Camano GMU 421 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 14 deer taken in GMU 421 Camano in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 60 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 302 hunter days. GMU 421 is 0.8% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (179 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 421Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 4, North Puget Sound |
|---|---|
| Size | 25,034 acres (39 square miles) |
| Counties | Island |
| Public land open to hunting | 0.8% (212 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 14 (17 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 60 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 1, any deer |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 3 hunts, 60 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Camano, Langley, Stanwood and Oak Harbor |
How many deer are taken in GMU 421?
WDFW reports 14 deer taken in GMU 421 in 2025, against 17 in 2024. The most in one year since 2013 was 35, in 2020. WDFW's figures average 22 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 29 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 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 60 | 302 | 23 | |
| 2024 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 73 | 350 | 23 | |
| 2023 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 74 | 351 | 26 |
| 2022 | 31 | 27 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 77 | 534 | 35 |
| 2021 | 30 | 26 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 72 | 354 | 36 |
| 2020 | 35 | 34 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 103 | 559 | 33 |
| 2019 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 84 | 505 | 33 | |
| 2018 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 22 | 6 | 86 | 504 | 30 |
| 2017 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 93 | 516 | 27 |
| 2016 | 27 | 25 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 58 | 225 | 43 |
| 2015 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 89 | 408 | 25 |
| 2014 | 35 | 34 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 109 | 510 | 31 |
| 2013 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 75 | 314 | 28 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 421, 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 421 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 421 in 2025: 35, who took 11 (31.4% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 13 | 70 | 2 | 15.4% | 35 |
| Modern firearm | 35 | 113 | 11 | 31.4% | 10 |
| Muzzleloader | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0% | |
| Multiple-season tag | 10 | 115 | 1 | 10% | 115 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 421?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 1-point: 4 of 14 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| 2022 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 16 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 421 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 421, 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 421 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Archery | Late archery season | Black-tailed Deer | Nov. 25-Dec. 31 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Late muzzleloader season | Black-tailed Deer | Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | Any deer | 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 421?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 421, with 60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1439 | Camano Second Deer | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 and Nov. 19-22 | Antlerless | GMU 421 | 20 | 50 / 2 | |
| 1451 | Camano Second Deer | Archery | Sept. 1-25 and Nov. 25-Dec. 31 | Antlerless | GMU 421 | 20 | 31 / 1 | |
| 1465 | Camano Second Deer | Muzzleloader | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | Antlerless | GMU 421 | 20 | 6 / 1 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 32 and 34; 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 421?
0.8% of GMU 421 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 212 of its 25,034 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 179 acres or 0.7% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 179 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 421 |
|---|---|---|
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 740 | 3% |
| DNR state trust land | 179 | 0.7% |
| WDFW land | 33 | 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 421?
Highways through the unit: SR 532 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Camano. Nearby: Langley (2 miles), Stanwood (2 miles), Oak Harbor (5 miles) and Coupeville (7 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 421?
GMU 421 touches 2 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 407 | North Sound | 9.9% | 462 | 1,687 |
| GMU 410 | Islands | 1.5% | 60 | 195 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 421 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 421 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 421?
WDFW reports 14 deer taken in GMU 421 in 2025: 14 antlered and 0 antlerless. The most in one year since 2013 was 35, in 2020.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 421?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 deer permit hunts for GMU 421: 1439 Camano (20 permits), 1451 Camano (20 permits) and 1465 Camano (20 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 421?
0.8% of GMU 421, 212 of its 25,034 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 421?
Camano is inside the unit. Just outside: Langley (2 miles), Stanwood (2 miles) and Oak Harbor (5 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 421
Includes all of Camano 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.
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