North Central Washington (WDFW Region 2): elk, deer and bear hunting by GMU
WDFW Region 2, run from Ephrata, has 28 game management units and is 48.5% public land open to hunting. Adding up WDFW's GMU figures, hunters took 165 elk, 4,250 deer and 225 black bears (general season) in Region 2 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WDFW reports to 2025. Land: WA DNR, 2026-10.
Region 2 takes in the Okanogan, the Methow Valley and the east slope of the North Cascades, down to the shrubsteppe and coulees of the Columbia Basin. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Pasayten Wilderness hold most of its public land.
Which GMUs are in Region 2?
All 28 GMUs in Region 2, with WDFW's 2025 harvest and the public land in each. The most elk were taken in GMU 251 (59), GMU 204 (35) and GMU 272 (26).
| GMU | Name | Square miles | Public land | Elk, 2025 | Deer, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 203 | Pasayten | 810 | 100% | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| GMU 204 | Okanogan East | 998 | 47.7% | 35 | 780 | 42 |
| GMU 209 | Wannacut | 181 | 26.8% | 2 | 130 | 5 |
| GMU 215 | Sinlahekin | 427 | 72.4% | 0 | 219 | 19 |
| GMU 218 | Chewuch | 472 | 94.8% | 0 | 226 | 11 |
| GMU 224 | Pearrygin | 302 | 87.1% | 0 | 159 | 3 |
| GMU 231 | Gardner | 252 | 89% | 0 | 130 | 5 |
| GMU 233 | Pogue | 228 | 45.7% | 2 | 150 | 6 |
| GMU 239 | Chiliwist | 355 | 51.8% | 2 | 129 | 13 |
| GMU 242 | Alta | 435 | 86.8% | 0 | 129 | 17 |
| GMU 243 | Manson | 355 | 72.1% | 0 | 167 | 17 |
| GMU 244 | Clark | 575 | 99.5% | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| GMU 245 | Chiwawa | 580 | 88.6% | 0 | 76 | 25 |
| GMU 246 | Slide Ridge | 158 | 99.4% | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| GMU 247 | Entiat | 222 | 75% | 2 | 135 | 5 |
| GMU 248 | Big Bend | 516 | 20.9% | 0 | 126 | 9 |
| GMU 249 | Alpine | 355 | 99.6% | 7 | 7 | 11 |
| GMU 250 | Swakane | 217 | 64.8% | 4 | 121 | 4 |
| GMU 251 | Mission | 521 | 58.6% | 59 | 159 | 19 |
| GMU 254 | Saint Andrews | 327 | 15.1% | 0 | 80 | 0 |
| GMU 260 | Foster Creek | 139 | 17.9% | 0 | 65 | 0 |
| GMU 262 | Withrow | 297 | 5.7% | 0 | 78 | 0 |
| GMU 266 | Badger | 218 | 7.7% | 2 | 68 | 0 |
| GMU 269 | Moses Coulee | 328 | 22.6% | 2 | 79 | |
| GMU 272 | Beezley | 1,778 | 17.4% | 26 | 337 | 0 |
| GMU 278 | Wahluke | 847 | 20.8% | 2 | 95 | 0 |
| GMU 284 | Ritzville | 1,660 | 6% | 15 | 506 | 0 |
| GMU 290 | Desert | 288 | 47.2% | 2 | 42 |
Harvest: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (GMU, 2025); a linked number opens that GMU's page. Public land measured by FilledTag inside WDFW's GMU boundaries from WA DNR Major Public Lands (non-DNR) and WA DNR Managed Land Parcels, read 2026-10.
How many elk, deer and bears are taken in Region 2?
WDFW's GMU figures for Region 2 added together, for the last ten years.
| Year | Elk taken | General elk hunters | Deer taken | General deer hunters | Bears taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165 | 1,843 | 4,250 | 19,993 | 225 |
| 2024 | 236 | 1,883 | 4,370 | 21,363 | 321 |
| 2023 | 184 | 1,874 | 4,363 | 22,415 | 360 |
| 2022 | 156 | 1,728 | 4,412 | 23,524 | 462 |
| 2021 | 183 | 1,778 | 5,378 | 24,186 | 340 |
| 2020 | 156 | 1,697 | 6,109 | 26,632 | 325 |
| 2019 | 141 | 1,396 | 5,230 | 23,168 | 371 |
| 2018 | 94 | 1,486 | 4,696 | 23,642 | 326 |
| 2017 | 137 | 1,360 | 4,618 | 25,064 | 267 |
| 2016 | 138 | 1,316 | 5,840 | 24,607 | 292 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (GMU). Hunter counts are added across GMUs, so a hunter who hunted two GMUs is counted in each.
How much public land is in Region 2?
| Manager | Acres | Share of the region |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 3,040,351 | 34.3% |
| DNR state trust land | 602,057 | 6.8% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 212,834 | 2.4% |
| BLM | 201,529 | 2.3% |
| WDFW land | 180,722 | 2% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 76,735 | 0.9% |
| National recreation area | 63,447 | 0.7% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 18,613 | 0.2% |
| Military land (restricted) | 2,116 | under 0.1% |
| National park or historic site (no hunting) | 19 | under 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife areas in Region 2
WDFW manages 8 wildlife areas in Region 2, from Columbia Basin (170,840 acres) down.
- Columbia Basin: 170,840 acres
- Methow: 35,648 acres
- Chelan: 31,066 acres
- Scotch Creek: 26,143 acres
- Big Bend: 24,202 acres
- Sinlahekin: 23,063 acres
- Sagebrush Flat: 14,082 acres
- Wells: 11,139 acres
Questions hunters ask
Which GMUs in Region 2 have the most elk harvest?
By WDFW's 2025 report: GMU 251 Mission (59), GMU 204 Okanogan East (35) and GMU 272 Beezley (26).
Which GMUs in Region 2 have the most deer harvest?
By WDFW's 2025 report: GMU 204 Okanogan East (780), GMU 284 Ritzville (506) and GMU 272 Beezley (337).
How much of Region 2 is public land?
48.5% of the region's GMUs, 4,300,940 of 8,859,456 acres, is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest, measured by FilledTag from WA DNR's maps.
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Sources: WDFW Game Harvest Reports; WA DNR Major Public Lands (non-DNR) and WA DNR Managed Land Parcels, read 2026-10; WDFW wildlife area and unit boundaries.
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.
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