Snoqualmie GMU 460 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and public land

Name: Washington GMU 460 Snoqualmie elk harvest, 1997 to 2025
Creator: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

WDFW's harvest report shows 63 elk taken in GMU 460 Snoqualmie in 2025, 1 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 353 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 1,796 hunter days. GMU 460 is 61.3% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (306,227 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.

Map of Washington GMU 460 Snoqualmie: public land by manager, neighboring GMUs 490, 454, 448, 336, 335, 251, 249 and 245, highways I-90, US 2, SR 169 and SR 18, and Snoqualmie, Monroe, North Bend, Sultan and Duvall — National forestBLMDNR state trust landWDFW landOther public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 460Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway

GMU 460 Snoqualmie elk at a glance
WDFW region	Region 4, North Puget Sound
Size	592,669 acres (926 square miles)
Counties	King and Snohomish
Public land open to hunting	61.3% (363,098 acres)
Elk taken, 2025	63 (78 in 2024)
General-season hunters, 2025	353
Modern firearm, 2026	Nov. 7-18, 3 pt. min.
Towns in and near it	Snoqualmie, North Bend, Duvall, Gold Bar, Sultan and Monroe

Also for GMU 460: deer hunting, black bear hunting.

How many elk are taken in GMU 460?

WDFW reports 63 elk taken in GMU 460 in 2025, against 78 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 78, in 2024. WDFW's figures average 71 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 59 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	63	62	1	40	23	353	1,796	18
2024	78	77	1	45	33	426	2,246	18
2023	78	78		52	26	367	1,708	21
2022	70	70		39	31	339	1,631	21
2021	66	66		41	25	357	1,630	18
2020	67	67		45	22	372	1,992	18
2019	53	51	2	36	17	382	1,825	13
2018	55	55		41	14	375	2,052	15
2017	51	51		39	12	366	1,897	14
2016	71	64	7	44	27	362	1,816	18
2015	44	33	11	23	21	437	2,009	8
2014	60	49	11	24	36	479	2,627	10
2013	71	55	16	55	16	449	2,031	12
2012	49	30	19	30	19	330	1,670	9
2011	42	25	17	25	17	425	2,171	6
2010	38	21	17	21	17	388	1,885	5
2009	59	35	24	36	23	410	2,040	9
2008	23	23		23	0
2007	22	22	not split out	22	0	221	1,063	10
2006	20	20	not split out	20	0	207	1,087	10
2005	14	14	not split out	14	0	226	978	6
2004	17	17	not split out	16	1	267	1,179	6
2003	14	14	not split out	14	0	196	917	7
2002	12	12	not split out	12	0	199	842	6
2001	10	10	not split out	10	0	310	1,460	3
2000	11	11	not split out	11	0	447	1,737	2
1999	22	22	not split out	19	3	368	2,882	6
1998	25	25	not split out	14	11	584	2,856	4
1997	19	19	not split out	16	3	293	1,429	6

Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 460, 1997 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 460 in 2025?

The archery general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 460 in 2025: 130, who took 27 (20.8% success by WDFW's count).

Weapon, 2025 general season	Hunters	Hunter days	Elk taken	Success (WDFW)	Days per animal (WDFW)
Archery	130	691	27	20.8%	26
Modern firearm	114	534	13	11.4%	41
Muzzleloader	89	469	14	15.8%	34
Multiple-season tag	20	102	8	40%	13

Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk general season, 2025).

What size bulls come out of GMU 460?

WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 6-point or larger: 20 of 40 antlered elk.

Year	3 points	4 points	5 points	6 or more	Antlerless
2025	2	4	14	20	23
2024	2	2	18	23	33
2023	0	3	20	29	26
2022	0	8	16	15	31
2021	2	4	23	12	25

Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).

When is elk season in GMU 460 in 2026?

General seasons for all hunters in GMU 460, by weapon: archery: Sept. 12-24 (3 pt. min.); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (3 pt. min.); modern firearm: Nov. 7-18 (3 pt. min.).

Weapon	Season	2026 dates	Legal elk	Who	WDFW's notes for GMU 460
Modern firearm	General season	Nov. 7-18	3 pt. min.	All hunters
Modern firearm	General season	Nov. 7-18	3 pt. min. or antlerless	All hunters	Only in Elk Area 4601
Archery	Early archery season	Sept. 12-24	3 pt. min.	All hunters
Archery	Early archery season	Sept. 12-24	3 pt. min. or antlerless	All hunters	Only in Elk Area 4601
Archery	Late archery season	Nov. 25-Dec. 15	3 pt. min. or antlerless	All hunters	Only in Elk Area 4601
Muzzleloader	Early muzzleloader season	Oct. 3-9	3 pt. min.	All hunters
Muzzleloader	Early muzzleloader season	Oct. 3-9	3 pt. min. or antlerless	All hunters	Only in Elk Area 4601
Muzzleloader	Late muzzleloader season	Nov. 25-Dec. 8	3 pt. min. or antlerless	All hunters	Only in Elk Area 4601

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 460?

61.3% of GMU 460 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 363,098 of its 592,669 acres. The largest share is national forest, 306,227 acres or 51.7% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 56,139 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.

Manager	Acres	Share of GMU 460
National forest	306,227	51.7%
DNR state trust land	56,139	9.5%
Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)	17,950	3%
WDFW land	487	0.1%
BLM	245	under 0.1%

WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 460, by WDFW's own boundaries: Snoqualmie Wildlife Area (375 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 460?

Highways through the unit: I-90 (about 56 miles inside it), SR 203 (about 23 miles inside it), US 2 (about 16 miles inside it) and SR 202 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Snoqualmie, North Bend, Duvall, Carnation, Skykomish and Riverbend. Nearby: Gold Bar (on the line), Sultan (on the line), Monroe (on the line) and Index (on the line).

Which GMUs border GMU 460?

GMU 460 touches 9 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:

GMU	Name	Public land	Elk taken, 2025	General hunters, 2025
GMU 245	Chiwawa	88.6%	0	74
GMU 249	Alpine	99.6%	7	82
GMU 251	Mission	58.6%	59	590
GMU 335	Teanaway	73.8%	39	672
GMU 336	Taneum	57.6%	69	869
GMU 407	North Sound	9.9%	6	125
GMU 448	Stillaguamish	81.4%	0	15
GMU 454	Issaquah	4.6%	106	509
GMU 490	Cedar River	0%	0

Questions hunters ask

When is elk season in GMU 460 in 2026?

By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 460 are archery: Sept. 12-24 (3 pt. min.); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (3 pt. min.); modern firearm: Nov. 7-18 (3 pt. min.).

How many elk are taken in GMU 460?

WDFW reports 63 elk taken in GMU 460 in 2025: 40 antlered and 23 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 78, in 2024.

How much public land is in GMU 460?

61.3% of GMU 460, 363,098 of its 592,669 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 460?

Snoqualmie, North Bend and Duvall are inside the unit. Just outside: Gold Bar (on the line), Sultan (on the line) and Monroe (on the line).

WDFW's boundary description of GMU 460

Beginning at State Route (SR) 203 and SR 2 at the town of Monroe; E on SR 2 to US Forest Service (USFS) Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) at Stevens Pass; S on the USFS Trail 2000 to the City of Seattle Cedar River Watershed; W on the Cedar River Watershed boundary to Kerriston Rd; N on Kerriston Rd to the Raging River; W and N along the Raging River to SR 18; N on SR 18 to Interstate Hwy (I)-90; W on I-90 to SE 82nd St at the town of Preston; NE on SE 82nd St to Preston-Fall City Rd; N on the Preston-Fall City Rd to SR 202 (Fall City-Snoqualmie Rd); N on SR 202 (Fall City-Snoqualmie Rd), across the Snoqualmie River, to SR 203; N on SR 203 to SR 2 at the town of Monroe 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 249 GMU 251 GMU 335 GMU 336 GMU 407 GMU 454