Raffle permit hunt deadline Monday

Here is a chance to do a bit of gambling. The raffle permit hunt ticket purchase deadline is Monday July 15. There are many categories or hunts to select and there is no limit as to the number of tickets a person may purchase.

The deer, elk, moose and mountain goat tickets are $6 each and the bighorn sheep tickets are $11.50. There are some multi-species hunts. A ticket for the three-species raffles is $17 and $22.50 for the four-species raffles.

An example of a three-species raffle is the three-deer raffle. Here a hunter may harvest an additional buck black-tailed deer, one additional buck mule deer and one additional buck white-tailed deer.

Proceeds from the sale of single-species raffle tickets will be used for the management and benefit of that species. Proceeds from the sale of multiple species raffle tickets will be used for general game management.

The drawing is done by computer and the winning ticket holder will be notified via phone and mail by mid-August. The season for most of these hunts is Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.

Dennis note: This is similar to a self-imposed tax. I can purchase tickets for a species and the money go to management and benefit of the specific species.

In recent years I purchase four tickets for the mule deer permit at $6 each, $24. Also four tickets for the Eastside Elk permit at $6 each, $24. My last purchase is four tickets for the moose permit at $6 each, $24. So I have $72 invested in the self-imposed tax and a chance to shoot an extra mule deer buck, an additional bull elk and a moose of either sex.

In the past it was a simple matter of going online or use the telephone to purchase raffle permit hunt tickets. This year hunters are not allowed to use these methods, because Washington gambling regulations prohibit wire sales.

Bet this was true for the past several years also and someone brought the illegal nature of wire sales to Fish and Wildlife's attention. Now to purchase the tickets a hunter must go to a license vendor.

Lake Cle Elum kokanee limit changes

The limit on trout, including kokanee, on Lake Cle Elum is now five fish. This change eliminates the 16 kokanee daily limit. The change goes into effect tomorrow, July 13, at 12:01 a.m.

The Yakama Nation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are continuing the reintroduction of anadromous (sea-going) sockeye salmon in the upper Cle Elum basin. Eliminating the 16 kokanee daily limit and implementing the statewide daily catch limit for trout of five fish, including kokanee, is necessary to protect juvenile sockeye needed for this reintroduction.

This is expected to reduce harvest of juvenile sockeye while increasing the catch of trout, including non-native lake trout (mackinaw), eastern brook trout and brown trout. The 7-inch minimum and 14-inch maximum size for kokanee retention remains in effect. The 12-inch minimum size for other trout species also remains unchanged.