Nooksack GMU 418 black bear hunting: harvest, season and land
WDFW's harvest report shows 52 black bears taken in GMU 418 Nooksack in 2025. 546 bear hunters reported 4,027 days here, a success rate of 9.6% by WDFW's count. GMU 418 is 70.6% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (294,003 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 park or historic site (no hunting)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 418Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 4, North Puget Sound |
|---|---|
| Size | 533,799 acres (834 square miles) |
| Counties | Whatcom and Skagit |
| Public land open to hunting | 70.6% (376,867 acres) |
| Black bears taken, 2025 | 52 (80 in 2024) |
| Bear hunters, 2025 | 546 |
| 2026 fall season | August 1-November 15, bag limit 2 (Bear Management Unit 8, North Cascades West) |
| Towns in and near it | Kendall, Maple Falls, Glacier, Concrete, Sedro-Woolley and Lyman |
Also for GMU 418: elk hunting, deer hunting.
How many black bears are taken in GMU 418?
WDFW reports 52 black bears taken in GMU 418 in 2025, against 80 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 90, in 2022. WDFW's figures average 75 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 66 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Bears taken, general season | Males | Females | Bear hunters | Hunter days | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52 | 40 | 12 | 546 | 4,027 | 9.6% |
| 2024 | 80 | 49 | 31 | 565 | 3,378 | 14.2% |
| 2023 | 86 | 74 | 12 | 590 | 3,624 | 14.6% |
| 2022 | 90 | 69 | 21 | 606 | 4,300 | 14.8% |
| 2021 | 65 | 42 | 23 | 631 | 4,527 | 10.4% |
| 2020 | 82 | 56 | 26 | 715 | 4,357 | 11.4% |
| 2019 | 86 | 62 | 24 | 606 | 3,979 | 14.2% |
| 2018 | 63 | 44 | 19 | 575 | 4,248 | 11% |
| 2017 | 54 | 38 | 16 | 520 | 3,930 | 10% |
| 2016 | 44 | 24 | 20 | 583 | 3,751 | 7.6% |
| 2015 | 59 | 40 | 19 | 579 | 4,100 | 10.2% |
| 2014 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 548 | 3,624 | 5.1% |
| 2013 | 41 | 28 | 13 | 476 | 3,118 | 8.6% |
| 2012 | 52 | 31 | 21 | 564 | 3,613 | 9.2% |
| 2011 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 580 | 3,702 | 10.2% |
| 2010 | 75 | 48 | 27 | 618 | 4,391 | 12.1% |
| 2009 | 38 | 26 | 12 | 527 | 3,756 | 7% |
| 2008 | 79 | 37 | 42 | 705 | 5,313 | 11% |
| 2007 | 62 | 46 | 16 | 562 | 3,835 | 11% |
| 2006 | 48 | 34 | 14 | 464 | 3,092 | 10.3% |
| 2005 | 33 | 26 | 7 | 389 | 2,756 | 8.5% |
| 2004 | 51 | 32 | 19 | 479 | 3,439 | 10.6% |
| 2003 | 32 | 22 | 10 | 438 | 2,952 | 7.3% |
| 2002 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 539 | 3,951 | 5.6% |
| 2001 | 32 | 25 | 7 | 579 | 4,646 | 5.5% |
| 2000 | 42 | 30 | 12 | 894 | 4,893 | 5% |
| 1999 | 37 | 19 | 18 | 771 | 7,329 | 5% |
| 1998 | 70 | 41 | 29 | 735 | 5,197 | 10% |
| 1997 | 34 | 16 | 18 | 256 | 1,080 | 13% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (black bear, GMU 418, 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 418 in 2026?
GMU 418 is in Bear Management Unit 8, North Cascades West, which also takes in GMUs 426, 437, 448, 450 and 460. 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 418?
70.6% of GMU 418 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 376,867 of its 533,799 acres. The largest share is national forest, 294,003 acres or 55.1% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 82,819 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 418 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 294,003 | 55.1% |
| DNR state trust land | 82,819 | 15.5% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 8,583 | 1.6% |
| National park or historic site (no hunting) | 377 | 0.1% |
| WDFW land | 35 | under 0.1% |
| BLM | 10 | 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 418?
Highways through the unit: SR 542 (about 39 miles inside it), SR 9 (about 8 miles inside it) and SR 20 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier. Nearby: Concrete (on the line), Sedro-Woolley (on the line), Lyman (on the line) and Hamilton (on the line).
Which GMUs border GMU 418?
GMU 418 touches 2 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 407 | North Sound | 9.9% | 24 | 271 |
| GMU 437 | Sauk | 60.8% | 46 | 403 |
Questions hunters ask
When is bear season in GMU 418 in 2026?
GMU 418 is in WDFW's Bear Management Unit 8 (North Cascades West), 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 418?
WDFW reports 52 black bears taken in GMU 418 in 2025 (40 males, 12 females). The most in one year since 1997 was 90, in 2022.
How much public land is in GMU 418?
70.6% of GMU 418, 376,867 of its 533,799 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 418?
Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier are inside the unit. Just outside: Concrete (on the line), Sedro-Woolley (on the line) and Lyman (on the line).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 418
Beginning at the US-Canadian border and the western border of the North Cascades National Park; S on the North Cascades National Park boundary to Noisy Diobsud Wilderness Area boundary; W and S on Noisy Diobsud Wilderness Area boundary to a point due E of the head waters of Watson Creek; W to the headwaters of Watson Creek; S down Watson Creek to Thunder Creek; W down Thunder Creek to Baker River Rd; S along Baker River Rd to State Route (SR) 20 at the town of Concrete; W along SR 20 to SR 9 at the town of Sedro-Woolley; N along SR 9 to Mosquito Lake Rd; N on the Mosquito Lake Rd to SR 542 (Mount Baker Hwy); N on SR 542 to the Silver Lake Rd; N on the Silver Lake Rd to its northern most point; N from the Silver Lake Rd to the US-Canadian border; E on the US-Canadian border to the western border of the North Cascades National Park and the point of 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 4 GMU 407 GMU 437