GMU 420 Whidbey
Abundant Whidbey blacktail on almost no public land — a scattered-parcel, no-rifle island hunt
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound (District 13) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
167
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
0–500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 420 (Whidbey Island) is the long, populated island filling much of Island County. WDFW describes deer here as abundant — historically overabundant enough that reducing island deer numbers is a stated district goal — yet very little land is open to hunting. The unit runs on a mosaic of small public parcels (Island County Public Works, Island County Parks, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust's Trillium Community Forest) plus private ground that requires landowner permission. Columbian black-tailed deer are the only huntable big game; Island County is closed to elk, and the island holds no meaningful bear or cougar hunting. It is a firearm restriction area — no rifles — so this is a shotgun, muzzleloader and archery unit.
Terrain
A low, glacially sculpted island of rolling till plains, prairies, kettle wetlands and coastal bluffs, topping out near 500 ft. Much of the island is farmland, forest patches and residential development between Deception Pass and the south-end towns.
Cover: Douglas-fir and western hemlock woodlots interlaced with Garry oak prairie remnants, farm fields, pasture, and dense salal/Himalayan blackberry brush along edges — classic productive blacktail cover woven through rural and suburban land.
Landmarks: Deception Pass · Fort Ebey State Park · Ebey's Landing / prairie · Trillium Community Forest · Naval Air Station Whidbey · Crockett Lake · Dugualla Bay · Kettles Trail area
Access
WDFW: deer are abundant but very little public land is open to hunting; hunters must get landowner permission for private ground. The Island County Public Works Department holds a few small parcels that make up most of the public hunting on the island (contact 360-679-7331 for maps and restrictions). WDFW partners with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust to open the Trillium Community Forest to modern firearm, late modern firearm, late archery and late muzzleloader seasons — it is closed to other recreation when open to hunting. Island County Parks opens several sites (including the Kettles Trail area) — filter the county Parks web map by 'hunting available.' Note Kettles shares its west boundary with Fort Ebey State Park and its southeast boundary with WSDOT land, both closed to hunting. State parks are closed to hunting. Deer Lagoon is closed by county firearm-discharge ordinance; Land Trust parcels at Crockett Lake and Dugualla Bay are closed. On NAS Whidbey, deer hunting is archery-only and open to military personnel with the installation permit and background check. The whole unit is a big-game firearm restriction area — no centerfire or rimfire rifles.
Managers: Private, Island County (Public Works & Parks), Whidbey Camano Land Trust, US Navy (NAS Whidbey), Washington State Parks (closed to hunting)
Access points: SR-20 / Deception Pass Bridge (north end) · WA State Ferry Mukilteo–Clinton (south end) · WA State Ferry Port Townsend–Coupeville (west) · Trillium Community Forest trailhead · Kettles Trail area (Island County Parks) · Island County Parks sites via county web map
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
abundant opportunityWhidbey holds abundant — historically overabundant — Columbian black-tailed deer, and WDFW's management aim is to trim island numbers, which favors the hunter who can find legal ground. The deer are there; the challenge is access on a mostly private, developed island. With rifles banned, plan on close-range shotgun, muzzleloader or archery work, and note that early and late archery overlaps second-deer antlerless permit hunts here.
- →Map legal ground first: Trillium Community Forest, Island County Parks 'hunting available' sites, and Island County Public Works parcels — then knock on doors for private permission
- →Hunt the woodlot-and-farm edges, kettle wetlands and brushy draws where deer bed near abundant feed
- →Because rifles are prohibited, set stands and still-hunt for close shots — slug gun, muzzleloader or bow near feeding/bedding transitions
- →Consider late archery to overlap antlerless second-deer permit opportunity and thinner crowds
- →Watch boundaries carefully at Kettles (Fort Ebey State Park to the west, WSDOT land to the southeast are closed)
Pro tips
- →Build your hunt around the short list of legal parcels — Trillium Community Forest, Island County Parks 'hunting available' sites, county Public Works parcels — plus private permission
- →Call Island County Public Works (360-679-7331) for parcel maps and restrictions before the season
- →Rifles are banned unit-wide: pattern a slug gun or dial in muzzleloader/archery ranges ahead of time
- →Late archery overlaps antlerless second-deer permit hunts (GMUs incl. 420) — a real second-deer angle for the freezer
- →Report harvest under the correct GMU; WDFW notes island hunters frequently misreport, hurting management
- →Military hunters: NAS Whidbey deer hunting is archery-only with the $17 installation permit and a background check (contact base biologist)
Watch out for
- !Very little public hunting land on a heavily developed island — most ground needs written permission
- !Big-game firearm restriction area: no centerfire or rimfire rifles
- !State parks (Fort Ebey, Deception Pass, Ebey's Landing) are closed to hunting — Kettles shares a boundary with Fort Ebey
- !Deer Lagoon and Land Trust parcels at Crockett Lake / Dugualla Bay are closed; respect county firearm-discharge ordinances
- !Dense residential and safety-zone areas — know your backstop and no-shooting zones
- !AHD (Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease) was confirmed on Whidbey in 2021; inspect deer and report sick animals
Logistics
Whidbey is reached by the Deception Pass Bridge (SR-20) at the north end and by Washington State Ferries at Clinton (from Mukilteo) and Coupeville (from Port Townsend). Full services — lodging, fuel, groceries, gunsmith/ammo — are in Oak Harbor and Coupeville, with more at Anacortes just north. Because huntable parcels are small and scattered, do your parcel homework on the Island County assessor and Parks web maps before you go.
Nearest towns: Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Freeland, Clinton, Anacortes
Nearby units
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 (Island County)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 420 in Washington?
- GMU 420 (Whidbey) covers about 167 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 420?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private, Island County (Public Works & Parks), Whidbey Camano Land Trust, US Navy (NAS Whidbey), Washington State Parks (closed to hunting). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 420?
- 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 420 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.