Chiliwist GMU 239 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and public land
WDFW's harvest report shows 2 elk taken in GMU 239 Chiliwist in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 110 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 388 hunter days. GMU 239 is 51.8% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (61,491 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 landGMU 239Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 227,497 acres (355 square miles) |
| Counties | Okanogan |
| Public land open to hunting | 51.8% (117,834 acres) |
| Elk taken, 2025 | 2 (14 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 110 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 31-Nov. 15, any elk |
| Towns in and near it | Brewster, Pateros, Malott, Okanogan, Twisp and Omak |
Also for GMU 239: deer hunting, black bear hunting.
How many elk are taken in GMU 239?
WDFW reports 2 elk taken in GMU 239 in 2025, against 14 in 2024. The most in one year since 2001 was 14, in 2024. WDFW's figures average 7 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 5 a year for 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Elk taken, all hunts | General season | Special permit | Antlered | Antlerless | General-season hunters | Hunter days | Elk per 100 general hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 110 | 388 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 131 | 566 | 11 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 106 | 377 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 109 | 372 | 4 |
| 2021 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 156 | 749 | 7 | |
| 2020 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 97 | 400 | 14 | |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 322 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 108 | 474 | 4 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 53 | 251 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 74 | 366 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 116 | 443 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 106 | 509 | 7 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 86 | 484 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 68 | 320 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 114 | 510 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 70 | 291 | 7 | |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 72 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 10 | 72 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 10 | 54 | 0 |
| 2004 | 4 | 4 | not split out | 1 | 3 | 13 | 73 | 31 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 6 | 41 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 9 | 48 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 239, 2001 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. Elk 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 239 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 239 in 2025: 101, who took 2 (2% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Elk taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 4 | 21 | 0 | 0% | |
| Modern firearm | 101 | 352 | 2 | 2% | 176 |
| Muzzleloader | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk general season, 2025).
What size bulls come out of GMU 239?
WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 5-point: 2 of 2 antlered elk.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points | 6 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).
When is elk season in GMU 239 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 239, by weapon: archery: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); muzzleloader: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); modern firearm: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (any elk).
| Weapon | Season | 2026 dates | Legal elk | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 239 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 | Any elk | All hunters | |
| Archery | Late archery season | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 | Any elk | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Late muzzleloader season | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 | Any elk | All hunters |
Source: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 44, 45 and 46, with WDFW's April 2026 corrections. WDFW can change a season during the year: check WDFW's regulations page before you go.
How much public land is in GMU 239?
51.8% of GMU 239 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 117,834 of its 227,497 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 61,491 acres or 27% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 61,491 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 239 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR state trust land | 61,491 | 27% |
| National forest | 40,748 | 17.9% |
| WDFW land | 10,567 | 4.6% |
| BLM | 5,028 | 2.2% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 239, by WDFW's own boundaries: Wells Wildlife Area (5,195 acres here; units Indian Dan Canyon and Okanogan), Sinlahekin Wildlife Area (4,855 acres here), Methow Wildlife Area (1,504 acres here; units Texas Creek and Methow) and Chelan Wildlife Area (1,223 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 239?
Highways through the unit: SR 20 (about 20 miles inside it), SR 153 (about 17 miles inside it) and US 97 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: Brewster, Pateros and Malott. Nearby: Okanogan (on the line), Twisp (2 miles), Omak (5 miles) and Bridgeport (7 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 239?
GMU 239 touches 4 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Elk taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 224 | Pearrygin | 87.1% | 0 | 20 |
| GMU 233 | Pogue | 45.7% | 2 | 50 |
| GMU 242 | Alta | 86.8% | 0 | 14 |
| GMU 260 | Foster Creek | 17.9% | 0 | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
When is elk season in GMU 239 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 239 are archery: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); muzzleloader: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); modern firearm: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (any elk).
How many elk are taken in GMU 239?
WDFW reports 2 elk taken in GMU 239 in 2025: 2 antlered and 0 antlerless. The most in one year since 2001 was 14, in 2024.
How much public land is in GMU 239?
51.8% of GMU 239, 117,834 of its 227,497 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 239?
Brewster, Pateros and Malott are inside the unit. Just outside: Okanogan (on the line), Twisp (2 miles) and Omak (5 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 239
Beginning at the intersection of State Route (SR) 153 and SR 20, southeast of the town of Twisp; E on SR 20, past Loup Loup Summit, to the SR 20 bridge crossing over the Okanogan River at the town of Okanogan; SE on the said bridge to the Okanogan River; S along the Okanogan River to the Columbia River (Douglas-Okanogan county line); W along the Columbia River (Douglas-Okanogan county line) to a point on the county line due east of the US Hwy (US) 97 bridge crossing the mouth of the Methow River at the town of Pateros; SE on US 97 to SR 153; NW and N on SR 153 to SR 20, southeast of the town of Twisp, 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.