The ratio of tribal enforcement officers to treaty hunters is higher than the ratio of state enforcement officers to non-Indian hunters. Like the State of Washington, tribes set seasons based on sound biological information about the ability of the resource to support harvest. In the northern Puget Sound region, for example, tribes have for the past five years prohibited hunting on the Nooksack elk herd because the herd s population is too low. Loss and degradation of habitat are the primary causes of the herd s decline. Before opening any area to hunting, many tribes forward their regulations to WDFW for review and comment.
Tribes also share their harvest data with the department.
Tribal hunters are licensed by their tribes and must obtain tags for each big game animal they wish to hunt. If a hunter is successful, he must tag the animal and submit a harvest report to the tribe. Unlike the state system of voluntary reporting, tribal members are required to report all harvest. All tribal hunters carry photo identification cards with their name, date of birth, tribal affiliation and other information. If a tribal member is found in violation of tribal regulations, he is cited into tribal court.