GMU 412 Shaw
Shaw Island — a tiny, almost entirely private ferry island with essentially no public hunting
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound / San Juan Islands (District 13) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
4
sq mi
Public land
1%
approx.
Elevation
0–700
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 412 is Shaw Island, at roughly 4 square miles one of the smallest ferry-served San Juans and one of the most closed to the public. Columbian black-tailed deer are the only big game — there are no elk, bear, or cougar in the archipelago. WDFW singles Shaw out (along with Blakely, Decatur and Guemes) as a place where public hunting access is 'extremely limited': the island is almost wholly private, has no state or federal huntable ground, and San Juan County ordinance requires written landowner permission to hunt anywhere on it. Shaw was among the islands hit by the 2021 adenovirus hemorrhagic disease (AHD) outbreak. In practice, hunting 412 means you personally know a Shaw landowner.
Terrain
A small, low, rounded forest island in the middle of the archipelago between Orcas, Lopez and San Juan islands, ringed by rocky shoreline and a few coves. Modest interior high ground; no dramatic relief.
Cover: Dense second-growth Douglas-fir and western redcedar with Pacific madrone and shore pine along the bluffs, salal and Oregon grape understory, and small clearings around the island's few homesteads and the historic village near the ferry landing.
Landmarks: Shaw Island ferry landing · Blind Bay · Indian Cove · Parks Bay · Squaw Bay
Access
WDFW explicitly names Shaw as one of the islands where public access is extremely limited. There is effectively no open public hunting land: no WDFW unit, no BLM National Monument huntable interior, and no DNR forest block like neighboring Cypress has. Hunting requires written landowner permission under San Juan County ordinance (SJC Code 9.08), carried in the field, and a large share of the island is tied up in private ownership plus a University of Washington biological preserve that is not open to hunting. Realistically an invitation-only unit.
Managers: Private (near-total), University of Washington (Cedar Rock / Point George biological preserve — not open to hunting), San Juan County (small parks/tidelands)
Access points: Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Shaw Island landing · Private boat / kayak to shoreline (with landowner permission)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common lowColumbian black-tailed deer are the island's only big game and are biologically common — San Juan blacktails have historically been overabundant and run smaller than mainland deer. But quality of opportunity is low because there is virtually nowhere to legally hunt without a private landowner's written permission. Shaw was among the islands affected by the 2021 AHD outbreak that swept the archipelago.
- →This is an access-first unit — secure written landowner permission before anything else; there is no public fallback
- →If you have permission, glass forest-to-clearing edges and old homestead openings at dawn and dusk
- →Still-hunt thick fir/madrone cover where island deer bed
- →Only short-range weapons are legal countywide, so plan for close, controlled shots near feed and travel lanes
Pro tips
- →Do not plan a Shaw hunt without a confirmed landowner relationship — there is essentially no public ground
- →San Juan County bans modern rifles; only short-range specialty pistols, shotguns, archery, and muzzleloaders are legal
- →Carry written landowner permission (SJC Code 9.08) on your person — it's legally required and enforced
- →Respect the University of Washington Cedar Rock / Point George preserve — it is not open to hunting
- →If you lack a Shaw connection, better public-access odds exist on Orcas (Killebrew Lake), Lopez (Lopez Hill / BLM) or San Juan (Mt. Grant) islands
Watch out for
- !Almost the entire island is private — no permission means no legal hunting
- !No WDFW, BLM, or DNR public hunting land on Shaw
- !University of Washington biological preserve lands are closed to hunting
- !Modern rifles are illegal (San Juan County firearm restriction area)
- !Small, tight-knit residential island — trespass and safety issues are taken seriously
- !AHD has cycled through Shaw and can depress the local herd
Logistics
Shaw is reached by Washington State Ferry from Anacortes; the island itself is deliberately low-development, with only a small historic store near the ferry landing and no real town services — provision on the mainland or at Friday Harbor. There is no public campground open to hunters; day-hunt with a landowner arrangement. Roads are narrow, paved and residential.
Nearest towns: Friday Harbor, Eastsound (Orcas), Lopez Village, Anacortes
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 412 in Washington?
- GMU 412 (Shaw) covers about 4 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 700 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 412?
- Approximately 1% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private (near-total), University of Washington (Cedar Rock / Point George biological preserve — not open to hunting), San Juan County (small parks/tidelands). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 412?
- 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 412 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.