

26a. In the elk hunts open to specified tag holders for GMU 564, revolver type handguns were added to legal weapons.

27. In the Elk Hunts Open to Specified Tag Holders, for Central Washington, the area open was amended as follows: Grant, Adams, Douglas and Okanogan counties, and Chelan County north of Hwy 2 except closed within 1/2 mile of Columbia River in Douglas and Grant counties.

28. Modern firearm permits for Blue Creek A was changed from 4 to 3.

29. Modern firearm permits for Dayton A was changed from 4 to 5.

30. Modern firearm permits for Bethel A was changed from 20 to 30.

30a. The modern firearm permit hunt for Alkali was deleted.

31.Modern firearm 3 pt. minimum permit hunts for Winston, Coweeman, and Lewis River were deleted.

32a. Modern firearm permits for Margaret A was changed from 21 to 14.

32b. Modern firearm permits for Dickey A was changed from 7 to 46.

33a. Modern firearm permits for Olympic A was changed from 16 to 14.

33b. The elk tag prefix for Wenatchee Mountains was changed from CG, CM, YP, or YM to CG, CM, YG, or YM.

34. Modern firearm permits for Winston B were retained at 30.

34a. Modern firearm permits for Margaret B were reduced from 30 to 20.

35. Modern firearm permits for Toutle B was changed from 50 to 45.

35a. Muzzleloader permits for Cowiche C were changed from 50 to 3.

36. Muzzleloader 3 pt. minimum permit hunts for Winston, Coweeman, and Lewis River were deleted.

37. Muzzleloader permits for Margaret C was changed from 5 to 3.

38. Muzzleloader permits for Toutle C was changed from 22 to 20.

38a. Muzzleloader permits for Dickey B were changed from 1 to 8.

39. Muzzleloader permits for Olympic B was changed from 3 to 2.

40. Archery permits for Blue Creek D was changed from 1 to 2.

41. Archery permits for Mountain View C was changed from 4 to 5.

42. Archery permits for Peola D was changed from 1 to 2.

43. Archery permits for Peaches Ridge C was changed from 50 to 53.

44. Archery permits for Goose Prairie C was changed from 26 to 29.

45. Archery 3 pt. minimum permit hunts for Winston, Coweeman, and Lewis River were deleted.

46. Archery permits for Margaret D was changed from 9 to 6.

46a. Archery permits for Dickey C were changed from 23 to 39.

47. Archery permits for Olympic C was changed from 68 to 6.

48. AHE permits for Margaret E was changed from 15 to 10.

49. Persons of Disability permit hunt for Quilomene E, Manastash B, and Little Naches C were deleted and replaced by:

49a. A new hunt for Persons of Disability was added for Lone Butte. The season is Sept. 1-14, Any Elk, Any Archery Tag in GMU 560.

50. An asterisk was placed after all three Elk Area 062 hunts with a footnote: *Firearm Restriction Area - Hunters may use only muzzleloader equipment.

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 Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, amended 0, 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.

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

April 20, 1998

Lisa Pelly, Chair

Fish and Wildlife Commission

WAC 232-28-281  1998-99 and 1999-2000 Elk general seasons and 1998-99 special permits Bag Limit: One (1) elk per hunter during the 1998 hunting season.

Hunting Method: Elk hunters must select only one of the hunting methods (modern firearm, archery, or muzzleloader).

Elk Tag Areas: Elk hunters must choose one of the five elk hunting areas (Blue Mountains, Northeastern Washington, Yakima, Colockum, or Western Washington) to hunt in and buy the appropriate tag for that area.

Any Bull Elk Seasons: Open only to the taking of male elk with visible antlers (bull calves are illegal).

Spike Bull Restrictions: Bull elk taken in these GMUs must have at least one antler that is a spike above the ears (does not branch above ears). An animal with branched antlers on both sides is illegal but an animal with a spike on one side is legal in spike only units.

Spike Only GMUs: 145-154, 162-186, 302, 314-329, and 335-371

3 Point Restriction: Legal bull elk taken must have at least 3 antler points on one side only. Antler points may include eye guards, but antler points on the lower half of the main beam must be at least four (4) inches long measured from antler tip to nearest edge of beam; all other antler points must be at least one (1) inch long. Antler restrictions apply to all hunters during any open season.

3 Point GMUs: All of western Washington except for GMUs 564, 568, 574, 578, 582, 588 and permit only GMUs 157, 524, 556, 602, and 621.

GMUs Closed to Elk Hunting: 418 (Nooksack), and 437 (Sauk) except for Elk Area 041, 485 (Green River), 522 (Loo-wit) and 636 (Skokomish).

Special Permits: Only hunters with elk tag prefix identified in the Special Elk Permits tables may apply for special bull or antlerless permits. Please see permit table for tag eligibility. Hunters drawn for a special permit may hunt only with a weapon in compliance with their tag and during the dates listed for the hunt.

Harvest Report Card: Successful hunters must fill out and return a Game Harvest Report Card within 10 days after taking an elk.

Elk Tag Areas

Blue Mountains: GMUs 145-186. Elk hunting by permit only in GMU 157.

BA - Blue Mountains Archery Tag

BG - Blue Mountains Modern General Bull Tag

BM - Blue Mountains Muzzleloader Tag

Northeastern: GMUs 101-142. Modern firearm by permit only in GMUs 127 and 130.

NA - Northeastern Archery Tag

NG - Northeastern Modern General Bull Tag

NM - Northeastern Muzzleloader Tag

Colockum: GMUs 300, 302, 304, 306, 308, 314, 316, 328, 329, 330 (Elk hunting by permit only in GMU 330), and the portion of GMU 334 north of I-90 (modern firearm restrictions in GMU 334).

CA - Colockum Archery Tag

CG - Colockum Modern General Bull Tag

CM - Colockum Muzzleloader Tag

Yakima: The portion of GMU 334 south of I-90 (Modern Firearm restrictions in GMU 334), and GMUs 335, 336, 340, 342, 346, 352, 356, 360, 364, 368, 371, and 372.

YA - Yakima Archery Tag

YG - Yakima Modern General Bull Tag

YM - Yakima Muzzleloader Tag

Western Washington: All 400, 500 and 600 GMUs except closed in GMU 418, 437, 485, 522, 636 and modern firearm restrictions in portions of GMU 660. GMUs 418 (Nooksack), 437 (Sauk) except for Elk Area 041, and 636 (Skokomish) are closed to all elk hunting as Conservation Closures. GMU 554 is open only for early archery and muzzleloader permit seasons. Elk Area 064 in GMU 638 (Quinault) is open to AHE hunters only. Elk hunting by permit only in GMUs 524, 556, 602, 621, and PLWMA 600 (Pysht).

WA - Western Washington Archery Tag

WG - Western Washington Modern General Bull Tag

WM - Western Washington Muzzleloader Tag

Modern Firearm Elk Seasons

License Required: Hunting license.

Tag Required: Valid modern firearm elk tag as listed below on his/her person for the area hunted.

Hunting Method: May use rifle, bow and arrow, or muzzleloader, but only during modern firearm seasons.

Archery Elk Seasons

License Required: Hunting license.

Tag Required: Valid archery elk tag as listed below on his/her person for the area hunted.

Hunting Method: Bow and arrow only.

Special Notes: Archery tag holders can hunt only during archery seasons. Archery elk hunters may apply for special bull permits. Please see permit table for tag eligibility for all elk permits.

Muzzleloader Elk Seasons

License Required: Hunting license.

Tag Required: Valid muzzleloader elk tag as listed below on his/her person for the area hunted.

Hunting Method: Muzzleloader only.

Special Notes: Muzzleloader tag holders can only hunt during the muzzleloader seasons and must hunt with muzzleloader equipment. Only hunters with tags identified in the Special Elk Permits tables may apply for special elk permits.

Special Elk Hunts Open to Specified Tag Holders

License Required: Hunting License

Tag Required: Proper elk tags are listed with each GMU below. Hunting Method: Hunters must use method listed on their tag, except in Firearm Restriction Areas, where some types of weapons are banned from use. See elk tag required, dates, and legal elk in table below.

Special Elk Permit Hunting Seasons

(Open to Permit Holders Only)

Permit hunters may hunt only with a weapon in compliance with their tag. Applicants must have purchased the proper tag for these hunts (see Elk Tag Prefix required to apply for each hunt).

*Permit season is open for archery and muzzleloader but hunt is the same as modern firearm and all hunters must wear hunter orange.