GMU 133 Roosevelt
Columbia breaks scabland unit with the state's only Lincoln Cliffs bighorn herd
WDFW Region 1 / District 2 — Channeled Scablands & Lake Roosevelt breaks (Eastern WA) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
556
sq mi
Public land
6%
approx.
Elevation
1,290–2,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 133 (Roosevelt) sits in north-central Lincoln County, running from the wheat plateau down into the basalt breaks and coulees above Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River. It is a mixed mule/white-tailed deer unit — roughly 59% of the buck harvest is mule deer — set on overwhelmingly private ground, with only about 6% open public land. Its signature feature is the Lincoln Cliffs California bighorn herd, a once-in-a-lifetime special-permit hunt, and a small but growing elk presence along the northern river breaks.
Terrain
Rolling dryland-wheat plateau in the south dropping north into steep basalt cliffs, talus, and brushy draws above the Columbia River / Lake Roosevelt pool.
Cover: Sagebrush-steppe and native bunchgrass on scablands, dryland wheat and fallow, with serviceberry, hawthorn, and scattered ponderosa/Douglas-fir in the moister north-facing draws and riparian pockets along the river.
Landmarks: Lake Roosevelt (Columbia River) · Lincoln Cliffs / Whitestone Rock · Sterling Valley · town of Lincoln · Hawk Creek
Access
About 94% private — securing access before the season is essential. The largest lever is WDFW's private-lands access program: GMU 133 has 15 Hunt by Written Permission (HBWP) properties totaling ~20,992 acres (no Feel Free to Hunt, Hunt by Reservation, or Register to Hunt parcels here), mapped on the WDFW Hunt Planner. Federal Lake Roosevelt / Corps shoreline offers walk-in along the breaks, but not all Corps land is open to hunting — verify parcel-by-parcel. A WDFW Vehicle Access Pass (free with license) or Discover Pass is needed on state ground.
Managers: Private dryland-wheat ranches, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (NPS), US Army Corps of Engineers / Bureau of Reclamation shoreline, BLM (scabland tracts), WDNR state lands
Access points: Highway 2 corridor (Davenport, Creston) · Lincoln / Miles-Creston Road to the river breaks · Hawk Creek / Seven Bays area off Lake Roosevelt · county grid roads off Hwy 25
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe backbone of the unit — about 59% of the buck harvest is mule deer, with a ~23% modern-firearm success rate. A 3-point minimum applies. Bucks hold in the scabland pockets and Columbia breaks.
- →Glass the basalt breaks and brushy draws above Lake Roosevelt at first and last light
- →Hunt the transition between wheat stubble and untillable scabland/rimrock
- →Work north-facing draws with serviceberry and hawthorn where bucks bed
- →Lock down HBWP written-permission ground before the opener rather than relying on the thin public sliver
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhite-tailed deer make up the balance of the harvest, concentrated along riparian corridors and irrigated/ag bottoms. A 3-point minimum applies and the late season is permit-only (Palouse Special Permit).
- →Focus on river-bottom and creek riparian brush near ag edges
- →Identify the species carefully before shooting — mulies and whitetails overlap here and rules differ
- →Doe/antlerless access is easier on ag ground than buck access
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk of the Selkirk herd's Spokane sub-herd are expanding into GMU 133; groups of 60–80 have caused crop damage along the northern river breaks in recent years. The general season is 'any elk,' but numbers are low and animals are highly mobile.
- →Focus on the northern river breaks where damage complaints cluster
- →Chase fresh sightings — these elk move and are hard to pattern
- →Access to multiple private parcels is the single biggest driver of success
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyGMU 133 holds the Lincoln Cliffs California bighorn herd north of Highway 2 — the district's only sheep. This is a once-in-a-lifetime, special-permit-only draw; the herd has leveled off near its habitat ceiling. Not a general-season opportunity.
- →Applies only if drawn — scout the cliffs above Lincoln, Whitestone Rock, and Sterling Valley
- →Glass the rimrock and adjacent ag fields where sheep feed
- →Secure private access below the cliffs before applying
Black Bear
limited opportunityGMU 133 has averaged about 7 black bears a year over the past decade — high for the Columbia Basin, tied to the forested draws of northern Lincoln County. Most are taken incidentally by deer and elk hunters.
- →Hunt the forested north-facing draws and river-break timber pockets
- →Fall general season opens August 1 eastside; two-bear limit with a second tag
- →Treat it as an opportunistic add-on to a deer or elk hunt
Pro tips
- →This is an access game before it's a hunting game — pin down the 15 HBWP written-permission parcels (~21k acres) on the WDFW Hunt Planner before you ever glass a draw.
- →The Columbia/Lake Roosevelt breaks hold the biggest mule deer bucks; hunt the untillable rimrock and scab pockets, not the open wheat.
- →If you draw the Lincoln Cliffs bighorn tag, it's a scouting hunt around Lincoln, Whitestone Rock, and Sterling Valley — the sheep are semi-habituated and visible.
- →Chase elk-damage complaints along the northern river breaks; those 60–80-head groups are your only realistic elk pattern.
- →Carry a parcel/ownership app (OnX or the Lincoln County assessor map) — the checkerboard of private wheat, Corps shoreline, and scattered BLM is easy to trespass across.
Watch out for
- !Roughly 94% private — trespass risk is high and WDFW Enforcement monitors enrolled access ground.
- !Not all US Army Corps / Reclamation Lake Roosevelt shoreline is open to hunting; verify each parcel.
- !Lincoln Cliffs bighorn is special-permit ONLY — no general sheep opportunity.
- !CWD surveillance is active in GMUs 101–186; carcass-transport rules apply — check in a harvested deer.
- !Gravel section roads become impassable gumbo when wet; the breaks are steep and remote.
Logistics
Base out of Davenport or Wilbur on Highway 2 for fuel, lodging, and supplies; Spokane is roughly 45–60 minutes east for a full resupply. Cell coverage is decent along Hwy 2 but drops in the river breaks and coulees. Roads are a county grid of gravel section-line roads that turn greasy when wet.
Nearest towns: Davenport, Creston, Wilbur, Reardan, Lincoln
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW District 2 Hunting Prospects 2022 (PDF) · WDFW Game Management Units · Odessa Record — Hunting prospects for GMUs 133 and 136
FAQ
- How big is GMU 133 in Washington?
- GMU 133 (Roosevelt) covers about 556 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,290 to 2,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 133?
- Approximately 6% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private dryland-wheat ranches, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (NPS), US Army Corps of Engineers / Bureau of Reclamation shoreline, BLM (scabland tracts), WDNR state lands. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 133?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 133 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.