Skip to main content
Washington

Hunting

Hunting

Mandatory Reporting

Hunters are Required to Report Hunting Activity by January 31st, 2024

Turkey hunting tag

Turkey hunters will owe hunting activity reports (spring and/or fall) for each turkey transport tag purchased. Turkey hunters must report their hunting activity for each tag even if they did not hunt or harvest a bird.

Hunters can submit reports online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov or by telephone (toll free at 1-877-945-3492). Hunters who harvest an animal should submit a report within 10 days of harvest and all reports must be submitted by January 31. Hunters who fail to report by January 31 will be subject to a $10 administrative fee, which must be paid before they can purchase a license for the following year. Unsuccessful hunters must also report their hunting activity, including location and days hunted. WDFW will use this information to better monitor hunter effort, distribution, harvest, and trends.

Having a spring and fall season can make reporting confusing for turkey hunters. Any hunter who holds a turkey transport tag during the spring season must submit a spring report for that tag, even if they did not hunt or harvest in the spring. Any hunter who holds an unfilled turkey tag during the fall season must submit a fall report for that tag, even if they did not hunt or harvest in the fall.

For example, if a hunter holds a turkey transport tag during the spring season and is unsuccessful, they can use that tag in the fall, and therefore a report for both spring and fall will be required.

You will need the following information for each tag and season (spring or fall) to submit your turkey hunting activity reports.

  1. Whether or not you hunted turkeys.
  2. If you hunted:
    1. The two Game Management Units (GMU) you hunted in the most. Please refer to wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/locations/gmu or the Big Game Regulations for a GMU map.
    2. The number of days you hunted in each GMU.
  3. If you harvested:
    1. The GMU in which the turkey was harvested.
    2. Month, day, and year of harvest.
    3. Sex of the turkey.

Report Wild Turkey and Upland Bird Sightings

Help manage Washington’s game bird populations by reporting your observations of wild turkeys and upland birds. In July and August, brood surveys that count the number of chicks or poults with hens will help monitor productivity. The rest of the year, your observations will help monitor distribution: where birds are located, what habitats they’re using, and how they might move seasonally.

Go to this webpage for the reporting form and more information: https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/management/game-bird-survey.