Deer General Information

To Hunt Deer in Washington:

1. Purchase a big game hunting license with deer as a species option. See License Fees.
2. Choose the appropriate deer transport tag for one of the following hunting methods: modern firearm, muzzleloader, or archery. New transport rules apply, see Chronic Wasting Disease for more information.
3. The general season dates for the hunting method you have chosen are listed on this page. Hunt only the seasons outlined for the hunting method on your tag.
4. You may apply for hunts that are open to hunters by special permit only. You may choose special permit hunt choices listed for the hunting method for your tag. See Deer Special Permits for the list of available permit hunts. See special permit application instructions.
5. When you are finished hunting, you must report your hunting activity online through the WDFW FishHunt system or by calling 360-902-2464. See Win Your Dream Hunt page for more information.

Definitions:

3-Point Minimum: A legal deer taken in these GMUs must have at least 3 antler points on one side. A 3x3, 3x2, or 3x1 are legal in a 3-point minimum unit. An antler point must be at least one inch to be counted. See diagram on below.

Antler Points: To qualify as a point on a deer, an antler point must be at least one-inch long, measured on it's longest side. See diagram below.

Antlerless: Deer without antlers. Doe or fawn deer are antlerless.

Any Buck: Any deer with visible antlers may be taken (fawns are illegal).

Black-tailed Deer: Any black-tailed/mule deer (species Odocoileus hemionus) found west of a line drawn from the Canadian border south on the Pacific Crest Trail and along the Yakama Indian Reservation boundary in Yakima County to the Klickitat River; south down Klickitat River to the Columbia River.

Mule Deer: Any member of black-tailed/mule deer (species Odocoileus hemionus) found east of a line drawn from the Canadian border south on the Pacific Crest Trail and along the Yakama Indian Reservation boundary in Yakima County to the Klickitat River; south down Klickitat River to the Columbia River.

White-tailed Deer: Any white-tailed deer (member of the species Odocoileus virginianus), except the Columbian White-tailed Deer (species Odocoileus virginianus leucurus).

Hunter Prospects:

Check the WDFW hunting prospects page each August for updated hunting information.