Gardner GMU 231 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 130 deer taken in GMU 231 Gardner in 2025, 12 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 721 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 3,344 hunter days. GMU 231 is 89% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (133,212 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)National park or historic site (no hunting)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 231Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 161,324 acres (252 square miles) |
| Counties | Okanogan |
| Public land open to hunting | 89% (143,600 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 130 (117 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 721 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-27, any buck |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 8 hunts, 48 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Winthrop and Twisp |
Also for GMU 231: black bear hunting.
How many deer are taken in GMU 231?
WDFW reports 130 deer taken in GMU 231 in 2025, against 117 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 297, in 2001. WDFW's figures average 107 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 166 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 | 130 | 118 | 12 | 128 | 2 | 721 | 3,344 | 16 |
| 2024 | 117 | 102 | 15 | 115 | 2 | 683 | 3,476 | 15 |
| 2023 | 103 | 90 | 13 | 90 | 13 | 626 | 2,799 | 14 |
| 2022 | 90 | 76 | 14 | 67 | 23 | 636 | 2,871 | 12 |
| 2021 | 97 | 77 | 20 | 77 | 20 | 669 | 2,798 | 12 |
| 2020 | 168 | 143 | 25 | 142 | 26 | 899 | 3,895 | 16 |
| 2019 | 125 | 105 | 20 | 92 | 33 | 655 | 2,837 | 16 |
| 2018 | 162 | 133 | 29 | 132 | 30 | 866 | 3,792 | 15 |
| 2017 | 130 | 108 | 22 | 104 | 26 | 867 | 3,966 | 12 |
| 2016 | 246 | 215 | 31 | 212 | 34 | 924 | 4,036 | 23 |
| 2015 | 229 | 209 | 20 | 207 | 22 | 804 | 3,302 | 26 |
| 2014 | 229 | 195 | 34 | 189 | 40 | 729 | 2,939 | 27 |
| 2013 | 167 | 133 | 34 | 129 | 38 | 753 | 3,190 | 18 |
| 2012 | 148 | 119 | 29 | 118 | 30 | 693 | 2,933 | 17 |
| 2011 | 149 | 117 | 32 | 111 | 38 | 778 | 3,180 | 15 |
| 2010 | 156 | 121 | 35 | 102 | 54 | 800 | 3,252 | 15 |
| 2009 | 142 | 114 | 28 | 105 | 37 | 765 | 3,106 | 15 |
| 2008 | 161 | 107 | 54 | 84 | 77 | |||
| 2007 | 158 | 158 | not split out | 115 | 43 | 861 | 3,754 | 18 |
| 2006 | 146 | 146 | not split out | 122 | 24 | 991 | 4,375 | 15 |
| 2005 | 194 | 194 | not split out | 166 | 28 | 1,141 | 4,943 | 17 |
| 2004 | 268 | 268 | not split out | 241 | 27 | 1,204 | 5,281 | 22 |
| 2003 | 221 | 221 | not split out | 204 | 17 | 1,019 | 4,498 | 22 |
| 2002 | 271 | 271 | not split out | 199 | 72 | 1,328 | 5,918 | 20 |
| 2001 | 297 | 297 | not split out | 236 | 61 | 1,291 | 5,458 | 23 |
| 2000 | 277 | 277 | not split out | 277 | 0 | 1,690 | 6,018 | 16 |
| 1999 | 133 | 133 | not split out | 130 | 3 | 1,790 | 7,709 | 7 |
| 1998 | 99 | 99 | not split out | 95 | 4 | 1,401 | 4,253 | 7 |
| 1997 | 81 | 81 | not split out | 77 | 4 | 1,445 | 5,575 | 6 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 231, 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 231 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 231 in 2025: 606, who took 97 (16% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 45 | 215 | 7 | 15.6% | 31 |
| Modern firearm | 606 | 2,694 | 97 | 16% | 28 |
| Muzzleloader | 12 | 59 | 2 | 16.6% | 30 |
| Multiple-season tag | 58 | 376 | 12 | 20.6% | 31 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 231?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 4-point: 53 of 128 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 4 | 52 | 53 | 17 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 52 | 24 | 2 |
| 2023 | 9 | 3 | 28 | 40 | 10 | 13 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 30 | 5 | 23 |
| 2021 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 27 | 16 | 20 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 231 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 231, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, white-tailed deer) and Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., mule deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any buck, white-tailed deer) and Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (3 pt. min., mule deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-27 (any buck, white-tailed deer) and Oct. 17-27 (3 pt. min., mule deer).
| Weapon | Season | Deer | 2026 dates | Legal deer | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 231 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | White-tailed Deer | Oct. 17-27 | Any buck | All hunters | |
| Modern firearm | General season | Mule Deer | Oct. 17-27 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | White-tailed Deer | Sept. 1-25 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Mule Deer | Sept. 1-25 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| 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 231?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 8 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 231, with 48 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1027 | Gardner Quality Deer | Modern | Nov. 1-20 | Any Buck | GMU 231 | 10 | 508 / 16 | 7 hunters, 6 taken |
| 1209 | Gardner Buck Deer | Modern | Nov. 1-20 | Any white-tailed buck | GMU 231 | 10 | 659 / 11 | 6 hunters, 3 taken |
| 1402 | Methow Second Deer | Any | Sept. 3-Oct. 6 | Antlerless | Deer Area 2012 | 5 | 317 / 7 | 2 hunters, 1 taken |
| 1419 | Gardner Second Deer | Modern | Oct. 17-27 | White-tailed, antlerless | GMU 231 | 5 | 185 / 5 | |
| 1516 | Gardner Youth only | Modern | Oct. 17-27 | Any Buck, White-tailed antlerless | GMU 231 | 5 | 82 / 4 | 2 hunters, 0 taken |
| 1612 | Gardner Hunters 65 or older | Modern | Oct. 17-27 | Any Buck, White-tailed antlerless | GMU 231 | 5 | 109 / 7 | |
| 1712 | Gardner Hunters with disabilities | Modern | Oct. 17-27 | Any Buck, White-tailed antlerless | GMU 231 | 5 | 30 / 3 | |
| 1745 | Gardner Hunters with disabilities | Muzzleloader | Sept. 24-Oct. 4 | Any Buck, White-tailed antlerless | GMU 231 | 3 | 4 / 1 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 27, 29, 32, 36, 37 and 39; 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 231?
89% of GMU 231 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 143,600 of its 161,324 acres. The largest share is national forest, 133,212 acres or 82.6% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 4,814 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 231 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 133,212 | 82.6% |
| WDFW land | 5,361 | 3.3% |
| DNR state trust land | 4,814 | 3% |
| BLM | 213 | 0.1% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 122 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 43 | under 0.1% |
| National park or historic site (no hunting) | 3 | under 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 231, by WDFW's own boundaries: Methow Wildlife Area (6,104 acres here; units Big Buck and Big Valley).
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 231?
Highways through the unit: SR 20 (about 19 miles inside it). Towns inside: Winthrop. Nearby: Twisp (on the line).
Which GMUs border GMU 231?
GMU 231 touches 4 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 218 | Chewuch | 94.8% | 226 | 1,220 |
| GMU 224 | Pearrygin | 87.1% | 159 | 1,292 |
| GMU 242 | Alta | 86.8% | 129 | 781 |
| GMU 426 | Diablo | 93.5% | 30 | 77 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 231 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 231 are archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, white-tailed deer) and Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., mule deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any buck, white-tailed deer) and Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (3 pt. min., mule deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-27 (any buck, white-tailed deer) and Oct. 17-27 (3 pt. min., mule deer).
How many deer are taken in GMU 231?
WDFW reports 130 deer taken in GMU 231 in 2025: 128 antlered and 2 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 297, in 2001.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 231?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 8 deer permit hunts for GMU 231: 1027 Gardner (10 permits), 1209 Gardner (10 permits), 1402 Methow (5 permits), 1419 Gardner (5 permits), 1516 Gardner (5 permits) and 1612 Gardner (5 permits), and more in the table above. Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 231?
89% of GMU 231, 143,600 of its 161,324 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 231?
Winthrop is inside the unit. Just outside: Twisp (on the line).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 231
Beginning at the crossing of US Forest Service (USFS) Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) and State Route (SR) 20; S and E on SR 20 to the Twisp River Rd at the town of Twisp; W on the Twisp River Rd (USFS Rd 44, USFS Rd 4440) to USFS Trail 432 (North Fork Twisp River Trail) at the Roads End Campground; W on USFS Trail 432 to North Cascades National Park boundary at Twisp Pass; N and W on North Cascades National Park boundary to the Skagit-Chelan county line; E on the Skagit-Chelan county line to USFS Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail); N on USFS Trail 2000 to SR 20 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 deer by GMU Region 2 GMU 218 GMU 224 GMU 242 GMU 426