Candidates for 2012 enrollment in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Master Hunter Program have until Wednesday, Feb. 15, to make their applications.
Submission of the written form begins the vetting process that could eventually lead to their admission to the ranks of these volunteer hunting leaders.
There is a $50 non-refundable fee for course materials and the examination plus all applicants must give their consent to a law enforcement background check.
Persons found to have fish and wildlife code violations or related criminal (trespass, reckless endangerment and other) convictions or bail/fine forfeitures within the last 10 years will be disqualified, as will individuals whose hunting privileges have been suspended or revoked. Also, those who have lost their right to own or possess firearms will be denied access to this program.
Would-be members also must sign a hunter code of ethics affidavit that affirms they both fully understand and will abide by the formal rules of conduct for hunting.
Together with the character portion of the certification process, hunters also must:
- Take an independent study course and pass a written examination.
- Qualify (perform to a standard with appropriate witness of marksmanship) with one or more types of hunting weaponry (archery, crossbow, muzzleloader, shotgun (slugs), shotgun (shot), modern rifle and handgun).
- Attend a Crime Observation and Reporting Training class.
- Perform 20 hours of formal volunteer service in the realm of wildlife or habitat restoration.
A key benefit for participants attaining master hunter status is the opportunity to take part in special limited-entry animal damage or public safety hunts around the state. These hunts normally focus on troublesome deer, elk, black bear, turkeys or geese in specifically designated hunting areas.
Often they occur in locales where hunter consideration for landowner and public sensitivities is paramount. The department is keenly interested in having hunters who accept this responsibility and willingly adhere to the highest standards of behavior both in and off the field.
Upon completing all the qualification steps, persons will be inducted into the program and will receive a permit and shoulder insignia. They then will be eligible for drawing pools or selection lists for certain special permit area or on-call depredation hunts.
Master hunters also may be called upon as volunteers to serve as hunt stewards or participate in master hunter forums in their area.
Additional information about WDFW's Master Hunter Program together with the application form can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/masterhunter/.
To talk with someone about the program, call Sergeant Carl Klein of the department's fish and wildlife enforcement program at 360-902-2426 or Tracy Loveless at 360-902-8410.
REPORTING REMINDERS
With most seasons now closed or on the verge of ending, annual reporting periods for the personal use (recreational) gathering of certain big game animals, resident and migratory birds as well as Dungeness crab are coming to an end.
Anyone, whether successful or not, who took out a 2011 winter Dungeness crab catch record card, a written authorization for certain migratory birds or a deer, elk, black bear, or turkey transport tag must, by state regulation, make these reports.
Also, you're not relieved of the obligation to report if you didn't go out (made no effort) at all.
Shellfish and wildlife managers need all types of activity/harvest - or inactivity - information to make final accountings of the overall effort as well as harvest.
There is a carrot or stick aspect attached to some of these obligations in that persons who do file in a timely fashion will be put into an incentive drawing pools from which small numbers of reporters will be picked to receive free 2012 permits (for hunters of deer or elk).
Unfortunately, the transport tag carrot-eligible reporting deadline passed Monday, Jan. 10. WDFW's Fish Program has ended the timely reporting incentive for personal use Dungeness crab gatherers.
There remains, however, a monetary equivalent to a slap on the hands for failing to meet every mandatory reporting deadline.
It comes in the form of a $10 civil penalty that is tacked on to the subsequent purchase price of a given license, permit or written authorization if you didn't properly report on the last one.
The primary options for reporting are the following online WDFW portals:
- For Puget Sound winter crab cards at: https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wa/crabreport. For more background on crab catch record cards, check out wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/crc.html. Crab cards also can be mailed to the Olympia address on the card provided it's postmarked before the deadline.
- For transport tags at: https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/licenses_hunter_report.html. Select the big game and turkey button. Be prepared to give your WILD number and date of birth as well as the top two game management units in which you hunted and the number of days in each. These reports also can be made by telephone at 877-945-3492.
Persons holding big game permits in seasons extending beyond the last day of January must report within 10 days of the close of that special season.
Separate reports must be made by hunters for general season activities and any special permit hunting they did.
- For migratory bird hunting authorizations at: https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/licenses_hunter_report.html. Select the migratory bird hunting button. Your WILD number and DOB also will be needed here together with a list of your successful hunt dates and the numbers of snow geese, sea duck species or brant taken each day. The failure-to-report cash penalty will begin applying in the 2012-1213 season for these documents. For this year non-compliers will be stricken from the rolls.
The reporting deadlines are Tuesday, Jan. 31 (transport tags), Wednesday, Feb. 1, (winter crab card) and Wednesday, Feb. 15 (sea duck and goose - snow and brant - authorizations).
ONE MORE RAZOR DIG
With 2011 annual shellfish and razor clam licenses good through the end of March, there is one more tentative ocean coast beach dig on the current winter calendar.
Provided the clams pass their marine toxin level tests, a two-day evening tide opportunity is planned for Feb. 18-19.
Razor clam management sectors that will be open for this dig are Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Copalis and Kalaloch beaches are closed.
Following a tally of clams taken home from these digs, managers will plan for 2012 spring morning tide razor clam digs.
Doug Huddle, the Bellingham Herald's outdoors correspondent, since 1983, has written a weekly fishing and hunting column that now appears Sundays. Read his blog and contact him at http://pblogs.bellinghamherald.com/outdoors.
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