New to Washington

[AZcoueshunter78]

Hey everyone I am moving to Gig Harbor next week. I am an avid hunter and big game guide here in Arizona and would like to see what the hunting scene is like in washington. Love elk hunting and deer hunting but have never hunted anything but the az coues deer. Anybody willing to show this desert rat around a new state when i get settled in. Just curious how the licensing works and such as well. Thanks in advanced guys. Im really looking forward to getting outdoors in a new state!

[snowpack]

What method (rifle/muzzy/bow)?  Hike or road hunt?  Horns or meat?  Bear and cougar?

[AZcoueshunter78]

Any and all method , preferably archery love meat and horns both and will trophy hunt till the end of the hunt the. Take home aome meat for the winter. Would live to kill both a bear nd cougar once in my life. I like to drive in and then hime to where there are no roads. Im sure az hunting is alot different so im looking to learn how to be effective in washington. I would love to have a giant muledeer and blacktail buck to go with my couesdeer and antelope for the man cave. I was a guide in az for elk and deer so im not afraid of hard work just need some help in washington to get me going in the rught direction.

[rim_runner]

Here you have the West side and the East side of the cascades or as is often said the wet side and the dry side. The East side seems a lot more like home for us Arizona boys. The pine forests of the central part of the state are a lot like flag or the sky islands down south. Mostly ponderosa pine with more ground cover and water than AZ. The wet side will take a little more getting used to. It’s very thick and has very low visibility. Oh and by the way, on the wet side, those large clear-cuts that look so inviting to hike across; they aren’t what they seem.

[AZcoueshunter78]

I have heard the east side or dry side was like home. I hope to learn a bit about all sides and hunt each some. My real interests are mule deer and blacktail and then elk bear and lion. Hoping to hook up with some people that share the same interests that will let me tag along for this season till i can get my residency and try my hand at the washington hunting myself. Thanks for the info fellas .

[JimmyHoffa]

For the licenses you have to get a tag for the species and get a general season and if lucky you can submit for a special permit and get a special additional season.
Deer--you get a tag and declare your method--archery, muzzleloader, modern firearm, multi-season (if you're lucky).  Then you can hunt the corresponding general seasons for that method.  Usually only get one tag a year.  So you kind of pick between blacktail, mule and whitetail. 
Elk--Like above, but in addition to method you pick which sided of the state--East or west.  East is spike/true spike unless you get a permit for a bull.  Competition is tough for those permits.  West is 3 pt or larger.  West has good permits too, but not quite as competitive as east.
Bear and cougar, you buy the tag and get to use any of the methods.
There are also OIL (once in a lifetime) animals that are permit animals:  moose, bighorn, mountain goat.
You can get tags online or at a retailer any time, but permits (and raffles) have deadlines for submitting.

[fordpowerforever]

deer multi-season is pretty much a given every year, more given out then applied for usually, and it took me 3 years to get the multi season elk, and ive heard of it taking longer....