How old is "old enough" to hunt in Washington?

As Skagit County prosecutors announced their intentions to file criminal charges against a 14-year-old boy who fatally shot a hiker when he mistook her for a bear, a leading state legislator is pushing for tougher restrictions on juvenile hunters.

Rich Weyrich, the county's prosecuting attorney, said Tuesday the boy's actions on Aug. 2 "fit the definition of recklessness" and he will likely be charged with first-degree manslaughter. The boy from Concrete could face up to nine months in juvenile detention if convicted as charged, prosecutors said.

Weyrich said charges would be filed against the boy on Thursday or Friday.

More than 5,200 "big game" hunting licenses have been issued by the state in the first seven months of this year to children age 15 and younger, and that number is expected to grow during the fall hunting season.

More than 600 of those licenses were awarded to kids 10 and under, state records show. And statewide, there are more than 50 "big game" licenses granted to children 8 and younger.

In Skagit County, where the accident happened, more than 110 such licenses are held by kids 15 and younger, while in King County the number is more than 250.

The 14-year-old boy was hunting bear with his 16-year-old brother when the shooting occurred. Pamela Almli, 54, an experienced hiker from the Snohomish County community of Oso, was shot in the head on a marked hiking trail as she bent over to put an item into her backpack.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, released a statement on Tuesday saying she would look into state-law remedies that could prevent similar tragedies.

"When teens had higher accident and fatality rates than other drivers, the Legislature created the Graduated Driver's Licenses requirement so teens could become safer and better drivers. I'm working with Senate staff attorneys to determine the merits of creating a similar program for hunting," said Kohl-Welles.

The state allows 14-year-olds to hunt without adult supervision as long as they are licensed and have completed a hunting-safety course, while age restrictions are placed on target shooting, Kohl-Welles said.

The boy who shot Almli had taken a hunting class when he was 9.

"This discrepancy doesn't make sense. It's just not reasonable to allow a child younger than 14 to hunt while requiring an age restriction of 14 and above to target shoot," she said in her statement.

In deciding on filing charges against the boy, Weyrich said the teen failed to follow basic guidelines in the state's hunting-safety manual. In particular, Weyrich said, the boy failed to positively verify his target and what lay beyond it before pulling the trigger.

Authorities are not releasing the identify of the boy, who will be charged as a juvenile.

Almli's family said she had been wearing a bright-blue parka when she set out on a hike on Aug. 2, but The Associated Press reported that she was putting the jacket into her pack when she was shot.

Almli's family, reached by telephone Tuesday, had no comment.

Police said the boy fired a .270-caliber rifle from about 120 yards away.

Both the boy and his brother told investigators with the Skagit County Sheriff's Office that they were "convinced" they were looking at a bear, said Chief Deputy Will Reichardt.

The accident caused an uproar among hikers, hunters and other users of the outdoors who discussed the tragedy in online forums for much of last week.

Officials with the state Fish and Wildlife Department said last week they are considering extending hunter-education practices and possibly recommending age restrictions for hunters.

Fish and Wildlife officials also said they will examine ways to separate hunters and hikers with increased warning signs, staggered recreation times and temporary closure of certain areas to some recreational users.

"As the state's population grows, and use of outdoor recreational areas increases, we must be sure we're doing everything we can to protect all users," said Fish and Wildlife Director Jeff Koenings.

Many members of the state's hunting communities expressed sorrow for the young hunter and his family while at the same time condemning the boy's hasty and deadly action.

One man wrote to a newspaper to describe his own experiences with "buck fever" when he was a youngster and described how his father made him carry an unloaded rifle through several seasons until he outgrew his trigger-happy finger.

Others wrote to urge the adoption of "hunter orange" clothing for everyone during hunting seasons.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com

Seattle Times staff reporter Justin Mayo contributed to this report.