This is Washington's published 2026-27 season, the whole state at once. A pin reads its game management unit off the map and cuts this to the seasons, arms and limits that apply there.
Washington deer seasons
2026-27
1 antlered deer per licence year. "One (1) deer per hunter during the license year except for holders of second deer special permits and tags, or where otherwise permitted by department rule." A second deer tag is $68.48 for a resident and $356.90 for a non-resident and is available only by special permit. What counts as a legal deer is set per block: in western Washington it is usually any buck or any deer, and across most of eastern Washington a buck must carry at least three antler points on one side. Pamphlet, printed pp. 23-25.
Archery Deer
Archery equipmentPrinted in 35 columns — check which covers your game management unit.September in every open unit, and a second run from late November into December in most of the west.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 31 December
Sep 1–25Either sexNov 25 – Dec 31Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September
Sep 1–20Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 21 November to 30 November, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Either sexNov 21–30Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–20Either sexNov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September, 25 November to 8 December
Sep 1–20Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–20Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Either sexSep 1–25Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September, 1 September to 22 September
Sep 1–20Antlered onlySep 1–22Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September, 1 September to 22 September, 20 November to 8 December
Sep 1–20Antlered onlySep 1–22Antlered onlyNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 20 November to 8 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Either sexNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 10 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Antlered onlyNov 10 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 20 November to 8 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Antlered onlyNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Either sexNov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 21 November to 30 November
Sep 1–25Antlered onlySep 1–25Either sexNov 21–30Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Either sexSep 1–25Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
25 November to 8 December
Nov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 20 November to 8 December
Sep 1–25Either sexSep 1–25Either sexNov 20 – Dec 8Either sexNov 20 – Dec 8Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 1 December to 8 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlyDec 1–8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 8 December
Sep 1–25Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Either sexNov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–25Either sexNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 1–20Either sexNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September
Sep 1–20Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 20 September
Sep 1–20Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
1 September to 25 September
Sep 1–25Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
- "Archery Only. Archery tag holders can only hunt during archery seasons and must hunt with archery equipment." Mechanical broadheads are legal.
- Early archery deer overlaps the modern firearm high buck hunt in the wilderness areas, and overlaps antlerless second-deer permit hunts in GMUs 411-415, 420 and 422 — which allow any legal hunt method, so expect rifles there.
- Washington runs black-tailed, white-tailed and mule deer as separate seasons with separate dates, and one GMU can be in two or three of them. Every block below says which deer it is for and what the legal deer is.
- "3 pt. min." means a buck with at least three antler points on one side, not counting the eye guard. It is the rule across most of eastern Washington and it is the difference between a legal deer and a citation.
- Four hundred square inches of fluorescent hunter orange or fluorescent hunter pink is required of anyone hunting wildlife, except migratory birds, in a place and at a time open to a non-master-hunter modern firearm general deer or elk season — so an archer or a muzzleloader hunter out on those dates needs it too. It must be worn above the waist and be visible from all sides; a hat alone does not count. Printed p. 12.
- Legal hunting hours are half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The pamphlet prints a two-column table for western and eastern Washington, but says in its own footnote that those are the hours the rule gives; the times here are computed for the pin instead. Printed p. 21.
- Report your hunting activity by 31 January 2027, whether or not you harvested. The penalty for not reporting is $10 and it blocks nothing else — but it is charged. Printed p. 12.
Muzzleloader Deer
Muzzleloader, crossbow or archery equipmentPrinted in 20 columns — check which covers your game management unit.A nine-day early season, 26 September to 4 October, and a late season through the first half of December in the west.
26 September to 4 October, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Either sexNov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October, 25 November to 8 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October, 25 November to 15 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
25 November to 15 December
Nov 25 – Dec 15Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October, 25 November to 8 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
20 November to 8 December
Nov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October, 20 November to 8 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyNov 20 – Dec 8Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October, 25 November to 8 December
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlySep 26 – Oct 4Either sexNov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 8Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
25 November to 8 December
Nov 25 – Dec 8Antlered onlyNov 25 – Dec 8Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
20 November to 30 November
Nov 20–30Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
25 November to 15 December
Nov 25 – Dec 15Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
26 September to 4 October
Sep 26 – Oct 4Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
- "Muzzleloader tag holders can only hunt during muzzleloader seasons and must hunt with muzzleloader, crossbow, or archery equipment." The crossbow allowance is on the muzzleloader tag, not the archery one.
- Late muzzleloader deer overlaps late archery deer in GMUs 407, 410-417, 419-422, 448, 454, 460, 564, 654, 666 and 667.
- Washington runs black-tailed, white-tailed and mule deer as separate seasons with separate dates, and one GMU can be in two or three of them. Every block below says which deer it is for and what the legal deer is.
- "3 pt. min." means a buck with at least three antler points on one side, not counting the eye guard. It is the rule across most of eastern Washington and it is the difference between a legal deer and a citation.
- Four hundred square inches of fluorescent hunter orange or fluorescent hunter pink is required of anyone hunting wildlife, except migratory birds, in a place and at a time open to a non-master-hunter modern firearm general deer or elk season — so an archer or a muzzleloader hunter out on those dates needs it too. It must be worn above the waist and be visible from all sides; a hat alone does not count. Printed p. 12.
- Legal hunting hours are half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The pamphlet prints a two-column table for western and eastern Washington, but says in its own footnote that those are the hours the rule gives; the times here are computed for the pin instead. Printed p. 21.
- Report your hunting activity by 31 January 2027, whether or not you harvested. The penalty for not reporting is $10 and it blocks nothing else — but it is charged. Printed p. 12.
Modern Firearm Deer
Modern firearm, archery, muzzleloader or crossbowPrinted in 10 columns — check which covers your game management unit.The main season: mid-October across the state, and a late run in the west in the third week of November.
17 October to 1 November, 19 November to 22 November
Oct 17 – Nov 1Either sexNov 19–22Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 27 October
Oct 17–27Antlered onlyOct 17–27Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 1 November, 19 November to 22 November
Oct 17 – Nov 1Antlered onlyNov 19–22Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 27 October
Oct 17–27Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 27 October, 17 October to 30 October, 7 November to 19 November
Oct 17–27Antlered onlyOct 17–30Antlered onlyNov 7–19Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 27 October
Oct 17–27Antlered onlyOct 17–27Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 1 November
Oct 17 – Nov 1Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 27 October, 17 October to 30 October
Oct 17–27Antlered onlyOct 17–30Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 27 October
Oct 17–27Antlered onlyOct 17–27Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
17 October to 1 November
Oct 17 – Nov 1Antlered onlyOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
- "Modern firearm tag holders can only hunt during modern firearm seasons and may use archery, muzzleloader, crossbow, or modern firearm equipment." The tag fixes the dates; the weapon is your choice within them.
- Hunter orange or fluorescent pink is required, and it is required of everyone hunting in the area, not only of firearm hunters.
- The high buck hunts — 15-25 September, three-point minimum — run in the Alpine Lakes, Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Pasayten, Olympic Peninsula and Henry Jackson Wilderness Areas and the Lake Chelan Recreation Area. They are wilderness-area hunts rather than GMU hunts and are not drawn on the map here.
- It is unlawful to hunt bobcat or raccoon at night during the October and November modern firearm deer and elk general seasons, and unlawful to use dogs on raccoon during them.
- Washington runs black-tailed, white-tailed and mule deer as separate seasons with separate dates, and one GMU can be in two or three of them. Every block below says which deer it is for and what the legal deer is.
- "3 pt. min." means a buck with at least three antler points on one side, not counting the eye guard. It is the rule across most of eastern Washington and it is the difference between a legal deer and a citation.
- Legal hunting hours are half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The pamphlet prints a two-column table for western and eastern Washington, but says in its own footnote that those are the hours the rule gives; the times here are computed for the pin instead. Printed p. 21.
- Report your hunting activity by 31 January 2027, whether or not you harvested. The penalty for not reporting is $10 and it blocks nothing else — but it is charged. Printed p. 12.
Youth Modern Firearm Deer
Modern firearm, archery, muzzleloader or crossbowPrinted in 2 columns — check which covers your game management unit.Two youth general seasons in the north-east, in the week the adult season is open.
24 October to 27 October
Oct 24–27Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
24 October to 30 October
Oct 24–30Either sexOne deer per hunter for the licence year, unless you hold a second deer special permit and tag.
- A youth is a resident or non-resident under 16 at the time of licence purchase, and pays a reduced licence fee.
- GMU 124 is any deer for a youth in that week; GMUs 127 through 142 are three-point minimum or antlerless, which is the only antlerless general deer hunting in eastern Washington.
- Four hundred square inches of fluorescent hunter orange or fluorescent hunter pink is required of anyone hunting wildlife, except migratory birds, in a place and at a time open to a non-master-hunter modern firearm general deer or elk season — so an archer or a muzzleloader hunter out on those dates needs it too. It must be worn above the waist and be visible from all sides; a hat alone does not count. Printed p. 12.
- Legal hunting hours are half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The pamphlet prints a two-column table for western and eastern Washington, but says in its own footnote that those are the hours the rule gives; the times here are computed for the pin instead. Printed p. 21.
- Report your hunting activity by 31 January 2027, whether or not you harvested. The penalty for not reporting is $10 and it blocks nothing else — but it is charged. Printed p. 12.
New This Season
What changed since last year, and is therefore easiest to get wrong.
- Baiting regulations for deer and elk have been adopted; see printed p. 76.
- Licences and tags can now be held in the MyWDFW mobile app, and a transport tag may be recorded from the app on durable waterproof material affixed to the carcass instead of a printed paper tag.
- Mechanical broadheads are legal for archery hunting.
- The pamphlet's corrections sheet, last updated 21 May 2026, revises a number of elk special permit hunts, one permit count and the tag column of three antlerless elk hunts. No deer season is affected.
Legal Arms
2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules weapon specifications, as the digest prints them.
Archery equipment
Printed pp. 24 and 75
- A bow, on an archery tag in an archery season.
- Mechanical broadheads.
- A crossbow on an archery tag — the crossbow allowance is on the muzzleloader and modern firearm tags.
- Hunting an archery season on a modern firearm or muzzleloader tag.
Muzzleloader, crossbow or archery equipment
Printed pp. 25 and 75
- A muzzleloader, a crossbow or archery equipment, on a muzzleloader tag in a muzzleloader season.
- A modern firearm on a muzzleloader tag.
- Hunting a muzzleloader season on an archery or modern firearm tag.
Modern firearm, archery, muzzleloader or crossbow
Printed pp. 23 and 75
- Any of the four, on a modern firearm tag in a modern firearm season.
- Hunting a modern firearm season on an archery or muzzleloader tag.
- Modern firearm equipment anywhere in a Commission-designated firearm restriction area — see printed p. 80 for the list by county.
Hunting Hours and Orange
What the state defines as legal light, and what has to be worn in it.
Legal Shooting Hours
Printed p. 21
"These are lawful hunting hours (one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset) for game animals and forest grouse during established seasons." The pamphlet prints a week-by-week table with separate columns for western and eastern Washington; the rule it tabulates is the half-hour offset, so the times here are computed for the pin, which is closer than either column. Bobcat and raccoon are exempt from hunting hours; turkey closes at sunset.
Fluorescent Orange
Printed p. 12
400 square inches, worn above the waist and visible from all sides — a hat alone does not count Required of anyone hunting big game, except bear and cougar, with modern firearm equipment at any time; and required of anyone hunting wildlife other than migratory birds at a time and in a place open to a non-master-hunter modern firearm general deer or elk season. That second rule is the one archers and muzzleloader hunters miss: your own season does not have to be a firearm season for the requirement to reach you. Fluorescent hunter pink counts the same as orange.
Sundays
No day-of-week closure appears in the 2026 big game pamphlet
Washington closes no day of the week to hunting. A season that is open is open on Sunday.
Standing Rules
The parts of the digest that are true every day of the season.
The tag is the weapon
Printed pp. 23-25
Washington sells one deer licence and asks you to pick a weapon for the tag. That choice fixes which of the three general seasons you may hunt, not just what you may carry.
A modern firearm tag holder may hunt with archery, muzzleloader, crossbow or modern firearm equipment — but only on modern firearm dates. An archery tag holder must use archery equipment and may only hunt archery seasons. A muzzleloader tag holder may use muzzleloader, crossbow or archery equipment, on muzzleloader dates.
- A transport tag can be exchanged for a different area or hunt method before 1 September (archery), 20 September (muzzleloader) or 10 October (modern firearm).
- The multi-season tag is the only way to hunt all three, and it is drawn.
Legal deer
Printed pp. 13 and 23-25
"Antler Point-Deer: A projection of any part of the antler measuring at least one (1) inch" — the pamphlet's own definition, printed p. 13.
A three-point minimum means at least three points on one side. It applies across most of eastern Washington and to black-tailed deer in GMU 578.
- "Any buck" and "3 pt. min." are antlered only.
- "Any deer" and "3 pt. min. or antlerless" allow a doe.
- Columbian white-tailed deer are protected and may not be harvested; they have been transplanted into GMU 564 and now occur there.
Firearm restrictions, closures and night hunting
Printed pp. 21, 23 and 79-80
- Hunting bobcat or raccoon at night during the October and November modern firearm deer and elk general seasons in eastern and western Washington.
- Hunting raccoon with dogs during those seasons.
- Hunting big game with the aid of an artificial light, spotlight or night vision equipment — including electronic light amplification and thermal imaging.
- Hunting coyote at night during those modern firearm deer and elk seasons, though coyote may otherwise be hunted at night with lights year round.
- Night hunting for bobcat in GMUs 101, 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 203, 204, 215, 218, 224, 231, 233, 242-247, 250, 426 and 450.
Tagging and Reporting
The clock that starts the moment the deer is down.
Printed pp. 12 and 23
Every deer must be reported by 31 January 2027, whether or not you hunted or harvested.
- Report through the MyWDFW app, online at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, or by calling 360-902-2464.
- One report is owed for each transport tag and for each special permit awarded.
- Failing to report costs a $10 non-reporting administrative penalty.
Chronic Wasting Disease
Background, and the rules that apply if you carry a carcass out of a management area.
Printed p. 60
Chronic wasting disease was first confirmed in Washington in north Spokane County in August 2024. Carcass transport out of the 100-series GMUs — WDFW's Region 1, the north-east corner — is restricted under WAC 220-413-030, and so is bringing a carcass into the state from anywhere.
- A whole carcass may not leave the 100-series GMUs, and may not be brought into Washington from another state or province.
- What may move: meat de-boned where it was taken; any part of the skull and antlers with all soft tissue removed, velvet included; hides or capes with no head attached; finished taxidermy mounts; and permitted research tissue.
- The same rules apply to salvaged deer and elk.
- Violation is a gross misdemeanour with a maximum $5,000 fine or a year in jail.
- If another state tells you an animal you took there has tested positive, you must tell WDFW within 24 hours.
- Preferred disposal is to debone at the kill site and leave the inedible parts there. Do not put harvest waste in curbside organic or compost bins.
Where This App Is Coarser Than the Digest
Said plainly, because an absence is easy to read as a permission.
- The high buck hunts are not on the map. They run 15-25 September in the Alpine Lakes, Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Pasayten, Olympic Peninsula and Henry Jackson Wilderness Areas and the Lake Chelan Recreation Area, three-point minimum, for modern firearm and muzzleloader tag holders alike. Those are wilderness boundaries, not GMU boundaries, and the pamphlet does not say which GMUs they fall in.
- Deer Areas are not drawn. Several rows key on a Deer Area rather than a GMU — 3334, 3372, 3682 and 6020 — and those are sub-unit boundaries described in prose on printed pp. 95 onward. Their rows are left out rather than applied to the whole GMU.
- Special permit hunts are not carried. Quality, buck, antlerless, second deer, youth, 65-and-older, disability and master hunter permit hunts run on their own dates in their own units, printed pp. 27-38; only the general seasons are here.
- The rut date is an estimate. WDFW publishes no peak breeding figure.
- Firearm restriction areas are not drawn. A GMU may sit inside a Commission-designated firearm restriction area or a local ordinance closure; the pamphlet lists them by county on printed p. 80.
Useful Numbers
The agency, when the app cannot answer it.
- WDFW licensing
- (360) 902-2464, [email protected], or 1-866-246-9453 to buy by telephone.
- Hunting activity report
- MyWDFW app, fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, or 360-902-2464.
- Hunt Planner web map
- wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations
Transcribed from the published 2026-27 Washington digest. Where this app and the digest disagree, the digest is the law. Read the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife digest.