- If drawn for a Special Permit and three days into the Special Permit season I become very dissatisfied for whatever reason, can I get a refund? How about getting my Special Permit points back?
No. You cannot get a refund once your general season or Special Permit hunt starts. Typically, there is no refund for Special Permit applications. Also, this is not a valid reason for Special Permit point restoration which is limited to situations such as military deployment or major medical is ...
- Why would I apply with a group if it is tougher to draw a group Special Permit?
There are some very good reasons for you to apply with a group. Listed below are just a few of the reasons why you would apply with a group regardless if it is tougher to draw: You have family and/or friends that you like to hunt with every year. A group application ensures that everyone gets ...
- What happens if I’m drawn for more than one Special Permit for the same species in the same license year?
You are able to participate in each Special Permit hunt as well as the available general season, but you must stop hunting once you reach your bag limit. Drawing more than one Special Permit for the same species does not increase your bag limit (except Second Deer, see below). Your points in ea ...
- Can I submit Special Permit applications as both an individual and with a group in the same license year? How about on the same application?
Yes. You can apply as both an individual and with a group within the same license year, but not on the same Special Permit application. For each Special Permit application you need to commit to applying as either a group or as an individual. Please keep in mind that you can only apply for each ...
- If I purchase a Special Permit application online or over the phone, do I have to wait until I receive something in the mail before I can submit my hunt choices?
No. You do not have to wait because Special Permit applications can be submitted immediately after purchasing them. You will not receive anything in the mail to submit. There are two ways to submit your Special Permit applications: 1) Online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/special_perm ...
- If I apply with a group and we all have a different number of Special Permit points built up in that category, whose points are used for the drawing?
Your group application will average the Special Permit points in that category for all group members on your application. For example, a group of 3 submits a Quality Elk Special Permit. If the first group member has 2 points in the Quality Elk category, the second member has 6 points, and the t ...
- If my group is drawn for a Special Permit, which group members lose their points?
All group members would lose their points (resets to zero) in that Special Permit category.
- When I check my drawing results online, why do I see “Points Used” even though I wasn’t drawn for a Special Permit?
We apologize if the language on our drawing results page confused you. The term “Points Used” references how many points an individual or group had for that Special Permit drawing. So although points are used for the drawing, points do not go away or back to zero unless you draw a p ...
- If drawn for a Special Permit, but I misplaced or never received the Special Permit card, do I need to get a replacement card?
Yes. You need to have that card with you during your Special Permit hunt. The fastest solution would be to pick up a replacement card from a License Vendor. The cost for a replacement card from one of these vendors is a $0.50 dealer fee.
- If drawn for a Second Deer Special Permit, do I need to harvest my first deer before my Second Deer season begins?
No. You do not have to harvest in the general season or during your other deer Special Permit hunt prior to participating and hopefully harvesting during your Second Deer Special Permit season. You do not have to harvest your deer in any particular order. If you are not able to harvest prior to ...
- What happened to my Special Permit points when the Special Permit system changed in 2010?
Your points for each species were applied to each of the new subcategories created under the new system. For example, if you had 3 deer points prior to the change, you were credited 3 points in each of the new deer categories (e.g., Quality Deer, Buck Deer, Antlerless Deer, Deer 65 and Over, etc.).
- If I apply for a Special Permit with a group, are my chances of getting drawn better than if I apply by myself?
The answer is both yes and no. Since Special Permit group applications average Special Permit points in that category for all group members, those members with fewer points will benefit since the group’s average points are higher than their individual point total, whereas group members wi ...
- What is the value of building up Special Permit points?
Building up Special Permit points is very much like putting more tickets into the barrel. The Special Permit random drawing is completed separately for each category. Points are squared for our drawings meaning that a person with 1 point has 1 ticket in the barrel (1x1), whereas the person with ...
- How can I keep building Special Permit points even if I know I cannot hunt this year?
If you want to continue to build Special Permit points but want to make sure you do not get drawn, then you should submit your application with Points Option as your hunt choice. With Points Option your application cannot be awarded a permit and you will automatically accrue a point in that cat ...
- Do I build up one point for each hunt choice I select on my Special Permit application?
No. You only build up one point per species category per year regardless of how many hunt choices you submit your application with.
- What happens if my Special Permit group application is considered, but there are fewer permits left for our first hunt choice than there are members in my group?
Your group application would not be eligible for your first hunt choice and none of your group members on that application are awarded a permit for that hunt. That hunt choice will continue to be available until either an individual application or a group application with fewer members is consi ...
- Will I lose all my Special Permit points if I do not purchase an application this year?
No. You are in the Special Permit drawing system for the life of the system. Your points will be waiting for you when you apply again, even if it is several years. Your Special Permit points are reduced to zero when you are drawn for a permit. Please keep in mind that the only way to gain point ...
- How does the Special Permit drawing work? I heard that points have multipliers on them. What is that for and does it improve my chances of being drawn?
To figure this out, think of our Special Permit drawing like a drawing where you pull a ticket out of a barrel. Each Special Permit category is a separate random drawing. All applicants per category are issued tickets to place into the barrel based on the number of points they have in that cate ...
- How do I build up Special Permit points?
A single point is earned each year you purchase a Special Permit application. You continue to build points in each Special Permit category until you are drawn. You can purchase one Special Permit application per category per year. If drawn, your Special Permit points in that category will drop ...
- Why does the Department of Fish and Wildlife award Special Permits and what game species are affected?
Special Permits are awarded for a variety of wildlife management purposes. In most cases they are awarded to control a species' population size. In other cases they provide special recreational opportunities. Species for which Special Permits are awarded include deer, elk, mountain goat, moose, ...
