Finding places to hunt in Washington is becoming more of a challenge. With more than half of the state's land in private ownership, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) works with landowners across the state, developing relationships and providing technical assistance for a variety of programs to increase public access to private lands.

The Private Lands Program encompasses two main areas of emphasis; recreational access and habitat conservation through Farm Bill programs. Staff across the state work with private landowners to develop the best strategy for their lands, and for wildlife. WDFW regional private lands biologists (PDF) are strategically located across the state to provide assistance to landowners looking for help with hunting access, technical assistance with habitat conservation programs, or a variety of other access issues.

WDFW’s Private Lands Program is focused on working with landowners throughout the state of Washington to provide recreational opportunity to the public. WDFW works within formal agreements with the landowner to outline and develop a plan for enrolled lands. Private Lands Program staff work with a variety of landowners who may own agricultural farm land, private industrial timber land and/or wetland/water access sites. WDFW also works with landowners big and small; some landowners have as few as 5 acres, while others may have tens of thousands of acres.

WDFW provides all signage, technical assistance and aids in communication with enforcement for all lands enrolled. As of fall 2018, WDFW offers four different types of access agreements to landowners; Feel Free to Hunt, Hunt by Reservation, Register to Hunt, and Hunt by Written Permission. To find specific private properties enrolled in any of these programs, please visit our private lands access website.

It’s important to remember that hunters who choose to disobey signage or cause damage to private property may result in the loss of public access. Public access on private lands is a privilege – not a right!