West Klickitat GMU 578 deer hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 195 deer taken in GMU 578 West Klickitat in 2025, 6 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 1,155 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 6,235 hunter days. GMU 578 is 27.6% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (65,970 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 wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 578Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 5, Southwest Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 292,967 acres (458 square miles) |
| Public land open to hunting | 27.6% (80,897 acres) |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 195 (210 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 1,155 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 17-Nov. 1, 3 pt. min. |
| Deer special permit hunts, 2026 | 5 hunts, 65 permits |
| Towns in and near it | White Salmon, Bingen, Klickitat, Goldendale and Stevenson |
Also for GMU 578: elk hunting, black bear hunting.
How many deer are taken in GMU 578?
WDFW reports 195 deer taken in GMU 578 in 2025, against 210 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 549, in 2001. WDFW's figures average 193 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 221 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 | 195 | 189 | 6 | 195 | 0 | 1,155 | 6,235 | 16 |
| 2024 | 210 | 197 | 13 | 208 | 2 | 1,085 | 5,984 | 18 |
| 2023 | 177 | 170 | 7 | 174 | 3 | 1,149 | 6,143 | 15 |
| 2022 | 113 | 109 | 4 | 113 | 0 | 1,218 | 6,357 | 9 |
| 2021 | 268 | 258 | 10 | 265 | 3 | 1,335 | 6,921 | 19 |
| 2020 | 278 | 274 | 4 | 278 | 0 | 1,379 | 6,984 | 20 |
| 2019 | 185 | 178 | 7 | 182 | 3 | 1,270 | 6,813 | 14 |
| 2018 | 151 | 141 | 10 | 146 | 5 | 1,400 | 7,609 | 10 |
| 2017 | 177 | 155 | 22 | 167 | 10 | 1,444 | 7,499 | 11 |
| 2016 | 315 | 291 | 24 | 309 | 6 | 1,413 | 7,551 | 21 |
| 2015 | 290 | 258 | 32 | 281 | 9 | 1,548 | 7,539 | 17 |
| 2014 | 268 | 229 | 39 | 254 | 14 | 1,714 | 8,564 | 13 |
| 2013 | 322 | 296 | 26 | 311 | 11 | 1,626 | 8,336 | 18 |
| 2012 | 257 | 204 | 53 | 241 | 16 | 1,431 | 7,114 | 14 |
| 2011 | 197 | 163 | 34 | 184 | 13 | 1,687 | 8,552 | 10 |
| 2010 | 313 | 275 | 38 | 302 | 11 | 1,715 | 8,526 | 16 |
| 2009 | 243 | 194 | 49 | 229 | 14 | 1,646 | 7,710 | 12 |
| 2008 | 349 | 318 | 31 | 325 | 24 | |||
| 2007 | 363 | 363 | not split out | 343 | 20 | 2,258 | 11,018 | 16 |
| 2006 | 338 | 338 | not split out | 324 | 14 | 2,201 | 10,811 | 15 |
| 2005 | 429 | 429 | not split out | 412 | 17 | 2,302 | 10,708 | 19 |
| 2004 | 404 | 404 | not split out | 391 | 13 | 2,473 | 12,234 | 16 |
| 2003 | 323 | 323 | not split out | 313 | 10 | 2,433 | 12,939 | 13 |
| 2002 | 441 | 441 | not split out | 419 | 22 | 2,606 | 14,373 | 17 |
| 2001 | 549 | 549 | not split out | 541 | 8 | 3,082 | 15,772 | 18 |
| 2000 | 499 | 499 | not split out | 491 | 8 | 3,709 | 16,168 | 13 |
| 1999 | 464 | 464 | not split out | 437 | 27 | 4,280 | 25,492 | 11 |
| 1998 | 375 | 375 | not split out | 359 | 16 | 3,796 | 13,438 | 10 |
| 1997 | 326 | 326 | not split out | 311 | 15 | 3,517 | 14,459 | 9 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, GMU 578, 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 578 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most deer hunters in GMU 578 in 2025: 983, who took 140 (14.2% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Deer taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 47 | 288 | 3 | 6.4% | 96 |
| Modern firearm | 983 | 5,224 | 140 | 14.2% | 37 |
| Muzzleloader | 33 | 135 | 4 | 12.2% | 34 |
| Multiple-season tag | 92 | 588 | 42 | 45.6% | 14 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer general season, 2025).
What size bucks come out of GMU 578?
WDFW counts antlered deer by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 3-point: 107 of 195 antlered deer.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 107 | 61 | 27 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1 | 90 | 91 | 26 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 65 | 17 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 46 | 12 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 125 | 103 | 35 | 3 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (deer, antler points).
When is deer season in GMU 578 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 578, by weapon: archery: Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., black-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (3 pt. min., black-tailed deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (3 pt. min., black-tailed deer).
| Weapon | Season | Deer | 2026 dates | Legal deer | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 578 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Black-tailed Deer | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 23) |
| Archery | Early archery season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 1-25 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | Footnoted in WDFW's table (page 24) |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Black-tailed Deer | Sept. 26-Oct. 4 | 3 pt. min. | 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 578?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 5 deer special permit hunts that take in GMU 578, with 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1065 | West Klickitat Quality Deer | Modern | Nov. 19-25 | 3 pt. min. | GMU 578 | 15 | 467 / 10 | |
| 1228 | West Klickitat Buck Deer | Archery | Nov. 26-Dec. 2 | 3 pt. min. | GMU 578 | 20 | 175 / 7 | |
| 1242 | West Klickitat Buck Deer | Muzzleloader | Dec. 3-8 | 3 pt. min. | GMU 578 | 20 | 204 / 9 | |
| 1551 | West Klickitat Youth only | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Any Buck | GMU 578 | 5 | 116 / 2 | 1 hunter, 1 taken |
| 1552 | West Klickitat Youth only | Modern | Oct. 17-Nov. 1 | Antlerless | GMU 578 | 5 | 49 / 3 | 0 hunters, 0 taken |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 28, 30 and 36; 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 578?
27.6% of GMU 578 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 80,897 of its 292,967 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 65,970 acres or 22.5% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 65,970 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 578 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR state trust land | 65,970 | 22.5% |
| National forest | 10,870 | 3.7% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 6,515 | 2.2% |
| WDFW land | 2,630 | 0.9% |
| BLM | 1,427 | 0.5% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 356 | 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 578, by WDFW's own boundaries: Klickitat Wildlife Area (3,902 acres here; units Fisher Hill, Sondino Ponds, Dillacort Canyon and Mineral 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 578?
Highways through the unit: SR 141 (about 23 miles inside it) and SR 142 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: White Salmon, Bingen, Klickitat and Glenwood. Nearby: Goldendale (12 miles) and Stevenson (18 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 578?
GMU 578 touches 3 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 deer numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 388 | Grayback | 11.2% | 169 | 833 |
| GMU 560 | Lewis River | 90.2% | 153 | 1,088 |
| GMU 574 | Wind River | 73.3% | 131 | 507 |
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season in GMU 578 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general deer seasons open to all hunters in GMU 578 are archery: Sept. 1-25 (3 pt. min., black-tailed deer); muzzleloader: Sept. 26-Oct. 4 (3 pt. min., black-tailed deer); modern firearm: Oct. 17-Nov. 1 (3 pt. min., black-tailed deer).
How many deer are taken in GMU 578?
WDFW reports 195 deer taken in GMU 578 in 2025: 195 antlered and 0 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 549, in 2001.
Which special permit deer hunts include GMU 578?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 5 deer permit hunts for GMU 578: 1065 West Klickitat (15 permits), 1228 West Klickitat (20 permits), 1242 West Klickitat (20 permits), 1551 West Klickitat (5 permits) and 1552 West Klickitat (5 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 578?
27.6% of GMU 578, 80,897 of its 292,967 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 578?
White Salmon, Bingen and Klickitat are inside the unit. Just outside: Goldendale (12 miles) and Stevenson (18 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 388 GMU 560 GMU 574