GMU 142 Almota
Dryland wheat and Snake River breaks — District 2's top mule deer unit and a rising elk sleeper, if you can unlock the private ground.
WDFW Region 1 (District 2) — Palouse & Snake River Breaks, Whitman County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
773
sq mi
Public land
8%
approx.
Elevation
540–2,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 142 (Almota) is a ~772-square-mile unit in western Whitman County, running from the deep, rocky breaks of the Snake River in the south up onto the rolling Palouse wheat-and-legume plateau. It is overwhelmingly private agricultural land — WDFW rates the district as almost entirely private, with only about 8% public — yet it hunts well for those who put in the legwork. WDFW names 142 among the best mule deer units in District 2, holds a strong Palouse white-tailed deer population, and has seen elk harvest climb in recent years as scattered groups expand along the Snake River breaks. Success here is almost entirely a function of securing landowner access.
Terrain
Low point is the Snake River pool (~540 ft) in the steep, broken canyon country of the south; the land climbs onto the open Palouse plateau of rolling loess hills reaching roughly 2,700–2,800 ft. The Snake River breaks are steep, rocky and dissected; the plateau above is a smooth sea of cultivated hills cut by draws and coulees.
Cover: Dryland winter wheat, barley, chickpeas/lentils and other legumes blanket the plateau, interrupted by CRP grass, fencerows, weedy draws and scattered farmstead tree rows. The Snake River breaks hold bunchgrass, sagebrush, rabbitbrush, hackberry and sparse pockets of riparian brush along the water.
Landmarks: Snake River (Lower Granite pool) · Almota · Wawawai Canyon · Palouse River confluence · Steptoe/Colfax Palouse hills
Access
WDFW-style read: access is the whole game and it is hard. The plateau is a patchwork of private farms — buck hunters must line up written landowner permission well before the opener, though doe/antlerless access is easier given the agricultural setting. More than 100 properties are enrolled in District 2's private-lands access program (Feel Free to Hunt, Register to Hunt, Hunt by Written Permission), but many are built around upland birds and deer. The only reliable public toehold is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land fringing the Snake River — often only a couple hundred yards above the waterline, steep, and not all of it open to hunting, so check Corps rules. Approaching the breaks from below by boat can open ground that is walled off from above.
Managers: Private agricultural landowners (dryland wheat/legume farms), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Snake River shoreline), WDFW Private Lands Access Program cooperators, WDNR
Access points: USACE Snake River shoreline / HMUs near Almota and Wawawai · Wawawai County Park / Wawawai Canyon Road (river access) · Boyer Park & Marina area (Lower Granite Dam) · Lower Granite Dam / Central Ferry corridor
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityWDFW lists 142 among District 2's best mule deer units. Deer concentrate in the Channeled Scabland edges, CRP, and especially the Snake River breaks; the plateau croplands support animals seasonally. Better suited to muzzleloader and modern firearm than archery given the open terrain.
- →Glass the Snake River breaks and side canyons at first and last light where bucks bed in rimrock and brush
- →Focus on CRP fields, weedy draws and coulees breaking up the cropland
- →Long-range spot-and-stalk on open hillsides; wind and thermals in the breaks are critical
- →Time the late-October/rut window when mature bucks move more in daylight
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityPalouse whitetails hold in the agricultural lands, riparian corridors and brushy draws. A 3-point-minimum antler rule applies to whitetail in this GMU, and the productive late season is the draw-only Palouse Special Permit hunt (higher success and more mature bucks than the general season).
- →Hunt brushy draws, creek bottoms and fencerows that whitetails use as travel and bedding cover between fields
- →Sit field edges at dawn/dusk near standing crops and CRP
- →Identify species carefully — mule and whitetail overlap here and rules differ
- →Draw the Palouse Special Permit for the best late-season crack at a mature buck
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are expanding into 142 and harvest has climbed in recent years — part of the Washtucna sub-herd. Scattered groups of 20–100 move along the Snake River breaks (Dusty east to Palouse, south toward Uniontown) and animals shift back and forth toward Idaho, drawing crop-damage complaints, especially where fields converted to legumes.
- →Chase elk along the Snake River breaks and adjacent legume fields where damage groups concentrate
- →Access is everything — target private ground with a damage/depredation history and secure permission early
- →Be mobile; herds are highly mobile and cross drainages and the state line
- →Late muzzleloader season is available in this GMU — scout crossing routes between bedding breaks and feed
Cougar
limited opportunityCougars occur at low density tied to the limited forest and breaks cover. GMU 142 sits in the Columbia Basin cougar hunt area, which carries no harvest guideline due to limited cougar habitat, so late-season pursuit stays open longer than in the forested units to the north.
- →Cut tracks in fresh snow along the Snake River breaks and timbered draws
- →Focus on deer-concentration areas — cougars follow the prey
- →Hunt opportunistically while deer or elk hunting rather than as a dedicated trip
Pro tips
- →Line up written landowner permission months ahead — in the Palouse, access beats scouting.
- →The Snake River breaks are the deer and elk engine of this unit; hunt the transition from cropland to canyon.
- →Consider a boat to reach Corps shoreline and breaks that are inaccessible from the plateau above.
- →Apply for the Palouse Special Permit for a higher-odds crack at a mature late-season whitetail.
- →Doe/antlerless access is far easier than buck access here — useful for meat hunters and for scouting relationships.
- →Glass big and long — this is spot-and-stalk country, not timber still-hunting.
Watch out for
- !Overwhelmingly private — trespass risk is high and much cropland is off-limits without permission.
- !Not all USACE Snake River land is open to hunting; confirm Corps rules before hunting the shoreline.
- !Corps strips above the waterline are often only a few hundred yards deep — easy to stray onto private above.
- !Elk are highly mobile and cross toward Idaho; presence is unpredictable year to year.
- !Palouse deer herds have been hit by bluetongue/EHD and hard winters — numbers swing; permit levels have been cut.
- !Bear hunting is effectively nonexistent in 142 due to lack of forest habitat.
Logistics
Colfax and Pullman are the practical hubs for fuel, lodging, groceries and gear, with Almota, Wawawai and Boyer Park giving river access. Roads are excellent paved and gravel farm routes on the plateau, but nearly every one runs across private ground — plan your entry around permission and Corps river access, not just the map. Cell coverage is decent on the plateau and drops in the deeper breaks.
Nearest towns: Colfax, Pullman, Almota, LaCrosse, Dusty, Uniontown, Colton
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) · WDFW Game Management Units · WDFW Hunting Prospects index
FAQ
- How big is GMU 142 in Washington?
- GMU 142 (Almota) covers about 773 square miles, ranging from roughly 540 to 2,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 142?
- Approximately 8% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private agricultural landowners (dryland wheat/legume farms), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Snake River shoreline), WDFW Private Lands Access Program cooperators, WDNR. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 142?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 142 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.