Goose Hunting Season in Washington: 2026-27 Dates, Bag Limits, and Rules
October 17, 2026
Goose hunting season in Washington is really six seasons running side by side. The state splits its geese into management areas, and a county line can decide whether you hunt on a Thursday or sit it out.
This article breaks down the 2026-27 framework by area: dates, limits, authorizations, and legal hunting hours. Washington sits in the Pacific Flyway, so the calendar runs from an early September Canada goose opener to late-winter white goose days.
Treat this as your planning sheet. Rules can change by emergency action, so confirm your exact area in the current WDFW pamphlet before opening day.
Goose Hunting Season Dates in Washington
Your dates depend on which Goose Management Area (GMA) you hunt. GMA 1 covers Skagit and Whatcom counties and the part of Snohomish County west of Interstate 5. GMA 2 Coast is Pacific County and the part of Grays Harbor County west of Highway 101. GMA 2 Inland is Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties plus the part of Grays Harbor County east of Highway 101. GMA 3 is the rest of western Washington.
East of the Cascades, GMA 4 covers Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Lincoln, Okanogan, Spokane, and Walla Walla counties. GMA 5 is every other part of eastern Washington.
| Area | September Canada Goose Season | Regular Season |
|---|---|---|
| GMA 1 | Sept. 5-13, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 29, 2026 and Dec. 12, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027 |
| GMA 2 Coast | Sept. 5-13, 2026 | Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays only, Oct. 17-Nov. 29, 2026 and Dec. 12, 2026-Jan. 10, 2027 |
| GMA 2 Inland | Sept. 5-13, 2026 | Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays only, Oct. 17-Nov. 1, Nov. 25-Jan. 10, and Feb. 7-15, 2027 |
| GMA 3 | Sept. 5-13, 2026 | Oct. 17-25, 2026 and Nov. 7, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027 |
| GMA 4 | Sept. 5-6, 2026 | Oct. 17-Jan. 24 on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays, then every day Jan. 25-31 |
| GMA 5 | Sept. 5-6, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 2, 2026 and every day Nov. 7, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027 |
GMA 4 also gets holiday bonus days. The listed extra days are Nov. 26-27; Dec. 24-25, 28-29, and 31; and Jan. 1 and 18. Western Washington hunters should also note that GMA 2 hunters must physically carry a valid 2026-27 migratory bird hunting authorization and goose harvest record card.
Youth hunters get their own days. The western Washington youth hunt dates are Sept. 26, 2026 and Feb. 6, 2027, and the eastern dates are Oct. 3, 2026 and Feb. 6, 2027, for hunters 15 and under. If you also plan to hunt big game this fall, check our guide to deer hunting season in Washington so your calendars do not collide.
Canada Goose Season in Washington
Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are the bread and butter of Washington goose hunting, and the state gives you an early shot at them. The western Washington September season runs Sept. 5-13, 2026, with a daily limit of 5 Canada geese. Eastern Washington gets a shorter window of just two days, Sept. 5-6.
The September hunt is Canada goose only, so you cannot shoot other species during it. It is a good time to hunt fields before the big flights arrive and the birds get educated. Plenty of hunters pair it with the dove hunting season in Washington, which opens around the same time.
Southwest Washington has the strictest rules in the state because of one subspecies. The dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) is a protected bird. Dusky Canada goose is closed to harvest in all of GMA 2 from October through March. Taking one is an infraction under RCW 77.15.160.
In GMA 2, you have to report what you shoot. If a hunter fails to provide the required subspecies information, the department can invalidate the authorization for the rest of the season. The mandatory harvest report deadline for SW Canada goose (GMA 2) and snow goose (GMA 1) is March 20. Read the details in WAC 220-416-060.
Pro Tip: Scout before you set up. One regional hunting outfitter suggests looking at wheat and corn fields in the Columbia Basin and setting up early for morning hunts. On the coast, plan around the tides, since geese often feed at low tide and roost in deeper water.
Snow, Ross’s, White-Fronted Goose and Brant Seasons in Washington
Snow geese (Anser caerulescens) and the smaller Ross’s goose (Anser rossii) fall under the “white goose” category. Skagit Valley and Fir Island are known for their snow goose populations. The state’s regulation tables lump snow, Ross’s, and blue-phase birds into one limit.
Skagit and Whatcom counties come with strings attached. A hunter convicted of trespass, shooting along a public highway, firing within 100 feet of a maintained roadway, or exceeding the snow goose limit can lose authorization for the rest of that season and the next. The rule is in the western Washington goose management area rules.
East of the Cascades, snow geese have a built-in rest period. There is a white goose closure in GMA 4 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 22. Keep that in mind if you hunt the Columbia Basin, because you can still hunt other geese in that stretch but not white geese.
The greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), nicknamed the specklebelly, is a statewide species with its own limit. Brant (Branta bernicla) are a separate case. The regulation tables label the main goose seasons as “Goose (except Brant)”, so brant follow their own dates and rules. Check the migratory bird section of the pamphlet before you plan a coastal brant hunt.
Snow goose hunters who want to compare notes on another big wintering state can read our goose hunting season in Texas guide.
Goose Bag and Possession Limits in Washington
Limits change by area and by season segment, so check the table before you shoulder your gun. The figures below come from the 2026-27 WAC and regulation summaries.
| Area and Season | Canada Geese | White-Fronted | White Geese | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September season, most areas | 5 per day | Closed to other species | Closed to other species | 15 in western areas, 10 in eastern areas |
| September season, Pacific County | 15 per day | Closed to other species | Closed to other species | 45 |
| GMA 2 Coast and Inland, regular season | 2 per day (dusky closed) | 6 per day | 10 per day | 6 Canada, 18 white-fronted, 30 white |
| GMA 3, regular season | 3 per day | 6 per day | 10 per day | 9 Canada, 18 white-fronted, 30 white |
| GMA 5, regular season | 3 per day | 6 per day | 10 per day | 9 Canada |
| GMA 1, white geese | See pamphlet | See pamphlet | 6 per day in the regular season, 10 per day during the late season | 18 white geese |
Important Note: Published summaries do not agree on white-fronted limits. The 2025-26 WAC listed 10 white-fronted geese in GMA 2. The 2026-27 WAC lists 6 white-fronted geese in the area it covers. Some regulation-page toggles show other numbers, so confirm your area’s figure in the official pamphlet.
Possession limits are the part hunters trip on most. The possession cap is a multiple of the daily bag, and it applies to birds in your freezer, not just the truck. For comparison with a Midwestern state, our goose hunting season in Minnesota article shows how different flyways handle the same idea.
Spring Light Goose Conservation Order in Washington
Washington does not run a formal spring light goose conservation order under that name, based on the sources I reviewed. Some Mississippi Flyway states, such as Iowa and Illinois, do offer one, and you can read how it works in our goose hunting season in Iowa and goose hunting season in Illinois guides.
What Washington does have is a set of late white goose seasons that stretch into February and March. In GMA 1, the late white goose dates are Feb. 13-21, 2027. The daily limit rises to 10 white geese during that late season.
GMA 2 Inland has its own late window. During Feb. 7-15, 2027, National Wildlife Refuges and WDFW Wildlife Areas are closed to goose hunting there. That leaves private land as your best bet for late-winter geese in southwest Washington.
In GMA 4, one hunting guide lists a late white goose season from Feb. 20 to March 10. Treat that as a planning date and verify it in the official WAC text, because secondary sources can lag behind rule changes. If you hunt Skagit County in February, note that specific WDFW lands in the Skagit Wildlife Area carry their own rules during the late window.
Licenses, Permits, and Registration Required to Hunt Geese in Washington
Before you hunt geese in Washington, you need a hunting license, the state’s migratory bird permit or validation, and a federal duck stamp if you are 16 or older. Hunter education is also required for most first-time buyers. The requirement applies to first-time buyers born after Jan. 1, 1972, unless they use a one-time deferral.
Registration is the extra layer that catches people off guard. In GMA 2 you need the special migratory bird hunting authorization and harvest record card for any goose species. In GMA 1 you need authorization for snow geese. Hunters using a paper license must record required harvest information in ink on the harvest card. Electronic authorizations are also accepted.
- Confirm your hunter education status, or use a deferral if you qualify.
- Buy your license and migratory bird permit, then add the federal duck stamp if you are 16 or older.
- Get the GMA 2 authorization or GMA 1 snow goose authorization if you plan to hunt those areas.
- Record every harvest on the card, and file your report before the March 20 deadline where it applies.
Common Mistake: Hunters buy their license and assume they are done. In GMA 2, hunting without the authorization on you is a violation, even if you never fire a shot. Keep the card in your blind bag with your license.
Washington’s other seasons run on separate tags and licenses. If you plan to hunt black bear or spring gobblers this year, our bear hunting season in Washington and turkey hunting season in Washington pages cover those requirements.
Shooting Hours and Legal Methods for Goose Hunting in Washington
Hours are shorter for geese in some areas than for ducks. In GMA 2, legal goose hunting hours start 30 minutes after the beginning of official waterfowl hours and end 30 minutes before the end of official hours. The WDFW pamphlet lists official hours by date, so print the table rather than guessing at sunrise.
The same trimmed window applies to the main GMA 2 seasons. That includes the Oct. 17-Nov. 29 and Dec. 12-Jan. 10 segments on the coast. If you miss the cutoff by a few minutes, you are poaching on paper, even if the birds are still in the air.
For methods, federal waterfowl rules apply in Washington. You must use nontoxic shot, and your shotgun can be no larger than 10 gauge. It must hold no more than three shells total, which means plugging a repeater. Check the pamphlet for current electronic call and decoy rules before you buy gear.
Location matters as much as your gun. On Fir Island, discharging a firearm to hunt waterfowl within 100 feet of a maintained public roadway is a violation. Stay well off the shoulder and keep your blind on legal ground.
Pro Tip: Download the current WDFW pamphlet to your phone before you leave cell coverage. It has your area’s hours, closures, and bag limits in one place, and you can show it to a game warden if there is a question.
Goose hunting season in Washington rewards hunters who know their management area. Pick your GMA, confirm your authorization, and plan around the closure dates. Then you can spend your time on the field instead of the rulebook.