Hunter reports due by Jan. 31, 2014 – Deer and elk hunters face $25 penalty for not reporting, Jan. 13

Any hunter who purchased 2013 big game or turkey tags needs to report their hunt results by the deadline, which is Jan. 31, 2014 for most tags. Hunters are required to report on each deer, elk, cougar, bear, pronghorn and turkey tag purchased—even if they were not successful or did not hunt. (Sports Pac license holders do not need to report on tags that were never issued.) Hunters who fail to report 2013 deer or elk tags on time will be penalized $25 when they purchase a 2015 hunting license. This penalty is assessed once, regardless of the number of unreported tags. As of Jan. 8, 2014, reporting rates averaged 54 percent for 2013 deer and elk tags. More than 140,000 deer and elk tags still need to be reported (85,214 deer tags and 55,784 elk tags). “The information hunters provide is used when setting controlled hunt tag numbers and hunting seasons,” said ODFW game program manager Tom Thornton. “We really appreciate hunters taking a few minutes of their time to complete the report.” Hunters have two ways to report: •Online via www.dfw.state.or.us or reportmyhunt.com either at home or by visiting an ODFW office with a computer available for Hunter Reporting (ODFW field or regional offices in Adair Village/Corvallis, Bend, Clackamas, La Grande, Portland-Sauvie Island, Roseburg, Salem Headquarters, Springfield, Tillamook.); •By telephone: Call 1-866-947-6339 to talk to a customer service representative. Hours: 6 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Pacific seven days a week. Reporting deadlines are: •Jan. 31, 2014 for all 2013 hunts that end by Dec. 31, 2013; •April 15, 2014 for all hunts that end between Jan. 1-March 31, 2014. Hunters need the following pieces of information to report: •Hunter/Angler ID number (located on ODFW licenses, tags and applications); •The two digit Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) number of the Unit you hunted in most (see pages 94-95 of Big Game Regulations or Hunting Unit Maps page). •The total number of days hunted—including mentoring youth—and the number of days hunted in the WMU hunted most. Hunters that report on time are entered into a drawing to win a special big game tag. ODFW selects three names each year and the winners can choose a deer, elk or pronghorn tag. Hunters who win may hunt an expanded hunt area and extended season, similar to auction and raffle tags. This year will be the second that hunters face a $25 penalty for not reporting. Before the penalty went into effect for 2012 tags, reporting rates averaged 40 percent—a rate too low for the data to be reliable. Reporting rates have doubled (from 40 percent for 2011 tags to 80-85 percent for 2012 tags) with the addition of the penalty. More information on mandatory reporting http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/reporting/index.asp