1. (1) It is unlawful to possess river otter, cougar, lynx, or bobcat taken in Washington without a department identification seal which has been attached to the raw pelt, on or off the carcass, prior to the pelt sealing deadline.

2. (2) The raw pelt of a bobcat or river otter must be presented to an authorized department employee, or authorized individual under permit with the department, for sealing by April 20th, and the associated harvest report must be submitted to the department by April 20th, following the close of the appropriate hunting or trapping season in which it was killed.

   Any person who submits a bobcat pelt for sealing must also present a dried complete lower jaw (both sides) from the same animal, in such a manner that the canine tooth can be extracted for aging, to an authorized department employee, or authorized individual under permit with the department, at the time of sealing before a pelt seal will be issued. Bobcats being sent to WDFW licensed taxidermists or sold to WDFW licensed fur buyers may be sealed prior to jaw submission so long as the harvester signs a statement requiring that they will submit the jaw to the department by the April 20th deadline, following the close of the appropriate hunting or trapping season in which it was killed.

   Any person who submits a bobcat or river otter pelt for mandatory sealing must have collected the following appropriate and accurate information from the harvester that is required for sealing: The harvester's name and WILD ID, date and location of kill, sex of the harvested animal, and harvest method.

3. (3) Any person who takes a cougar must present the raw pelt of the cougar, with evidence of sex attached, to an authorized department employee for sealing within three days (excluding weekends and holidays) of harvest.

   Any person who takes a cougar must also present the cougar skull, in such a manner that teeth and biological samples can be extracted, to an authorized department employee at the time of sealing and provide the hunter's name, date and location of kill, and sex of the animal.

4. (4) It is unlawful to transport, or cause the transport, out of Washington a raw pelt of river otter, cougar, lynx, or bobcat taken in Washington without a department seal attached to the pelt.
5. (5) The raw pelt of a river otter, cougar, lynx, or bobcat taken outside Washington and imported into the state must be identified by a tag, seal or permit consistent with federal, state or country of origin laws and be accompanied by an invoice, declaration or permit specifying the number of pelts in the shipment.
6. (6) It is unlawful to possess an unlocked, broken, or otherwise open department seal for river otter, cougar, lynx, or bobcat unless the seal wire or band has been cut through and removed from a pelt that has been received and invoiced by a licensed taxidermist or fur dealer for processing or removed from a pelt that has been processed, except that individuals authorized by the department to seal pelts may possess open, unbroken seals.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.08.030, 77.12.047, 77.15.010, 77.15.020, 77.15.160, 77.15.240, 77.15.245, 77.15.280, and 77.15.410. WSR 25-09-099 (Order 24-16A), s 220-400-050, filed 4/18/25, effective 5/19/25. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.08.030, 77.08.045, 77.12.047, 77.12.722, 77.12.800, 77.15.190, 77.32.320, 77.32.530, and 77.32.535. WSR 24-11-029 (Order 23-18), § 220-400-050, filed 5/7/24, effective 6/7/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.12.020, 77.12.040, 77.12.047, 77.12.150, 77.12.210, 77.12.240, 77.12.320, 77.12.570, 77.12.800, 77.15.245, 77.32.007, 77.32.050, 77.32.070, 77.32.090, 77.32.370, and 77.32.530. WSR 18-11-061 (Order 18-76), § 220-400-050, filed 5/11/18, effective 6/11/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), recodified as § 220-400-050, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.055, 77.12.047, 77.12.150, and 77.12.240. WSR 15-10-033 (Order 15-95), § 232-12-024, filed 4/28/15, effective 5/29/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-11-032 (Order 06-92), § 232-12-024, filed 5/8/06, effective 6/8/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.040. WSR 99-17-034 (Order 99-118), § 232-12-024, filed 8/11/99, effective 9/11/99; WSR 94-18-059 (Order 94-58), § 232-12-024, filed 8/31/94, effective 10/1/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.030, 77.12.040 and 77.32.220. WSR 91-13-063 (Order 498), § 232-12-024, filed 6/17/91, effective 7/18/91; WSR 89-18-015 (Order 404), § 232-12-024, filed 8/28/89, effective 9/28/89. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.030 and 77.12.040. WSR 88-13-091 (Order 312), § 232-12-024, filed 6/20/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.040. WSR 81-12-029 (Order 165), § 232-12-024, filed 6/1/81. Formerly WAC 232-12-065.]