If your Washington hunting life consists of buying a license each July and heading out on general season openers, you're leaving half the system unused. The special-permit layer takes a little study — and it holds the state's best hunts.
Field briefing
Washington's special hunt permits cover everything from quality elk and moose tags to extra deer opportunities and access-focused programs. Applications run in spring with results by early summer; preference points build when you apply and don't draw. Alongside the drawings sit raffles and auctions for premium tags, the Master Hunter program for serious volunteers, and damage hunts where landowners need relief.
Best for: any licensed Washington hunter who wants more seasons, better units, or a shot at species general seasons can't offer.
Key takeaway: applying costs little, points accumulate quietly, and the only guaranteed way to never draw is to never apply.
Special permits vs. general seasons
General seasons are yours with a license — show up during the posted dates. Special permits gate specific areas, species, or seasons behind a drawing: think a premier elk unit during the rut, an either-sex deer tag, or a modern-firearm moose hunt (moose exist only as permit hunts here).
The trade is simple: general seasons guarantee opportunity; permits guarantee nothing except better average experiences if you draw.
How points work
Washington uses a point system weighted toward persistence:
- Each year you apply for a category (deer, elk, etc.) and don't draw adds a point.
- Points multiply your entries rather than creating a strict queue — more points mean better odds, not guaranteed priority.
- Skip years and you risk losing accumulated points; license lapses can cost you too.
Check the current rules each application season at wdfw.wa.gov — details get adjusted through the commission process.
Raffles and auction tags
For the impatient or the hopeful, two shortcuts exist:
- Raffle tags: cheap tickets for premium deer, elk, moose, and bighorn draws. Odds per ticket are long but the entry price is coffee-money, and proceeds fund conservation programs.
- Auction tags: the famous Governor's tag and similar premium permits sold at banquets for serious money. Not for most budgets — but they fund habitat work worth knowing about.
The Master Hunter program
The Master Hunter permit is Washington's credibility credential:
- Entry: pass a comprehensive exam covering ethics, law, landowner relations, and shot placement.
- Commitment: annual volunteer hours on conservation and landowner-assist projects.
- Payoff: first crack at damage-hunt opportunities, private-land invitations, and hunts closed to general hunters.
It's real work — and it opens doors general-license holders never see. Landowners dealing with crop damage call the Master Hunter list first.
Damage and depredation hunts
When elk flatten a haystack or deer strip an orchard, the department can authorize kills outside normal seasons. These hunts go to prequalified hunters — often Master Hunters — who respond on short notice. Free meat, real help for landowners, and seasons that happen when general seasons are months away.
Practical steps this year
- Buy your license before applying — required for most permit categories.
- Apply in every category you'd actually hunt, even long-shot ones. Points compound silently.
- Calendar the application window (typically February–May) and results period so nothing lapses.
- Consider the Master Hunter path if you want more opportunity than drawings alone provide.
Sources Checked
- WDFW special hunt permit pages — drawing structure and point system.
- WDFW Master Hunter program materials — requirements and benefits.
- WDFW commission documents — program adjustments process.