GMU 371 Alkali
Yakima Training Center shrub-steppe — glassable Yakima-herd elk on Army ground, permit-gated by a range flag
WDFW Region 3 — South Central (District 8, Yakima/Kittitas) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
539
sq mi
Public land
70%
approx.
Elevation
1,000–4,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 371 Alkali is open, rolling shrub-steppe on the east flank of the Yakima Basin, framed by the Saddle Mountains, Umtanum Ridge, and Yakima Ridge. The unit is dominated by the U.S. Army's Yakima Training Center (YTC), which holds good numbers of Yakima elk-herd animals over easily glassed country — District 8 biologists report elk hunter success above 50% here, with archery hunters finding their highest success in 371. WDFW manages the unit for minimal elk numbers because of chronic damage conflicts in the surrounding irrigated ag, so opportunity leans antlerless and permit-driven, and all hunting is contingent on YTC being open.
Terrain
Wide-open scabland and rolling shrub-steppe hills rising to the Saddle Mountains and the Umtanum/Yakima Ridge crests, cut by dry coulees and basalt breaks. Easy to traverse and ideal for long-range glassing.
Cover: Bunchgrass and big sagebrush shrub-steppe with bitterbrush benches; cheatgrass has invaded burned ground. Very little tree cover — scattered draws hold the only real security cover, and irrigated cropland fringes the low edges.
Landmarks: Yakima Training Center · Saddle Mountains · Umtanum Ridge · Yakima Ridge · Selah Butte · Columbia River / Priest Rapids (east edge)
Access
The Yakima Training Center is the unit — and access is NOT under WDFW control. Every recreational user must hold a current YTC Recreation Access Card, and the Army opens or closes ground on its own training schedule (recreation, including hunting, has been suspended outright in some seasons and permit hunts rescheduled around live-fire windows). Check YTC's recreation status before every trip; a green range status can flip red. Off the base, adjacent WDFW wildlife-area and DNR ground on the district's west side runs on the Green Dot road system (only round-green-reflector roads are open to vehicles). Surrounding cropland is private — get permission.
Managers: U.S. Army Yakima Training Center, WA DNR, WDFW (L.T. Murray / Wenas margins), Private ranch/ag
Access points: YTC recreation gates off I-82 / Firing Center Rd (Recreation Access Card required) · Doty Rd / Huntzinger Rd corridor toward the Columbia · I-82 Selah/Pomona exits on the west edge · DNR and BLM parcels along the Saddle Mountains
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityPart of the Yakima elk herd (>10,000 animals over ~900,000 acres of public land). GMU 371 holds good numbers on the YTC's open terrain and posts elk hunter success above 50% (37 antlerless taken in a recent season). Because the herd is managed down for ag conflict, general opportunity is largely antlerless and archery, with quality bull hunting on limited special permits.
- →Glass the open shrub-steppe basins and coulees at first and last light — this is spot-and-stalk country made for optics
- →Elk seek security in the few drainages with cover and near private ag once pressure builds; hunt heads of draws away from roads
- →Archery antlerless general season is the standout opportunity here — plan early-September dates
- →Confirm the YTC is open and your Recreation Access Card is current before committing a hunt
Mule Deer
common opportunityDistrict 8 manages all its units under mule deer regulations, and 371 holds open-country muleys (with some mule x black-tailed hybrids). Deer are spread thin across big shrub-steppe, and much of the huntable ground sits behind the YTC access gate rather than general public land.
- →Cover ground and glass — density is low, so mileage and optics beat still-hunting
- →Work the bitterbrush benches and coulee edges where bucks bed off the open faces
- →Late fall storms concentrate deer toward winter range and cover
- →Cross-check the YTC access status; the best deer ground overlaps the base
Cougar
limited opportunityCougars follow the deer and elk through the breaks and coulees at low density in this open habitat.
- →Cut tracks in fresh snow along ridge breaks and game trails
- →Hunt near winter deer concentrations in the draws
Black Bear
transient lowBlack bear are incidental in this dry shrub-steppe unit, occasionally moving through the wetter draws off the higher ridges — not a target species here.
- →Glass green draws and creek heads on the higher north slopes if one is even around
Pro tips
- →Get your YTC Recreation Access Card sorted and check the daily range/recreation status before every hunt — the gate, not the regs, decides your season here
- →This is glassing country: park legally and let optics work the open basins and coulees at dawn and dusk
- →Archery antlerless elk is the sleeper opportunity — 371 shows the district's best archery elk success
- →Focus the handful of cover drainages once elk get pressured off the open ground
- →Have a backup plan on adjacent DNR/WDFW ground in case the Army closes the training center
Watch out for
- !YTC access can be suspended entirely or restricted mid-season by the Army — it is outside WDFW's control and changes with training schedules
- !Unexploded ordnance and live-fire/impact areas on the training center — obey all posted closures and boundaries
- !Surrounding irrigated cropland is private; the elk-damage conflict here means landowners are sensitive about trespass
- !Fast-moving cheatgrass wildfires — be fire-wise and expect burn closures
- !Very open, waterless country — plan water and don't count on cover
Logistics
I-82 runs the west edge and I-90 (Ellensburg) is close to the north; Yakima and Ellensburg supply fuel, lodging, and services. Most legal hunting happens inside the YTC, so build your trip around the Army's recreation gate hours and Access Card office. Carry water — this is the dry side of the district — and expect good cell coverage near the highways, patchy on the base interior.
Nearest towns: Yakima, Selah, Ellensburg, Moxee
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: 2024 District 8 Hunting Prospects (Yakima & Kittitas Counties), WDFW · Alkali deer permit hunting season later, scouting limited on Yakima Training Center — WDFW newsroom · WDFW Game Management Units
FAQ
- How big is GMU 371 in Washington?
- GMU 371 (Alkali) covers about 539 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,000 to 4,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 371?
- Approximately 70% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: U.S. Army Yakima Training Center, WA DNR, WDFW (L.T. Murray / Wenas margins), Private ranch/ag. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 371?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Cougar, 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 371 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.