Toutle GMU 556 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 302 deer taken in GMU 556 Toutle in 2025, 8 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 1,217 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 7,319 hunter days. GMU 556 is 31.1% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (43,567 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 forestDNR state trust landWDFW landGMU 556Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 5, Southwest Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 147,044 acres (230 square miles) |
| Public land open to hunting | 31.1% (45,693 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 302 (324 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 1,217 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 1, any buck |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 4 hunts, 24 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Yacolt, Kalama and Woodland |
Also for GMU 556: elk hunting.
How many deer are taken in GMU 556?
WDFW reports 302 deer taken in GMU 556 in 2025, against 324 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 324, in 2024. WDFW's figures average 287 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 177 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 | 302 | 294 | 8 | 286 | 16 | 1,217 | 7,319 | 24 |
| 2024 | 324 | 315 | 9 | 303 | 21 | 1,176 | 6,240 | 27 |
| 2023 | 317 | 310 | 7 | 288 | 29 | 1,071 | 5,716 | 29 |
| 2022 | 234 | 226 | 8 | 209 | 25 | 1,125 | 5,608 | 20 |
| 2021 | 257 | 252 | 5 | 220 | 37 | 1,073 | 5,758 | 23 |
| 2020 | 209 | 200 | 9 | 199 | 10 | 940 | 5,002 | 21 |
| 2019 | 237 | 235 | 2 | 216 | 21 | 847 | 4,394 | 28 |
| 2018 | 147 | 139 | 8 | 129 | 18 | 713 | 4,500 | 19 |
| 2017 | 115 | 112 | 3 | 102 | 13 | 656 | 3,445 | 17 |
| 2016 | 178 | 169 | 9 | 160 | 18 | 639 | 3,361 | 26 |
| 2015 | 150 | 141 | 9 | 118 | 32 | 654 | 3,567 | 22 |
| 2014 | 114 | 103 | 11 | 86 | 28 | 587 | 3,096 | 18 |
| 2013 | 97 | 84 | 13 | 73 | 24 | 662 | 3,376 | 13 |
| 2012 | 141 | 134 | 7 | 114 | 27 | 742 | 3,506 | 18 |
| 2011 | 104 | 94 | 10 | 85 | 19 | 870 | 4,379 | 11 |
| 2010 | 127 | 119 | 8 | 105 | 22 | 740 | 3,577 | 16 |
| 2009 | 84 | 67 | 17 | 63 | 21 | 826 | 4,134 | 8 |
| 2008 | 80 | 66 | 14 | 65 | 16 | |||
| 2007 | 120 | 120 | not split out | 101 | 19 | 888 | 4,329 | 14 |
| 2006 | 105 | 105 | not split out | 94 | 11 | 720 | 3,470 | 15 |
| 2005 | 93 | 93 | not split out | 89 | 4 | 729 | 3,384 | 13 |
| 2004 | 92 | 92 | not split out | 80 | 12 | 623 | 2,778 | 15 |
| 2003 | 89 | 89 | not split out | 75 | 14 | 764 | 3,970 | 12 |
| 2002 | 79 | 79 | not split out | 70 | 9 | 851 | 4,334 | 9 |
| 2001 | 155 | 155 | not split out | 134 | 21 | 1,202 | 5,571 | 13 |
| 2000 | 127 | 127 | not split out | 127 | 0 | 1,890 | 8,258 | 7 |
| 1999 | 226 | 226 | not split out | 209 | 17 | 2,977 | 17,934 | 8 |
| 1998 | 199 | 199 | not split out | 189 | 10 | 1,944 | 6,791 | 10 |
| 1997 | 208 | 208 | not split out | 201 | 7 | 2,915 | 10,557 | 7 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 556, 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 556 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 556 in 2025: 1,053, who took 235 (22.4% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 75 | 378 | 24 | 32% | 16 |
| Modern firearm | 1,053 | 6,394 | 235 | 22.4% | 27 |
| Multiple-season tag | 89 | 547 | 35 | 39.4% | 16 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 556?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 1-point: 128 of 286 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | 108 | 34 | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| 2024 | 104 | 121 | 50 | 23 | 5 | 21 |
| 2023 | 118 | 112 | 39 | 11 | 8 | 29 |
| 2022 | 92 | 72 | 34 | 11 | 0 | 25 |
| 2021 | 63 | 98 | 33 | 24 | 2 | 37 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 556 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 556, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-20 (any deer, 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 556 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. 1-20 | Any deer | All hunters |
Source: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 23 and 24, 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 556?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 4 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 556, with 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1060 | Toutle Quality Deer | Modern | Nov. 2-18 | Any Buck | GMU 556 | 1 | 324 / 6 | |
| 1546 | Toutle Youth only | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Antlerless | GMU 556 | 15 | 94 / 2 | 7 hunters, 4 taken |
| 1629 | Toutle Hunters 65 or older | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Antlerless | GMU 556 | 5 | 105 / 4 | |
| 1730 | Toutle Hunters with disabilities | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Antlerless | GMU 556 | 3 | 38 / 6 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 28, 36, 38 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 556?
31.1% of GMU 556 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 45,693 of its 147,044 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 43,567 acres or 29.6% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 43,567 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 556 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR state trust land | 43,567 | 29.6% |
| WDFW land | 1,578 | 1.1% |
| National forest | 548 | 0.4% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 556, by WDFW's own boundaries: Mount Saint Helens Wildlife Area (1,551 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 556?
Highways through the unit: SR 503 (about 6 miles inside it). Nearby: Yacolt (8 miles), Kalama (11 miles), Woodland (11 miles) and La Center (12 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 556?
GMU 556 touches 7 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 520 | Winston | 13.8% | 545 | 1,691 |
| GMU 522 | Loo-wit | 95.5% | 0 | |
| GMU 524 | Margaret | 24.8% | 77 | 285 |
| GMU 550 | Coweeman | 7.2% | 661 | 2,025 |
| GMU 554 | Yale | 22.4% | 84 | 289 |
| GMU 560 | Lewis River | 90.2% | 153 | 1,088 |
| GMU 572 | Siouxon | 91.4% | 127 | 817 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 556 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 556 are archery: Sept. 1-20 (any deer, 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 556?
WDFW reports 302 deer taken in GMU 556 in 2025: 286 antlered and 16 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 324, in 2024.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 556?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 4 deer permit hunts for GMU 556: 1060 Toutle (1 permit), 1546 Toutle (15 permits), 1629 Toutle (5 permits) and 1730 Toutle (3 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 556?
31.1% of GMU 556, 45,693 of its 147,044 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 556?
No town or Census-listed community is inside it. The nearest towns are Yacolt (8 miles), Kalama (11 miles) and Woodland (11 miles).
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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 520 GMU 524 GMU 550 GMU 554 GMU 560 GMU 572