Beezley GMU 272 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and public land
WDFW's harvest report shows 26 elk taken in GMU 272 Beezley in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 78 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 281 hunter days. GMU 272 is 17.4% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (84,030 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.
BLMDNR state trust landWDFW landNational wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)Bureau of ReclamationMilitary land (restricted)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 272Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,138,124 acres (1,778 square miles) |
| Counties | Grant, Lincoln and Douglas |
| Public land open to hunting | 17.4% (197,679 acres) |
| Elk taken, 2025 | 26 (6 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 78 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 31-Nov. 15, any elk |
| Towns in and near it | Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, George, Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam |
Also for GMU 272: deer hunting.
How many elk are taken in GMU 272?
WDFW reports 26 elk taken in GMU 272 in 2025, against 6 in 2024. The most in one year since 2002 was 26, in 2025. WDFW's figures average 10 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 1 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 | 26 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 78 | 281 | 33 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 44 | 137 | 14 | |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 119 | 30 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 41 | 199 | 15 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 50 | 31 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 59 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 61 | 9 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 33 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 45 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 41 | 8 | |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | not split out | 0 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 17 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 19 | 87 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | not split out | 1 | 0 | 21 | 81 | 5 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 21 | 130 | 0 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 272, 2002 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 272 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 272 in 2025: 43, who took 13 (30.2% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Elk taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 17 | 35 | 5 | 29.4% | 7 |
| Modern firearm | 43 | 203 | 13 | 30.2% | 16 |
| Muzzleloader | 15 | 35 | 6 | 40% | 6 |
| Multiple-season tag | 3 | 8 | 2 | 66.6% | 4 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk general season, 2025).
What size bulls come out of GMU 272?
WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 5-point: 8 of 19 antlered elk.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points | 6 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 7 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).
When is elk season in GMU 272 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 272, by weapon: archery: Sept. 12-24 (any elk) and Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (any elk) and 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 272 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 | Any elk | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Sept. 12-24 | Any elk | All hunters | |
| Archery | Late archery season | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 | Any elk | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Oct. 3-9 | 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 272?
17.4% of GMU 272 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 197,679 of its 1,138,124 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 84,030 acres or 7.4% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 84,030 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 272 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR state trust land | 84,030 | 7.4% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 77,994 | 6.9% |
| WDFW land | 21,603 | 1.9% |
| BLM | 14,052 | 1.2% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 9,833 | 0.9% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 6,533 | 0.6% |
| Military land (restricted) | 15 | under 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 272, by WDFW's own boundaries: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area (61,679 acres here; units Upland Restoration, Gloyd Seeps, Rocky Ford and Billy Clapp Lake) and Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area (3,825 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 272?
Highways through the unit: SR 28 (about 56 miles inside it), I-90 (about 50 miles inside it), SR 17 (about 47 miles inside it), US 2 (about 26 miles inside it) and SR 155 (about 26 miles inside it). Towns inside: Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, Electric City, Soap Lake and Wilson Creek. Nearby: George (on the line), Grand Coulee (on the line), Coulee Dam (2 miles) and Elmer City (4 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 272?
GMU 272 touches 11 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Elk taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 133 | Roosevelt | 11.5% | 40 | 280 |
| GMU 136 | Harrington | 10.5% | 13 | 99 |
| GMU 248 | Big Bend | 20.9% | 0 | 4 |
| GMU 254 | Saint Andrews | 15.1% | 0 | |
| GMU 269 | Moses Coulee | 22.6% | 2 | 7 |
| GMU 278 | Wahluke | 20.8% | 2 | 37 |
| GMU 284 | Ritzville | 6% | 15 | 58 |
| GMU 290 | Desert | 47.2% | 2 | 14 |
| GMU 329 | Quilomene | 87.9% | 140 | 1,155 |
| GMU 330 | West Bar | 85.8% | 4 | |
| GMU 371 | Alkali | 0.4% | 0 | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
When is elk season in GMU 272 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 272 are archery: Sept. 12-24 (any elk) and Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (any elk) and Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (late season, any elk); modern firearm: Oct. 31-Nov. 15 (any elk).
How many elk are taken in GMU 272?
WDFW reports 26 elk taken in GMU 272 in 2025: 19 antlered and 7 antlerless. The most in one year since 2002 was 26, in 2025.
How much public land is in GMU 272?
17.4% of GMU 272, 197,679 of its 1,138,124 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 272?
Moses Lake, Ephrata and Quincy are inside the unit. Just outside: George (on the line), Grand Coulee (on the line) and Coulee Dam (2 miles).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 272
Beginning at the junction of State Route (SR) 155 and SR 174 in the town of Grand Coulee; SE on SR 174 to NE Grand Coulee Hill Rd NE; S on Grand Coulee Hill Rd NE to 52 Rd NE; E and S on 52 Rd NE to W Rd NE; S on W Rd NE to 51 Rd NE; E on 51 Rd NE to Peterson Rd; S on Peterson Rd to Douglas Rd; E on Douglas Rd to Old Coulee Rd; S on Old Coulee Rd to N 3rd St, at the town of Almira; S on N 3rd St to Main St; E on Main St to SR 2; E on SR 2 to Kiner Rd; S on Kiner Rd to X Rd NE; S on X Rd NE to W Rd NE, at the town of Marlin; S on W Rd NE to North Frontage Rd E; W on North Frontage Rd E to U Rd; S on U Rd to Interstate Hwy (I)-90; W on I-90 to the Columbia River (Grant-Kittitas county line), at the Vantage Bridge; N up the Columbia River (Grant-Kittitas county line) to a point due west of Crescent Bar boat launch; E from the Grant-Kittitas county line on the Columbia River to the Crescent Bar boat launch and Crescent Bar Rd; N on Crescent Bar Rd to Baird Springs Rd NW at SR 28; NE on Baird Springs Rd NW to Overen Rd NW; NE on Overen Rd NW to J Rd NW; N on J Rd NW to Sagebrush Flats Rd NW; N on Sagebrush Flats Rd NW to Coulee Meadows Rd at the Grant-Douglas county line; N on Coulee Meadows Rd to the Moses Coulee Rd; N on the Moses Coulee Rd to US Hwy (US) 2; E on US 2 to the west shore of Banks Lake; N along the west shore of Banks Lake to the feeder canal for the Grand Coulee Dam; NE along the feeder canal to SR 174; SW on SR 174 to SR 155 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 elk by GMU Region 2 GMU 133 GMU 136 GMU 278 GMU 284 GMU 329 GMU 330 GMU 371