[Dslayer]

Hunting Season summaries from the WDFW http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/game/seasons.htm

[catwoman]

Thanks for the warning. Except I still have no clue as to what places to avoid during what times. Need a map or something. Guess I should just get my Rainier pass, eh!

[ajgoodkids]

If you look like a cougar or a bear, don't hike after July 31.

[Bushwacker]

Stay pretty much to well maintained trails i.e...Mountain Loop. Hiked all over that area at least twice a week last year and never saw a hunter. Might think about staying away from areas with lots of logging roads. Hunters like spots like that, so they can spread out and also road hunt. BW

[Dslayer]

That can get a little complicated, there are management units all over the state and though the general seasons usually apply to the entire state-that is becoming less and less true. Let me try a little summary, but if you give me specific areas I can give you a better answer. Bear seasons are on now on both sides of the state-they run until about Nov. 15 or so. Goat seasons start, I think about the middle of Sept. and run into Oct--they are pretty specific units with small numbers hunters-like 2 or 3. I occasionally run into one on Tatoosh ridge. The high buck hunt runs in ALW and the Pasayten from Sept 15-Sept 25-that's a modern rifle hunt though guys with smoke poles can hunt that, too. Grouse season/Dove seasons starts Sept. 1. Muzzleloader seasons for elk in some areas , not all, starts around Oct. 1 (some permit hunts) and runs through Oct. 11. I do know that the South Rainier unit, the area between Chinook and White Pass and the Manashtash/Umptanum units will be open. General deer season starts Oct 12 and runs about to the end of the month in Western Wa. units and through Oct 20 in most Eastern Wa units. General elk season starts Oct 26 in Eastern Wa-that's most units E of the Crest and runs until Nov. 2, and in Western Wa, most units W of the Crest fro Nov. 2 to the 10th. The game regs, you can pick them up for nothing has a map of the units with description of boundaries-probably better than me trying to remember stuff right off the top of my head.

[DuckDuckGoose]

When I used to lead hikes in Virginia, Maryland, PA, New Hampshire and Vermont as a youngster I would have a recurring nightmare happen over and over at least once a hunting season. This was the new hiker coming out wearing a brown or earth tone jacket and white or light colored mittens to contrast. This went bad one day when some yahoo (not that all hunters are this, but this guy met the criteria to fit this description) decided to shoot at the "Flash of White" he saw in the corner of his eye. Needless to say, white gloves, hats and accessories became "Persona Non Grata". After this event I've been a little (small "l") wary of prime hunting areas, but this is probably due to the fact that my Trail Name/ Totem Animal is named after tasty, boyant waterfowl who are understandably edgy around scatter guns !!! Fortunately as I wear bright Red when I go out, I can only be mistaken for a well dressed Sasquatch!!! DuckDuckGOOSE

[Alpine Sam]

Personally I get more cautious during Elmer season.

[ajgoodkids]

"I hunt down game, I blast away, I kill whate'er I can, Or my name's not ... Yosemite Sam." And the classic, to the tune of the Can Can: "Daffy, that's why I'm Daffy, Hunters to the right of me, Hunters to the left of me, Over hill and over dale, Hunters, hunters everywhere," etc.

[RainierRidgeRunner]

OOOh ya bugs bunny. Now I get it. I've never really worried about hunters much. I'm usually get on the trail around mid morning and sometimes see them leaving as I am just getting there.