Elk Area 1013 Mountain View
Private wheat-and-canyon country of the Mountain View GMU, carved out so antlerless elk hunting happens where the crop damage does.
Region 1 (Eastern) — District 3, Blue Mountains foothills, Asotin County · Last reviewed 2026-07-17
Area
54
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
1,000–4,200
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Elk Area 1013 'Mountain View' is a WDFW special elk area, not a GMU: by rule it is GMU 172 (Mountain View) minus all National Forest, WDFW, and DNR lands — roughly 54 square miles of private ranch and farm ground on the Anatone plateau and the Grande Ronde breaks of southern Asotin County. WDFW created it to solve a specific problem: Blue Mountains elk drift off the Umatilla National Forest and the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area onto private wheat, CRP, and hay ground, so the department limits antlerless harvest to those private lands while protecting elk numbers on the public core. The 2025 District 3 hunting prospects state it plainly: 'Elk Area 1013 limits antlerless hunting to private lands where damage can occur on agricultural areas while maximizing elk numbers on public lands.' This is a permission-based damage-management hunt, not a destination trophy unit — antlerless opportunity across the Blue Mountains is now concentrated on exactly this kind of private ag land, and WDFW warns these hunts 'can be difficult to gain adequate access if the elk are moving across ownerships frequently.' Come with landowner contacts made, or don't apply.
Terrain
High farmed plateau breaking off into big grass canyons. The Anatone bench country around Highway 129 is rolling wheat, CRP, and pasture at 3,000-4,000 feet; from there the ground falls away fast into the timber-and-grass draws feeding the Grande Ronde River at the south edge. Elk feed on the open ag benches at night and first light, then slide into the canyon heads, brushy draws, and the adjacent public timber to bed — hunting is about catching them on the private side of that line.
Cover: Winter wheat, CRP grassland, hay ground, and bunchgrass canyon slopes, with ponderosa pine and fir stringers in the draws and heavier mixed conifer on the excluded Forest Service ground to the west.
Landmarks: Anatone (northeast corner of the area) · State Route 129 · Grande Ronde River (south edge) · West Mountain Road / Mountain Road plateau · Bennett Ridge Road · Montgomery Ridge · Chief Joseph Wildlife Area — 4-O Ranch Unit (excluded, borders the area) · Umatilla National Forest (excluded, borders the west side) · Grouse Flat (Garfield County, at the southwest edge)
Access
This area exists specifically to put antlerless harvest on private land — National Forest, WDFW wildlife-area, and DNR lands are excluded from it by the WAC boundary, so a 1013 permit is effectively useless without landowner permission. WDFW's District 3 prospects rate private-land access in GMU 172 as difficult to obtain, and unlike Peola or Blue Creek, this GMU has little acreage enrolled in the department's private-lands access programs. Secure written permission from ranchers along the Anatone plateau and Grande Ronde breaks before you apply, not after you draw. Note the boundary has been trimmed over the years: WDFW's map flags that the Grouse Flats Unit of the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area and the DNR parcel on Middle Ridge are no longer part of Elk Area 1013.
Managers: Private ranches and farms (the area is defined to exclude public land), Bureau of Land Management (scattered breaks parcels near the Grande Ronde), Chief Joseph Wildlife Area and Umatilla National Forest (adjacent but excluded from the area)
Access points: State Route 129 from Asotin through Anatone toward the Grande Ronde (Boggan's Oasis) · West Mountain Road / Mountain Road off SR 129 at Anatone · Bennett Ridge Road and Montgomery Ridge Road (county roads through the plateau ag ground) · Grande Ronde Road along the river at the south edge
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityElk numbers in the Mountain View GMU are stable and it posts some of District 3's best harvest-per-square-mile, but Elk Area 1013 itself is strictly an antlerless damage-management opportunity — the elk you can hunt here are the ones raiding private wheat and CRP off the public core. Herds shift across ownership lines constantly, so success tracks your landowner relationships more than elk density.
- →Line up permission on the specific ranches where elk are actually feeding — call landowners and the Region 1 office in late summer, and treat access as the hunt's real crux.
- →Hunt the ownership seam: elk bed on the excluded Chief Joseph Wildlife Area and Umatilla National Forest timber and feed onto private wheat and CRP at dark — intercept them on the private side at first and last light.
- →Glass the canyon rims and draw heads off Bennett Ridge and Mountain Road at dawn; herds drop into the Grande Ronde breaks to bed once the sun is up.
- →Stay mobile and keep talking to landowners mid-season — WDFW notes these damage herds cross ownerships frequently, and yesterday's field can be empty today.
- →Ask about the Cougar Creek fire footprint (2024, burned through the adjacent 4-O Ranch and Grouse Flat units) — burned range has been shifting elk distribution and access patterns in GMU 172.
Pro tips
- →Do not apply for Mountain View antlerless permits on spec — WDFW itself warns these private-land damage hunts are hard to execute without access already arranged.
- →The Region 1 office (Spokane Valley, 509-892-1001) and the district biologist can tell you where damage complaints are coming from; that intel is the closest thing to a scouting report this area offers.
- →Know the interlocking boundaries: Elk Area 1081 (Couse) takes in the northeast corner of GMU 172 near Anatone, and 1013 excludes all public parcels — carry the WDFW hunt-area map and a landownership app and confirm which side of the line you're on before shooting.
- →Glass from the county-road system across the plateau rather than burning boot leather — elk on open wheat and CRP are visible a long way, and permission often follows a specific sighting.
- →If elk aren't on the private ground during your window, they're likely bedded on the adjacent wildlife area or forest where your antlerless tag is no good — patience at the feeding edges beats going in after them.
Watch out for
- !A 1013 permit is only valid on the private-lands portion of GMU 172 — National Forest, WDFW, and DNR parcels inside the outer boundary are excluded, and the Grouse Flats Unit and Middle Ridge DNR parcel were removed from the area in past rule changes.
- !Essentially all huntable ground is private: hunting without written permission is trespass, and little of this GMU is enrolled in WDFW access programs.
- !Elk presence is unreliable — herds move across ownerships week to week, and a permit can go unfilled simply because the elk stayed on public land.
- !SR 129's Rattlesnake Grade to the Grande Ronde is slow, steep, and treacherous in ice and snow; late-season hunters should plan for winter driving.
- !The 2024 Cougar Creek fire burned adjacent wildlife-area units — expect changed cover, hazard trees, and possible localized access restrictions.
- !Check current wildlife-area and fire-season rules before you go; Eastern Washington WDFW lands carry summer/fall campfire and target-shooting restrictions in dry years.
Logistics
Clarkston/Lewiston (about 45 minutes north via SR 129) has the motels, fuel, and groceries; Asotin is the closer small-town option and Anatone sits right in the hunt area with minimal services. Fields Spring State Park just east on SR 129 has camping, and Boggan's Oasis down on the Grande Ronde is the traditional stop at the bottom of the grade. Most hunters day-hunt from town or camp where a landowner allows. SR 129 south of Anatone is a steep, switchbacked canyon grade that gets icy early; cell coverage is decent on the plateau and gone in the breaks.
Nearest towns: Anatone, Asotin, Clarkston, Lewiston, ID
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2025 District 3 Hunting Prospects — Elk Area 1013 purpose, GMU 172 access and elk status · WAC 220-415-040 — Elk Area No. 1013 (Asotin County) boundary description · WDFW Elk Area 1013 hunt map (2024-2025) — boundary, excluded public lands, roads · eRegulations — Washington elk special permits (Mountain View antlerless hunt, Elk Area 1013) · WDFW — Asotin Creek Wildlife Area (adjacent public land context)
FAQ
- How big is Elk Area 1013 in Washington?
- Elk Area 1013 (Mountain View) covers about 54 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,000 to 4,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Elk Area 1013?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private ranches and farms (the area is defined to exclude public land), Bureau of Land Management (scattered breaks parcels near the Grande Ronde), Chief Joseph Wildlife Area and Umatilla National Forest (adjacent but excluded from the area). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Elk Area 1013?
- Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Elk Area 1013 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.