Washington Private Lands Hunting Access Program

WDFW signs access agreements with farm, ranch and timber landowners to open their land to public hunting under four options: Feel Free to Hunt, Register to Hunt, Hunt by Written Permission and Hunt by Reservation. WDFW provides all signs and technical help, and qualifying landowners are paid from the federal VPA-HIP grant. Enrolled landowners keep state liability protection for recreational access.

• Private landowners (agricultural farmland, industrial timberland, wetland/water access sites), large or small

• Payments only for landowners who qualify for VPA-HIP-funded access agreements (criteria not published)

Formal agreement with WDFW; landowner keeps control under Hunt by Written Permission. RCW 4.24.210 liability protection applies unless the landowner charges an access fee.

Published amounts: Landowners who qualify for payments and enroll in access programs are paid out of the Voluntary Public Access – Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) grant awarded from the Natural Resource Conservation Service. No payment rates are published.

Contact your regional WDFW private lands biologist (list linked from the page) or the nearest regional office. Questions: Wildlife Program 360-902-2515, wildthing@dfw.wa.gov.

Deadline text on the page: No enrollment window published; contact a private lands biologist.