2020 Washington State Hunting Prospects

To help hunters prepare for a successful hunting season, wildlife biologists for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) consulted their local sources and contributed their personal observations about hunting prospects throughout the state.

How to use the hunting prospects

For management purposes, WDFW has six regions and divided into 17 wildlife districts. Each district has at least one biologist who is responsible for monitoring local wildlife populations and recommending appropriate seasons. These recommendations are based on past hunter success, weather, fire, and changing ownership policies. The professional observations are rolled into district predictions about what this year's hunting seasons may bring.

We encourage hunters to spend some time reviewing the information for every district, not just your traditional hunting areas. Washington has a wide diversity of habitats and game populations. The Hunting Prospects report is an important source of information for planning your 2020-21 hunts, and you may gain some new insights into new locations and new species to hunt.

We have also developed detailed how-to articles on several hunting subjects. For information on how and where to hunt waterfowl in Washington, see "Let's Go WaterFowling." If your interests are more toward upland bird hunting, you don't want to miss "Upland Bird Hunting In Washington." If you are looking for places to hunt, start with our "Places to go hunting" page. Finally, get yourself ready by studying "How to Prepare for the Hunting Season."