Quinault Ridge GMU 638 black bear hunting: harvest, season and land
WDFW's harvest report shows 3 black bears taken in GMU 638 Quinault Ridge in 2025. 55 bear hunters reported 473 days here, a success rate of 5.4% by WDFW's count. GMU 638 is 85.9% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (79,771 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 park or historic site (no hunting)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 638Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 6, Coastal Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 94,108 acres (147 square miles) |
| Counties | Grays Harbor and Jefferson |
| Public land open to hunting | 85.9% (80,808 acres) |
| Black bears taken, 2025 | 3 (14 in 2024) |
| Bear hunters, 2025 | 55 |
| 2026 fall season | August 1-November 15, bag limit 2 (Bear Management Unit 12, Olympic Peninsula East) |
| Towns in and near it | Neilton |
Also for GMU 638: elk hunting, deer hunting.
How many black bears are taken in GMU 638?
WDFW reports 3 black bears taken in GMU 638 in 2025, against 14 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 19, in 2023. WDFW's figures average 10 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 6 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Bears taken, general season | Males | Females | Bear hunters | Hunter days | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 55 | 473 | 5.4% |
| 2024 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 60 | 486 | 23.4% |
| 2023 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 55 | 665 | 34.6% |
| 2022 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 46 | 337 | 17.4% |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 60 | 298 | 6.6% |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 49 | 300 | 6.2% |
| 2019 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 48 | 358 | 18.8% |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 352 | 4% |
| 2017 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 44 | 279 | 20% |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 270 | 11.6% |
| 2015 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 66 | 441 | 12.1% |
| 2014 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 81 | 502 | 4.9% |
| 2013 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 71 | 462 | 8.5% |
| 2012 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 72 | 529 | 5.6% |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 421 | 7.5% |
| 2010 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 84 | 595 | 11.9% |
| 2009 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 63 | 457 | 6% |
| 2008 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 98 | 739 | 9% |
| 2007 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 91 | 669 | 6.6% |
| 2006 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 105 | 846 | 11.4% |
| 2005 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 70 | 482 | 12.9% |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 74 | 517 | 5.4% |
| 2003 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 85 | 856 | 5.9% |
| 2002 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 88 | 752 | 4.5% |
| 2001 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 129 | 844 | 3.1% |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 198 | 822 | 1% |
| 1999 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 281 | 2,291 | 3% |
| 1998 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 143 | 799 | 8% |
| 1997 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 96 | 599 | 2% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (black bear, GMU 638, 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 638 in 2026?
GMU 638 is in Bear Management Unit 12, Olympic Peninsula East, which also takes in GMUs 603, 607, 618, 621 and 636. 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 638?
85.9% of GMU 638 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 80,808 of its 94,108 acres. The largest share is national forest, 79,771 acres or 84.8% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 1,037 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 638 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 79,771 | 84.8% |
| DNR state trust land | 1,037 | 1.1% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 196 | 0.2% |
| National park or historic site (no hunting) | 6 | 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 638?
Highways through the unit: US 101 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns inside: Neilton.
Which GMUs border GMU 638?
GMU 638 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 636 | Skokomish | 56% | 8 | 186 |
| GMU 642 | Copalis | 9.1% | 25 | 104 |
| GMU 648 | Wynoochee | 3.9% | 24 | 303 |
Questions hunters ask
When is bear season in GMU 638 in 2026?
GMU 638 is in WDFW's Bear Management Unit 12 (Olympic Peninsula East), 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 638?
WDFW reports 3 black bears taken in GMU 638 in 2025 (1 males, 2 females). The most in one year since 1997 was 19, in 2023.
How much public land is in GMU 638?
85.9% of GMU 638, 80,808 of its 94,108 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 638?
Neilton is inside the unit.
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 638
Beginning on the Olympic National Park boundary and the Quinault Indian reservation boundary at the northwest corner of Lake Quinault; NE along the west shore of Lake Quinault to the Quinault River; NE on the Olympic National Park boundary, which is along the Quinault River, to the Olympic National Park boundary west of Bunch Creek; S and NE on the Olympic National Park boundary to the ridge between the Wynoochee River watershed and Humptulips River watershed; S along the ridge between the Humptulips River watershed and the Wynoochee River watershed to its intersection with US Forest Service (USFS) Rd 2281; E along USFS Rd 2281 to USFS Rd 2294; SE on USFS Rd 2294, paralleling Big Creek, to USFS Rd 22 (Donkey Creek Rd); W on the USFS Rd 22 to US Hwy (US) 101; N on US 101 to the Quinault Indian reservation boundary; NE on the reservation boundary to Lake Quinault; NW along the south shore of Lake Quinault to the Olympic National Park boundary 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 6 GMU 636 GMU 642 GMU 648