<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Typical deer hunting season expected in Southwest Washington

The Columbian
Published:

Deer populations and hunting success are “remarkably consistent” in Southwest Washington, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife says.

So, in 2014, the agency is predicting about 2,500 bucks will be harvested in Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties with 15 percent to 20 percent of hunters getting an animal.

The department’s 2014 hunting outlook can be found online at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/district09.pdf.

The Washougal game unit has been the No. 1 producer of bucks each fall for the past three seasons, according the game harvest statistics.

Hunters killed almost 400 bucks in Washougal in 2013, and had an 18.7 percent success rate.

Blacktail populations appear stable in the Washougal, Battle Ground, West Klickitat and Grayback units.

Sue Van Leuven, manager of the Klickitat Wildlife area between Glenwood and Goldendale, said she has seen more resident deer on the area this year than any since she has been manager.

“Usually, it’s the migratory deer,” she said. “There’s always a few resident deer, but this year there are quite a few more than normal. I’m seeing a lot in farmers’ fields as I’m driving around, too. I think it could be a pretty good season.”

However, hunting in East Klickitat is anticipated to be down.

Post-season buck counts in the unit have been poor in the past few years.

While there’s lot of national forest land in hunt in the Lewis River, Wind River and Siouxon units, deer populations are generally low in the southern Cascade Mountains.

The four-day “late buck” hunt is Nov. 13-16 this year.

About a third of the overall general season deer harvest comes during those four days in November.

Hunting conditions often are much more favorable in mid-November than in October.

Several game units, including those in Klickitat County, are not open during the late buck season.

Big changes have come to Cowlitz, Lewis and Wahkiakum counties, where a high percentage of the land is owned by private timber companies.

Weyerhaeuser is charging a $150 family permit this fall to visit much of its 340,000 acres in Southwest Washington. The company is offering 15,000 permits for sale.

There are state-owned forests, plus a portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Cowlitz and Lewis counties, so some land remains open to the public.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2014 hunting outlook for Wahkiakum, Lewis and Cowlitz counties can be found online at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/district10.pdf.

Loading...