Orcas GMU 411 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 37 deer taken in GMU 411 Orcas in 2025, 1 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 67 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 212 hunter days. GMU 411 is 1.3% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (347 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.
DNR state trust landWDFW landOther public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 411Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 4, North Puget Sound |
|---|---|
| Size | 36,891 acres (58 square miles) |
| Counties | San Juan |
| Public land open to hunting | 1.3% (496 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 37 (48 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 67 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 1, any deer |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 1 hunt, 135 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Friday Harbor, Anacortes and Bellingham |
How many deer are taken in GMU 411?
WDFW reports 37 deer taken in GMU 411 in 2025, against 48 in 2024. The most in one year since 2013 was 147, in 2020. WDFW's figures average 38 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 113 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 | 37 | 36 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 67 | 212 | 54 |
| 2024 | 48 | 43 | 5 | 40 | 8 | 88 | 319 | 49 |
| 2023 | 56 | 50 | 6 | 43 | 13 | 84 | 221 | 60 |
| 2022 | 37 | 31 | 6 | 26 | 11 | 77 | 273 | 40 |
| 2021 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 72 | 223 | 15 | |
| 2020 | 147 | 120 | 27 | 108 | 39 | 192 | 477 | 63 |
| 2019 | 115 | 96 | 19 | 75 | 40 | 161 | 390 | 60 |
| 2018 | 132 | 110 | 22 | 90 | 42 | 152 | 535 | 72 |
| 2017 | 90 | 73 | 17 | 60 | 30 | 100 | 168 | 73 |
| 2016 | 81 | 66 | 15 | 54 | 27 | 117 | 381 | 56 |
| 2015 | 74 | 66 | 8 | 49 | 25 | 114 | 222 | 58 |
| 2014 | 84 | 74 | 10 | 60 | 24 | 126 | 302 | 59 |
| 2013 | 33 | 30 | 3 | 21 | 12 | 84 | 275 | 36 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 411, 2013 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 411 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 411 in 2025: 53, who took 28 (52.8% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 9 | 25 | 6 | 66.6% | 4 |
| Modern firearm | 53 | 170 | 28 | 52.8% | 6 |
| Muzzleloader | 2 | 4 | 2 | 100% | 2 |
| Multiple-season tag | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 411?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 2-point: 14 of 36 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| 2023 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| 2022 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| 2021 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 411 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 411, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 25-Dec. 31 (late season, any deer, black-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any deer, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any deer, black-tailed deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (any deer, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 19-22 (late season, any deer, black-tailed deer).
| Weapon | Season | Deer | 2026 dates | Legal deer | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 411 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Black-tailed Deer | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Modern firearm | Late general season | Black-tailed Deer | Nov. 19-22 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 1-25 | Any deer | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 24) |
| Archery | Late archery season | Black-tailed Deer | Nov. 25-Dec. 31 | Any deer | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 24) |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | Any deer | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 25) |
| Muzzleloader | Late muzzleloader season | Black-tailed Deer | Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | Any deer | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 25) |
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 411?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 1 deer special permit hunt that takes in GMU 411, with 135 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1430 | Orcas Second Deer | Any | Sept. 1-Dec. 31 | Antlerless | GMU 411 | 135 | 124 / 1 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, page 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 411?
1.3% of GMU 411 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 496 of its 36,891 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 347 acres or 0.9% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 347 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 411 |
|---|---|---|
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 5,617 | 15.2% |
| DNR state trust land | 347 | 0.9% |
| WDFW land | 149 | 0.4% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 411, by WDFW's own boundaries: Skagit Wildlife Area (149 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 411?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Nearby: Friday Harbor (5 miles), Anacortes (11 miles), Bellingham (14 miles) and Ferndale (15 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 411?
GMU 411 touches 1 other GMU. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 410 | Islands | 1.5% | 60 | 195 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 411 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 411 are archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 25-Dec. 31 (late season, any deer, black-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any deer, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any deer, black-tailed deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (any deer, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 19-22 (late season, any deer, black-tailed deer).
How many deer are taken in GMU 411?
WDFW reports 37 deer taken in GMU 411 in 2025: 36 antlered and 1 antlerless. The most in one year since 2013 was 147, in 2020.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 411?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 1 deer permit hunt for GMU 411: 1430 Orcas (135 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 411?
1.3% of GMU 411, 496 of its 36,891 acres, is national forest, BLM, DNR trust, WDFW, Reclamation or national recreation area land; the largest share is DNR state trust land. Measured by FilledTag from WA DNR's public land maps.
What town is closest to GMU 411?
No town or Census-listed community is inside it. The nearest towns are Friday Harbor (5 miles), Anacortes (11 miles) and Bellingham (14 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 411
Includes all of Orcas Island
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.