GMU 411 Orcas
Orcas Island blacktails — dense island deer on a fjord-shaped rock, but almost all of it is private
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound / San Juan Islands (District 13) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
65
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
0–2,409
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 411 covers Orcas Island, the largest and highest of the San Juans, a horseshoe of forested hills wrapped around East Sound in the Olympic rain shadow. Columbian black-tailed deer are the only big game — the San Juans have no elk, bear, or cougar. Deer are historically overabundant here (enough to damage oak and prairie habitat), which is why WDFW keeps liberal seasons, but access is the catch: the island is overwhelmingly private, county ordinance requires written landowner permission, and the biggest chunk of public land, Moran State Park, is closed to hunting. A 2021 adenovirus hemorrhagic disease (AHD) outbreak crashed harvest success ~93% between 2020 and 2021; herds have been recovering since.
Terrain
A deeply indented, saddle-shaped island split by East Sound. Terrain climbs from sea-level shoreline to Mount Constitution (2,409 ft) — the highest point in the San Juan Islands — with Turtleback Mountain (~1,519 ft) on the western lobe.
Cover: Douglas-fir and western redcedar forest with Pacific madrone, shore pine, and pockets of Garry oak woodland and open rocky balds. Salal, oceanspray and Oregon grape understory; old homesteads and orchards create edge that concentrates deer.
Landmarks: Mount Constitution (2,409 ft) · Moran State Park · Turtleback Mountain Preserve · East Sound · Killebrew Lake · Cascade Lake · Deer Harbor
Access
Overwhelmingly private. Hunting on private land requires written landowner permission by San Juan County ordinance (SJC Code 9.08), carried in the field. The one clearly open state parcel is WDFW's ~157 acres around Killebrew Lake in the island's southeast, though much of that footprint is the lake and wetland itself — legal to hunt, but hunters must stay inside the marked WDFW boundary, and parking is a single small pull-off on Killebrew Lake Road. Moran State Park (which includes Mount Constitution and Cascade Lake) is a large public block but state parks are closed to hunting. WDFW has been negotiating additional Private Lands Access parcels across Orcas/Lopez/San Juan — check the PLAP site, as some run on a Hunt-by-Reservation system for the modern-firearm season.
Managers: Private (dominant), Washington State Parks (Moran — closed to hunting), WDFW (Killebrew Lake, ~157 ac), San Juan County Land Bank (Turtleback Mtn Preserve)
Access points: Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Orcas landing (west side) · WDFW Killebrew Lake unit — pull-off on Killebrew Lake Road · Private boat / kayak to shoreline parcels · WDFW Private Lands Access / Hunt-by-Reservation sites (when enrolled)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityColumbian black-tailed deer are the sole big game and are historically overabundant on Orcas — WDFW's management goal is actually to reduce island deer numbers to protect oak/prairie habitat. Island bucks run smaller than mainland blacktails. The 2021 AHD outbreak dropped harvest success roughly 93% year-over-year; the herd has been rebounding, and WDFW is holding seasons to keep pressure on. The limiting factor is not deer numbers but legal ground to hunt them on.
- →Lock down access first — written landowner permission or a Private Lands Access reservation is the whole game on Orcas
- →Hunt the small WDFW Killebrew Lake unit early and stay tight inside the marked boundary
- →Glass Garry oak balds, forest-to-field edges and old orchards at first and last light
- →Still-hunt thick fir/madrone benches; island deer hold in cover and feed edges
- →Since only short-range weapons are legal, set up for close shots — brushy travel lanes, field corners, and stand sites over feed
Pro tips
- →San Juan County bans modern rifles — legal weapons are short-range specialty pistols, shotguns, archery, and muzzleloaders only
- →The WDFW Killebrew Lake unit is the reliable public option, but it's small (~157 ac, much of it water) — hunt it early and know exactly where the boundary is
- →Watch the Private Lands Access site before season for Orcas Hunt-by-Reservation parcels; reservations open two weeks out at 8 a.m. and a fast connection helps
- →Moran State Park (Mount Constitution, Cascade Lake) is off-limits to hunting despite being the biggest green block on the map
- →Book your ferry vehicle reservation early — fall sailings fill up
- →Carry written landowner permission at all times; it's legally required countywide
Watch out for
- !The island is almost entirely private — no permission means no legal hunting
- !Moran State Park and other state-park land are closed to hunting
- !Modern rifles are illegal (San Juan County firearm restriction area)
- !Killebrew Lake parking is a single small pull-off — arrive early and don't block it
- !No hunting-hours or firearm-discharge slack near Eastsound and residential zones
- !AHD can suppress the local herd; conditions vary year to year
Logistics
Orcas is reached by Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to the ferry landing on the island's southwest arm; book vehicle reservations well ahead in fall. Eastsound is the main town for fuel, groceries and lodging. Overnight camping is not allowed at Killebrew Lake; use Washington State Parks (Moran) or San Juan County Parks campgrounds. Roads are paved and residential — expect houses, neighbors and 'no shooting' expectations near town.
Nearest towns: Eastsound, Olga, Deer Harbor, Orcas (ferry landing), Friday Harbor
Nearby units
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW — Hunting in the San Juan Islands (2024) · WDFW — 2025 District 13 Hunting Prospects (Region 4) · WDFW — Game Status and Trends Report, Islands Deer Management Zone
FAQ
- How big is GMU 411 in Washington?
- GMU 411 (Orcas) covers about 65 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 2,409 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 411?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private (dominant), Washington State Parks (Moran — closed to hunting), WDFW (Killebrew Lake, ~157 ac), San Juan County Land Bank (Turtleback Mtn Preserve). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 411?
- Blacktail Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 411 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.