GMU 178 Peola
Palouse-edge deer factory — one of District 3's best mule and whitetail units, but it's private ground and you hunt it by permission.
WDFW Region 1 — District 3 / Blue Mountains foothills (SE Washington) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
274
sq mi
Public land
4%
approx.
Elevation
800–4,200
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 178 "Peola" is a ~274-square-mile unit on the northeastern foothills of the Blue Mountains in Garfield and Asotin counties, where the Palouse Prairie ecoregion breaks into the mountains. It is overwhelmingly private — WDFW pegs it at only a few percent public, and the scattered DNR sections that do exist are largely landlocked. Yet it posts some of the highest deer hunter-success and harvest-per-effort figures in District 3 for both white-tailed and mule deer, because landowners here tend to allow significant access and many enroll in WDFW's private-lands access programs. Elk are managed to minimize numbers due to agricultural conflict, making elk a low, highly variable prospect. WDFW's access rating for the unit is "Poor/fair": the deer are here in numbers, but reaching them takes pre-season landowner work.
Terrain
Rolling Palouse-edge foothills dissected by creek drainages and steep grain-field gorges. Pataha Creek cuts the western portion; Alpowa Creek parallels to the east, with numerous gorges pointing toward vast dryland grain fields. Lower and more arid than the forested Blues GMUs to the south.
Cover: A farm-grassland mosaic: dryland wheat and grain fields on the tablelands, bunchgrass and brushy draws in the gorges, and scattered forest pockets on the higher southern edge grading toward the Blue Mountains. Creek bottoms carry the densest cover.
Landmarks: Pataha Creek (western portion) · Alpowa Creek (eastern portion) · Peola · Grain-field gorges draining toward the Snake River · Blue Mountains foothill edge (south)
Access
WDFW access rating: Poor/fair. This is a predominantly private, dryland-farming unit — public land is only a few percent and the DNR sections are commonly landlocked behind private ground. The saving grace, per WDFW, is that landowners here tend to allow significant access, and numerous owners participate in WDFW's private-lands access programs (Feel Free to Hunt walk-in and Hunt by Written Permission). Success lives and dies on securing that permission ahead of the season. There is a good road system through the unit for scouting from vantage points, but the roads mostly cross private land — respect signage and ask first.
Managers: Private dryland-farm landowners (majority), Washington DNR (scattered sections, often landlocked), US Bureau of Land Management (small blocks)
Access points: County road system out of Pomeroy and Peola (good grid for glassing) · WDFW Feel Free to Hunt and Hunt by Written Permission enrolled parcels · Pataha Creek and Alpowa Creek road corridors · Small BLM blocks (verify boundaries — access can be tight)
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
common qualityOne of the top deer units in District 3 by hunter success and harvest-per-effort. Whitetails hold in the brushy creek bottoms, draws, and cover along Pataha and Alpowa creeks and the field edges. With permission and pre-season scouting, this is among the district's best bets for a buck.
- →Lock up landowner permission or find an enrolled Hunt by Written Permission parcel well before the opener.
- →Hunt the transition between grain fields and brushy draws at dawn and dusk.
- →Still-hunt or stand-hunt the creek-bottom cover during the mid-November rut.
- →Glass the gorge heads from the road grid to pattern deer before moving in.
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer share the unit and contribute to its high overall deer success. They favor the open bunchgrass benches, gorge rims, and broken breaks between the grain fields. As with whitetails, this is a strong opportunity-to-quality unit for hunters who secure access.
- →Glass open ridges and gorge rims early and late from the road system.
- →Work the arid breaks and bunchgrass benches away from the wheat.
- →Combine a spot from a vantage with a careful stalk down into the draws.
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityPart of the Blue Mountains herd but deliberately managed to MINIMIZE numbers because of agricultural crop conflict. Elk are highly variable and do not offer a reliable general-season opportunity without specific knowledge of landowners and herd movements. Antlerless tags that exist are focused on private-land damage.
- →Only viable with landowner relationships and knowledge of where elk are hitting crops.
- →Track herd movements across ownerships in early winter.
- →Treat elk as a bonus, not the reason to hunt this GMU.
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear densities are low in the foothill/agricultural country; bears concentrate in the more forested southern edge and brushy drainages. Part of Southeast BBMU 3.
- →Focus the forested southern edge and creek-bottom berry brush.
- →Glass brushy draws in early season for feeding bears.
Cougar
limited opportunityCougars range the breaks and drainages following deer. General-season opportunity exists but harvest is incidental and low across the foothill units.
- →Cut roads for fresh tracks after snow.
- →Hunt near wintering deer concentrations in the draws.
Pro tips
- →The deer are here and the success rates prove it — the entire game is securing access, so start knocking on doors early.
- →Check WDFW's private-lands access map every year; enrolled parcels change and are the DIY hunter's way in.
- →Use the road grid purely to glass and pattern, then get permission on the specific ground the deer use.
- →DNR sections look public on a map but are often landlocked — don't count on them.
- →Alpowa and Pataha creek bottoms are the whitetail cover; the open gorge rims are the mule deer glass.
Watch out for
- !Only ~4% public and the DNR is largely landlocked — this is a permission hunt, not a walk-in.
- !Elk are managed down and unreliable; don't plan an elk hunt around 178.
- !Roads cross private land — trespass risk is real; ask before you drive or hunt.
- !EHD/bluetongue can knock back lower-elevation deer in drought years.
- !Mandatory CWD testing and the Region 1 whole-carcass transport ban apply.
Logistics
Pomeroy on US-12 is the practical base — fuel, groceries, and a starting point for the county-road grid up into the Peola country; Clarkston-Lewiston is the larger hub. There is little to no public camping inside the unit given the private ownership, so plan to base in town or on secured private/enrolled ground. Do your landowner legwork weeks ahead. Mandatory CWD testing applies to deer and elk in the 100-series GMUs, and whole carcasses cannot leave Region 1.
Nearest towns: Pomeroy, Peola, Anatone, Clarkston
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 (Asotin, Garfield, Columbia, Walla Walla) · WDFW Blue Mountains Elk Herd Management Plan (2020) · GoHunt — Washington Unit 178 (Peola) profile
FAQ
- How big is GMU 178 in Washington?
- GMU 178 (Peola) covers about 274 square miles, ranging from roughly 800 to 4,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 178?
- Approximately 4% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private dryland-farm landowners (majority), Washington DNR (scattered sections, often landlocked), US Bureau of Land Management (small blocks). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 178?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 178 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.