Question: I am a license agent and last year just two days before the waterfowl season opened, a longtime customer of 25 years came into my store to purchase his license. He had experienced a fire in his home the previous summer and had lost some possessions, including his hunting license evidence. I explained that DFG doesn't accept declarations any more, and I couldn't sell him a license. I know he had taken the hunter safety course in the past, and hunted since he was a teenager. What would have been the best course of action for the hunter and a license agent in this situation? What can other longtime experienced hunters do if they find themselves in a similar unfortunate situation? When will DFG accept declarations again?

Answer: It is unlikely that declarations will be accepted again. However, according to DFG Sport Fishing/Waterfowl/Upland Game Program Analyst Glenn Underwood, there may be something we can do for hunters in this situation. If he applied for waterfowl or big game drawings in the past, we may have his information in our drawing database. The hunter should contact DFG's License and Revenue Branch at (916) 928-5805 and explain what happened. If they can find proof that he had a hunting license in the past, they can update his hunter education status in the database and he will be able to again purchase a hunting license.