The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is opening the floor for public commentary on proposed changes to private landowner hunting permits in Eastern Washington. WDFW’s updates follow recent property ownership and management shifts in Grant and Spokane counties, which are influencing local hunting opportunities.
In Grant County, a significant parcel of private land totaling 7,880 acres, once part of the Buckrun landowner hunting permit program, has exchanged hands. The former property owners still retain 30,213 acres, but the recent transaction has clipped the available land for hunting by 20%. Over in Spokane County, the Columbia Plateau Wildlife Management Association (CPWMA) has ceased operations, disrupting land management for 19 elk hunting permits across 3,877 acres.
In response, WDFW proposes adjusting the number of deer hunting permits to align with the new availability of huntable acres on the Buckrun property. For the Spokane County lands formerly managed by the CPWMA, WDFW is engaged in discussions with the previous three landowners to transition their properties into a different public lands access program under the department’s umbrella…