Master Hunter Handbook Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Program Hunter Education Division April 2018 V2.3 (This page intentionally left blank.) 2 Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 6 WDFW Mission and Goals ............................................................................................................................. 7 Our Mission ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Vision ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Department Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Fish and Wildlife Commission ....................................................................................................................... 7 What it takes to become a Master Hunter ................................................................................................... 8 MHPP RCWs and WACs ................................................................................................................................. 9 Commission Policy ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Wildlife Policy .............................................................................................................................................. 15 Master Hunter Advisory Group ................................................................................................................... 16 Master Hunter Permit Program Strategic Plan ....................................................................................... 17 Strategic Plan Elements .......................................................................................................................... 17 Brief History of Hunting .............................................................................................................................. 18 North American Model of Wildlife Management ................................................................................... 19 Hunting Ethics ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Situational Ethics ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Hunting Community .................................................................................................................................... 25 How to Talk About Hunting ......................................................................................................................... 28 Giving Back .................................................................................................................................................. 30 First Hunt Foundation ............................................................................................................................. 31 CERVIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 Damage Management Removals ................................................................................................................ 31 Expectations of Master Hunters on Damage Removals ......................................................................... 33 Master Hunter General Seasons ............................................................................................................. 34 Deer Species ................................................................................................................................................ 35 Black-tailed deer ..................................................................................................................................... 35 White-tailed deer .................................................................................................................................... 37 Mule deer ................................................................................................................................................ 38 Columbian white-tailed deer .................................................................................................................. 40 Deer identification tool ............................................................................................................................... 40 General Deer Information ........................................................................................................................... 41 Food and Feeding Habits ........................................................................................................................ 41 Droppings ................................................................................................................................................ 43 Bedding areas .......................................................................................................................................... 44 Rubs......................................................................................................................................................... 44 Scrapes .................................................................................................................................................... 44 General Deer Hunting Techniques .............................................................................................................. 44 Deer Hemorrhagic Diseases (Bluetongue, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) .......................................... 45 Hair Loss Syndrome ................................................................................................................................. 46 Other hair loss conditions seen in deer, elk, and moose ........................................................................ 47 Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) ............................................................................................................. 48 Elk ................................................................................................................................................................ 48 Roosevelt Elk ........................................................................................................................................... 49 Rocky Mountain Elk ................................................................................................................................ 50 General Elk Information .............................................................................................................................. 50 3 Food and Feeding Habits ........................................................................................................................ 50 Tracks ...................................................................................................................................................... 52 Droppings ................................................................................................................................................ 52 Wallow Sites ............................................................................................................................................ 52 Bedding areas .......................................................................................................................................... 53 Rubs......................................................................................................................................................... 53 General Elk Hunting Techniques ................................................................................................................. 53 Elk Hoof Disease ...................................................................................................................................... 54 Moose ......................................................................................................................................................... 56 Moose Observation Survey ..................................................................................................................... 58 Black Bear .................................................................................................................................................... 58 Cougar ......................................................................................................................................................... 61 Upland Birds ................................................................................................................................................ 63 Pheasant ................................................................................................................................................. 63 Quail ........................................................................................................................................................ 66 Chukar Partridge ....................................................................................................................................