Sept. 1 marked the beginning of archery deer season, the first major hunting season of the year. And while salmon move to a calendar all their own, an estimated run of 1.5 million chinook and hundreds of thousands of Coho are moving up the Columbia River according to sources at the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Along with archery deer, seasons for forest grouse, mourning dove, cottontail rabbit, and snowshoe hare also opened Sept. 1. Later this month archery hunts for elk, muzzleloader hunts for deer, and turkey hunting in some areas of eastern Washington open.
Area-by-area summaries of hunting prospects throughout the state are available on WDFW’s website at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects. The site includes information on the effects of this summer’s wildfires on hunting opportunities in the Okanogan, said Dave Ware, WDFW’s statewide game manager.
A youth-only hunt for ducks, geese, pheasant and other game birds runs Sept. 20 – 21 statewide. Hunters must be 15 years old or younger and be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old who is not hunting.
