GMU 419 Guemes
A tiny Skagit ferry-island blacktail unit — private ground and a shotgun-only rule
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound (District 13) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
4
sq mi
Public land
0%
approx.
Elevation
0–688
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 419 (Guemes) covers little Guemes Island in Skagit County, a roughly four-square-mile island reached only by the Skagit County ferry from Anacortes. Columbian black-tailed deer are the only huntable big game and, in WDFW's words, have historically been plentiful on the islands though typically smaller-bodied than mainland blacktail. Public access here is extremely limited — WDFW singles out Guemes alongside Shaw, Blakely and Decatur as islands where nearly all hunting happens on private property with landowner permission. There is no elk or bear hunting; Island and San Juan county lands are closed to elk for low animal numbers, and these small islands hold no meaningful bear or cougar populations.
Terrain
A small, low glaciated island rising from Puget Sound tideland to Guemes Mountain (about 688 ft), the island's only real high ground. Shoreline bluffs, gentle wooded interior and rural residential parcels dominate.
Cover: Second-growth Douglas-fir, western redcedar and red alder with madrona on the drier bluffs, mixed through pasture, orchard and rural home sites; brushy edges and old field margins give blacktail their best browse.
Landmarks: Guemes Mountain (~688 ft) · Guemes Island ferry landing · Guemes Channel · Bellingham Channel · North Beach
Access
WDFW rates public access on Guemes as extremely limited — essentially all hunting is on private property and requires landowner permission. The island is a big-game firearm restriction area: under Skagit County rules (all areas west of I-5, except Cypress Island) centerfire and rimfire rifles are prohibited, so hunting is shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun or archery only. Access is by the small Skagit County (Guemes Island) ferry from Anacortes only. Ownership maps are available through the Skagit County assessor. Treat this as a permission-and-relationships unit, not a public-land hunt.
Managers: Private, Private (rural residential)
Access points: Guemes Island ferry from Anacortes (Skagit County ferry) · Guemes Island Road (main island loop) · Private boat landing
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityColumbian black-tailed deer are the only big-game opportunity on Guemes. Island deer have historically been plentiful but run smaller-bodied than mainland blacktail. The catch is access: with virtually no public land, success depends entirely on securing private permission, and the no-rifle rule keeps this a close-range shotgun, muzzleloader or archery hunt.
- →Line up written landowner permission well before the season — this is the whole game on Guemes
- →Hunt field-and-forest edges, old orchards and pasture margins at first and last light
- →Because rifles are banned, set up for close shots: shotgun slug, muzzleloader or archery near travel corridors between bedding timber and feed
- →Scout the wooded slopes below Guemes Mountain and brushy draws where deer bed away from homes
Pro tips
- →This is a permission unit — the deer are the easy part, legal access is the hard part; build landowner relationships early
- →Remember the rifle ban: pattern a slug gun or practice muzzleloader/archery ranges before opening day
- →Report your harvest under the correct GMU — WDFW notes island hunters routinely misreport units, which muddies management
- →Verify parcel boundaries against the Skagit County assessor maps; rural lots are small and interlocked
Watch out for
- !Effectively no public hunting land — hunting without written permission is trespass
- !Big-game firearm restriction area: no centerfire or rimfire rifles
- !Ferry access only, with limited sailings and vehicle capacity
- !Rural residential density means safety-zone and no-shooting concerns near homes
- !AHD (Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease) has hit district islands in past years — inspect deer and report sick animals
Logistics
Access is via the short Skagit County ferry from Anacortes; plan around the ferry schedule and limited vehicle space. There are no services on the island beyond a small store — stage food, fuel and gear in Anacortes. Lodging and provisioning are in Anacortes and along the I-5 corridor at Mount Vernon and Burlington.
Nearest towns: Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Burlington
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2025 District 13 Hunting Prospects (Region 4) · WDFW Game Management Units (GMU) locator · Washington Firearm Restriction Areas (Skagit / Island County)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 419 in Washington?
- GMU 419 (Guemes) covers about 4 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 688 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 419?
- Approximately 0% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private, Private (rural residential). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 419?
- 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 419 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.