Submitted by WDFW

The sun is setting earlier and the leaves are starting to turn color – signs of another change of season. Fall is in the air, and hunters are heading out for the first major hunting seasons of the year.

Salmon fisheries are also underway in the Columbia River, Puget Sound and other waters, and anglers are still reeling in trout from lakes throughout Washington.

September highlights include:

• Deer and elk: Early general archery hunts will open for deer and elk in many areas of the state. Special permits for deer hunting started on Sept. 1 in the San Juans.
• Canada geese: Hunters will get their first chance this year to bag Canada geese, which have grown in number since 2016.
• Youth-only hunts: The traditional bird hunt for hunters under age 16 is split between two weekends this year. The youth hunt for waterfowl is scheduled Sept. 16-17, followed by the youth hunt for pheasants and other upland game birds Sept. 23-24.
• Columbia River salmon and steelhead: The popular fishery shifts to a new phase in September as anglers pursue salmon and steelhead farther up the Columbia River and its tributaries. Any steelhead caught on the Snake River must be released.