FACT SHEET WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

August 2008

A variety of user groups, such as hunters, hikers and anglers, often share the outdoors throughout the year in Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife offers the following advice to anyone recreating outdoors during hunting seasons:

• Wear brightly colored clothing: Make yourself visible by wearing bright colors, such as blaze orange. Avoid wearing earth-tones.
   
• Make noise: Alert hunters to your presence by talking, singing or whistling.
   
• Make your presence known: If you hear someone shooting, let the hunters know you are in the area by raising your voice.
   
• Be aware of hunting seasons: Hunting seasons occur in Washington throughout the year, except June and July. For a summary of big-game hunting seasons, visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/summary.pdf . For more information on big-game hunting seasons, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm.
   
• Know your target: Hunters are trained and expected to confirm their target before firing.

Questions and answers on outdoor recreation safety:

1. Why is hunting allowed during peak hiking season or in popular camping/hiking areas?
   State hunting seasons are proposed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and approved by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. Many factors, including safety, the abundance of game animals, and the accessibility of hunting areas are considered in setting hunting seasons. The safety of all people recreating outdoors is the state's primary concern. As the state's population grows, there are many more people using outdoor recreational areas for various purposes. People are hiking, camping, viewing wildlife, gathering food, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing at various times year-round. Hunting, meanwhile, occurs every month of the year except June and July. Except for those two months, there is virtually no time in the year when hunting would not overlap with some other recreational use. However, public safety is WDFW's top priority and we are examining steps we can take to enhance safety in mixed-use recreation areas.

2. What is WDFW doing to increase safety in mixed-use recreation areas?
   WDFW is working in three ways to improve public safety in mixed-use recreation areas by:
   • Reviewing practices on state wildlife lands and consulting with other land managers about potential safety enhancements such as warning signs, staggered recreation times and locations and temporary recreation-area closures. Such precautions previously have been used in some mixed-use areas.
   • Educating the public on basic recreation safety tips during hunting seasons. This information is posted on the department's website, sent to the news media and is being provided to non-hunting recreation organizations.
   • Considering proposing legislation to establish minimum hunting ages and supervision requirements for young hunters. These changes would require approval by the Legislature.

3. How do hikers know where hunting is open?
   Hunting is legal on most public lands except national and state parks, and on private land with land-owner permission. Details on hunting season dates and areas are available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm. A summary of big game and waterfowl seasons is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/summary.pdf The department also annually prints pamphlets detailing hunting rules and seasons. These are available at recreational license dealers and at WDFW offices statewide. A list of license dealers is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/vendors/vendors.htm.

4. What can hikers do to increase their safety during hunting seasons?
   Hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts should check the status of hunting seasons in the areas where they plan to recreate, wear bright-colored clothing and make noise to make their presence known. Hunters are trained and expected to be sure of their targets and are required to wear "hunter-orange" garments for most hunts.

5. Why aren't warning signs posted at popular hiking spots?
   In certain locations, signs are posted, advising visitors of hunting seasons. One example is at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia, where signs are placed on trails during waterfowl hunting seasons, and some trails are temporarily closed when hunting is taking place. WDFW is examining whether expanded signage would be effective in improving outdoor safety.

6. Why isn't hunting limited to the post-Labor Day period, when there is less hiking? Why are there bear hunting seasons in August?
   The August black bear hunt reflects recreational opportunity and hunter requests. Black bear hunting helps alleviate chronic and increasing complaints about bear-human conflicts and property damage. In some eastern Washington areas, black bear hunting is delayed until later in the year to minimize the chance that a hunter mis-identifies a grizzly bear, a federally protected species.

7. What has WDFW done in recent years to address hunting age requirements?
   The department ran request legislation in 2001 (SB 5938) that would have reinstated the requirement that hunters under the age of 14 be under the immediate charge of their parent or guardian. The bill did not pass. In 2005 the department supported HB 1213 that would have required hunters under 14 to be under the immediate supervision of a parent or guardian or another adult approved by the parent or guardian. That bill also would have established a minimum age for purchase of big-game and small-game hunting licenses. The bill was passed by the House but failed to gain approval in the Senate.

8. How common are hunting accidents involving non-hunters (is it safe to hike)?
   A fatal hunting accident involving a non-hunter is extremely rare. In fact, an incident August 2008 involving a hiker was the state's first hunting-related fatality involving a non-hunter in at least a quarter-century. Eight other hunting-related fatalities in Washington over the past decade all were hunters.

9. Are hunting accidents more common than they used to be?
   No. There has been a significant decrease in hunting fatalities over the past 20 years, in part because of mandatory hunter-safety instruction, hunter-orange garment requirements and other safety efforts. First-time hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972, are required to successfully complete a hunter-education course. Over 200,000 people go hunting each year in Washington, and are outdoors a combined total of more than 3.5 million hunter-days annually. font>