Cougar General Seasons

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Cougar walking through a snowy Washington forest, highlighting native predator species and their natural winter habitat. — A cougar moves silently through a snow-covered Washington forest, showcasing the predator’s natural behavior and winter habitat in the wild.

Photo Credit: Carl Lindgren

General Seasons:

Hunting season: Sept. 1-March 31 or when the cap is reached, whichever occurs first.
All hunters must call the Cougar Hotline at 1-866-364-4868 (press 2 after greeting) or visit WDFW's website prior to hunting to check if Cougar Hunt Areas are open or closed. Hunt area closures will be updated weekly on Thursdays.
All successful hunters must present the unfrozen hide and skull for mandatory sealing and sample collection by WDFW within 3 business days of the kill (proof of sex must be left attached).
All hunters purchasing a cougar tag must report their hunt activity (successful or unsuccessful) via the WILD system by March 31, 2026.

Hunter Requirements, Mandatory Reporting and Hide Sealing

Mandatory for All Hunters

All successful hunters must have their harvested cougar (unfrozen hide and skull) sealed by WDFW within 3 business days of the kill (proof of sex must be left attached). The skull and hide (both nonfrozen) must be presented so teeth and biological samples can be taken.

No one may possess an open WDFW cougar seal unless it has been cut by a licensed taxidermist or fur dealer who has received and invoiced the pelt for processing (WAC 220-415-050).

License/Tag Required:

A valid big game license, which includes cougar as a species option.

Bag Limit:

The statewide bag limit is one cougar per license year. A transport tag is included with a big game hunting license that has cougar as a species option.

Harvest Caps:

The cap for each Hunt Area is set within the intrinsic growth rate of 10-16%. During the cougar harvest season from Sept. 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, when a Hunt Area reaches its cap in independent-aged conflict and/or harvest mortalities, the hunt area will close to cougar harvest. Hunt area closures will be updated every Thursday during the hunting season.

Conflict mortalities of independent-aged cougars will be counted towards the cap from April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026.

Hunting Methods:

Hunters can use any legal hunt method for hunting cougar. The use of dogs for recreational hunting of cougar is prohibited statewide (RCW 77.15.245).

It is unlawful to kill or possess spotted cougar kittens (usually <80 lbs.) or adult cougars accompanied by spotted kittens.

Since cougars are solitary, observing multiple tracks likely means a female with offspring. Kitten tracks may appear similar in size to an adult, so please be sure to abide by the law (WAC 220-415-100) and don't shoot when you see two or more cats in a group.

Cougar Hunt Notes
*	A special permit to hunt deer or elk in GMU 485 is required to hunt cougar in GMU 485.

Cougar Hunt Management Unit (CHMU)	Hunt Area	Cap
1	GMU 101	10
2	GMU 105	3
3	GMUs 108, 111	4
4	GMU 113	7
5	GMU 117	5
6	GMU 121	4
7	GMU 124	3
8	GMUs 127, 130	4
9	GMUs 133, 136	5
10	GMUs 139, 142	1
11	GMUs 145, 166, 175, 178	3
12	GMUs 149, 154, 162, 163	4
13	GMUs 169, 172, 181, 186	3
14	GMU 203	6
15	GMU 204	9
16	GMUs 209, 215	5
17	GMUs 218, 231	6
18	GMU 224	3
19	GMUs 233, 239	5
20	GMUs 242, 243	6
21	GMUs 244, 246, 247	7
22	GMUs 245, 250	7
23	GMUs 248, 254, 260, 262, 266, 269	8
24	GMUs 249, 251	7
25	GMUs 272, 278, 284, 290	5
26	GMUs 328, 329, 330, 334, 335	8
27	GMUs 336, 340, 342, 346	7
28	GMUs 352, 356, 360, 364, 368	7
29	GMUs 371, 372, 373, 379, 381	3
30	GMUs 382, 388	3
31	GMU 407	6
32	GMU 418	6
33	GMUs 426, 437	9
34	GMU 448	10
35	GMU 450	3
36	GMU 454	2
37	GMU 460	7
38	GMUs 466, 485*	2
39	GMUs 501, 504, 506, 530	11
40	GMUs 503, 505, 520, 550	8
41	GMUs 510, 513	4
42	GMU 516	5
43	GMUs 524, 554, 556	3
44	GMUs 560, 572	10
45	GMU 564	1
46	GMU 568	3
47	GMU 574	2
48	GMU 578	2
49	GMUs 601, 602, 603, 612	7
50	GMUs 607, 615, 618	6
51	GMUs 621, 624	7
52	GMU 627	2
53	GMUs 633, 636, 651	8
54	GMUs 638, 642, 648	8
55	GMUs 652, 666	4
56	GMUs 653, 654	6
57	GMUs 658, 660, 663, 672, 673, 681, 684, 699	13
58	GMU 667	4