GMU 414 Lopez
Flattest of the big islands — Lopez black-tails with a few of the archipelago's only real public parcels
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound / San Juan Islands (District 13) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
25
sq mi
Public land
4%
approx.
Elevation
0–560
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 414 is Lopez Island, the low, pastoral, ferry-served island south of Orcas and San Juan. It carries the same dense Columbian black-tailed deer herd as the rest of the San Juans, and — unusually for the archipelago — offers a handful of genuinely public places to hunt: Lopez Hill, managed by the San Juan County Land Bank, plus small Bureau of Land Management parcels within the San Juan Islands National Monument. Even so, most of Lopez is private farmland requiring written landowner permission, and San Juan County's ban on modern rifles applies here too. The herd was hit by the 2021 AHD outbreak and has been recovering.
Terrain
The lowest-relief of the major San Juans — gently rolling farmland and forest rising to modest highs around Lopez Hill, ringed by rocky headlands and bluffs at Iceberg Point and Point Colville.
Cover: Open pasture and hayfield, Douglas-fir and mixed-conifer woodlots, madrona bluffs, coastal prairie and grassland on the exposed south-end points. Agriculture-dominated interior with rural residential parcels.
Landmarks: Lopez Village · Lopez Hill · Iceberg Point · Point Colville · Fisherman Bay · Watmough Bay
Access
Lopez has some of the only public hunting ground in the San Juans. Lopez Hill, managed by the San Juan County Land Bank, allows limited hunting Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 — county-required written permission is arranged through the Land Bank's outreach coordinator. Small BLM parcels within the San Juan Islands National Monument are also open, though the Iceberg Point and Point Colville tracts were still transferring from the U.S. Coast Guard to BLM as of the 2025 prospects and were NOT yet open to public hunting — verify current status. Everywhere else is private and requires written landowner permission under San Juan County ordinance. Modern rifles are prohibited countywide; hunt with shotgun, muzzleloader, short-range pistol, or archery. No overnight camping at Lopez Hill or the Monument.
Managers: Private, San Juan County Land Bank, BLM San Juan Islands National Monument
Access points: Washington State Ferries to Lopez (Anacortes route) · Lopez Hill (San Juan County Land Bank — written permission, Sept 1–Oct 31) · BLM San Juan Islands National Monument parcels (verify open status) · Private parcels with written landowner permission
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
abundant opportunityColumbian black-tailed deer are plentiful and historically overabundant on Lopez, though island animals are smaller-bodied than mainland blacktails. The 2021 AHD outbreak reached Lopez and depressed the herd, but WDFW reports the population recovering quickly. With Lopez Hill and the Monument parcels, this is the most DIY-accessible of the three southern San Juan units — still an access puzzle, but a solvable one.
- →Hunt Lopez Hill early — it is only open Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, so front-load your season there
- →Secure written landowner permission on farm ground (required by county code); crop-damage complaints are your best introduction
- →Confirm BLM Monument parcels (Iceberg Point, Point Colville) are actually open before counting on them — ownership was still transitioning
- →Plan around a slug gun, muzzleloader, or bow; no modern rifles in the county
- →Glass pasture and woodlot edges at dawn and dusk, and report harvest to GMU 414 to keep island data clean
Pro tips
- →Lopez is the best bet of the three units for a public-land DIY hunt — build your plan around Lopez Hill's Sept–Oct window
- →No modern rifles: bring a slug gun, muzzleloader, or bow
- →Get Land Bank written permission for Lopez Hill in advance through the outreach coordinator; carry it in the field
- →Double-check the BLM Iceberg Point / Point Colville transfer status before hunting them — they may still be closed
- →Work farm-country landowners with deer-damage problems for private permission
Watch out for
- !No modern rifles allowed anywhere in San Juan County
- !Written landowner permission legally required on all private land (county ordinance)
- !Iceberg Point and Point Colville BLM parcels may still be closed pending USCG-to-BLM transfer
- !Lopez Hill hunting is limited to Sept. 1–Oct. 31 and prohibits camping
- !No elk, bear, or cougar hunting — San Juan County is closed to elk and lacks huntable populations of the others
- !AHD-impacted herd: use discretion on sick-looking deer and dispose of carcasses locally
Logistics
Lopez is reached by Washington State Ferries from Anacortes (reservations advised in season) or by private boat/small plane. Lopez Village offers fuel, groceries, and lodging. No dispersed or public-land camping for hunters — use state/county parks or private lodging. Cell coverage is generally serviceable.
Nearest towns: Lopez Village, Anacortes (ferry terminal), Friday Harbor
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 (August 2024) · WDFW 2025 District 13 Hunting Prospects (Region 4) · San Juan County Land Bank — Lopez Hill · WDFW Game Management Units
FAQ
- How big is GMU 414 in Washington?
- GMU 414 (Lopez) covers about 25 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 560 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 414?
- Approximately 4% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private, San Juan County Land Bank, BLM San Juan Islands National Monument. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 414?
- 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 414 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.