What to know in Pend Oreille County
In WDFW’s District 1 (Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties), about 37% of the land is public, mostly national forest, and timber-company lands are often open to hunting, though not always to vehicles. Private land is different: WDFW says it is typically open only with written permission from the landowner or manager. The district is known for white-tailed deer, moose, forest grouse and turkey. In Pend Oreille County only about 36% of the land is private (Washington ESD), so private parcels are a small part of the map and each one is worth asking about directly.
Pend Oreille County falls in WDFW game management units 111 (Aladdin), 113 (Selkirk), 117 (49 Degrees North) and part of 124 (Mount Spokane). WDFW runs private-lands access programs (Feel Free to Hunt, Register to Hunt, Hunt by Written Permission and Hunt by Reservation) and maps enrolled properties. Land that isn’t enrolled still needs the owner’s OK, and that’s what an inquiry is for.
For owners: Washington’s recreational-use statute, RCW 4.24.210, limits a landowner’s liability for unintentional injuries to people allowed to hunt without being charged a fee. Charging for access changes that, so talk to your insurer or attorney before you set a price. Payments from a WDFW cooperative access agreement don’t count as a fee as long as you don’t charge hunters.
What to put in your inquiry
- Season and dates
- Species and method (rifle, archery, shotgun)
- Head count and vehicles
- What you offer: a season fee or work such as fence repair
- The rules you’ll follow
In the app, the Hunting access template fills these in as [bracketed] prompts. Replace them with your details and send.