Deschutes GMU 666 elk hunting: harvest, seasons and public land

Name: Washington GMU 666 Deschutes elk harvest, 1997 to 2025
Creator: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

WDFW's harvest report shows 35 elk taken in GMU 666 Deschutes in 2025. General-season hunters numbered 328 (WDFW's archery, modern firearm, muzzleloader and multiple-season counts added together), with 1,856 hunter days. GMU 666 is 1.8% public land open to hunting, the largest share DNR state trust land (2,076 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 666 Deschutes: public land by manager, neighboring GMUs 501, 667, 663, 651, 633 and 652, highways I-5, US 101, US 12 and SR 108, and Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, DuPont and Yelm — National forestDNR state trust landWDFW landNational wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)Military land (restricted)Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)GMU 666Neighboring GMUsLake or riverHighway

GMU 666 Deschutes elk at a glance
WDFW region	Region 6, Coastal Washington
Size	226,587 acres (354 square miles)
Counties	Thurston
Public land open to hunting	1.8% (4,122 acres)
Elk taken, 2025	35 (61 in 2024)
General-season hunters, 2025	328
Modern firearm, 2026	Nov. 7-18, any elk
Towns in and near it	Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Tenino, Roy and DuPont

Also for GMU 666: deer hunting, black bear hunting.

How many elk are taken in GMU 666?

WDFW reports 35 elk taken in GMU 666 in 2025, against 61 in 2024. The most in one year since 1997 was 61, in 2024. WDFW's figures average 38 a year for 2021 to 2025, against 36 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	35	35		21	14	328	1,856	11
2024	61	61		41	20	312	1,666	20
2023	23	23		16	7	224	1,344	10
2022	45	45		31	14	289	1,560	16
2021	27	27		15	12	294	1,946	9
2020	29	29		20	9	304	1,710	10
2019	23	23		15	8	325	1,716	7
2018	39	39		23	16	326	2,030	12
2017	52	52	0	31	21	379	2,024	14
2016	36	36		19	17	260	1,107	14
2015	24	22	2	6	18	321	1,513	7
2014	32	31	1	19	13	314	1,676	10
2013	25	22	3	14	11	315	1,499	7
2012	30	30		19	11	344	1,587	9
2011	29	27	2	10	19	353	1,720	8
2010	30	28	2	17	13	369	1,623	8
2009	29	27	2	15	14	383	2,008	7
2008	13	13		10	3
2007	25	25	not split out	19	6	325	1,544	8
2006	31	31	not split out	17	14	369	1,670	8
2005	31	31	not split out	14	17	357	1,841	9
2004	24	24	not split out	15	9	377	1,735	6
2003	40	40	not split out	19	21	370	1,702	11
2002	31	31	not split out	16	15	292	1,341	11
2001	8	8	not split out	8	0	180	896	4
2000	27	27	not split out	27	0	81	207	33
1999	2	2	not split out	2	0	34	80	6
1997	0	0	not split out	0	0	9	16	0

Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (elk, GMU 666, 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 666 in 2025?

The modern firearm general season drew the most elk hunters in GMU 666 in 2025: 140, who took 19 (13.6% success by WDFW's count).

Weapon, 2025 general season	Hunters	Hunter days	Elk taken	Success (WDFW)	Days per animal (WDFW)
Archery	83	610	3	3.6%	203
Modern firearm	140	652	19	13.6%	34
Muzzleloader	97	561	13	13.4%	43
Multiple-season tag	8	33	0	0%

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

What size bulls come out of GMU 666?

WDFW counts antlered elk by the points on one side. In 2025, the most common was 4-point: 11 of 21 antlered elk.

Year	1 point	2 points	3 points	4 points	5 points	6 or more	Antlerless
2025	8	2	0	11	0	0	14
2024	15	0	8	2	9	7	20
2023	1	0	4	0	11	0	7
2022	9	2	3	2	11	4	14
2021	3	0	0	2	4	6	12

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

When is elk season in GMU 666 in 2026?

General seasons for all hunters in GMU 666, by weapon: archery: Sept. 12-24 (any elk) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any elk); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (any elk) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any elk); modern firearm: Nov. 7-18 (any elk).

Weapon	Season	2026 dates	Legal elk	Who
Modern firearm	General season	Nov. 7-18	Any elk	All hunters
Archery	Early archery season	Sept. 12-24	Any elk	All hunters
Archery	Late archery season	Nov. 25-Dec. 15	Any elk	All hunters
Muzzleloader	Early muzzleloader season	Oct. 3-9	Any elk	All hunters
Muzzleloader	Late muzzleloader season	Nov. 25-Dec. 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 666?

1.8% of GMU 666 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 4,122 of its 226,587 acres. The largest share is DNR state trust land, 2,076 acres or 0.9% of the unit. DNR trust land covers 2,076 acres; a Discover Pass is needed to hunt it.

Manager	Acres	Share of GMU 666
Military land (restricted)	16,883	7.5%
Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies)	6,381	2.8%
National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted)	2,386	1.1%
DNR state trust land	2,076	0.9%
WDFW land	2,036	0.9%
National forest	10	under 0.1%

WDFW wildlife area land in GMU 666, by WDFW's own boundaries: Scatter Creek Wildlife Area (3,372 acres here; units Scatter Creek, Violet Prairie and West Rocky Prairie) and South Puget Sound Wildlife Area (284 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 666?

Highways through the unit: I-5 (about 53 miles inside it), SR 510 (about 14 miles inside it), US 101 (about 13 miles inside it), SR 121 (about 8 miles inside it) and SR 507 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Yelm, Rainier and Rochester. Nearby: Tenino (on the line), Roy (2 miles), DuPont (2 miles) and Bucoda (3 miles).

Which GMUs border GMU 666?

GMU 666 touches 6 other GMUs. Their public land and WDFW's 2025 elk numbers, for comparison:

GMU	Name	Public land	Elk taken, 2025	General hunters, 2025
GMU 501	Lincoln	21.8%	4	270
GMU 633	Mason	14.2%	0	11
GMU 651	Satsop	2.8%	11	200
GMU 652	Puyallup	1.1%	222	889
GMU 663	Capitol Peak	68.5%	8	174
GMU 667	Skookumchuck	13.8%	109	1,021

Questions hunters ask

When is elk season in GMU 666 in 2026?

By WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, the general elk seasons open to all hunters in GMU 666 are archery: Sept. 12-24 (any elk) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any elk); muzzleloader: Oct. 3-9 (any elk) and Nov. 25-Dec. 15 (late season, any elk); modern firearm: Nov. 7-18 (any elk).

How many elk are taken in GMU 666?

WDFW reports 35 elk taken in GMU 666 in 2025: 21 antlered and 14 antlerless. The most in one year since 1997 was 61, in 2024.

How much public land is in GMU 666?

1.8% of GMU 666, 4,122 of its 226,587 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 666?

Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater are inside the unit. Just outside: Tenino (on the line), Roy (2 miles) and DuPont (2 miles).

WDFW's boundary description of GMU 666

Beginning on US Hwy (US) 101 at the Mason- Thurston county line southeast of Oyster Bay; NE on the Mason-Thurston county line, through Tot- ten Inlet, Squaxin Passage and Dana Passage, to the Pierce-Thurston county line in the Nisqually Reach; SE through the Nisqually Reach along the Pierce-Thurston county line to the mouth of the Nisqually River; SE on the Nisqually River to State Route (SR) 507; SW on SR 507 to Old Hwy 99 SE at the town of Tenino; SW on Old Hwy 99 SE to SR 12 at Interstate Hwy-5; W on SR 12 to Littlerock Rd; N on the Littlerock Rd to 110th Ave SW; W on 110th Ave SW to Delphi Rd SW; N on Delphi Rd SW to US 101; NW on US 101 to the Mason-Thurston county line southeast of Oyster Bay and the point of beginning.

From WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, Game Management Unit Descriptions.

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 501 GMU 651 GMU 652 GMU 663 GMU 667