GMU 336 Taneum
Small, checkerboarded Yakima-herd unit at the gateway to the L.T. Murray — Taneum Creek forest and Peaches Ridge.
WDFW Region 3 — Yakima / District 8 (Kittitas County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
215
sq mi
Public land
53%
approx.
Elevation
2,000–6,004
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 336 Taneum is a compact (~215-square-mile) east-slope Cascade unit in central Kittitas County, southwest of Cle Elum and west of Ellensburg, draining the Taneum Creek country toward the Yakima River. Land ownership is a broken, checkerboarded mix of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the WDFW L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, and WA DNR state forest, so roughly half the unit is public but access requires reading boundaries carefully. It sits within the greater Yakima elk herd range (one of the largest herds in the state at more than 10,000 animals) and produces solid mule deer and one of District 8's better spring turkey hunts, though elk and deer stay widely dispersed here until snow arrives at higher elevations. Motor-vehicle access on WDFW and DNR ground is governed by the Green Dot system, and Taneum Canyon is a signed gateway into the L.T. Murray.
Terrain
Steep, forested east-Cascade slopes and ridges draining the Taneum Creek drainage northeast toward the Yakima River. High ground along Peaches Ridge and the crest peaks grades down through timbered mid-slopes to lower canyon and valley ground. Ownership is heavily checkerboarded across the unit.
Cover: Mixed conifer (Douglas-fir, ponderosa, lodgepole, subalpine fir) on the ridges and upper slopes, with brushy openings, old clearcuts in various regrowth stages, and grass/shrub breaks at lower elevations near the canyon mouths.
Landmarks: Taneum Creek / Taneum Canyon · Peaches Ridge · Mount Clifty (6,004 ft) · Blowout Mountain (5,709 ft) · L.T. Murray Wildlife Area (Taneum access) · Yakima River (northeastern boundary)
Access
About 53% public but, per unit descriptions, 'largely broken and checkerboarded' across USFS, WDFW L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, and DNR ownership — verify section lines rather than assuming you can cross. Motor-vehicle travel on the L.T. Murray and other WDFW/DNR ground is governed by the Green Dot system: only roads marked with a round green reflector are legally drivable; all other roads are closed to motor vehicles, and county/USFS roads are used to reach the network. The signed L.T. Murray entrance up W Taneum Road (near 47.087, -120.791) is a primary gateway. Interior logging roads are numerous but primitive; high-clearance/4WD advised.
Managers: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USFS), WDFW (L.T. Murray Wildlife Area), WA DNR (state forest, west/southwest borders), Private (checkerboard sections and valley bottom)
Access points: W Taneum Road / Taneum Canyon (signed L.T. Murray Wildlife Area entrance) · USFS and DNR road network up the Taneum toward Peaches Ridge and the crest · I-90 corridor between Cle Elum and Ellensburg (Thorp/Elk Heights exits) · Green Dot road network on the L.T. Murray
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityA reliable mid-tier District 8 mule deer unit (2023 general-season success: 6.8% archery, 4.4% modern firearm, 13.8% multi-weapon, 6.4% muzzleloader). Managed under mule deer rules, the area also holds mule-blacktail intergrades. Deer stay widely dispersed across the checkerboarded forest until snow at higher elevations bunches them and pulls them lower.
- →Glass the timber-to-brush transition lines and open south-facing benches at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt higher in the Peaches Ridge/crest country early, then follow deer down as snow arrives
- →Multi-weapon hunters historically out-succeed straight modern-firearm hunters here — consider the season structure
- →Use recovering clearcuts and forage openings as feeding areas; still-hunt adjacent timber for midday bedding
- →Confirm you're on public ground before setting up — ownership is checkerboarded
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityWithin the greater Yakima elk herd range — more than 10,000 elk over roughly 900,000 acres of public land district-wide — but GMU 336 is a lower-success elk unit (2023: 1.4% archery, 2.4% modern firearm, 5% muzzleloader). Peaches Ridge is called out as steep, densely forested country where elk prefer to hold in early seasons, so it's a challenge hunt that rewards effort away from roads.
- →Hunt the steep, timbered Peaches Ridge cover where elk seek security early in the season
- →Focus drainages with dense cover far from roads — elk here scatter and hold tight rather than feeding in the open
- →Time later hunts to snowfall, which pushes elk down and can concentrate them
- →Opening weekend is crowded; the last days of modern firearm and the quieter archery/muzzleloader windows are less pressured
- →Be prepared to pack out — the productive elk cover is off the road network
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears occur throughout the forested Taneum country (2023: 4 bears harvested — 2 females, 2 males — over 1,968 hunter days by 276 hunters, about 1.4% success, a high-effort/low-yield unit). Bears climb in fall following ripening berries and mast.
- →Scout for fall food — huckleberry patches and other berry brush in the higher forested country
- →Glass old clearcuts, burns, brushy openings, and meadow edges near water early and late
- →Combine with a deer or elk hunt; most bears here are taken opportunistically
- →Do not shoot a sow with cubs, and remember the required premolar tooth submission to WDFW after harvest
Cougar
common opportunityDistrict 8 is a popular cougar area, and the Taneum's deer base supports resident cats. Most cougars are taken opportunistically by deer and elk hunters carrying a cougar tag; dedicated late hunting after fresh snow, often with calls, is most productive.
- →Hunt where the deer concentrate to raise your odds of crossing a cat
- →Go early after fresh snow when tracks are easiest to find and follow
- →Try calling when snow is on the ground; a fawn bleat won't spook nearby deer/elk
- →Carry the cougar species option during general deer/elk seasons for the opportunistic encounter
Pro tips
- →Read the checkerboard — verify public/private section lines before you set up; roughly half the unit is private
- →Use the signed W Taneum Road entrance as your gateway into the L.T. Murray Green Dot network
- →For elk, commit to the steep Peaches Ridge timber where they hold security early — it's a challenge unit, not a numbers unit
- →Wait for snow: it's the switch that pulls dispersed deer and elk down out of the crest country
- →Taneum is one of District 8's better spring turkey units — scout roosts along the creek and lower canyon
- →Download the L.T. Murray Green Dot map — legal motorized travel is limited to green-reflector roads
Watch out for
- !Ownership is heavily checkerboarded — this is the unit's biggest access pitfall; confirm you're on public ground
- !Green Dot rules are strict: only round-green-reflector roads are legal for motor vehicles on WDFW and DNR ground
- !Elk and deer stay dispersed until snowfall — early-season hunters without a weather break can struggle
- !Interior logging roads are primitive; high-clearance 4WD recommended and wet/soft roads should be avoided
- !Opening weekend is crowded with pre-claimed camps; expect competition on the accessible ground
Logistics
Ellensburg (I-90, southeast of the unit) is the main hub for fuel, groceries, lodging, and the WDFW/DNR map offices; Cle Elum anchors the northwest. The primary way in is W Taneum Road / Taneum Canyon to the signed L.T. Murray Wildlife Area entrance, plus USFS and DNR roads climbing toward Peaches Ridge and the crest. Dispersed camping is allowed on National Forest and DNR ground subject to fire restrictions. Interior logging roads are numerous but primitive — bring high-clearance/4WD, recovery gear, and don't drive wet roads. Download the Kittitas County / L.T. Murray Green Dot map and the WDFW Hunt Planner web map before losing cell service; the checkerboard makes on-the-ground boundary awareness essential.
Nearest towns: Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Thorp
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2024 District 8 Hunting Prospects (GMU 336 deer/elk/bear success rates, turkey, Peaches Ridge challenge unit, Taneum Creek L.T. Murray entrance, Green Dot) · GoHunt Washington Unit 336 Taneum profile (~221 sq mi, ~53% public, 2,000-6,004 ft, checkerboarded, Mount Clifty 6,004, Blowout Mtn 5,709, Peaches Ridge, Yakima River boundary) · WDFW L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Unit (119,395 acres, elk/deer/bighorn/turkey, Taneum & Manastash drainages, Green Dot)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 336 in Washington?
- GMU 336 (Taneum) covers about 215 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,000 to 6,004 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 336?
- Approximately 53% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USFS), WDFW (L.T. Murray Wildlife Area), WA DNR (state forest, west/southwest borders), Private (checkerboard sections and valley bottom). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 336?
- 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 336 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.