Latest Washington big game hunting regulations and special hunt applications now available April 18, 2025 Nisqually Valley News
... Prohibiting baiting and the use of scent lures derived from cervid urine or glandular materials for hunting statewide. Banning feeding deer, elk or moose statewide Finally, the rules include mandatory CWD testing of harvested and salvaged cervids in any WDFW region where CWD has been detected ...
Wildlife advocates decry Washington wolf population decline April 14, 2025 KiowaCountyPress.net
... a new report from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife showing the state's wolf population fell nearly 10 percent last year. ... also showed the number of successful breeding pairs, a key population indicator, dropped 25 percent last year..,
WA Senate approves 38% price hike in hunting, fishing licenses — first since 2011 April 1, 2025 Washington, Queen Anne & Magnolia News
... The standard big game combination, with tags for deer, elk, bear and cougar, currently costs $85 for residents, but SB 5583 would raise that to $117.30. Meanwhile, seniors would pay $39.88...
Washington state approves new rules to prevent spread of chronic wasting disease March 28, 2025 KHQ
... The rules also ban feeding deer, elk and moose statewide including baiting while hunting. Additionally, mandatory CWD testing will be required for harvested and salvaged cervids in any WDFW region where the disease is detected..,
Washington state nearing decision on chronic wasting disease rules March 20, 2025 My Clallam County
... Most proposals have drawn little to no controversy, such as the expansion of carcass transport restrictions and mandatory testing for hunter-killed and salvaged elk, deer and moose. But the agency’s proposals to ban feeding those animals and using bait to hunt them have people riled up...
Seasonal resource selection and migration of mule deer in an agricultural landscape - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2025
... We examined seasonal resource selection, migration, and survival of female mule deer in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion of southeastern Washington, USA, which is dominated by row‐crop agriculture... Mule deer used different components of the landscape mosaic seasonally, selecting vertical cover during summer fawn rearing
and areas with young wheat and broad leaved forbs during winter. Regardless of season and scale, intact (grassland and shrubland) or restored (CRP) cover types were most selected, demonstrating the importance of increasing both CRP and native cover for deer in agricultural landscapes...
Statewide bans on baiting, feeding wildlife proposed to help fight CWD February 23, 2025 Washington, The Lewiston Tribune
... Statewide bans on feeding wildlife and using bait to hunt big game are among a suite of rules proposed to help Washington limit the spread of chronic wasting disease long into the future... The proposals are open for public comment with public hearings planned for March...
Public comment periods open for Washington hunting season, wildlife feeding proposals February 5, 2025 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - | WA.gov
... proposed hunting season rule changes as part of the Department’s annual hunting season setting process... also accepting public comment on proposed rules meant to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), including a proposal to implement a statewide deer, elk, and moose feeding ban in Washington... Full descriptions of each proposed rule change are available on WDFW’s rule making webpage ...
Methow Valley Mule deer herd looks healthy heading into the winter January 8, 2025 Washington, Methow Valley News
... the past year’s mild winter and relatively uneventful fire season ... A deer survey to determine the ratio of fawns to does, conducted Dec. 2–5, found 83 6-month-olds for every 100 adult females ... The last time does were this productive was back in 2005, when the fawn-to-doe ratio was 84 to 100..,
New study will help biologists learn more about Washington black-tailed deer populations January 8, 2025 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - WA.gov
... Black-tailed deer are hard to survey because of the densely vegetated habitat they live in ... WDFW will use a variety of technologies to test the best ways to monitor Washington’s black-tailed deer. GPS collars will provide researchers with real-time locations of collared deer, while trail cameras can take photos and videos showing which deer were in the area. Proximity sensors deployed in the study area will let researchers know when a collared deer approaches within a certain distance of a trail camera, even if the camera doesn’t capture footage of the deer...
Director's statement on deer, elk, and moose rehabilitation in Eastern Washington January 6, 2025 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - WA.gov
In an effort to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and consistent with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) CWD Management Plan, the Department will no longer allow permitted wildlife rehabilitators to accept deer, elk, or moose for rehabilitation in WDFW’s Eastern Region...
Most comments back mule deer closures December 19, 2024 Washington, Methow Valley News
... , WDFW said, “Due to the effects of climate change, including catastrophic wildfire, mule deer winter range has been on the decline. Simultaneously, year-round recreation has been on the rise. Therefore, there is less quality habitat available for wildlife and more human disturbance during those critical winter and early spring months.”...
WDFW confirms four new cases of chronic wasting disease in eastern Washington December 19, 2024 Washington, KREM on MSN
... Four new cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) have been confirmed in Eastern Washington, three in Spokane County and one in Pend Oreille County, bringing the total number of cases in Washington state to six..,
Second chronic wasting disease case confirmed in Spokane County November 15, 2024 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - WA.gov
... The hunter harvested the deer close to where Washington’s first case of CWD was confirmed this summer in the Fairwood area of Spokane County... “The public can track confirmed cases of CWD on the Department’s CWD web page,” ..,
Deer drama: Tangled buck rescued from electric fence in Clark County October 21, 2024 Washington, KIRO Seattle on MSN.com
... WDFW officers arrived, tranquilized the deer, removed the fence, and tagged the deer before waking it up...
Bull elk found in Pasco safely relocated by Department of Fish and Wildlife September 26, 2024 Washington, Tri-Cities/Yakima News & Weather
... Due to the elk being so close to the highway ... The elk was safely relocated to a wildlife refuge ...
Blue Mountain deer, elk still limited by poor weather and predators September 26, 2024 Washington, Lewiston Tribune
... The elk herd there was hit with severe weather in the winters of 2016-17 and 2018-19. Drought conditions in 2015 and 2021 added to the problem. And elk calf survival has been at record low numbers over the past few years... on whitetail and mule deer. In addition, periodic outbreaks of blue tongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease, especially in 2021, have led to population declines ...
WDFW bans wildlife feeding in parts of Spokane County to slow spread of chronic wasting disease September 12, 2024 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
... In an effort to manage the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) passed an emergency rule banning the feeding of deer, elk, and moose in parts of the Department’s Eastern Region 1. ... report sick or dead deer, elk, or moose to WDFW...
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife sees uptick in calls about lumps on deer September 10, 2024 Washington, MyNorthwest.com
... the growths seen on deer are not a symptom of CWD and do not impact a deer’s health. “They’re similar to warts, cysts, moles, etc. that we get as humans in that they are externally visible but not generally a health threat,” ...
State Implements Emergency Measures Following First Confirmed Case of CWD in E. WA August 23, 2024 Washington, Source ONE News
... mandatory CWD testing for any deer or elk salvaged within ... Game Management Units (GMUs) 124, 127, and 130 ... it is now unlawful to hunt for deer, elk, and moose using any form of bait, including natural or synthetic scents derived from cervid urine or glandular extracts, which are commonly used to attract these animals ...
WDFW Police Seek Information on Wounded Deer in Aberdeen August 19, 2024 Washington, Big Country News
... After several days of searching ... They removed the crossbow bolt, which appears to have come from a pistol crossbow, and the deer recovered quickly, returning to its feet shortly after waking from anesthesia ...
Mama deer wandered for days with an object on foot — until WA rescuers called to help August 8, 2024 Washington, Bradenton Herald on MSN
... The black-tailed doe had a metal clamp on her foot “likely causing pain as she walked ... After sedating her, wildlife conflict specialist Cole Janowski was able to remove the metal ...
Focus turns to understanding scope of chronic wasting disease outbreak in area deer August 5, 2024 Washington, The Spokesman-Review
... Last week’s announcement made Washington the 35th state to discover the disease. The state has been looking for it for years and ramped up its testing program in 2021 after Idaho confirmed its first case... A landowner found the deer that tested positive on their private property in February ...
First chronic wasting disease case confirmed in Spokane County August 1, 2024 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington’s first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in an adult female white-tailed deer that was found dead in the Fairwood area of north Spokane... WDFW has been testing for CWD in Washington since 1995..,
Gray wolves could fall off Washington state endangered list July 16, 2024 Axios
... Washington's wolf population increased every year for the last 15 years and rose 20% in 2023 over 2022, according to a WDFW report released this year, with a count of 260 wolves in 42 packs... Wolves began repopulating Washington in 2008, crossing first from the Canadian border into the state and later from Idaho, according to University of Washington research published last month...
Wolves' return has had only small impact on deer populations in Washington state, study shows July 10, 2024 Washington, Phys.org on MSN.com
... In a paper published June 18 in Ecological Applications, the team reports that the biggest factors shaping white-tailed deer populations in northeast Washington are the quality of habitat available and a different, long-established large predator in the state: the cougar, also known as the mountain lion or puma. Wolves were a distant third in their impact..,
Cougar Overhunting May Increase Human-Cougar Conflicts June 25, 2024 Wasington, Statesman Examiner
... In 2020, the Commission expanded cougar hunter permits, increasing the number of cougars that hunters could kill each year to roughly 373 out of an estimated population of 2,000 ... April 2024, commissioners voted 5 to 3, with one abstention, to develop a rule that would cap all human-caused cougar mortality at 13% of population in each PMU...,
White-tailed deer population dynamics in a multipredator landscape shaped by humans June 18, 2024 Washington, Ecological Applications
… In northeastern Washington state … we observed a stable to declining deer population … We found that the population growth rate was dually influenced by a negative direct effect of apex predators and a positive effect of timber harvest and agricultural areas. Cougars had a stronger effect on deer population dynamics than wolves, and mesopredators had little influence on the deer population growth rate. Areas of recent timber harvest had 55% more forage biomass than older forests … a reduction in apex predators would intensify density-dependent regulation of the deer population owing to limited forage availability…
Poacher shoots pregnant deer with arrow, leaves it to die slowly, Washington cops say June 13, 2024 Washington, YAHOO!News on MSN
...It was shot out of season and with an arrow that had a tip that’s not usually used to hunt deer, police said. The use of this arrow tip caused the deer “an unnecessarily slow and painful death,” ...
Accused poacher bragged about kills on social media, WA officials say. He's sentenced June 12, 2024 Washington, Yahoo News Canada
... A 29-year-old hunter boasted about his illegal kills online, leading to charges against him in western Washington ... had killed several elk in the North Bend area ... illegally baited deer, elk and and black bears ...
Washington Supreme Court overturns 1927 Yakama Nation hunting case May 17, 2024 KIMA
... a citizen in the Yakama Nation and was in Kittitas County hunting for deer in 1924 under the presumption he was allowed to do so. Kittitas County Superior Court told him he was not and charged him with illegal hunting... conclusion of the case opinion released ...
Human development across the Inland Northwest threatening wildlife habitats May 16, 2024 Washington, KREM
... Humans are encroaching on native deer's natural habitat... their population is decreasing... An increase in highway infrastructure has played a big role in the destruction of natural habitat... "There's research showing that subspecies are being created, because the genetics aren't being mixed anymore." ..,
Parasitic worm likely playing role in decline of moose populations May 15, 2024 Washington State University
... in Idaho between March 2020 and July 2022. While the parasitic roundworm E. schneideri was not detected in any of the animals found in north Idaho, it was present in 10 of the 20 adult moose studied in the southeastern portion of the state...
Is It Illegal To Hunt for Albino Deer/Elk in Washington State? May 14, 2024 NEWStalk 870
... other states might protect an albino deer or elk but in Washington State, it's not illegal to harvest an albino deer or elk ... their survival rate in the wild can make it harder due to their often inherited poor eyesight ...
Wildlife officials announce intent to re-introduce grizzlies to the North Cascades region April 25, 2024 Washington, AOL.com
... While grizzly bears have lived in the area for over a thousand years, the last known sighting of one was nearly 30 years ago in 1996. The population decline of the bears was in large part a result of human activity ... will begin by moving three to seven bears a year ..,
Washington's gray wolf population recovering, warning issued for hikers April 24, 2024 FOX 13 Seattle
... According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the wolf population in Washington grew 20% in 2023... "Historically here in Washington, wolves were distributed statewide, with the exception of perhaps the Columbia Basin," ..,
Latest USGS Migrations Maps Feature Several WA, OR Deer, Elk Herds April 11, 2024 Washington, Northwest Sportsman Magazine
... New mapping out from the U.S. Geological Survey today is spotlighting how heavily a Central Washington mule deer herd uses a migratory corridor intersecting with busy US 97 over Blewett Pass...
Mule deer closures appear successful April 4, 2024 Washington, Methow Valley News
... The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) closed two-thirds of the Methow Wildlife Area to protect the deer at their most vulnerable time, when their food is covered by deep snow and they rely on limited fat reserves...
How Washington's I-90 became safer for wildlife, drivers April 1, 2024 Phys.org
... A woven metal funnel of fencing surrounding the crossings helps guide animals to them ... By the end of 2023, WSDOT recorded the 25,716th safe wildlife crossing in the project zone, which included 13,525 by deer, 7,967 by elk, 3,216 by coyote and a handful by rarer species like moose, cougar, American marten, fisher and American pika...
Getting a foothold on elk hoof disease March 16, 2024 Washington, The Columbian
... Scientists that have been researching Treponema-Associated Hoof Disease (TAHD) in elk have not found any magic pill to eliminate it ... Southwest Washington is ground zero for TAHD, for it is here that it first appeared within the Mount St. Helens elk herd ... has ravaged SW Washington elk ..,
Moose research begins in northeast Washington March 16, 2024 AOL
... biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife put GPS collars on 28 female moose ... hope to collar 80 ... Moose have been on the decline nationwide ...
WDFW proposes elimination of antlerless deer hunt in some areas March 15, 2024 Washington, Methow Valley News
... The proposed changes are intended to promote population stability and/or recovery of deer populations in affected areas around the state. Mule deer populations in north-central Washington have recently been affected by intense environmental conditions including drought and extreme winters, disease, and widespread wildfire...,
New Study Looks At Northeast Washington Elk, Wolf, Lion, Human Interactions February 29, 2024 Northwest Sportsman Magazine
... Researchers with the University of Washington ... found that elk always tried to avoid wolves regardless of time of day or either season, but while the herding animals strongly stayed away from cougar country at night, they were less worried about encountering big cats during daylight... Elk tend to avoid us during the day but moved closer to homes and farms at night to apparently use them as something of a shield against wolves...
WDFW Opens Comment On 3-year Hunting Proposals Package February 22, 2024 Washington, Northwest Sportsman Magazine
... “White-tailed and mule deer populations in southeast Washington remain below levels prior to a hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2021,” the agency states. “Similarly, mule deer populations in north-central Washington have recently been impacted by intense environmental conditions (e.g., drought, extreme winter conditions), disease, and expansive wildfire. Improved adult female survival, which is facilitated by restricting antlerless harvest, will promote population growth and stability.” ...
Public comment period open for Washington three-year hunting season setting February 22, 2024 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
... Descriptions of each proposed rule change are available online. The public may submit comments online, via email, by calling 1-855-925-2802 and entering project code 1378 ...
Public invited to virtual video screening and panel discussion with scientists on wildlife habitat loss January 24, 2024 Washington,
Dailyfly
... The estimated number of mule deer killed annually on state highways is approximately half of what hunters harvest annually. Wildlife crossing structures like the ones on Interstate 90 substantially reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on Washington highways..,
Bipartisan bill seeks to boost payments for crops damaged by deer and elk January 19, 2024 Washington, Everett Post
... Senate Bill 5784 ... would increase the state program’s current statutory limit from $150,000 annually to $420,000 for claims and damages awarded to farmers... would raise the individual claim amount from $10,000 to $30,000 ...
Wildlife Commission ordered to consider gray wolf management changes January 15, 2024 Washington Policy Center
... The apex predators have flourished in the northeastern part of the state, preying on deer, elk, livestock, and domestic animals for nearly 20 years. Current population counts note 30 of the 37 identified wolf packs in Washington State are clustered in Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, and Spokane counties..,
Whidbey Island has one of highest wildlife-vehicle crash rates December 20, 2023 Washington, HeraldNet.com
... “It sounds backwards, but much of our development actually increases the deer habitat ... They are quite adept, being foragers not grazers, at capitalizing on our development and living amongst our sprawling neighborhood settings.” [Ralph Downes, an enforcement officer] ...
Five Central Washington Wildlife Area Units Close Temporarily to Protect Wintering Mule Deer November 27, 2023 Big Country News
... Much of the Methow Wildlife Area land was acquired to conserve winter habitat for migrating deer. The temporary closure will protect crucial winter foraging habitat ...
WDFW issues chronic wasting disease rule November 22, 2023 Washington, Elkhorn Media Group
... Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has adopted a rule change that allows WDFW to offer an incentive to hunters who have their harvested deer and elk tested for chronic wasting disease... has not been found in Washington ..,
WDFW Sees Increased Traffic At CWD Sampling Stations This Fall November 20, 2023 Washington, Northwest Sportsman Magazine
...Asked what the agency attributed 2023’s increase to – the whitetail herd bouncing back from 2021’s huge hemorrhagic disease dieoff? better hunting conditions? the incentive of potentially drawing into one of 100 multiseason tags ... – Lehman said it was “probably a combination of factors.” ...
Mating season, winter migration bring deer closer to Washington's roads November 17, 2023 nbcrightnow.com
... WSDOT maintenance crews also track wildlife carcass removal across Washington and report an average of 5,000 collisions with deer and nearly 300 collisions with elk occur each year..,
CWD Sampling Continues At Eastern Washington Deer Check Stations October 23, 2023 Northwest Sportsman Magazine
... CWD is not known to occur in Washington, but with outbreaks in Northwest Montana and in Central Idaho just east of Hells Canyon, WDFW has made testing harvested and roadkilled deer, elk and other ungulates in far Eastern Washington a priority ...
WDFW invites public comment on rule making to offer incentives for chronic wasting disease testing September 25, 2023 Washington, The Reflector
... WDFW has asked hunters to have harvested deer and elk tested for CWD since 2021 as part of the department’s disease surveillance program...
Driver Allegedly Shot Man as He Helped Deer Cross Road September 17, 2023 Washington, Newser
... a man stood in his driveway with his wife, attempting to alert passing cars to deer that were crossing the road so that drivers would slow down, one of those drivers fatally shot him, police say...
Man killed in road-rage shooting after trying to slow cars down for crossing deer September 11, 2023 FOX 13 Seattle
... The woman told deputies that she and her husband had gone out to the road to slow down traffic on S. Machias Rd. to help some deer safely cross the road...she heard a pop and turned around to see her husband laying in the driveway of their home and had been shot...
Washington plans special drawing for hunters who have elk, deer tested for chronic wasting disease September 1, 2023 Yahoo Sports
... It's an incentive program meant to boost sample numbers for the always-fatal brain disease, which affects elk, deer, moose and caribou. The disease hasn't been detected in Washington ...
WDFW seeks public input on proposed Methow Wildlife Area temporary winter closures to protect mule deer September 1, 2023 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife News
... The Methow Valley is home to the largest migratory mule deer herd in Washington ... With the increasing impacts of climate change, including higher intensity wildfire, mule deer winter range has been decreasing while the demand for outdoor recreation has been increasing...
Watch deer with sweet tooth wander into Washington candy shop. 'We have a taffy thief' August 29, 2023 Washington, Tacoma News Tribune
... A buck wandered into Buddy and Howie's Candy Store in Ocean Shores, Washington. It stole a buttered popcorn taffy before fleeing ...
Washington considers consolidating elk management August 16, 2023 Crosscut
... An estimated 45,000 to 50,000 elk live throughout Washington, divided into 10 “populations,” ... most Washington elk populations are meeting the state’s objectives ... In April, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, introduced House Bill 1849 to require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to set up a statewide elk management plan..,
Officials question Fish and Wildlife view August 15, 2023 Washington, Yahoo News
... Commissioner Brian Shinn said the state board is dominated by people who are not worried about dwindling elk populations or deer. Instead, the majority opposes hunting bears and cougars and seem to be more concerned about predators than prey ...
Deer take refuge from Washington wildfires at base of massive turbines as blaze expands July 25, 2023 Fox News
... he saw deer: does and fawns that had found refuge on gravel pads at the base of the towers, some of the only areas left untouched amid an expanse of blackened earth. "That was their sanctuary — everything was burning around them," ...
Allometric brain reduction in an insular, dwarfed population of black-tailed deer.
2023, Journal of Mammalian Evolution
... Previous research has established that insular large mammals tend to reduce in body size, and that size reduction may not scale isometrically across all body parts. The brain has been a particular subject of interest due to its high energy requirements. Here, we report that an extant, dwarfed island population of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) exhibits significantly reduced brain mass relative to body mass in comparison to their mainland conspecifics, with brain mass 4.9% smaller in the island population for a given body mass ...
See it: Deer finds most unusual mammal-eating friend to swim with off Washington coast June 7, 2023 Washington, AOL
... the wildlife tour guests aboard Island Adventures Whale Watching witnessed Sunday along Battleship Island, a small island northwest of San Juan Island in Washington. A deer was seen taking a swim with a mammal-eating killer whale...
Once controversial highway program is now massive success story March 11, 2023 Washington, Adirondack Daily Enterprise
... at 11 wildlife crossings on a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 90. Last year, there were close to 5,000 crossings–mostly deer, elk, coyotes ... According to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Colorado has 69 wildlife crossings; California and Utah each have 50; and Washington and Nevada have close to two dozen each. Oregon is lagging, with just six...
Animal advocacy group files complaints against WSU research animal deaths February 17, 2023 Washington, Northwest News Network
... In meeting minutes from the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, he read that five deer, one elk and one alpaca died in a bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, outbreak. Minutes from a separate meeting show two elk were euthanized and two elk died after developing pneumonia post-anesthesia...
Columbian white-tailed deer make gains, but still face threats, challenges February 10, 2023 Washington, The Columbian
... a recent population study that found the risk of the species facing a “serious threat of extinction” is exceedingly low. It particularly illustrated the growth of populations along the lower Columbia River, which were estimated to be nearly 1,300 in 2022. That compares with a population estimate of 545 made 20 years ago...
'Some equity here': Bill would pay Fish and Wildlife Commission members | Washington February 8, 2023 Washington, The Center Square
... what Kretz feels is a lack of representation of his constituents in the commission that lead to HB 1699, which would start to pay members of the commission. The opening sentence of the bill calls it “an act relating to establishing salaries for the Washington fish and wildlife commission.” ...
Study: Staying in standard time leads to more deer-vehicle collisions January 26, 2023 Washington, MyNorthwest.com
... we increase our chances of hitting deer because they come out in abundance at night. A group of UW scholars studied deer collisions and found turning the clocks back in November leads to a 16% hike in deer-vehicle collisions...
Human Presence Alone Can Create "Landscape of Fear" for Wildlife January 24, 2023 Washington, Labroots
... The species that demonstrated a reduction in trail area use included black bear, white-tailed deer, and elk, and many species were found to even reduce their daytime activities, to include coyotes, snowshoe hare, grizzly bears, and mule deer. Despite this, it was also found that cougars didn’t change their behavioral patterns at all... a recent study published in Scientific Reports ...
