Manson GMU 243 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 167 deer taken in GMU 243 Manson in 2025, 17 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 711 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 3,484 hunter days. GMU 243 is 72.1% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (153,565 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 recreation areaOther public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 243Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 227,512 acres (355 square miles) |
| Counties | Chelan |
| Public land open to hunting | 72.1% (164,010 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 167 (168 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 711 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-27, any buck |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 2 hunts, 52 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Chelan, Manson, Pateros, Bridgeport and Waterville |
Also for GMU 243: black bear hunting.
How many deer are taken in GMU 243?
WDFW reports 167 deer taken in GMU 243 in 2025, against 168 in 2024. The most in one year since 2000 was 179, in 2021. WDFW's figures average 152 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 137 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 | 167 | 150 | 17 | 147 | 20 | 711 | 3,484 | 21 |
| 2024 | 168 | 139 | 29 | 144 | 24 | 550 | 2,307 | 25 |
| 2023 | 119 | 104 | 15 | 105 | 14 | 663 | 2,943 | 16 |
| 2022 | 126 | 108 | 18 | 111 | 15 | 605 | 2,621 | 18 |
| 2021 | 179 | 156 | 23 | 160 | 19 | 739 | 3,303 | 21 |
| 2020 | 154 | 132 | 22 | 137 | 17 | 681 | 3,022 | 19 |
| 2019 | 154 | 136 | 18 | 142 | 12 | 715 | 3,021 | 19 |
| 2018 | 131 | 116 | 15 | 121 | 10 | 621 | 2,784 | 19 |
| 2017 | 128 | 103 | 25 | 110 | 18 | 674 | 2,822 | 15 |
| 2016 | 119 | 103 | 16 | 110 | 9 | 570 | 2,675 | 18 |
| 2015 | 142 | 138 | 4 | 138 | 4 | 558 | 2,317 | 25 |
| 2014 | 123 | 117 | 6 | 122 | 1 | 530 | 2,105 | 22 |
| 2013 | 94 | 89 | 5 | 93 | 1 | 528 | 2,177 | 17 |
| 2012 | 100 | 93 | 7 | 96 | 4 | 478 | 1,938 | 19 |
| 2011 | 81 | 72 | 9 | 78 | 3 | 488 | 2,125 | 15 |
| 2010 | 88 | 82 | 6 | 88 | 0 | 477 | 2,005 | 17 |
| 2009 | 87 | 79 | 8 | 87 | 0 | 492 | 2,082 | 16 |
| 2008 | 64 | 59 | 5 | 59 | 5 | |||
| 2007 | 67 | 67 | not split out | 67 | 0 | 430 | 1,838 | 16 |
| 2006 | 59 | 59 | not split out | 58 | 1 | 437 | 1,783 | 14 |
| 2005 | 77 | 77 | not split out | 76 | 1 | 455 | 1,974 | 17 |
| 2004 | 87 | 87 | not split out | 87 | 0 | 424 | 1,656 | 21 |
| 2003 | 67 | 67 | not split out | 67 | 0 | 360 | 1,408 | 19 |
| 2002 | 62 | 62 | not split out | 61 | 1 | 301 | 1,269 | 21 |
| 2001 | 51 | 51 | not split out | 49 | 2 | 351 | 1,357 | 15 |
| 2000 | 56 | 56 | not split out | 56 | 0 | 552 | 1,887 | 10 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 243, 2000 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 243 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 243 in 2025: 468, who took 79 (16.8% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 96 | 370 | 20 | 20.8% | 19 |
| Modern firearm | 468 | 2,216 | 79 | 16.8% | 28 |
| Muzzleloader | 53 | 199 | 22 | 41.6% | 9 |
| Multiple-season tag | 94 | 699 | 29 | 30.8% | 24 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 243?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 3-point: 80 of 147 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 50 | 16 | 20 |
| 2024 | 0 | 4 | 45 | 61 | 34 | 24 |
| 2023 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 34 | 14 | 14 |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 48 | 34 | 23 | 15 |
| 2021 | 0 | 5 | 61 | 74 | 20 | 19 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 243 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 243, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, white-tailed deer), Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., mule deer), Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any deer, white-tailed deer) and Nov. 21-30 (late season, 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 243 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Archery | Late archery season | White-tailed Deer | Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Archery | Late archery season | Mule Deer | Nov. 21-30 | 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 243?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 2 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 243, with 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1030 | Manson Quality Deer | Modern | Nov. 1-20 | Any Buck | GMU 243 | 7 | 303 / 13 | 2 hunters, 1 taken |
| 1407 | Lake Chelan North Second Deer | Any | Aug. 1-31 | Antlerless | Deer Area 2017 | 45 | 457 / 5 | 17 hunters, 16 taken |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 27 and 32; 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 243?
72.1% of GMU 243 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 164,010 of its 227,512 acres. The largest share is national forest, 153,565 acres or 67.5% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 2,023 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 243 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 153,565 | 67.5% |
| BLM | 5,956 | 2.6% |
| National recreation area | 2,283 | 1% |
| DNR state trust land | 2,023 | 0.9% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 252 | 0.1% |
| WDFW land | 183 | 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 243, by WDFW's own boundaries: Chelan Wildlife Area (242 acres here; units Chelan Butte and Beebe Springs).
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 243?
Highways through the unit: SR 150 (about 12 miles inside it) and US 97 (about 10 miles inside it). Towns inside: Chelan and Manson. Nearby: Pateros (6 miles), Bridgeport (10 miles), Waterville (12 miles) and Brewster (12 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 243?
GMU 243 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 242 | Alta | 86.8% | 129 | 781 |
| GMU 244 | Clark | 99.5% | 7 | 104 |
| GMU 246 | Slide Ridge | 99.4% | 39 | 214 |
| GMU 247 | Entiat | 75% | 135 | 960 |
| GMU 262 | Withrow | 5.7% | 78 | 237 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 243 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 243 are archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, white-tailed deer), Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., mule deer), Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any deer, white-tailed deer) and Nov. 21-30 (late season, 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 243?
WDFW reports 167 deer taken in GMU 243 in 2025: 147 antlered and 20 antlerless. The most in one year since 2000 was 179, in 2021.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 243?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 2 deer permit hunts for GMU 243: 1030 Manson (7 permits) and 1407 Lake Chelan North (45 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 243?
72.1% of GMU 243, 164,010 of its 227,512 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 243?
Chelan and Manson are inside the unit. Just outside: Pateros (6 miles), Bridgeport (10 miles) and Waterville (12 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 243
Beginning at the Chelan River in the town of Chelan, northwest to Lake Chelan; NW along the south shore of Lake Chelan to the Stehekin River; SE along the north shore of Lake Chelan to the Lake Chelan National Recreation boundary; NE along the National Recreation Area boundary to Sawtooth Ridge; SE along Sawtooth Ridge line (Chelan-Okanogan county line) to US Forest Service (USFS) Rd 8020 (Cooper Mtn Rd) at Fox Peak; SE on USFS Rd 8020 to USFS Rd 8140 (Antoine Creek Rd); SE on USFS Rd 8140 to Apple Acres Rd; NE on Apple Acres Rd to US Hwy (US) 97; NE on US 97 to Azwell Rd; SE on Azwell Rd to the Wells Dam service road; NE on the said service road to Wells Dam on the Columbia River; SW down the Columbia River (Chelan-Douglas county line) to the Chelan River; NW up the Chelan River to the town of Chelan 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 242 GMU 244 GMU 246 GMU 247 GMU 262