Want to apply for a special hunt permit? WDFW deadline approaching

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is encouraging hunters to apply for special hunt permits prior to the May 23 deadline.

Hunters must submit their applications by May 23 in order to be considered for drawings leading to opportunities to hunt beyond the times and locations authorized through a general hunting license

Looking to bag a fall deer, elk, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep or turkey in Washington? The deadline to apply for special use permits to do so is quickly approaching as hunters have until May 23 to throw their names into consideration for random drawings by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in June.

Special permits allow hunters to hit the woods at times and locations beyond those authorized through a general hunting license. Hunters planning to hunt for deer or elk must purchase an application and hunting license for those animals and submit the application with their preferred hunt choices in order to apply for a special hunt permit. Applications and licenses are available from license vendors statewide or on WDFW's website at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Applications must be submitted on the website or by calling 1-877-945-3492 toll-free. If purchasing and applying online, hunters must first establish an online account by creating a username and password. Information on how to create a username and password in the WILD system can be found at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/content/pdfs/WILD-Account-Instructions.pdf. Hunters can also click the "Customer Support" link on the WILD homepage for additional assistance. Hunters who already have a username and password can login to purchase and submit their applications. Most special hunt permit applications cost $7.10 for residents, $110.50 for non-residents and $3.80 for youth under 16 years of age. The exception is the cost for residents purchasing applications for mountain goats, any bighorn sheep ram any moose and "quality" categories for deer and elk. Those applications cost $13.70. Instructions and details on applying for special permit hunts are described on pages 12 and 13 of Washington's 2018 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet, which is available at WDFW offices, license vendors and online at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/. Additional information is available at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/permits/faq.html. Anis Aoude, WDFW game division manager, reminded hunters in a press release to update their phone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses when purchasing their special hunting permit applications and licenses. Updates can be made by logging into the WILD system. Each year, hundreds of special hunting permits are returned due to invalid addresses, according to the press release. Results of the special permit drawing will be available online by the end of June at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/. Winners will be notified by mail or email by mid-July.