Washington · Pheasant · 2026–27 Edition
Washington Pheasant Season 2026–27: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Falconry — upland game birds | Statewide | Aug 1 – Mar 15 |
| Western Washington — youth only | Western Washington release sites | Sep 12 – Sep 13 |
| Western Washington — hunters 65+/with disabilities | Western Washington release sites (Samish site: youth/senior seasons only) | Sep 14 – Sep 18 |
| Eastern Washington — youth only | Eastern Washington | Sep 12 – Sep 13 |
| Eastern Washington — hunters 65+/with disabilities | Eastern Washington | Sep 14 – Sep 18 |
| Western Washington — regular season | Western Washington | Sep 19 – Nov 30 |
| Western Washington — extended season (no birds released) | Belfair, JBLM, Kosmos, Lincoln Creek, Scatter Creek, Skookumchuck, Green Diamond resource lands & Whidbey Island release sites only | Dec 1 – Dec 15 |
| Eastern Washington — regular season | Eastern Washington | Oct 17 – Jan 18 |
02 — Bag limits
| Falconry — daily | 2 pheasants, either sex |
|---|---|
| Falconry — possession | Twice the daily bag (4) |
| Western WA — youth — daily | 2, either sex |
| Western WA — youth — possession | 4, either sex |
| Western WA — 65+/disabled — daily | 2, either sex |
| Western WA — 65+/disabled — possession | 10, either sex |
| Western WA — regular & extended — daily | 2, either sex |
| Western WA — regular & extended — possession | 15, either sex |
| Eastern WA — youth — daily | 3 cocks only |
| Eastern WA — youth — possession | 6 cocks only |
| Eastern WA — 65+/disabled — daily | 3 cocks only |
| Eastern WA — 65+/disabled — possession | 15 cocks only |
| Eastern WA — regular season — daily | 3 cocks only |
| Eastern WA — regular season — possession | 15 cocks only |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (August 1, 2026) 05:11 — 20:35
Rule: Eastern Washington pheasant hunting hours follow the general upland-bird sunrise-based table published each season (half hour before official sunrise to official sunset, varying week to week). Western Washington uses a fixed clock-time exception instead, overriding the sunrise table entirely: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, for every western pheasant segment (youth, senior/disabled, regular, and extended). Falconry seasons are exempt from both of these hour rules except on designated pheasant release sites. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Washington sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Pheasant hunters in Washington need a Washington hunting license — Eastern Washington needs only a standard small game license, which already includes a prorated surcharge for the pheasant enhancement program. Western Washington instead requires a separate Western Washington Pheasant license (regular-season or 3-day) in addition to a small game license, reflecting its fully stocked-release model.
Washington hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Washington — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does pheasant season open in Washington?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is August 1, 2026. See the table above for each segment and zone.
When does pheasant season end in Washington?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is March 15, 2027. Individual segments and zones can close earlier — see the table above.
Can I shoot hen pheasants in Washington?
See the bag limit table above — most states restrict the daily bag to roosters only, but rules vary and this is worth double-checking against Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife before you hunt.
How many pheasants can you shoot in Washington per day?
2026–27 bag limits: Falconry — daily — 2 pheasants, either sex. Falconry — possession — Twice the daily bag (4). Western WA — youth — daily — 2, either sex. Western WA — youth — possession — 4, either sex. Western WA — 65+/disabled — daily — 2, either sex. Western WA — 65+/disabled — possession — 10, either sex. Western WA — regular & extended — daily — 2, either sex. Western WA — regular & extended — possession — 15, either sex. Eastern WA — youth — daily — 3 cocks only. Eastern WA — youth — possession — 6 cocks only. Eastern WA — 65+/disabled — daily — 3 cocks only. Eastern WA — 65+/disabled — possession — 15 cocks only. Eastern WA — regular season — daily — 3 cocks only. Eastern WA — regular season — possession — 15 cocks only. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting pheasant in Washington?
On opening day (August 1, 2026) legal light runs 05:11 to 20:35. The rule is: Eastern Washington pheasant hunting hours follow the general upland-bird sunrise-based table published each season (half hour before official sunrise to official sunset, varying week to week). Western Washington uses a fixed clock-time exception instead, overriding the sunrise table entirely: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, for every western pheasant segment (youth, senior/disabled, regular, and extended). Falconry seasons are exempt from both of these hour rules except on designated pheasant release sites. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Washington sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt pheasant 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. Official '2026 Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations' pamphlet (publication 02729, effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), downloaded and read directly with pdftotext — the 'Resident Game Bird Seasons' pheasant table (p.32) gives full dated segments for both halves of the state, and the '2026-2027 Falconry Seasons' table gives the statewide falconry window. IMPORTANT NUANCE FLAGGED BY THIS PROJECT'S PRIOR SCOPING, CONFIRMED HERE: Washington runs two structurally different pheasant programs by region. Western Washington's cool, wet climate and limited grain farming cannot sustain a real wild population, so its entire public season (per the Western Washington Pheasant Release Program page) is built around roughly 35,000-40,000 pen-raised roosters released across about 25 public sites — a hunter there is functionally always hunting released birds, not wild ones, and the season requires a separate Western Washington Pheasant license on top of a small game license. Eastern Washington instead has a real wild population that the Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program (funded by the legislature since 1997) supplements with additional rooster releases on public land — a hunter there may take either a wild or a released bird under the same rules, and only a standard small game license (which already bundles a prorated pheasant-enhancement surcharge) is required, no extra permit. Both regions release fewer or no birds later in the season by design (Western's Dec 1-15 extended season is explicitly 'no pheasants released,' relying on birds that survived the regular season) to spread out hunting pressure — WDFW does not publish exact release dates/counts precisely to avoid crowding at release sites. Bag limits also differ by region: Western Washington allows either sex (2/day), while Eastern Washington is cocks (roosters) only (3/day) — reflecting the different management models. This file's opener/seasonCloses span the outer window across every documented method including falconry, per this project's convention.