7.10 Typical Bowhunting Seasons

Early archery seasons for deer hunting usually begin early in September, depending upon the unit. The length of the early archery seasons may vary from unit to unit, with some units open as long as one month. There are also late archery seasons for deer hunting. Not all game management units are open to archery hunting during the early or late seasons, so bowhunters must review the annual hunting pamphlet for season dates.

Early archery seasons for elk usually begin in September or early October, depending upon the unit being hunted. Bowhunters typically have 11-14 days of hunting opportunity during the early archery season.

In addition to early seasons, special late seasons also are available for elk hunting. Not all units are open during the early or late archery elk seasons, so bowhunters must review the annual hunting pamphlet for open seasons, dates, and units. In addition to deer and elk seasons, there are usually special permits available for goat, sheep, and moose hunting. These permits require special applications, and hunters are selected by lottery. The number of permits and the season dates vary annually.

Bear hunting is another popular hunting activity with bowhunters. There is no special, separate bear season for bowhunters.

Small game hunting is also quite popular with bowhunters in Washington State. Seasons and bag limits can change each year.