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Washington GMU Finder

Answer six questions and get Washington game management units ranked by habitat fit, 2026 general season dates, public land and WDFW harvest history.

How the Washington finder works

WDFW manages big game by game management unit (GMU). This tool scores all 152 GMUs for the species you pick using WDFW harvest reports from 2021–2025 (mandatory hunter reports for general season deer and elk, fall bear, cougar, turkey and moose, goat and sheep permits), USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as national forest, DNR and WDFW wildlife areas.

Season fit uses each GMU's own general seasons from the 2026 Big Game Hunting Pamphlet: early and late archery, muzzleloader and modern firearm deer and elk seasons with their antler rules, bear units, cougar hunt areas and turkey seasons. Birds and waterfowl are ranked by county with WDFW's small game harvest and the 2026–27 Game Bird pamphlet.

Species covered

  • Mule deer
  • White-tailed deer
  • Black-tailed deer
  • Elk
  • Moose
  • Bighorn sheep
  • Mountain goat
  • Black bear
  • Mountain lion
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Gray (Hungarian) partridge
  • Chukar
  • Forest grouse
  • Quail

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • Mourning dove

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

Washington hunting FAQ

Where are the best black-tailed deer GMUs in Washington?

Southwest Washington leads WDFW's general season blacktail harvest: GMUs 667 Skookumchuck, 550 Coweeman, 568 Washougal, 520 Winston and 564 Battle Ground. Pick black-tailed deer to rank every west-side GMU.

Are mule deer and whitetails ranked separately in Washington?

Yes, but WDFW reports eastside deer harvest for both species together, so each GMU's harvest is split with an approximate whitetail share from WDFW's 2026 Hunting Prospects. Northeast GMUs 117–124 are mostly whitetails; the Okanogan, Columbia Basin and east-slope Cascades are mostly mule deer.

Can I hunt bears or cougars with hounds in Washington?

No. Washington bans hunting black bear and cougar with dogs and baiting bears. Fall bear opens Aug. 1 in most units, and cougar hunt areas close when their caps are reached.

Can I use a crossbow during Washington archery season?

No, not without a disability permit. Crossbows are legal during modern firearm seasons, so the tool only counts those windows for crossbows.

Washington harvest leaders

The game management units with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

Mule deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 204 GMU 204 Okanogan East: 350 per year, 20% success
  2. GMU 284 GMU 284 Ritzville: 331 per year, 35% success
  3. GMU 149 GMU 149 Prescott: 308 per year, 29% success
  4. GMU 382 GMU 382 East Klickitat: 295 per year, 28% success
  5. GMU 272 GMU 272 Beezley: 291 per year, 21% success

White-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 121 GMU 121 Huckleberry: 956 per year, 26% success
  2. GMU 124 GMU 124 Mount Spokane: 852 per year, 26% success
  3. GMU 117 GMU 117 49 Degrees North: 510 per year, 18% success
  4. GMU 204 GMU 204 Okanogan East: 350 per year, 20% success
  5. GMU 101 GMU 101 Sherman: 350 per year, 18% success

Black-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 667 GMU 667 Skookumchuck: 788 per year, 36% success
  2. GMU 550 GMU 550 Coweeman: 625 per year, 31% success
  3. GMU 568 GMU 568 Washougal: 514 per year, 26% success
  4. GMU 520 GMU 520 Winston: 509 per year, 29% success
  5. GMU 564 GMU 564 Battle Ground: 506 per year, 33% success

Elk (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 506 GMU 506 Willapa Hills: 242 per year, 14% success
  2. GMU 652 GMU 652 Puyallup: 216 per year, 22% success
  3. GMU 530 GMU 530 Ryderwood: 161 per year, 10% success
  4. GMU 673 GMU 673 Williams Creek: 155 per year, 10% success
  5. GMU 454 GMU 454 Issaquah: 137 per year, 23% success

Moose (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 121 GMU 121 Huckleberry: 26 per year, 95% success
  2. GMU 124 GMU 124 Mount Spokane: 18 per year, 81% success
  3. GMU 117 GMU 117 49 Degrees North: 18 per year, 75% success
  4. GMU 113 GMU 113 Selkirk: 11 per year, 75% success
  5. GMU 108 GMU 108 Douglas: 5 per year, 61% success

Bighorn sheep (2021–2022 average)

  1. GMU 340 GMU 340 Manastash: 20 per year, 93% success
  2. GMU 346 GMU 346 Little Naches: 7 per year, 89% success
  3. GMU 342 GMU 342 Umtanum: 7 per year, 89% success
  4. GMU 243 GMU 243 Manson: 6 per year, 97% success
  5. GMU 247 GMU 247 Entiat: 5 per year, 96% success

Mountain goat (2021–2024 average)

  1. GMU 418 GMU 418 Nooksack: 4 per year, 65% success
  2. GMU 560 GMU 560 Lewis River: 1 per year, 76% success
  3. GMU 524 GMU 524 Margaret: 1 per year, 88% success
  4. GMU 243 GMU 243 Manson: 1 per year
  5. GMU 356 GMU 356 Bumping: 1 per year, 100% success

Black bear (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 418 GMU 418 Nooksack: 75 per year, 13% success
  2. GMU 101 GMU 101 Sherman: 68 per year, 9% success
  3. GMU 204 GMU 204 Okanogan East: 63 per year, 9% success
  4. GMU 448 GMU 448 Stillaguamish: 48 per year, 9% success
  5. GMU 335 GMU 335 Teanaway: 43 per year, 8% success

Mountain lion (2021–2025 average)

  1. GMU 101 GMU 101 Sherman: 8 per year
  2. GMU 121 GMU 121 Huckleberry: 8 per year
  3. GMU 117 GMU 117 49 Degrees North: 7 per year
  4. GMU 113 GMU 113 Selkirk: 6 per year
  5. GMU 204 GMU 204 Okanogan East: 5 per year

Ring-necked pheasant (2021–2025 average)

  1. Thurston County: 5,634 per year
  2. Grant County: 5,336 per year
  3. Whitman County: 5,069 per year
  4. Whatcom County: 3,719 per year
  5. Clark County: 2,770 per year

Gray (Hungarian) partridge (2021–2025 average)

  1. Douglas County: 292 per year
  2. Okanogan County: 267 per year
  3. Grant County: 224 per year
  4. Chelan County: 192 per year
  5. Kittitas County: 188 per year

Chukar (2021–2025 average)

  1. Kittitas County: 2,238 per year
  2. Yakima County: 1,324 per year
  3. Chelan County: 1,270 per year
  4. Asotin County: 1,231 per year
  5. Douglas County: 1,134 per year

Forest grouse (2021–2025 average)

  1. Okanogan County: 4,671 per year
  2. Stevens County: 2,781 per year
  3. Grays Harbor County: 2,105 per year
  4. Lewis County: 2,067 per year
  5. Ferry County: 1,983 per year

Quail (2021–2025 average)

  1. Yakima County: 7,389 per year
  2. Grant County: 7,342 per year
  3. Okanogan County: 2,505 per year
  4. Douglas County: 2,065 per year
  5. Lincoln County: 1,938 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Grant County: 45,330 per year
  2. Skagit County: 44,170 per year
  3. Benton County: 29,964 per year
  4. Snohomish County: 24,247 per year
  5. Franklin County: 21,691 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Grant County: 9,792 per year
  2. Skagit County: 6,062 per year
  3. Franklin County: 5,966 per year
  4. Snohomish County: 4,726 per year
  5. Benton County: 3,831 per year