Sherman GMU 101 black bear hunting: harvest, season and land
WDFW's harvest report shows 42 black bears taken in GMU 101 Sherman in 2025. 649 bear hunters reported 4,271 days here, a success rate of 6.4% by WDFW's count. GMU 101 is 72.8% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (465,003 acres), measured from WA DNR's public land maps.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WDFW reports for 1997 to 2025. Seasons and permits: WDFW's 2026 pamphlet with its April 2026 corrections. Land: WA DNR, 2026-10.
National forestBLMDNR state trust landWDFW landNational wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)National recreation areaOther public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 101Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 1, Eastern Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 705,298 acres (1,102 square miles) |
| Counties | Ferry and Okanogan |
| Public land open to hunting | 72.8% (513,553 acres) |
| Black bears taken, 2025 | 42 (74 in 2024) |
| Bear hunters, 2025 | 649 |
| 2026 fall season | August 1-November 15, bag limit 2 (Bear Management Unit 4, Okanogan Highlands) |
| Towns in and near it | Republic, Curlew Lake, Torboy, Marcus, Kettle Falls and Colville |
Also for GMU 101: elk hunting, deer hunting.
How many black bears are taken in GMU 101?
WDFW reports 42 black bears taken in GMU 101 in 2025, against 74 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 132, in 1998. WDFW's figures average 68 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 57 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Bears taken, general season | Males | Females | Bear hunters | Hunter days | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | 33 | 9 | 649 | 4,271 | 6.4% |
| 2024 | 74 | 48 | 26 | 732 | 4,447 | 10.2% |
| 2023 | 72 | 54 | 18 | 813 | 5,206 | 8.8% |
| 2022 | 78 | 55 | 23 | 776 | 5,964 | 10% |
| 2021 | 76 | 55 | 21 | 855 | 5,766 | 8.8% |
| 2020 | 79 | 56 | 23 | 830 | 5,851 | 9.6% |
| 2019 | 38 | 26 | 12 | 729 | 4,823 | 5.2% |
| 2018 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 781 | 4,919 | 4.8% |
| 2017 | 67 | 34 | 33 | 845 | 4,864 | 8% |
| 2016 | 63 | 45 | 18 | 872 | 5,803 | 7.2% |
| 2015 | 85 | 59 | 26 | 854 | 5,224 | 10% |
| 2014 | 79 | 60 | 19 | 808 | 5,070 | 9.8% |
| 2013 | 56 | 36 | 20 | 771 | 4,637 | 7.3% |
| 2012 | 84 | 58 | 26 | 793 | 4,652 | 10.6% |
| 2011 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 717 | 3,843 | 7.4% |
| 2010 | 85 | 51 | 34 | 807 | 4,432 | 10.5% |
| 2009 | 64 | 48 | 16 | 840 | 4,989 | 8% |
| 2008 | 52 | 40 | 12 | 827 | 5,084 | 6% |
| 2007 | 57 | 42 | 15 | 816 | 4,989 | 7% |
| 2006 | 83 | 46 | 37 | 822 | 4,923 | 10.1% |
| 2005 | 47 | 31 | 16 | 792 | 4,734 | 5.9% |
| 2004 | 57 | 34 | 23 | 879 | 4,964 | 6.5% |
| 2003 | 74 | 48 | 26 | 917 | 5,939 | 8.1% |
| 2002 | 80 | 51 | 29 | 994 | 6,359 | 8% |
| 2001 | 54 | 28 | 26 | 1,022 | 6,279 | 5.3% |
| 2000 | 56 | 40 | 16 | 1,904 | 8,114 | 3% |
| 1999 | 51 | 34 | 17 | 2,029 | 14,908 | 3% |
| 1998 | 132 | 91 | 41 | 1,227 | 7,189 | 11% |
| 1997 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 685 | 3,075 | 5% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (black bear, GMU 101, 1997 to 2025), read through WDFW's Hunt Planner harvest table. Success is WDFW's own figure. The averages above are of WDFW's yearly figures.
When is bear season in GMU 101 in 2026?
GMU 101 is in Bear Management Unit 4, Okanogan Highlands, which also takes in GMU 204. The 2026 fall general season there runs August 1-November 15, and the bag limit is 2. It is illegal to shoot a cub or a female with cubs, and every successful bear hunter must send WDFW the bear's first premolar tooth.
Source: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, page 68.
How much public land is in GMU 101?
72.8% of GMU 101 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 513,553 of its 705,298 acres. The largest share is national forest, 465,003 acres or 65.9% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 32,281 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 101 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 465,003 | 65.9% |
| DNR state trust land | 32,281 | 4.6% |
| BLM | 7,652 | 1.1% |
| WDFW land | 6,939 | 1% |
| National recreation area | 1,678 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 562 | 0.1% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 154 | under 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 101, by WDFW's own boundaries: Sherman Creek Wildlife Area (8,100 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside WDFW's GMU boundary (WDFW game management units, in effect April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027) from WA DNR Major Public Lands (non-DNR) and WA DNR Managed Land Parcels, read 2026-10. Tribal land is not counted as public. National wildlife refuges, military land and "other public" land (state parks, county, city and other agencies) are not counted as open to hunting: each sets its own rules.
How do you get to GMU 101?
Highways through the unit: SR 20 (about 50 miles inside it), SR 21 (about 36 miles inside it) and US 395 (about 29 miles inside it). Towns inside: Republic, Curlew Lake, Torboy, Curlew, Barstow and Pine Grove. Nearby: Marcus (2 miles), Kettle Falls (3 miles), Colville (11 miles) and Northport (18 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 101?
GMU 101 touches 3 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 black bear numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Black bears taken, 2025 | Bear hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 105 | Kelly Hill | 47.5% | 9 | 177 |
| GMU 121 | Huckleberry | 19.7% | 25 | 526 |
| GMU 204 | Okanogan East | 47.7% | 42 | 647 |
Questions hunters ask
When is bear season in GMU 101 in 2026?
GMU 101 is in WDFW's Bear Management Unit 4 (Okanogan Highlands), where the 2026 fall general season runs August 1-November 15 with a bag limit of 2, by the pamphlet's table on page 68. It is illegal to shoot a cub or a female with cubs.
How many bears are taken in GMU 101?
WDFW reports 42 black bears taken in GMU 101 in 2025 (33 males, 9 females). The most in one year since 1997 was 132, in 1998.
How much public land is in GMU 101?
72.8% of GMU 101, 513,553 of its 705,298 acres, is national forest, BLM, DNR trust, WDFW, Reclamation or national recreation area land; the largest share is national forest. Measured by FilledTag from WA DNR's public land maps.
What town is closest to GMU 101?
Republic, Curlew Lake and Torboy are inside the unit. Just outside: Marcus (2 miles), Kettle Falls (3 miles) and Colville (11 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 101
Beginning at the Kettle River and the US-Canadian border near the Ferry Customs Office, north of the town of Toroda; E on the US-Canadian border to the Kettle River, east of the town of Laurier; S down the Kettle River (Ferry-Stevens county line) to the mouth of the Kettle River on Lake Roosevelt; S down the western shore of Lake Roosevelt to the northeastern corner of the Colville Indian reservation; W on the northern Colville Indian reservation boundary to State Route (SR) 21; N on SR 21 to SR 20 at the town of Republic; NW on SR 20 to Toroda Creek Rd at the town of Wauconda; NE on the Toroda Creek Rd to Toroda Creek at the town of Toroda; E along Toroda Creek to its mouth on the Kettle River; N up the Kettle River to the US-Canadian border near the Ferry Customs Office north of the town of Toroda and point of beginning.
From WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, Game Management Unit Descriptions.
Get a Washington hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Washington are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Washington included.
Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters, days and success: WDFW Game Harvest Reports.
- Seasons, special permits, applicants and points: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations.
- Public land: WA DNR Major Public Lands (non-DNR) and WA DNR Managed Land Parcels, read 2026-10. GMU boundary: WDFW game management units, in effect April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from WDFW and the State of Washington, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WDFW's regulations are the final word on every rule.
Washington hunting Washington black bear by GMU Region 1 GMU 105 GMU 121 GMU 204