Nooksack GMU 418 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 12 elk taken in GMU 418 Nooksack in 2025, 12 of them on special permits. GMU 418 is 70.6% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (294,003 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 park or historic site (no hunting)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 418Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 4, North Puget Sound |
|---|---|
| Size | 533,799 acres (834 square miles) |
| Counties | Whatcom and Skagit |
| Public land open to hunting | 70.6% (376,867 acres) |
| Elk taken, 2025 | 12 (13 in 2024) |
| Elk special permit hunts, 2026 | 3 hunts, 29 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Kendall, Maple Falls, Glacier, Concrete, Sedro-Woolley and Lyman |
Also for GMU 418: deer hunting, black bear hunting.
How many elk are taken in GMU 418?
WDFW reports 12 elk taken in GMU 418 in 2025, against 13 in 2024. The most in one year since 1998 was 36, in 1998. WDFW's figures average 15 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 21 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 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 2 | |||
| 2023 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2022 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 12 | 2 | |||
| 2020 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 3 | ||||
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2018 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2017 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 20 | 1 | |||
| 2016 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 1 | ||||
| 2015 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 2 | ||||
| 2014 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 2013 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 9 | ||||
| 2012 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 7 | ||||
| 2011 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 4 | ||||
| 2010 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 100 | |
| 2009 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2008 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | not split out | 0 | 0 | 57 | 217 | 0 |
| 1999 | 8 | 8 | not split out | 5 | 3 | 104 | 691 | 8 |
| 1998 | 36 | 36 | not split out | 6 | 30 | 178 | 1,461 | 20 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 418, 1998 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.
What size bulls come out of GMU 418?
WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 6-point or larger: 6 of 12 antlered elk.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points | 6 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).
When is elk season in GMU 418 in 2026?
No general elk season is open to all hunters in GMU 418 in 2026.
Source: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, 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 elk hunts include GMU 418?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 elk special permit hunts that take in GMU 418, with 29 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 elk | Unit or area | 2026 permits | 2025 applicants / average points (WDFW) | 2025 result: hunters, elk taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2812 | Nooksack Bull Elk | WF | Oct. 15-Nov. 5 | Any Bull | GMU 418 | 13 | 1,043 / 13 | |
| 2822 | Nooksack Bull Elk | WA | Sept. 1-22 | Any Bull | GMU 418 | 8 | 490 / 12 | |
| 2833 | Nooksack Bull Elk | WM | Sept. 23-Oct. 14 | Any Bull | GMU 418 | 8 | 578 / 14 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, page 50; WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk 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 418?
70.6% of GMU 418 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 376,867 of its 533,799 acres. The largest share is national forest, 294,003 acres or 55.1% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 82,819 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 418 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 294,003 | 55.1% |
| DNR state trust land | 82,819 | 15.5% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 8,583 | 1.6% |
| National park or historic site (no hunting) | 377 | 0.1% |
| WDFW land | 35 | under 0.1% |
| BLM | 10 | under 0.1% |
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 418?
Highways through the unit: SR 542 (about 39 miles inside it), SR 9 (about 8 miles inside it) and SR 20 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier. Nearby: Concrete (on the line), Sedro-Woolley (on the line), Lyman (on the line) and Hamilton (on the line).
Which GMUs border GMU 418?
GMU 418 touches 2 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Elk taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 407 | North Sound | 9.9% | 6 | 125 |
| GMU 437 | Sauk | 60.8% | 23 |
Questions hunters ask
When is elk season in GMU 418 in 2026?
GMU 418 has no general elk season open to all hunters in 2026; WDFW lists 3 special permit hunts that include it.
How many elk are taken in GMU 418?
WDFW reports 12 elk taken in GMU 418 in 2025: 12 antlered and 0 antlerless. The most in one year since 1998 was 36, in 1998.
Which special permit elk hunts include GMU 418?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 elk permit hunts for GMU 418: 2812 Nooksack (13 permits), 2822 Nooksack (8 permits) and 2833 Nooksack (8 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 418?
70.6% of GMU 418, 376,867 of its 533,799 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 418?
Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier are inside the unit. Just outside: Concrete (on the line), Sedro-Woolley (on the line) and Lyman (on the line).
WDFW's boundary description of GMU 418
Beginning at the US-Canadian border and the western border of the North Cascades National Park; S on the North Cascades National Park boundary to Noisy Diobsud Wilderness Area boundary; W and S on Noisy Diobsud Wilderness Area boundary to a point due E of the head waters of Watson Creek; W to the headwaters of Watson Creek; S down Watson Creek to Thunder Creek; W down Thunder Creek to Baker River Rd; S along Baker River Rd to State Route (SR) 20 at the town of Concrete; W along SR 20 to SR 9 at the town of Sedro-Woolley; N along SR 9 to Mosquito Lake Rd; N on the Mosquito Lake Rd to SR 542 (Mount Baker Hwy); N on SR 542 to the Silver Lake Rd; N on the Silver Lake Rd to its northern most point; N from the Silver Lake Rd to the US-Canadian border; E on the US-Canadian border to the western border of the North Cascades National Park 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 4 GMU 407 GMU 437