Washington · Elk · 2026–27 Edition
Washington Elk Season 2026–27: Archery, Muzzleloader & Rifle Dates
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone note | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Firearm — Eastern WA (Master Hunter Permit Program only, antlerless) | Elk Areas 3911, 3912 (continuous through Jan 20, 2027); GMUs 334, 371 (split season, second segment runs into Jan 31, 2027); GMUs 127-142 (Dec 9-31) | Aug 1 – Jan 31 |
| Modern Firearm — Eastern WA, Elk Area 3722 (antlerless only, mainly private land) | Elk Area 3722 | Sep 12 – Sep 27 |
| Modern Firearm — Eastern WA general | Most eastern GMUs (any bull, spike bull, true spike bull, or any-elk depending on GMU) | Oct 31 – Nov 15 |
| Modern Firearm — Western WA general | Most western GMUs (any elk, any bull, or 3-pt.-min. depending on GMU) | Nov 7 – Nov 18 |
| Archery (early) — Eastern WA (Master Hunter Permit Program only, antlerless) | GMU 371 | Aug 1 – Aug 31 |
| Archery (early) — Eastern WA general | Most eastern GMUs | Sep 12 – Sep 24 |
| Archery (early) — Western WA general | Most western GMUs | Sep 12 – Sep 24 |
| Archery (late) — Eastern WA (Master Hunter Permit Program only, antlerless) | Elk Areas 3911, 3912 | Aug 1 – Jan 20 |
| Archery (late) — Eastern WA general | Most eastern GMUs (Oct 31 - Dec 31); GMU 163 runs latest, antlerless only, into January | Oct 31 – Jan 20 |
| Archery (late) — Western WA general | Most western GMUs | Nov 25 – Dec 15 |
| Muzzleloader (early) — Eastern WA (Master Hunter Permit Program only, antlerless) | GMU 371 | Aug 1 – Aug 31 |
| Muzzleloader (early) — Eastern WA general | Most eastern GMUs | Oct 3 – Oct 9 |
| Muzzleloader (early) — Western WA general | Most western GMUs | Oct 3 – Oct 9 |
| Muzzleloader (late) — Eastern WA (Master Hunter Permit Program only, antlerless) | Elk Areas 3911, 3912 (through Jan 20, 2027); GMUs 127-142 (Dec 9-31) | Aug 1 – Jan 20 |
| Muzzleloader (late) — Eastern WA general | Most eastern GMUs | Oct 31 – Dec 8 |
| Muzzleloader (late) — Western WA general | Most western GMUs | Nov 25 – Dec 31 |
Washington elk hunting is organized by numbered Game Management Units (GMUs) grouped into an Eastern Washington elk tag area and a Western Washington elk tag area — a hunter must choose one tag area (or buy a Multi-Season Elk Tag valid in both), and legal-elk rules (any bull, spike bull, true spike bull, 3-pt.-minimum, or any-elk) vary GMU by GMU within each region and season, so check WDFW's GMU tables and elk-area maps before hunting a specific unit.
02 — Tags & bag limits
| Statewide | One elk per hunter during the hunting season, except for successful Master Hunter special-permit applicants and where otherwise permitted; no more than 2 elk may be harvested per license year |
|---|
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (August 1, 2026) 05:11 — 21:05
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, statewide, for all big game including elk — no elk-specific exception found. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Washington sun times for any other date.
04 — License & tags
Elk hunters in Washington need a Washington hunting license plus an elk tag. Both residents and nonresidents may buy the standard over-the-counter Elk License. 2026 fees: Resident $69.29 vs. Nonresident $685.60 for the base Elk License (includes tag) — roughly a 10x markup for nonresidents. A Multi-Season Elk Tag, which is valid across archery, muzzleloader and modern firearm seasons in one tag area, costs a flat $250.97 regardless of residency.
Washington hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Washington — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a unit before Washington's opener usually means glassing basins and running a trail camera through summer.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does elk season start in Washington?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is August 1, 2026 (Modern Firearm — Eastern WA (Master Hunter Permit Program only, antlerless)). See the table above for every method.
When does elk season end in Washington?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 31, 2027. Individual seasons close earlier — see the table above.
Do I need to enter a draw to hunt elk in Washington?
Nearly all general-season elk hunting in Washington — archery, muzzleloader, and modern firearm, in both Eastern and Western Washington — is sold over the counter with a standard Elk License; there is no statewide draw requirement for the general seasons listed here. The main exceptions are a set of Master Hunter Permit Program-only antlerless damage-control hunts in specific Elk Areas and GMUs (e.g. Elk Areas 3911/3912, GMUs 334/371, 127-142), which require the separate Master Hunter certification on top of a license, and WDFW's much larger set of draw-only 'Quality' and other Special Permit elk hunts layered on top of the general seasons in named hunt areas (e.g. Mission, Colockum, Teanaway, Peaches Ridge) — those special-permit hunts are not included in the general-season methods below.
How many elk can you shoot in Washington?
2026–27 bag limits: Statewide — One elk per hunter during the hunting season, except for successful Master Hunter special-permit applicants and where otherwise permitted; no more than 2 elk may be harvested per license year. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting elk in Washington?
On opening day (August 1, 2026) legal light runs 05:11 to 21:05. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, statewide, for all big game including elk — no elk-specific exception found. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Washington sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt elk on my own land in Washington without a license?
No — Washington requires a recreational license to hunt or take wildlife, with no landowner exception; the statute's only carve-out is for bullfrogs. A separate, narrower rule lets an owner kill wildlife that's threatening safety or property without a license, but that's damage control, not a hunting exemption.
Verified · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-15
Publisher's note. Season dates read directly from the '2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations' pamphlet (wdfw02706.pdf, incorporating WDFW's official April 22, 2026 corrections to pages 47, 50, 52, 53, 55 and 56), the Elk General Seasons chapter (Modern Firearm, Archery, Muzzleloader tables). Washington splits every elk weapon-type season into Eastern and Western Washington, and within each region into dozens of GMU-specific date/legal-elk combinations (any bull, spike bull, true spike bull, 3-pt.-min., or any-elk depending on GMU) — the methods[] rows below group these by region/weapon/early-late category using the earliest-to-latest date span found within each, rather than reproducing every individual GMU row; hunters must check the pamphlet's own GMU tables for their specific unit. A number of the widest-spanning windows (e.g. Aug 1, 2026 - Jan 20/31, 2027) are Master Hunter Permit Program-only hunts restricted to holders of that separate certification, mostly antlerless-only damage-control hunts in specific Elk Areas or GMUs — these are included as their own rows, clearly labeled, because they are genuine scheduled WDFW hunts that set the outer edges of the season window, matching how this project has handled other states' narrow-eligibility hunts (e.g. California's Apprentice/Depredation hunts, Nevada's Depredation hunts). The latest non-Master-Hunter close found is Jan 20, 2027 (GMU 163 late archery, antlerless only); the latest Master-Hunter close is Jan 31, 2027 (GMUs 334/371 modern firearm damage hunt, second split segment). Fees confirmed from the pamphlet's license/tag fee table: base Elk License (includes tag) Resident $69.29 / Nonresident $685.60; a Multi-Season Elk Tag (valid across archery, muzzleloader and modern firearm seasons) is a flat $250.97 regardless of residency. Shooting hours confirmed from the pamphlet's general hunting-hours note (one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset) — no elk-specific exception found.