WAC 232-28-285 2008-2009 Pilot cougar hunting seasons with the aid of dogs. As used in this section and in the context of pilot cougar hunting seasons, the following definitions apply:

аааа "Accompany" means the dog handler and permit hunter must be in the physical presence of each other at the time dogs are released from a leash or unrestrained or starting a cougar track.

аааа "Pursue" or "pursuit" means dogs are:

аааа Х Not on a leash or restrained; or

аааа Х Starting a cougar track; or

аааа Х In the act of tracking a cougar; or

аааа Х At a treed cougar.

аааа Transporting dogs in a motorized vehicle or walking a dog on a leash is not pursuit.

аааа "Dog owner" means a person that owns and hunts with dogs that are capable of detecting, tracking and treeing a cougar.

аааа "Quota" means the targeted harvest goal. The actual harvest level may exceed the quota.

аааа "Kill permit" allows a hunter to pursue or kill cougar.

аааа "Pursuit permit" allows a hunter to pursue cougar.

аааа (1) The pilot cougar-hunting season will allow use of dogs to hunt cougar. The hunts will consist of pursuit-or-kill seasons and pursuit-only seasons, and are allowed only in Klickitat, Chelan, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties.

аааа (2) Pursuit-or-kill seasons:

аааа Cougar may be pursued or killed with the aid of dogs from December 1, 2008, until the female zone quota has been killed, the total zone quota has been killed, or March 31, 2009, whichever occurs first; EXCEPT GMUs 101 and 204 where cougar may be pursued or killed from January 1, 2009, until the female zone quota has been killed, the total zone quota has been killed, or March 31, 2009, whichever occurs first.

аааа (3) Pursuit-only seasons:

аааа (a) If a zone quota is killed prior to March 31, 2009, cougar may be pursued with dogs in all or portions of that zone until March 31, 2009. Hunters may only pursue cougars in designated pursuit only areas identified on their kill or pursuit-only permit. Hunters may not kill cougar during pursuit-only seasons.

аааа (b) Hunters selected for the pursuit-or-kill season (accompanied by up to three of their identified handlers) may participate in a pursuit-only season. Permit hunters that harvest a cougar under a kill permit may continue to pursue cougars until March 31. If a zone quota is killed, the department may also issue pursuit-only permit to hunters drawn at random from the unselected pool of applicants. The director will identify the number of pursuit-only hunters selected.

аааа (4) Hunt areas and kill quotas:

аааа Cougar seasons will be based on a quota system, where permit hunters using dogs may hunt and kill cougar until the allotted numbers of cougar have been killed from each hunt zone or March 31, 2009, whichever occurs first.

аааа (a) Kill quotas start September 1 and will include all cougar killed during seasons with and without the aid of dogs, including cougar seasons under this section, cougar seasons without the aid of dogs authorized under WAC 232-28-272, depredation permits, landowner kill permits, and WDFW depredation authority.

аааа (b) Individual problem cougar will continue to be killed on an as-needed basis utilizing depredation permits, landowner kill permits, and WDFW depredation authority even if these kills result in exceeding a zone quota.

				QUOTA
CMU	Hunt Choice	Hunt Zone	Area Description	Total		Female
East Cascades North	9001	Okanogan	Those portions of GMUs 203, 209, 215, 218, 233, 224, 231, 239, and 242 within Okanogan County		17		7
	9002	Chelan	Those portions of GMUs 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 249, 250, and 251 within Chelan County		6		2
Northeastern	9003	Ferry-Okanogan	GMUs 101, 204		16		6
	9004	Stevens-Pend Oreille	Those portions of GMUs 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 121 within Stevens and Pend Oreille counties		23		9
East Cascades South	9005	Klickitat	Those portions of GMUs 382, 388, 578 within Klickitat County		6		2

аааа (5) Quota hotline:

аааа Permit hunters participating in a pursuit-or-kill season must call the toll free cougar quota hotline within twenty-four hours prior to each day hunting cougar to determine if the zone quota has been killed and the zone is closed. Hunters who hunt more than one consecutive day must call the quota hotline once daily to determine if the zone quota is killed. Hunters who harvest a cougar with the aid of dogs must notify the department within twenty-four hours of kill (excluding legal state holidays) and provide the hunter's name, date and location of kill, and sex of animal. The raw pelt of a cougar, with proof of sex naturally attached, must be sealed by an authorized department employee within five days of the notification of kill. Any person who takes a cougar must present the cougar skull in such a manner that teeth and biological samples can be extracted to an authorized department employee at the time of sealing.

аааа (6) Kill or pursuit-only permit eligibility:

аааа (a) To apply for a kill or pursuit-only permit under this section, individuals must sign an affidavit provided by the department, certifying under penalty of false swearing under RCW 9A.72.040 that they are a dog owner. The affidavit must be mailed to WDFW by the date and time identified by the director. Individuals not registered as a dog owner will not be issued a permit.

аааа (b) To apply for a kill or pursuit-only permit under this section, individuals must purchase a cougar permit application and submit the application in compliance with WAC 232-28-291 by a date and time identified by the director.

аааа (c) To be eligible for a permit, the participant must be a Washington resident who at the time of application for a permit possesses a valid big game license with cougar as a species option. The permit holder must use dogs while participating in a cougar hunt under this section.

аааа (d) A permit will not be issued to any person who has been convicted of unlawful use of dogs under RCW 77.15.245 within the five-year period prior to December 1, 2004. Any person issued a permit and who is subsequently convicted of any wildlife offense while participating in a pursuit-or-kill or pursuit-only season, or who violates any condition of the permit, will have the permit revoked and will be ineligible to participate in the remainder of the pilot program.

аааа (7) Permit issuance procedure:

аааа (a) The number of kill permits for a pursuit-or-kill season with the aid of dogs may be established by the director, but will not exceed two times the total cougar quota for each hunt zone.

аааа (b) The department will issue kill or pursuit-only permits to the persons whose applications are drawn at random. Individuals selected will be notified by telephone or mail. Kill and pursuit-only permits may not be sold or reassigned.

аааа (c) If a female zone quota or total zone quota is not killed in a hunt zone by January 15 (or sooner as identified by the director), then the department may issue kill permits to additional hunters. Hunters will be drawn at random from the unselected pool of applicants and must be a resident of one of the participating counties.

аааа (8) Qualifications for participation and requirements:

аааа In addition to the provisions applicable to all cougar hunters:

аааа (a) Successful applicants must complete a training program prior to participating in a pursuit-or-kill season or pursuit-only season with the aid of dogs.

аааа (b) Participants must have their permit issued by the department in their possession while hunting cougar.

аааа (c) Individuals selected for a kill permit may kill and possess one cougar per permit and only the permittee may kill the cougar(s).

аааа (d) Individuals selected for a cougar kill or pursuit-only permit may use dog handlers. However, no more than three handlers may accompany the permittee while hunting or pursuing cougar. Dog handlers may not pursue cougar when the permit hunter is not present at the time the dogs are released from a leash or unrestrained. Dog handlers must have a dog handler identification card, issued by the department, in their possession while participating in a pursuit-or-kill season or pursuit-only season.

аааа (e) Dog handlers must be a Washington resident and possess a valid hunting license.

аааа (f) It is unlawful to kill or possess spotted cougar kittens or adult cougars accompanied by spotted kittens.

аааа (g) Participants must have a vehicle placard issued by the department. The vehicle placard must be placed in the permittee's and dog handler's vehicles and be visible from outside the vehicles at all times while hunting or pursuing cougar.

аааа (h) Kill and pursuit-only permit hunters are required to report their hunting activity, whether they harvest a cougar or not, using the toll free cougar quota hotline. Unsuccessful hunters must report their hunting activity by April 10, 2009. A violation of this requirement under this subsection is punishable as an infraction under RCW 77.15.160.

аааа (9) The permit belongs to the state of Washington. The permit holder may be required to return to or turn over to the department the permit when, in the judgment of the department, the permit holder violates any conditions of the permit, violates trespass laws while acting under this permit, or violates any other criminal law or hunting regulation of the state while acting under this permit. If the permit holder is required to return to or turn over to the department the permit, the permit holder may request an appeal of that action in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW. Appeal request shall be filed in writing and returned within twenty days of the date of action and be addressed to WDFW Legal Services Office, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, Washington 98501-1091.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.040, 77.12.020, 77.12.570, 77.12.210. 08-17-034 (Order 08-197), з 232-28-285, filed 8/13/08, effective 9/13/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. 07-22-102 (Order 07-273), з 232-28-285, filed 11/6/07, effective 12/7/07; 06-17-095 (Order 06-196), з 232-28-285, filed 8/15/06, effective 9/15/06; 05-17-098 (Order 05-174), з 232-28-285, filed 8/15/05, effective 9/15/05; 04-21-036 (Order 04-284), з 232-28-285, filed 10/14/04, effective 11/14/04.]