Hunting in Washington

From the bays and inlets of Puget Sound to the temperate rainforests of the west, the high mountain ranges around the state, and the agricultural basins of the east and south, the state of Washington is rugged and beautiful, with varied habitats supporting a wide variety of big game species. The state mammal of Washington is the Roosevelt elk, and the Olympic Peninsula in the northwest part of the state holds the largest number of these animals to be found anywhere. Rocky Mountain elk are also hunted in the mountain ranges east of the Cascades crest. Washington state also has four varieties of deer. Columbian black-tailed deer are the most common, found from the crest of the Cascades west to the ocean, preferring brushy, logged areas and coniferous forests. Rocky Mountain mule deer inhabit areas east of the Cascades, especially open forests and sagebrush meadows. White-tailed deer occur on farmlands in eastern Washington, in low-elevation river corridors, and near cities and towns. Columbian white-tailed deer, a protected species and not currently huntable, are found in limited numbers along the lower Columbia River. Popular hunts in Washington also include black bears and mountain lions. Goats, sheep, moose, and turkeys are available by special permit. Hunting for small game, upland birds, and waterfowl is also excellent in most of the state, with eastern Washington especially well known for ducks and geese. Learn more at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/.