State hunting seasons for deer, some species of game birds and small game got underway Sunday (Sept. 1) and others will come on line later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Archery hunts for deer and seasons on forest grouse, mourning dove, cottontail rabbit, and snowshoe hare all opened Sept 1. Other seasons set to open this month include archery hunts for elk, high-buck hunts and muzzleloader hunts for deer, and a turkey hunt in some areas of eastern Washington.
A youth-only hunt for ducks, geese, pheasant and other game birds runs Sept. 21-22 statewide. To participate, hunters must be 15 years old or younger and be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old who is not hunting. Area-by-area summaries of the hunting prospects throughout the state are available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/. Hunters can see what private lands are open to hunting through several WDFW agreement programs – Feel Free to Hunt, Register to Hunt, Hunting by Written Permission, and this year’s new Hunt by Reservation – all detailed at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/hunting_access/private_lands/.
With several wildfires burning in eastern Washington, hunters are cautioned to be especially careful to avoid any action that might spark a blaze. Updates on fire conditions are available on the Washington Department of Natural Resources website at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
