Yale GMU 554 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 84 deer taken in GMU 554 Yale in 2025, 1 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 289 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 1,347 hunter days. GMU 554 is 22.4% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (6,328 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 landGMU 554Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 5, Southwest Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 28,554 acres (45 square miles) |
| Counties | Cowlitz and Clark |
| Public land open to hunting | 22.4% (6,405 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 84 (64 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 289 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 1, any buck |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 3 hunts, 7 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Yacolt, La Center and Woodland |
Also for GMU 554: elk hunting.
How many deer are taken in GMU 554?
WDFW reports 84 deer taken in GMU 554 in 2025, against 64 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 84, in 2025. WDFW's figures average 58 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 52 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 | 84 | 83 | 1 | 81 | 3 | 289 | 1,347 | 29 |
| 2024 | 64 | 64 | 62 | 2 | 248 | 1,063 | 26 | |
| 2023 | 68 | 68 | 60 | 8 | 261 | 1,137 | 26 | |
| 2022 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 2 | 245 | 1,204 | 13 | |
| 2021 | 40 | 39 | 1 | 37 | 3 | 252 | 1,115 | 15 |
| 2020 | 46 | 45 | 1 | 40 | 6 | 235 | 1,017 | 19 |
| 2019 | 40 | 38 | 2 | 33 | 7 | 276 | 1,273 | 14 |
| 2018 | 61 | 57 | 4 | 51 | 10 | 260 | 1,337 | 22 |
| 2017 | 31 | 27 | 4 | 25 | 6 | 214 | 1,110 | 13 |
| 2016 | 84 | 81 | 3 | 75 | 9 | 259 | 1,371 | 31 |
| 2015 | 51 | 48 | 3 | 46 | 5 | 214 | 1,047 | 22 |
| 2014 | 37 | 33 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 220 | 977 | 15 |
| 2013 | 50 | 43 | 7 | 37 | 13 | 224 | 1,019 | 19 |
| 2012 | 35 | 29 | 6 | 29 | 6 | 216 | 964 | 13 |
| 2011 | 50 | 47 | 3 | 39 | 11 | 238 | 1,070 | 20 |
| 2010 | 55 | 54 | 1 | 49 | 6 | 268 | 1,096 | 20 |
| 2009 | 48 | 45 | 3 | 41 | 7 | 239 | 1,137 | 19 |
| 2008 | 41 | 38 | 3 | 38 | 4 | |||
| 2007 | 34 | 34 | not split out | 31 | 3 | 278 | 1,266 | 12 |
| 2006 | 36 | 36 | not split out | 32 | 4 | 232 | 966 | 16 |
| 2005 | 24 | 24 | not split out | 20 | 4 | 190 | 909 | 13 |
| 2004 | 44 | 44 | not split out | 35 | 9 | 240 | 959 | 18 |
| 2003 | 25 | 25 | not split out | 21 | 4 | 169 | 793 | 15 |
| 2002 | 13 | 13 | not split out | 8 | 5 | 148 | 782 | 9 |
| 2001 | 21 | 21 | not split out | 18 | 3 | 233 | 1,195 | 9 |
| 2000 | 23 | 23 | not split out | 23 | 0 | 227 | 981 | 10 |
| 1999 | 17 | 17 | not split out | 14 | 3 | 162 | 742 | 10 |
| 1998 | 37 | 37 | not split out | 34 | 3 | 343 | 1,314 | 11 |
| 1997 | 33 | 33 | not split out | 29 | 4 | 224 | 941 | 15 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 554, 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 554 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 554 in 2025: 229, who took 77 (33.6% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 27 | 132 | 2 | 7.4% | 66 |
| Modern firearm | 229 | 1,017 | 77 | 33.6% | 13 |
| Muzzleloader | 8 | 24 | 0 | 0% | |
| Multiple-season tag | 25 | 174 | 4 | 16% | 44 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 554?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 2-point: 44 of 81 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | 44 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| 2024 | 10 | 20 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| 2023 | 20 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| 2022 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 554 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 554, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, black-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any buck, black-tailed deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (any buck, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 19-22 (late season, any buck, black-tailed deer).
| Weapon | Season | Deer | 2026 dates | Legal deer | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 554 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Black-tailed Deer | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Any buck | All hunters | |
| Modern firearm | Late general season | Black-tailed Deer | Nov. 19-22 | Any buck | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 1-25 | Any deer | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | Any buck | 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 554?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 554, with 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1345 | Yale Antlerless Deer | Muzzleloader | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | Antlerless | GMU 554 | 2 | 20 / 7 | 0 hunters, 0 taken |
| 1545 | Yale Youth only | Modern | Oct. 17-27 | Antlerless | GMU 554 | 3 | 12 / 1 | 1 hunter, 1 taken |
| 1628 | Yale Hunters 65 or older | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Antlerless | GMU 554 | 2 | 38 / 7 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 31, 36 and 38; 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 554?
22.4% of GMU 554 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 6,405 of its 28,554 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 6,328 acres or 22.2% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 6,328 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 554 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR state trust land | 6,328 | 22.2% |
| National forest | 39 | 0.1% |
| BLM | 38 | 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 554?
Highways through the unit: SR 503 (about 8 miles inside it). Nearby: Yacolt (4 miles), La Center (8 miles), Woodland (10 miles) and Ridgefield (10 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 554?
GMU 554 touches 6 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 550 | Coweeman | 7.2% | 661 | 2,025 |
| GMU 556 | Toutle | 31.1% | 302 | 1,217 |
| GMU 560 | Lewis River | 90.2% | 153 | 1,088 |
| GMU 564 | Battle Ground | 3.3% | 574 | 1,660 |
| GMU 568 | Washougal | 49.5% | 585 | 2,079 |
| GMU 572 | Siouxon | 91.4% | 127 | 817 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 554 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 554 are archery: Sept. 1-25 (any deer, black-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (any buck, black-tailed deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (any buck, black-tailed deer) and Nov. 19-22 (late season, any buck, black-tailed deer).
How many deer are taken in GMU 554?
WDFW reports 84 deer taken in GMU 554 in 2025: 81 antlered and 3 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 84, in 2025.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 554?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 deer permit hunts for GMU 554: 1345 Yale (2 permits), 1545 Yale (3 permits) and 1628 Yale (2 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 554?
22.4% of GMU 554, 6,405 of its 28,554 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 554?
No town or Census-listed community is inside it. The nearest towns are Yacolt (4 miles), La Center (8 miles) and Woodland (10 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 554
Beginning on State Route (SR) 503 at its crossing of Cape Horn Creek; E and NE on SR 503 to Dog Creek; S down Dog Creek to Yale Reservoir; S and W along western shore of Reservoir to Yale Dam and the North Fork Lewis River; W along the northern shore of the North Fork Lewis River to SR 503 bridge crossing; S and W along SR 503 to NE 221st Ave; N about 1/4 mile on NE 221st Ave to NE Cedar Creek Rd; W along NE Cedar Creek Rd to NE Pup Creek Rd; N on NE Pup Creek Rd to NE Buncombe Hollow Rd; N about 1/4 mile on NE Buncombe Hollow Rd to power transmission line; S and W on the power transmission line to the north shore of the North Fork Lewis River; NE along the north shore of the North Fork Lewis River to Merwin Reservoir at the Merwin Dam; NE along the north shore of Merwin Reservoir to Cape Horn Creek; NW up Cape Horn Creek to SR 503 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 5 GMU 550 GMU 556 GMU 560 GMU 564 GMU 568 GMU 572