Washington publishes deer harvest in a form FDR could rank for 152 hunt units. GMU 410 Islands is highest at 4.1 deer harvested per square mile in 2025. GMU 424 Stuart has 3.5 in 2025 and GMU 422 Vashon - Maury has 3.4 in 2025. For success rate GMU 424 Stuart leads at 100% in 2025 and GMU 684 Long Beach has 86% in 2025. Harvest in a hunt unit includes private land, so the public share is shown next to each unit. The rankings describe reported harvest and do not measure access or hunting pressure.
KEY FINDINGS
- GMU 410 Islands has the highest harvest per square mile at 4.1. The agency reported 60 deer on 9,407 acres in 2025.
- GMU 424 Stuart has the best success rate at 100%. Its harvest per square mile ranks 2 of 152.
- 152 hunt units are ranked. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Washington public land rankings
Best public land in Washington
Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 18, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Public share includes state trust land that cannot be separated in the land data.
Download all ranked rows (CSV)
Hunt units
Top 15 of 152 ranked hunt units by deer harvest per square mile. Hunt units include private land, so the public share column shows how much of each unit is public land open to hunting.
15 of 152 hunt units shown
| 1 | GMU 410 Islands | 9,407 | 2025 | 60 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 6.6% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | GMU 424 Stuart | 1,813 | 2025 | 10 | 3.5 | 100% | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 3 | GMU 422 Vashon - Maury | 23,017 | 2025 | 122 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 3.9% | ||
| 4 | GMU 415 Blakely | 4,204 | 2025 | 19 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 4.6% | ||
| 5 | GMU 419 Guemes | 5,235 | 2025 | 20 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 3.2% | ||
| 6 | GMU 554 Yale | 24,711 | 2025 | 84 | 2.2 | 9.7 | 25.2% | ||
| 7 | GMU 414 Lopez | 18,817 | 2025 | 62 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 5.2% | ||
| 8 | GMU 416 Decatur | 2,202 | 2025 | 7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.3% | ||
| 9 | GMU 504 Stella | 60,383 | 2025 | 185 | 2.0 | 44% | 4 | 2.5 | 2.6% |
| 10 | GMU 550 Coweeman | 220,453 | 2025 | 661 | 1.9 | 25.1 | 7.3% | ||
| 11 | GMU 663 Capitol Peak | 134,056 | 2025 | 388 | 1.9 | 145.5 | 69.5% | ||
| 12 | GMU 520 Winston | 190,104 | 2025 | 545 | 1.8 | 43.7 | 14.7% | ||
| 13 | GMU 420 Whidbey | 106,867 | 2025 | 291 | 1.7 | 15.4 | 9.2% | ||
| 14 | GMU 501 Lincoln | 149,266 | 2025 | 387 | 1.7 | 50.4 | 21.6% | ||
| 15 | GMU 503 Randle | 35,012 | 2025 | 88 | 1.6 | 8.3 | 15.2% |
Top 10 by success rate
10 of 33 hunt units with a success rate shown
| 2 | GMU 424 Stuart | 1,813 | 2025 | 10 | 3.5 | 100% | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | GMU 684 Long Beach | 31,990 | 2025 | 20 | 0.4 | 86% | 2 | 9.4 | 18.8% |
| 26 | GMU 330 West Bar | 3,526 | 2025 | 6 | 1.1 | 67% | 3 | 5.5 | 99.8% |
| 9 | GMU 504 Stella | 60,383 | 2025 | 185 | 2.0 | 44% | 4 | 2.5 | 2.6% |
| 72 | GMU 602 Dickey | 181,468 | 2025 | 114 | 0.4 | 39% | 5 | 93.7 | 33.0% |
| 127 | GMU 642 Copalis | 174,860 | 2025 | 39 | 0.1 | 29% | 6 | 51.0 | 18.7% |
| 110 | GMU 334 Ellensburg | 117,629 | 2025 | 44 | 0.2 | 27% | 7 | 3.5 | 1.9% |
| 80 | GMU 407 North Sound | 828,225 | 2025 | 462 | 0.4 | 27% | 8 | 134.0 | 10.4% |
| 132 | GMU 278 Wahluke | 533,234 | 2025 | 95 | 0.1 | 20% | 9 | 161.0 | 19.3% |
| 98 | GMU 652 Puyallup | 418,235 | 2025 | 189 | 0.3 | 19% | 10 | 126.4 | 19.3% |
01Hunt units
152 hunt units ranked on harvest per square mile
GMU 410 Islands has the most deer harvested per square mile at 4.1 in 2025. GMU 424 Stuart has 3.5 in 2025 and GMU 422 Vashon - Maury has 3.4 in 2025.
The public share is the part of each unit that is public land open to hunting. Public share includes state trust land that cannot be separated in the land data.
02Success rate
Top 10 hunt units by success rate
GMU 424 Stuart has the best success rate at 100% in 2025. GMU 684 Long Beach has 86% in 2025 and GMU 330 West Bar has 67% in 2025.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. 33 of the 152 ranked units have one and the rest are left blank.
03Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR divided the agency's deer harvest by the area's size to get harvest per square mile. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. Tied values share a rank and the order uses the unrounded values.
A ranking does not evaluate an individual property and does not confirm that it is open to hunting for you.
Sources
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 18, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR rankings are independent analysis of state agency numbers. A ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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