The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted 2017-18 hunting season rules and approved land transactions during a public meeting today in Spokane.
The commission, a nine member citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), adopted hunting rules that are mostly similar to the past two years.
Some of the significant rule changes adopted will reduce hunter harvest of deer and elk in several areas of the state – especially in eastern Washington – where harsh winter conditions took a toll on those populations. Those changes include:
- A reduction in modern firearm special permits for antlerless elk in the Yakima, Colockum, and Mount St. Helens herds.
- A reduction in white-tailed deer hunts in northeast Washington for senior hunters.
- Switching some northeast game management units late archery deer hunts from “any white-tailed deer” to “any white-tailed buck.”
- A reduction in antlerless special permit opportunity for mule deer in Chelan and Okanogan counties.
Other hunting rule changes increase the daily limit for white-fronted geese and white geese in response to the growing abundance of those species, and restore points to hunters who draw permits for damage hunts administered by a hunt coordinator but are not called to participate.
The 2017-18 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet with all the rule details will be available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ and at WDFW offices and hunting license vendors across the state later this month. Special big game hunting permit application deadline is May 24.
The 2017-18 Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet will be available later this spring.