49 Degrees North GMU 117 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 358 deer taken in GMU 117 49 Degrees North in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 2,738 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 14,205 hunter days. GMU 117 is 34.6% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (178,613 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)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 117Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 1, Eastern Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 610,316 acres (954 square miles) |
| Public land open to hunting | 34.6% (211,200 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 358 (665 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 2,738 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-30, any buck |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 3 hunts, 11 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Deer Park, Colville, Newport, Chewelah, Ione and Springdale |
Also for GMU 117: elk hunting, black bear hunting.
How many deer are taken in GMU 117?
WDFW reports 358 deer taken in GMU 117 in 2025, against 665 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 1,825, in 2015. WDFW's figures average 568 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 1,060 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Deer taken, all hunts | General season | Special permit | Antlered | Antlerless | General-season hunters | Hunter days | Deer per 100 general hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 358 | 358 | 358 | 0 | 2,738 | 14,205 | 13 | |
| 2024 | 665 | 665 | 665 | 0 | 3,122 | 16,588 | 21 | |
| 2023 | 584 | 584 | 584 | 0 | 3,179 | 16,469 | 18 | |
| 2022 | 594 | 591 | 3 | 594 | 0 | 3,367 | 18,337 | 18 |
| 2021 | 638 | 637 | 1 | 638 | 0 | 3,768 | 20,597 | 17 |
| 2020 | 950 | 950 | 950 | 0 | 4,214 | 21,776 | 23 | |
| 2019 | 868 | 864 | 4 | 867 | 1 | 3,923 | 21,070 | 22 |
| 2018 | 895 | 880 | 15 | 712 | 183 | 4,336 | 22,987 | 20 |
| 2017 | 1,141 | 1,136 | 5 | 1,037 | 104 | 4,455 | 22,521 | 25 |
| 2016 | 1,444 | 1,438 | 6 | 1,286 | 158 | 4,981 | 25,897 | 29 |
| 2015 | 1,825 | 1,819 | 6 | 1,412 | 413 | 5,150 | 25,370 | 35 |
| 2014 | 1,026 | 1,016 | 10 | 800 | 226 | 3,895 | 20,981 | 26 |
| 2013 | 937 | 929 | 8 | 733 | 204 | 3,861 | 21,023 | 24 |
| 2012 | 884 | 879 | 5 | 681 | 203 | 3,629 | 19,927 | 24 |
| 2011 | 659 | 656 | 3 | 536 | 123 | 3,646 | 20,530 | 18 |
| 2010 | 1,053 | 1,036 | 17 | 915 | 138 | 4,499 | 24,573 | 23 |
| 2009 | 1,123 | 1,117 | 6 | 859 | 264 | 4,970 | 26,699 | 22 |
| 2008 | 1,346 | 1,312 | 34 | 998 | 348 | |||
| 2007 | 1,506 | 1,506 | not split out | 1,166 | 340 | 5,446 | 27,854 | 28 |
| 2006 | 1,635 | 1,635 | not split out | 1,241 | 394 | 5,347 | 26,240 | 31 |
| 2005 | 1,429 | 1,429 | not split out | 1,176 | 253 | 4,534 | 22,103 | 32 |
| 2004 | 1,465 | 1,465 | not split out | 1,202 | 263 | 4,940 | 23,524 | 30 |
| 2003 | 1,234 | 1,234 | not split out | 994 | 240 | 4,409 | 22,801 | 28 |
| 2002 | 1,087 | 1,087 | not split out | 861 | 226 | 4,699 | 24,594 | 23 |
| 2001 | 1,125 | 1,125 | not split out | 848 | 277 | 4,698 | 24,088 | 24 |
| 2000 | 1,606 | 1,606 | not split out | 1,256 | 350 | 7,751 | 34,909 | 21 |
| 1999 | 1,199 | 1,199 | not split out | 862 | 337 | 6,747 | 46,502 | 18 |
| 1998 | 907 | 907 | not split out | 739 | 168 | 6,822 | 29,393 | 13 |
| 1997 | 663 | 663 | not split out | 538 | 125 | 5,360 | 24,491 | 12 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 117, 1997 to 2025), read through WDFW's Hunt Planner harvest table. "All hunts" is WDFW's general plus special permit total where it publishes one (from 2008), otherwise the general season. Where WDFW gives no all-weapon hunter count, the hunters and days shown are its per-weapon counts added together. Deer per 100 general hunters is worked out from WDFW's own two figures. The averages above are of WDFW's yearly figures.
How did each weapon do in GMU 117 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 117 in 2025: 2,346, who took 306 (13% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 199 | 1,270 | 27 | 13.6% | 47 |
| Modern firearm | 2,346 | 11,608 | 306 | 13% | 38 |
| Muzzleloader | 43 | 222 | 0 | 0% | |
| Multiple-season tag | 150 | 1,105 | 25 | 16.6% | 44 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 117?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 4-point: 123 of 358 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52 | 63 | 75 | 123 | 45 | 0 |
| 2024 | 84 | 123 | 159 | 214 | 85 | 0 |
| 2023 | 76 | 77 | 147 | 214 | 70 | 0 |
| 2022 | 74 | 101 | 132 | 228 | 59 | 0 |
| 2021 | 120 | 106 | 173 | 180 | 59 | 0 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 117 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 117, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-25 (any buck, white-tailed deer), Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., mule deer) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any buck, white-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any buck, white-tailed deer) and Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (3 pt. min., mule deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-30 (any buck, white-tailed deer), Oct. 17-27 (3 pt. min., mule deer) and Nov. 7-19 (late season, any buck, white-tailed deer).
| Weapon | Season | Deer | 2026 dates | Legal deer | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 117 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | White-tailed Deer | Oct. 17-30 | Any buck | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 23) |
| Modern firearm | General season | Mule Deer | Oct. 17-27 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| Modern firearm | Late general season | White-tailed Deer | Nov. 7-19 | Any buck | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 23) |
| Archery | Early archery season | White-tailed Deer | Sept. 1-25 | Any buck | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Mule Deer | Sept. 1-25 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| Archery | Late archery season | White-tailed Deer | Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | Any buck | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 24) |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | White-tailed Deer | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | Any buck | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Mule Deer | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters |
Source: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 23, 24 and 25, with WDFW's April 2026 corrections. WDFW can change a season during the year: check WDFW's regulations page before you go.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 117?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 117, with 11 permits in all. The applicant counts and average points are the ones WDFW prints for the 2025 drawing; the 2025 results are from WDFW's harvest report for each hunt number.
| Hunt | Name and category | Tag | 2026 dates | Legal deer | Unit or area | 2026 permits | 2025 applicants / average points (WDFW) | 2025 result: hunters, deer taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1007 | 49 Degrees North White-tailed Buck Quality Deer | Modern | Nov. 20-24 | White-tailed, Any Buck | GMU 117 | 5 | 121 / 5 | 1 hunter, 0 taken |
| 1008 | 49 Degrees North Mule Deer Buck Quality Deer | Modern | Nov. 3-24 | Mule deer, 3 pt. min. | GMU 117 | 1 | 106 / 20 | 0 hunters, 0 taken |
| 1230 | Parker Lake Buck Deer | Muzzleloader | Nov. 25-Dec. 8 | Any white-tailed buck | Deer Area 1031 | 5 | 55 / 9 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 26 and 30; WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer individual hunts, 2025). A hunt's 2025 result is shown only where the 2025 hunt had the same number and name.
How much public land is in GMU 117?
34.6% of GMU 117 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 211,200 of its 610,316 acres. The largest share is national forest, 178,613 acres or 29.3% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 29,545 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 117 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 178,613 | 29.3% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 40,910 | 6.7% |
| DNR state trust land | 29,545 | 4.8% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 5,758 | 0.9% |
| WDFW land | 2,783 | 0.5% |
| BLM | 259 | under 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 117, by WDFW's own boundaries: Sherman Creek Wildlife Area (2,817 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 117?
Highways through the unit: SR 20 (about 76 miles inside it), US 395 (about 37 miles inside it), US 2 (about 19 miles inside it) and SR 211 (about 15 miles inside it). Towns inside: Deer Park, Colville, Newport, Cusick and Clayton. Nearby: Chewelah (on the line), Ione (4 miles), Springdale (6 miles) and Kettle Falls (8 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 117?
GMU 117 touches 5 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 108 | Douglas | 24.3% | 196 | 839 |
| GMU 111 | Aladdin | 65.7% | 179 | 988 |
| GMU 113 | Selkirk | 76.3% | 199 | 1,403 |
| GMU 121 | Huckleberry | 19.7% | 698 | 3,469 |
| GMU 124 | Mount Spokane | 4.6% | 593 | 3,021 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 117 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 117 are archery: Sept. 1-25 (any buck, white-tailed deer), Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., mule deer) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any buck, white-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any buck, white-tailed deer) and Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (3 pt. min., mule deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-30 (any buck, white-tailed deer), Oct. 17-27 (3 pt. min., mule deer) and Nov. 7-19 (late season, any buck, white-tailed deer).
How many deer are taken in GMU 117?
WDFW reports 358 deer taken in GMU 117 in 2025: 358 antlered and 0 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 1,825, in 2015.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 117?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 deer permit hunts for GMU 117: 1007 49 Degrees North White-tailed Buck (5 permits), 1008 49 Degrees North Mule Deer Buck (1 permit) and 1230 Parker Lake (5 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 117?
34.6% of GMU 117, 211,200 of its 610,316 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 117?
Deer Park, Colville and Newport are inside the unit. Just outside: Chewelah (on the line), Ione (4 miles) and Springdale (6 miles).
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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 deer by GMU Region 1 GMU 108 GMU 111 GMU 113 GMU 121 GMU 124