Alpine GMU 249 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and public land
WDFW's harvest report shows 7 elk taken in GMU 249 Alpine in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 82 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 464 hunter days. GMU 249 is 99.6% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (226,341 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 forestNational wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)GMU 249Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 227,189 acres (355 square miles) |
| Public land open to hunting | 99.6% (226,341 acres) |
| Elk taken, 2025 | 7 (9 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 82 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 31-Nov. 8, spike bull |
| Towns in and near it | Leavenworth, Roslyn and Skykomish |
Also for GMU 249: deer hunting, black bear hunting.
How many elk are taken in GMU 249?
WDFW reports 7 elk taken in GMU 249 in 2025, against 9 in 2024. The most in one year since 2000 was 11, in 2022. WDFW's figures average 8 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 6 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 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 82 | 464 | 9 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 108 | 503 | 8 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 118 | 611 | 5 |
| 2022 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 130 | 598 | 8 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 114 | 527 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 127 | 625 | 5 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 88 | 387 | 13 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 90 | 342 | 4 | |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 227 | 11 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 73 | 387 | 7 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 124 | 738 | 6 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 66 | 365 | 9 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 90 | 590 | 7 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 68 | 396 | 1 |
| 2011 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 78 | 382 | 10 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 67 | 361 | 12 | |
| 2009 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 83 | 418 | 10 | |
| 2008 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2007 | 8 | 8 | not split out | 6 | 2 | 76 | 354 | 11 |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | not split out | 4 | 0 | 47 | 214 | 9 |
| 2005 | 7 | 7 | not split out | 7 | 0 | 95 | 431 | 7 |
| 2004 | 8 | 8 | not split out | 8 | 0 | 96 | 439 | 8 |
| 2003 | 2 | 2 | not split out | 2 | 0 | 45 | 177 | 4 |
| 2002 | 2 | 2 | not split out | 2 | 0 | 49 | 185 | 4 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | not split out | 3 | 0 | 69 | 288 | 4 |
| 2000 | 4 | 4 | not split out | 4 | 0 | 103 | 466 | 4 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 249, 2000 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 249 in 2025?
The archery general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 249 in 2025: 80, who took 7 (8.8% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Elk taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 80 | 460 | 7 | 8.8% | 66 |
| Modern firearm | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk general season, 2025).
What size bulls come out of GMU 249?
WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 4-point: 2 of 4 antlered elk.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points | 6 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).
When is elk season in GMU 249 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 249, by weapon: archery: Sept. 12-24 (any elk) and Nov. 25-Dec. 8 (late season, spike Bull); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (spike bull); modern firearm: Oct. 31-Nov. 8 (spike bull).
| Weapon | Season | 2026 dates | Legal elk | Who | WDFW's notes for GMU 249 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Oct. 31-Nov. 8 | Spike bull | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Sept. 12-24 | Any elk | All hunters | |
| Archery | Late archery season | Nov. 25-Dec. 8 | Spike Bull | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Oct. 3-9 | Spike bull | 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 249?
99.6% of GMU 249 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 226,341 of its 227,189 acres. The largest share is national forest, 226,341 acres or 99.6% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 249 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 226,341 | 99.6% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 846 | 0.4% |
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 249?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Nearby: Leavenworth (4 miles), Roslyn (10 miles), Skykomish (11 miles) and Cashmere (11 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 249?
GMU 249 touches 3 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Elk taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 251 | Mission | 58.6% | 59 | 590 |
| GMU 335 | Teanaway | 73.8% | 39 | 672 |
| GMU 460 | Snoqualmie | 61.3% | 63 | 353 |
Questions hunters ask
When is elk season in GMU 249 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 249 are archery: Sept. 12-24 (any elk) and Nov. 25-Dec. 8 (late season, spike Bull); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (spike bull); modern firearm: Oct. 31-Nov. 8 (spike bull).
How many elk are taken in GMU 249?
WDFW reports 7 elk taken in GMU 249 in 2025: 4 antlered and 3 antlerless. The most in one year since 2000 was 11, in 2022.
How much public land is in GMU 249?
99.6% of GMU 249, 226,341 of its 227,189 acres, is national forest, BLM, DNR trust, WDFW, Reclamation or national recreation area land; the largest share is national forest. Measured by FilledTag from WA DNR's public land maps.
What town is closest to GMU 249?
No town or Census-listed community is inside it. The nearest towns are Leavenworth (4 miles), Roslyn (10 miles) and Skykomish (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 elk by GMU Region 2 GMU 251 GMU 335 GMU 460