South Central Washington (WDFW Region 3): elk, deer and bear hunting by GMU
WDFW Region 3, run from Yakima, has 19 game management units and is 35.1% public land open to hunting. Adding up WDFW's GMU figures, hunters took 1,338 elk, 1,392 deer and 107 black bears (general season) in Region 3 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WDFW reports to 2025. Land: WA DNR, 2026-10.
Region 3 covers the east slope of the Cascades around Ellensburg and Yakima, home of the Colockum and Yakima elk herds, and the dry country of the lower Yakima and Columbia rivers. WDFW's Colockum, L.T. Murray, Wenas and Oak Creek wildlife areas lie here.
Which GMUs are in Region 3?
All 19 GMUs in Region 3, with WDFW's 2025 harvest and the public land in each. The most elk were taken in GMU 368 (195), GMU 346 (143) and GMU 329 (140).
| GMU | Name | Square miles | Public land | Elk, 2025 | Deer, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 328 | Naneum | 264 | 72.8% | 138 | 105 | 7 |
| GMU 329 | Quilomene | 285 | 87.9% | 140 | 11 | 7 |
| GMU 330 | West Bar | 7 | 85.8% | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| GMU 334 | Ellensburg | 185 | 2.5% | 26 | 44 | 0 |
| GMU 335 | Teanaway | 530 | 73.8% | 39 | 182 | 30 |
| GMU 336 | Taneum | 218 | 57.6% | 69 | 54 | 12 |
| GMU 340 | Manastash | 267 | 75.1% | 124 | 79 | 5 |
| GMU 342 | Umtanum | 292 | 69% | 131 | 98 | 0 |
| GMU 346 | Little Naches | 238 | 93.7% | 143 | 34 | 15 |
| GMU 352 | Nile | 112 | 94.9% | 68 | 20 | 2 |
| GMU 356 | Bumping | 282 | 99.9% | 40 | 4 | 5 |
| GMU 360 | Bethel | 104 | 97% | 56 | 15 | 5 |
| GMU 364 | Rimrock | 177 | 96.3% | 75 | 8 | 2 |
| GMU 368 | Cowiche | 353 | 40.9% | 195 | 73 | 17 |
| GMU 371 | Alkali | 533 | 0.4% | 0 | 0 | |
| GMU 372 | Rattlesnake Hills | 1,247 | 7.1% | 41 | 31 | 0 |
| GMU 373 | Horse Heaven | 1,167 | 8.3% | 0 | 146 | 0 |
| GMU 379 | Ringold | 516 | 7.3% | 22 | 69 | 0 |
| GMU 381 | Kahlotus | 975 | 10% | 27 | 413 | 0 |
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 3?
WDFW's GMU figures for Region 3 added together, for the last ten years.
| Year | Elk taken | General elk hunters | Deer taken | General deer hunters | Bears taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,338 | 14,654 | 1,392 | 10,637 | 107 |
| 2024 | 1,387 | 15,208 | 1,335 | 10,726 | 110 |
| 2023 | 1,421 | 15,365 | 1,417 | 10,612 | 106 |
| 2022 | 1,170 | 15,257 | 1,174 | 10,982 | 151 |
| 2021 | 992 | 14,556 | 1,309 | 10,946 | 92 |
| 2020 | 910 | 17,041 | 1,465 | 11,509 | 102 |
| 2019 | 1,257 | 18,421 | 1,271 | 10,934 | 159 |
| 2018 | 1,305 | 19,921 | 1,110 | 11,448 | 102 |
| 2017 | 1,453 | 21,232 | 1,063 | 12,213 | 90 |
| 2016 | 2,278 | 22,751 | 1,344 | 13,384 | 94 |
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 3?
| Manager | Acres | Share of the region |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 867,563 | 17.5% |
| DNR state trust land | 485,039 | 9.8% |
| Military land (restricted) | 331,457 | 6.7% |
| WDFW land | 286,036 | 5.8% |
| Other public (parks, county, city, other agencies) | 240,014 | 4.8% |
| National wildlife refuge (refuge rules; not counted) | 152,088 | 3.1% |
| BLM | 77,407 | 1.6% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 24,725 | 0.5% |
| National park or historic site (no hunting) | 6 | under 0.1% |
WDFW wildlife areas in Region 3
WDFW manages 5 wildlife areas in Region 3, from L.T. Murray (118,314 acres) down.
- L.T. Murray: 118,314 acres
- Wenas: 106,758 acres
- Colockum: 88,282 acres
- Oak Creek: 63,957 acres
- Sunnyside-Snake River: 22,002 acres
Questions hunters ask
Which GMUs in Region 3 have the most elk harvest?
By WDFW's 2025 report: GMU 368 Cowiche (195), GMU 346 Little Naches (143) and GMU 329 Quilomene (140).
Which GMUs in Region 3 have the most deer harvest?
By WDFW's 2025 report: GMU 381 Kahlotus (413), GMU 335 Teanaway (182) and GMU 373 Horse Heaven (146).
How much of Region 3 is public land?
35.1% of the region's GMUs, 1,740,770 of 4,959,882 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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