The department proposed amendments to carry forward a long-standing recreational hunting opportunity to address bear management by continuing to use recreational hunting under a spring bear special permit in 2022.
The purpose and anticipated effect of the amendments was to continue geographically focused spring hunting of black bear in areas where WDFW have observed on-going human-bear conflicts, low fall harvest results, commercial timber damage, or concerns for ungulate species recruitment. This amendment would also have made minor modifications to harvest and inspection procedures. These amendments would have provided a limited hunting opportunity to approximately 664 hunters who receive permits and WDFW anticipates approximately 145 black bears would be harvested through this limited permit hunting opportunity.
More information is available on this webpage.