Raffle ticket deadline July 15

The 2014 raffle permit hunt tickets are now on sale with a due date of next Tuesday, July 15. These tickets cannot be purchased on the Internet or over the phone, but must be purchased in person at your favorite sporting goods store.

The cost is $6 for a deer, elk, moose and mountain goat ticket. A bighorn sheep ticket will cost $11.50. The season for the winners will mostly be Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.

The eastern Washington elk permit is good in all Game Management Units, except GMU 157 and those GMUs closed to elk hunting or closed to branch antlered bull elk hunting. The bag limit is one additional bull elk.

The black-tailed deer raffle is open to black-tailed deer hunting except GMU 485, with a bag limit of one additional buck black-tailed deer. The mule deer permit is similar, but is open to all GMUS open to mule deer hunting and the bag limit is one additional buck mule deer. The white-tailed deer permit is the same and the bag limit is one additional buck white-tailed deer.

Two moose permits are going to be drawn, the season is in all open moose units. The bag limit is one moose of either sex. There is one bighorn sheep permit, which is open to any open bighorn sheep unit with two or more ram permits during the license year. However sheep units in Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, Asotin and Pend Oreille counties are closed. The bag limit is one bighorn ram.

So I will most likely purchase four elk, moose, and sheep tickets, along with four for each deer species. Yes, this is a long shot, but, hey, I may get lucky.

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

There is no limit on the number of tickets a person may purchase. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to purchase tickets. Refunds are not available on raffle ticket purchases. The "Once in a Lifetime Harvest" restriction is waived for raffle hunts. The winner of the deer and elk raffles may purchase an additional deer or elk license/tag for the general hunting season if they choose.

If selected, any legal weapon may be used during the hunt. One winner and two alternates will be drawn for each hunt. Each winner must be eligible to purchase a hunting license and will be issued the appropriate license and tag at no cost.

The drawing is done by computer and the winning ticket holder will be notified via phone and mail by mid-August.