Ritzville GMU 284 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and public land
WDFW's harvest report shows 15 elk taken in GMU 284 Ritzville in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 58 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 280 hunter days. GMU 284 is 6% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (48,319 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 landBureau of ReclamationOther public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 284Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 2, North Central Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,062,541 acres (1,660 square miles) |
| Counties | Adams, Grant, Lincoln and Whitman |
| Public land open to hunting | 6% (63,825 acres) |
| Elk taken, 2025 | 15 (20 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 58 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Oct. 31-Nov. 15, any elk |
| Towns in and near it | Ritzville, Lind, Sprague, Lamont and Washtucna |
Also for GMU 284: deer hunting.
How many elk are taken in GMU 284?
WDFW reports 15 elk taken in GMU 284 in 2025, against 20 in 2024. The most in one year since 2000 was 34, in 2010. WDFW's figures average 15 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 19 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 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 58 | 280 | 26 | |
| 2024 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 97 | 358 | 21 | |
| 2023 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 66 | 341 | 35 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 59 | 252 | 17 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 89 | 330 | 8 |
| 2020 | 28 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 75 | 265 | 37 | |
| 2019 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 70 | 446 | 17 | |
| 2018 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 76 | 366 | 16 | |
| 2017 | 24 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 76 | 357 | 32 | |
| 2016 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 54 | 210 | 33 | |
| 2015 | 19 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 75 | 303 | 25 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 60 | 262 | 12 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 106 | 463 | 7 | |
| 2012 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 99 | 414 | 16 |
| 2011 | 27 | 27 | 12 | 15 | 120 | 449 | 23 | |
| 2010 | 34 | 34 | 12 | 22 | 98 | 347 | 35 | |
| 2009 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 110 | 453 | 11 | |
| 2008 | 25 | 25 | 11 | 14 | ||||
| 2007 | 17 | 17 | not split out | 3 | 14 | 45 | 161 | 38 |
| 2006 | 10 | 10 | not split out | 4 | 6 | 38 | 118 | 26 |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | not split out | 3 | 1 | 17 | 61 | 24 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 17 | 81 | 0 |
| 2003 | 6 | 6 | not split out | 2 | 4 | 27 | 95 | 22 |
| 2002 | 5 | 5 | not split out | 0 | 5 | 28 | 116 | 18 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | not split out | 0 | 1 | 24 | 90 | 4 |
| 2000 | 15 | 15 | not split out | 10 | 5 | 65 | 194 | 23 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 284, 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 284 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 284 in 2025: 47, who took 11 (23.4% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Elk taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0% | |
| Modern firearm | 47 | 220 | 11 | 23.4% | 20 |
| Muzzleloader | 9 | 48 | 4 | 44.4% | 12 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk general season, 2025).
What size bulls come out of GMU 284?
WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 1-point (spike): 5 of 11 antlered elk.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points | 6 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).
When is elk season in GMU 284 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 284, 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 284 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 284?
6% of GMU 284 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 63,825 of its 1,062,541 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 48,319 acres or 4.5% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 48,319 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 284 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR state trust land | 48,319 | 4.5% |
| BLM | 12,612 | 1.2% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 1,580 | 0.1% |
| WDFW land | 1,314 | 0.1% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 857 | 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 284, by WDFW's own boundaries: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area (1,397 acres here; units Upland Restoration and Sprague Lake) and Revere Wildlife Area (86 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 284?
Highways through the unit: I-90 (about 109 miles inside it), US 395 (about 105 miles inside it), SR 26 (about 61 miles inside it), SR 21 (about 39 miles inside it) and SR 261 (about 27 miles inside it). Towns inside: Ritzville and Lind. Nearby: Sprague (on the line), Lamont (on the line), Washtucna (on the line) and Warden (on the line).
Which GMUs border GMU 284?
GMU 284 touches 7 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Elk taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 130 | Cheney | 4% | 138 | 717 |
| GMU 136 | Harrington | 10.5% | 13 | 99 |
| GMU 139 | Steptoe | 2.9% | 59 | 327 |
| GMU 142 | Almota | 3.6% | 26 | 147 |
| GMU 272 | Beezley | 17.4% | 26 | 78 |
| GMU 278 | Wahluke | 20.8% | 2 | 37 |
| GMU 381 | Kahlotus | 10% | 27 | 86 |
Questions hunters ask
When is elk season in GMU 284 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 284 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 284?
WDFW reports 15 elk taken in GMU 284 in 2025: 11 antlered and 4 antlerless. The most in one year since 2000 was 34, in 2010.
How much public land is in GMU 284?
6% of GMU 284, 63,825 of its 1,062,541 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 284?
Ritzville and Lind are inside the unit. Just outside: Sprague (on the line), Lamont (on the line) and Washtucna (on the line).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 284
Beginning at Interstate (I)-90 and Rd U NE; N on Rd U NE to North Frontage Rd; E on North Frontage Rd to Rd W NE; N on Rd W NE to Rd 12 NE; E on Rd 12 NE to Davis Rd; E on Davis Rd to Marcellus Rd; S on Marcellus Rd to Tokio Rd; E on Tokio Rd to Danekas Rd; E on Danekas Rd to I-90; NE on I-90 to State Route (SR) 23; S on SR 23 to Lamont Rd; SW on Lamont Rd to Revere Rd; S on Revere Rd to Jordan-Knott Rd; S on Jordan-Knott Rd to Rock Creek; S down Rock Creek to the Palouse River; S and W down the Palouse River to Old SR 26, west of the town of Hooper; W on Old SR 26, across the Palouse River to SR 26; W on SR 26 to Booker Rd; N on Booker Rd which turns into Rd U SE at the Adams-Grant county line; N on Rd U SE to I-90 and 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 130 GMU 136 GMU 139 GMU 142 GMU 272 GMU 278 GMU 381