WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE     Print Version
NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

OLYMPIA Hunters can buy raffle tickets now for chances to win a 1998 big game permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

For the second year, the department will sell chances on four permits one each for bighorn sheep, moose, elk and deer. The drawing is Aug. 14 at the WDFW Wenatchee District Office, 3860 Chelan Hwy, in Wenatchee.

Tickets cost $5 each for a chance to win the deer, elk or moose permit, and $10 each for a chance on a bighorn sheep permit. Revenues raised through the raffle are returned to conservation programs for each of the four species. Last year's raffle raised more than $65,000 for species management.

Raffle tickets may be purchased at WDFW headquarters in Olympia, at WDFW regional offices, and at some hunting license dealers statewide. For added convenience, raffle ticket order forms are available on the WDFW Internet website at wdfw.wa.gov and may be printed from the computer. Updated lists of license vendors selling the tickets also will be available at the department's website. A complete list of vendors and a mail-order form will be published in the 1998 hunting pamphlet.

Raffle ticket order forms must be filled out and returned with payment by 5 p.m., July 24, to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Licensing Division, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia WA 98501-1091. Last-minute ticket buyers may purchase tickets the day of the drawing at the Wenatchee district office.

Ticket holders need not be present at the drawing in order to win. There is no limit on the number of tickets which may be purchased by either residents or non- residents. A valid hunting license is not required to purchase raffle tickets, but raffle winners must have a valid hunting license and must purchase the appropriate species tag before receiving the special raffle permit.

The permits being raffled are in addition to the game permits or tags traditionally issued by the department to hunters. A holder of one of these traditional permits or tags still is eligible to buy a raffle ticket and win.