Wynoochee GMU 648 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and permits
WDFW's harvest report shows 13 elk taken in GMU 648 Wynoochee in 2025, 5 of them on special permits. General-season hunters numbered 344 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 1,619 hunter days. GMU 648 is 3.9% public land open to hunting, the largest share national forest (5,248 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 forestDNR state trust landWDFW landOther public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 648Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway
| WDFW region | Region 6, Coastal Washington |
|---|---|
| Size | 275,692 acres (431 square miles) |
| Public land open to hunting | 3.9% (10,816 acres) |
| Elk taken, 2025 | 13 (21 in 2024) |
| General-season hunters, 2025 | 344 |
| Modern firearm, 2026 | Nov. 7-18, 3 pt. min. |
| Elk special permit hunts, 2026 | 3 hunts, 41 permits |
| Towns in and near it | Montesano, Brady, Aberdeen Gardens, Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis |
Also for GMU 648: deer hunting, black bear hunting.
How many elk are taken in GMU 648?
WDFW reports 13 elk taken in GMU 648 in 2025, against 21 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 81, in 2008. WDFW's figures average 27 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 43 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 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 344 | 1,619 | 2 |
| 2024 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 289 | 1,427 | 7 |
| 2023 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 392 | 2,301 | 6 |
| 2022 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 26 | 2 | 400 | 2,153 | 7 |
| 2021 | 44 | 37 | 7 | 37 | 7 | 473 | 2,421 | 8 |
| 2020 | 48 | 40 | 8 | 40 | 8 | 443 | 2,176 | 9 |
| 2019 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 33 | 7 | 477 | 2,595 | 7 |
| 2018 | 58 | 45 | 13 | 45 | 13 | 460 | 2,316 | 10 |
| 2017 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 30 | 4 | 551 | 3,051 | 5 |
| 2016 | 37 | 24 | 13 | 24 | 13 | 515 | 2,697 | 5 |
| 2015 | 53 | 44 | 9 | 45 | 8 | 529 | 2,725 | 8 |
| 2014 | 38 | 27 | 11 | 28 | 10 | 546 | 3,102 | 5 |
| 2013 | 32 | 25 | 7 | 25 | 7 | 576 | 2,939 | 4 |
| 2012 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 20 | 3 | 568 | 2,951 | 4 |
| 2011 | 39 | 38 | 1 | 18 | 21 | 703 | 3,964 | 5 |
| 2010 | 48 | 44 | 4 | 23 | 25 | 772 | 4,292 | 6 |
| 2009 | 54 | 42 | 12 | 28 | 26 | 899 | 5,062 | 5 |
| 2008 | 81 | 71 | 10 | 47 | 34 | |||
| 2007 | 61 | 61 | not split out | 32 | 29 | 886 | 4,794 | 7 |
| 2006 | 31 | 31 | not split out | 31 | 0 | 700 | 3,307 | 4 |
| 2005 | 35 | 35 | not split out | 35 | 0 | 604 | 2,666 | 6 |
| 2004 | 30 | 30 | not split out | 30 | 0 | 713 | 3,420 | 4 |
| 2003 | 34 | 34 | not split out | 34 | 0 | 609 | 3,044 | 6 |
| 2002 | 50 | 50 | not split out | 50 | 0 | 674 | 3,401 | 7 |
| 2001 | 37 | 37 | not split out | 37 | 0 | 803 | 4,039 | 5 |
| 2000 | 22 | 22 | not split out | 22 | 0 | 736 | 3,026 | 3 |
| 1999 | 43 | 43 | not split out | 43 | 0 | 814 | 4,466 | 5 |
| 1998 | 47 | 47 | not split out | 47 | 0 | 578 | 2,619 | 8 |
| 1997 | 9 | 9 | not split out | 9 | 0 | 300 | 905 | 3 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 648, 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 648 in 2025?
The modern firearm general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 648 in 2025: 191, who took 4 (2% success by WDFW's count).
| Weapon, 2025 general season | Hunters | Hunter days | Elk taken | Success (WDFW) | Days per animal (WDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 101 | 556 | 2 | 2% | 278 |
| Modern firearm | 191 | 829 | 4 | 2% | 207 |
| Muzzleloader | 43 | 185 | 0 | 0% | |
| Multiple-season tag | 9 | 49 | 2 | 22.2% | 25 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk general season, 2025).
What size bulls come out of GMU 648?
WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 5-point: 6 of 8 antlered elk.
| Year | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points | 6 or more | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 18 | 3 | 7 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, antler points).
When is elk season in GMU 648 in 2026?
General seasons for all hunters in GMU 648, by weapon: archery: Sept. 12-24 (3 pt. min.) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, 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 648 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern firearm | General season | Nov. 7-18 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| Archery | Early archery season | Sept. 12-24 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| Archery | Late archery season | Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | 3 pt. min. | All hunters | |
| Muzzleloader | Early muzzleloader season | Oct. 3-9 | 3 pt. min. | 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.
Which special permit elk hunts include GMU 648?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 elk special permit hunts that take in GMU 648, with 41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2044 | Wynoochee Quality Elk | WF | Sept. 26-30 | 3 pt. min. | GMU 648 | 1 | 105 / 18 | 1 hunter, 0 taken |
| 2261 | Wynoochee Antlerless Elk | WA | Nov. 25-Dec. 15 | Antlerless | GMU 648 | 30 | 234 / 4 | |
| 2433 | Wynoochee Youth only | WF | Nov. 7-18 | Antlerless | GMU 648 | 10 | 72 / 3 |
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 48, 53 and 55; 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 648?
3.9% of GMU 648 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 10,816 of its 275,692 acres. The largest share is national forest, 5,248 acres or 1.9% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 4,628 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.
| Manager | Acres | Share of GMU 648 |
|---|---|---|
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 19,858 | 7.2% |
| National forest | 5,248 | 1.9% |
| DNR state trust land | 4,628 | 1.7% |
| WDFW land | 940 | 0.3% |
WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 648, by WDFW's own boundaries: Olympic Wildlife Area (1,403 acres here; units Olympic and Wynoochee Mitigation).
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 648?
Highways through the unit: US 101 (about 21 miles inside it) and US 12 (about 8 miles inside it). Towns inside: Montesano, Brady and Aberdeen Gardens. Nearby: Aberdeen (on the line), Hoquiam (on the line), Cosmopolis (2 miles) and Elma (4 miles).
Which GMUs border GMU 648?
GMU 648 touches 5 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:
| GMU | Name | Public land | Elk taken, 2025 | General hunters, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 636 | Skokomish | 56% | 0 | |
| GMU 638 | Quinault Ridge | 85.9% | 15 | 178 |
| GMU 642 | Copalis | 9.1% | 5 | 97 |
| GMU 651 | Satsop | 2.8% | 11 | 200 |
| GMU 660 | Minot Peak | 15.8% | 63 | 662 |
Questions hunters ask
When is elk season in GMU 648 in 2026?
By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 648 are archery: Sept. 12-24 (3 pt. min.) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, 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 648?
WDFW reports 13 elk taken in GMU 648 in 2025: 8 antlered and 5 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 81, in 2008.
Which special permit elk hunts include GMU 648?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 3 elk permit hunts for GMU 648: 2044 Wynoochee (1 permit), 2261 Wynoochee (30 permits) and 2433 Wynoochee (10 permits). Applications for 2026 closed May 20.
How much public land is in GMU 648?
3.9% of GMU 648, 10,816 of its 275,692 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 648?
Montesano, Brady and Aberdeen Gardens are inside the unit. Just outside: Aberdeen (on the line), Hoquiam (on the line) and Cosmopolis (2 miles).
Get a Washington hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Washington are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Washington included.
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 6 GMU 636 GMU 638 GMU 642 GMU 651 GMU 660