2026 Game Management Plan

The Game Management Plan (GMP) guides how the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW, the Department) manages wildlife that people hunt or trap. The Department worked with the Fish and Wildlife Commission to help identify policy-level decisions while developing the GMP. Hunting policies identified and addressed by the Commission inform the content of this and future plans.

The GMP’s primary purpose is to implement directives in the Department’s legislative mandates for managing hunted wildlife and their habitats. The legislative mandates can be found in RCW 77.04.012 and RCW 77.04.055 and include the excerpted language, “… the Department shall preserve, protect, perpetuate, and manage the wildlife…”; “the Department shall conserve the wildlife… in a manner that does not impair the resource…”; and “The Commission shall attempt to maximize the public recreational… hunting opportunities of all citizens, including juvenile, disabled, and senior citizens.” These mandates recognize that hunters will continue to play a significant role in the conservation and management of Washington’s wildlife without infringing on other diverse uses or impairing important natural resources.

The Department provides hunting opportunities for over 50 species and subspecies of birds and mammals in Washington. These species include those classified as game birds and game animals in the state, and some that are unclassified. Hunted species in Washington include migratory game birds such as ducks and geese; resident game birds such as forest grouse, pheasant, quail, and partridge; carnivores such as bear and cougar; and ungulates such as deer and elk.

Washington is home to more than eight million people, and the population is growing. Human recreation and encroachment onto, across, or near wildlife habitat can often have negative impacts that are not easily mitigated. These impacts can reduce the Department’s ability to maintain wildlife habitats and provide wildlife-related recreation. The Department stewards all wildlife species on behalf of all people in Washington and values the traditional and contemporary experiences these people seek.

The Department utilized best available science and the professional judgment of biologists as the foundation for the objectives and strategies identified in this plan. At times, science may not be as definitive as managers would like to inform decisions or recommendations. In those instances, management actions may be more conservative to minimize the potential for negative impacts on hunted wildlife. This plan focuses on the science and management of hunted species and identifies how the Department will monitor those populations to ensure the perpetuation of these species over the long term.