Pasayten GMU 203 black bear hunting: harvest, season and land
WDFW's harvest report shows 5 black bears taken in GMU 203 Pasayten in 2025. 99 bear hunters reported 473 days here, a success rate of 5% by WDFW's count. GMU 203 is 100% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (518,397 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 forestNational recreation areaGMU 203Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 518,633 acres (810 square miles) |
| Counties | Okanogan and Whatcom |
| Public land open to hunting | 100% (518,624 acres) |
| Black bears taken, 2025 | 5 (11 in 2024) |
| Bear hunters, 2025 | 99 |
| 2026 fall season | August 15-November 15, bag limit 1 (Bear Management Unit 5, Okanogan) |
| Towns in and near it | Winthrop and Oroville |
Also for GMU 203: deer hunting.
How many black bears are taken in GMU 203?
WDFW reports 5 black bears taken in GMU 203 in 2025, against 11 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 15, in 2022. WDFW's figures average 11 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 7 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Bears taken, general season | Males | Females | Bear hunters | Hunter days | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 99 | 473 | 5% |
| 2024 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 119 | 647 | 9.2% |
| 2023 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 122 | 633 | 11.4% |
| 2022 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 135 | 677 | 11.2% |
| 2021 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 100 | 524 | 8% |
| 2020 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 98 | 501 | 8.2% |
| 2019 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 96 | 559 | 4.2% |
| 2018 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 78 | 356 | 12.8% |
| 2017 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 71 | 329 | 8% |
| 2016 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 79 | 322 | 7.6% |
| 2015 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 68 | 289 | 10.3% |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 57 | 267 | 3.5% |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 70 | 313 | 5.7% |
| 2012 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 89 | 416 | 12.4% |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 253 | 9.2% |
| 2010 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 80 | 405 | 10% |
| 2009 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 80 | 366 | 11% |
| 2008 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 67 | 322 | 19% |
| 2007 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 63 | 348 | 7.9% |
| 2006 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 63 | 308 | 7.9% |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 472 | 2.2% |
| 2004 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 68 | 333 | 16.2% |
| 2003 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 70 | 488 | 10% |
| 2002 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 116 | 1,009 | 2.6% |
| 2001 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 110 | 589 | 4.5% |
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 274 | 986 | 2% |
| 1999 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 271 | 1,657 | 3% |
| 1998 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 279 | 1,286 | 4% |
| 1997 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 140 | 493 | 1% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (black bear, GMU 203, 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 203 in 2026?
GMU 203 is in Bear Management Unit 5, Okanogan, which also takes in GMUs 209, 215, 218, 224, 231, 233, 239, 242 and 243. The 2026 fall general season there runs August 15-November 15, and the bag limit is 1. 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 203?
100% of GMU 203 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 518,624 of its 518,633 acres. The largest share is national forest, 518,397 acres or 100% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 203 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 518,397 | 100% |
| National recreation area | 227 | under 0.1% |
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 203?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Nearby: Winthrop (18 miles) and Oroville (20 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 203?
GMU 203 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 215 | Sinlahekin | 72.4% | 19 | 249 |
| GMU 218 | Chewuch | 94.8% | 11 | 233 |
| GMU 426 | Diablo | 93.5% | 6 | 34 |
Questions hunters ask
When is bear season in GMU 203 in 2026?
GMU 203 is in WDFW's Bear Management Unit 5 (Okanogan), where the 2026 fall general season runs August 15-November 15 with a bag limit of 1, 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 203?
WDFW reports 5 black bears taken in GMU 203 in 2025 (5 males, 0 females). The most in one year since 1997 was 15, in 2022.
How much public land is in GMU 203?
100% of GMU 203, 518,624 of its 518,633 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 203?
No town or Census-listed community is inside it. The nearest towns are Winthrop (18 miles) and Oroville (20 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 203
Beginning at the western junction of the Pasayten Wilderness Area-Ross Lake National Recreational Area border and the US-Canadian border; E along the US-Canadian border to the eastern junction of the Pasayten Wilderness Area boundary and the US-Canadian border; S on the Pasayten Wilderness border to US Forest Service (USFS) Trail 375; W on USFS Trail 375 to USFS Trail 341; SW on USFS Trail 341 to its junction with USFS Trail 533 and USFS Trail 343; W on USFS Trail 343 to USFS 342; SW on USFS Trail 342 to Pasayten Wilderness boundary; W on the Pasayten Wilderness boundary to USFS Trail 478 (Robinson Creek Trail); N on USFS Trail 478 to USFS Trail 575; S on USFS Trail 575 to USFS Trail 498; NW overland from the junction of USFS Trails 575 and 498 to the junction of USFS Trails 576 and 472; W on USFS Trail 576 to USFS Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail); N on USFS Trail 2000 to the Pasayten Wilderness Area border at Jim Pass; W on the Pasayten Wilderness Area border to Ross Lake National Recreational Area border; N on the Pasayten Wilderness Area-Ross Lake National Recreational Area border to the US-Canadian border and the point of the beginning.
From WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, Game Management Unit Descriptions.
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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 2 GMU 215 GMU 218 GMU 426