Wind River GMU 574 black bear hunting: harvest, season and land
WDFW's harvest report shows 7 black bears taken in GMU 574 Wind River in 2025. 124 bear hunters reported 826 days here, a success rate of 5.6% by WDFW's count. GMU 574 is 73.3% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (100,778 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 forestDNR state trust landNational wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 574Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 5, Southwest Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 178,394 acres (279 square miles) |
| Counties | Skamania and Klickitat |
| Public land open to hunting | 73.3% (130,736 acres) |
| Black bears taken, 2025 | 7 (2 in 2024) |
| Bear hunters, 2025 | 124 |
| 2026 fall season | August 1-November 15, bag limit 2 (Bear Management Unit 9, South Cascades West) |
| Towns in and near it | White Salmon, Bingen and Stevenson |
Also for GMU 574: elk hunting, deer hunting.
How many black bears are taken in GMU 574?
WDFW reports 7 black bears taken in GMU 574 in 2025, against 2 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 31, in 2022. WDFW's figures average 12 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 11 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Bears taken, general season | Males | Females | Bear hunters | Hunter days | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 124 | 826 | 5.6% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 98 | 683 | 2% |
| 2023 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 131 | 913 | 3.8% |
| 2022 | 31 | 26 | 5 | 167 | 1,076 | 18.6% |
| 2021 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 159 | 1,096 | 8.2% |
| 2020 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 142 | 1,107 | 7.8% |
| 2019 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 169 | 1,119 | 8.8% |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 150 | 1,094 | 2.6% |
| 2017 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 170 | 1,378 | 9% |
| 2016 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 163 | 1,166 | 5% |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 159 | 1,138 | 3.1% |
| 2014 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 195 | 1,379 | 7.7% |
| 2013 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 209 | 1,456 | 5.7% |
| 2012 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 188 | 1,187 | 4.8% |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 191 | 1,215 | 3.7% |
| 2010 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 204 | 1,370 | 8.3% |
| 2009 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 266 | 1,695 | 4% |
| 2008 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 262 | 1,874 | 7% |
| 2007 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 254 | 1,663 | 6.3% |
| 2006 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 256 | 1,625 | 3.1% |
| 2005 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 217 | 1,526 | 7.4% |
| 2004 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 242 | 1,769 | 6.6% |
| 2003 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 258 | 2,109 | 4.7% |
| 2002 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 252 | 1,737 | 5.6% |
| 2001 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 226 | 1,882 | 4.4% |
| 2000 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 505 | 2,418 | 2% |
| 1999 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 609 | 4,665 | 1% |
| 1998 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 432 | 1,812 | 3% |
| 1997 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 131 | 472 | 3% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (black bear, GMU 574, 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 574 in 2026?
GMU 574 is in Bear Management Unit 9, South Cascades West, which also takes in GMUs 466, 485, 503, 510, 513, 516, 560, 568, 572, 653 and 654. 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 574?
73.3% of GMU 574 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 130,736 of its 178,394 acres. The largest share is national forest, 100,778 acres or 56.5% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 29,958 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 574 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 100,778 | 56.5% |
| DNR state trust land | 29,958 | 16.8% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 536 | 0.3% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 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 574?
Highways through the unit: SR 14 (about 14 miles inside it) and SR 141 (about 7 miles inside it). Nearby: White Salmon (2 miles), Bingen (3 miles), Stevenson (5 miles) and North Bonneville (10 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 574?
GMU 574 touches 4 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 560 | Lewis River | 90.2% | 24 | 463 |
| GMU 568 | Washougal | 49.5% | 29 | 408 |
| GMU 572 | Siouxon | 91.4% | 15 | 228 |
| GMU 578 | West Klickitat | 27.6% | 19 | 279 |
Questions hunters ask
When is bear season in GMU 574 in 2026?
GMU 574 is in WDFW's Bear Management Unit 9 (South 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 574?
WDFW reports 7 black bears taken in GMU 574 in 2025 (3 males, 4 females). The most in one year since 1997 was 31, in 2022.
How much public land is in GMU 574?
73.3% of GMU 574, 130,736 of its 178,394 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 574?
No town or Census-listed community is inside it. The nearest towns are White Salmon (2 miles), Bingen (3 miles) and Stevenson (5 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 574
Beginning at the town of Trout Lake; S on State Route (SR) 141 to the SR 141 bridge over the White Salmon River Bridge at Husum; S on the White Salmon River to the Columbia River; W down the Columbia River to the mouth of Wind River (including all islands in the Columbia River that are both north of the Washington state line and between the White Salmon River and Wind River); NW up the Wind River to the Hemlock Rd bridge; E on Hemlock Rd to Wind River Rd; N on Wind River Rd to US Forest Service (USFS) Rd 6517 (Warren Gap Rd); E on USFS Rd 6517 to USFS Rd 65 (Panther Creek Rd); N on USFS Rd 65 to USFS Rd 60; NE on USFS Rd 60 to USFS Rd 24 (also called Carson- Gular Rd); E on USFS Rd 24 to SR 141; NE on SR 141 to the town of Trout Lake 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 5 GMU 560 GMU 568 GMU 572 GMU 578