OLYMPIA -- A raffle for special permits to hunt deer, elk, bighorn sheep and moose will be held Aug. 1 at the old Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters, 600 Capitol Way N.

Hunters will have a last opportunity to purchase raffle tickets prior to the 1 p.m. drawing. Tickets will be sold from 9 a.m. Friday until the raffle. Tickets are $5 each for deer, elk and moose hunting and $10 for bighorn sheep.

The raffle was approved by the Legislature to provide additional funds for species management programs. Since raffle tickets went on sale in March, more than $65,000 has been raised. As of last Friday the number of tickets sold totaled 2,799 for deer; 4,946 for elk; 2,459 for moose, and 1,411 for bighorn sheep.

The raffle permits will allow statewide hunting for deer and elk in any WDFW game management units except Private Lands Management Areas and GMU 157 (Mill Creek Watershed) and 485 (Green River). The raffle permit winner may hunt with archery equipment, muzzleloaders or modern firearms, during the respective seasons.

"This raffle offers the hunting opportunity of a lifetime," said WDFW Deer and Elk Program Manager Rolf Johnson. "The real bonus is that the raffle hunter may hunt in all special permit units."

The moose raffle permit winner may hunt in any moose unit during the entire season from Oct. 12 to Nov. 30.

The bighorn sheep raffle permit winner may hunt in sheep units 4 (Selah Creek), 5 (Umtanum), 7 (Clemon Mountain) or 12 (Lincoln Cliffs) beginning Sept. 1, two weeks earlier than the general hunting season.