2026 Hunting Season Setting CR-102
2026 Hunting Season Setting CR-102
All comments that are submitted below are for the proposed WAC amendments in the CR-102 2026 Hunting Season Setting.
1. WAC 220-220-080 Reduced rate combination deer hunting licenses.
The reasons for this rule change: The department is proposing these changes to WAC 220-220-080 to clarify the licensing requirements for hunter education instructor permits. This proposal is consistent with RCW 77.32.155, which encourages nonmonetary incentives to promote instructor volunteer service. Hunter Education Instructors are volunteers that contribute over 20,000 hours annually and significantly benefit the department’s mission.
2. WAC 220-220-090 Reduced Rate Combination Elk General Licenses.
The department is proposing these changes to WAC 220-220-090 to clarify the licensing requirements for hunter education instructor permits, and to codify a discount for the license and tag purchase cost. This proposal is consistent with RCW 77.32.155, which encourages nonmonetary incentives to promote instructor volunteer service. Hunter Education Instructors are volunteers that contribute over 20,000 hours annually and significantly benefit the department’s mission.
3. WAC 220-400-040 Possession of Dead Wildlife .
This proposal would clarify that possession of naturally shed antlers of deer, elk, or moose is not prohibited unless the shed antlers were retrieved, collected, or possessed while trespassing on closed public lands or department-controlled lands. This proposal also clarifies the penalties for WAC violations.
4. WAC 220-410-030 Game Management Units (GMUs) Boundary Descriptions - Region Three.
The current WAC descriptions are outdated and now reference non-existent conditions or road names. These administrative adjustments are needed to reduce public confusion and clarify hunting regulation boundaries.
5. WAC 220-412-040 Washington Raffle Hunts.
These proposed changes are associated with an audit of the department’s big game auction and raffle program conducted by the state auditor’s office review, which identified areas of the program that need improved compliance with WAC requirements. Upon review of the existing WAC language, the department recommends removing most of the prescriptive and/or outdated language specific to contract development and raffle execution. Instead, the removed prescriptive language will be incorporated into an agency guidance document that will guide program procedure. These changes will facilitate more flexibility and compliance for staff-limited non-governmental organizations that conduct raffles on behalf of the department.
6. WAC 220-412-060 Washington Auction Hunts.
These proposed changes are associated with an audit of the department’s big game auction and raffle program conducted by the state auditor’s office review, which identified areas of the program that need improved compliance with WAC requirements. Upon review of the existing WAC language, the department recommends removing most of the prescriptive and/or outdated language specific to contract development and auction execution. Instead, the removed prescriptive language will be incorporated into an agency guidance document that will guide program procedure. These changes will facilitate more flexibility and compliance for staff-limited non-governmental organizations that conduct auctions on behalf of the department.
7. WAC 220-412-090 Multi-Season Deer and Elk Tags.
WDFW previously offered these “CWD incentive” multi-season deer tags to encourage hunters to participate in CWD surveillance sampling in eastern Washington. Now that CWD sampling is mandatory in that region, these incentive tags are no longer needed.
8. WAC 220-415-030 2025 Deer Special Permits.
The rule changes to special permit levels, legal restrictions, or dates are proposed to balance hunting opportunity among user groups (i.e., hunting methodology) and with population status (e.g., increasing hunting opportunities when populations allow, reducing opportunities when declining numbers warrant reduction), to retain consistency in season timing or weekday opening/closing, and/or address specific management needs.
Reference 2026 Game Division Ungulate Proposal supplement material document.
9. WAC 220-415-060 2025 Elk Special Permits
The rule changes to special permit levels, legal restrictions, or dates are proposed to balance hunting opportunity among user groups (i.e., hunting methodology) and with population status (e.g., increasing hunting opportunities when populations allow, reducing opportunities when declining numbers warrant reduction), to retain consistency in season timing or weekday opening/closing, and/or address specific management needs.
Reference 2026 Game Division Ungulate Proposal supplement material document.
10. WAC 220-415-070 2025 Moose Seasons, Permit Quotas and Areas.
The basis for the two rule changes are as follows:
- This change is necessary to provide special hunt permits in the 2026 license year.
- This change improves access for disabled hunters while retaining hunting opportunity for youth hunters and ensuring balanced hunting pressure in the area.
Reference 2026 Game Division Ungulate Proposal supplement material document.
11. WAC 220-415-120 2025 Bighorn Sheep Seasons, Permit Quotas and Areas.
The basis for the six rule changes are as follows:
- This change is necessary to provide special hunt permits in the 2026 license year.
- This population has a relatively high number of rams and can sustain additional harvest consistent with management objectives and the need to reduce disease risk from contact with neighboring domestic sheep flocks.
- Same as rationale #2 above.
- This hunt is rotated annually among Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation. (i.e., the 2026 license year permit moves to one of the other comanagers).
- This population is above objective and can sustain additional ewe harvest, which also helps reduce disease risk from contact with neighboring domestic sheep flocks.
- This is a clerical change intended to improve understanding of hunt areas and associated regulations.
Reference 2026 Game Division Ungulate Proposal supplement material document.
12. WAC 220-415-130 2025 Mountain Goat Seasons, permit Quotas and Areas.
This change is necessary to provide special hunt permits in the 2026 license year.
13. WAC 220-416-060 2025-2026 Waterfowl and Migratory Gamebird Seasons and Regulations.
Migratory gamebird season frameworks are established through ongoing interagency management programs involving U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and flyway organizations, including input from Canada, Russia, and Mexico. Federal frameworks include maximum bag limits, season lengths, season timing, and other regulations. Pacific Flyway season frameworks follow harvest strategies and management plans that have been developed cooperatively by USFWS and the Pacific Flyway Council. All states adopt waterfowl seasons within federal frameworks, and in many cases, they are more restrictive to address regional conservation needs.
14. WAC 220-416-080 Regulated Access Area Restriction for Waterfowl, Coot and Snipe Hunting.
WDFW recently acquired property that expands the North Willapa Bay Unit of the Johns River Wildlife Area, located in Goose Management Area 2 – Coast. This property was previously held as private land and did not provide a public hunting opportunity. In this region of western Washington, this property is known for a high concentration of waterfowl, in particular Dusky Canada geese. Due to the ease of public access and the anticipated demand for waterfowl hunting on this property, this emergency rule is necessary to protect public safety and welfare. The department expects to undertake permanent rulemaking in 2026 to adopt permanent rules reflecting the rules in this filing.
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Please note: All comments received by WDFW are part of the public record and will be available for public viewing - so please do not include private information in the text of your comments. Comments are subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.