Hunters in southwest Washington are gearing up for a promising fall turkey season with a newly raised bag limit that stands to benefit both sportspeople and property owners. The general season kicked off on Sept. 1 and is set to run through Dec. 31, inviting hunters to take advantage of the thriving wild turkey populations across several Game Management Units (GMUs).

Notable areas where the season is open include GMUs 382, 388, and the span of 568 through 578 in Klickitat and Skamania counties. This year's regulation changes allow hunters to now quickly take two turkeys, regardless of sex, compared to the previous single-bird limit. Those interested in the exact locations of the open GMUs can find more details on the WDFW website.

The decision to increase the bag limit comes in the wake of escalating turkey-related conflicts, as the birds' habitat overlaps with human activities, causing damage and grievances among landowners. Stefanie Bergh, District Wildlife Biologist with the WDFW, told the WDFW's blog, "This increased bag limit offers a win-win situation for hunters and landowners in southwest Washington. Hunters get a chance to harvest more birds, while landowners can benefit from reduced turkey-related damage to their properties."

The prospects for this fall's turkey hunting season appear to align seamlessly with previous years' experiences. In the 2023 fall general season, hunters harvested an estimated 147 turkeys within the same GMUs, achieving a robust 34% success rate. It's a statistic that has shown to be reliably consistent over recent years and one that both new and veteran hunters will likely find to be encouraging as they set out to quickly fulfill their increased quota.