GMU 421 Camano
Camano blacktail — abundant deer, a handful of open county parks, and a no-rifle rule
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound (District 13) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
33
sq mi
Public land
8%
approx.
Elevation
0–500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 421 (Camano Island) covers Camano Island in Island County, connected to the mainland by the Camano Gap bridge near Stanwood — no ferry required. WDFW describes deer as abundant on Camano, but very little land is open to hunting. The unit runs on a short list of open public parcels — Island County Parks sites such as Camano Ridge, Putney Woods and Iverson Spit, plus Island County Public Works ground — layered with private land that requires landowner permission. Columbian black-tailed deer are the only huntable big game; Island County is closed to elk, and there is no meaningful bear or cougar hunting. Camano is a firearm restriction area — no rifles — so plan on shotgun, muzzleloader or archery.
Terrain
A low, forested glacial island of rolling uplands, coastal bluffs and tidal spits, topping out around 500 ft along the Camano Ridge spine. More continuously wooded than Whidbey, with rural-residential development around the shoreline.
Cover: Second-growth Douglas-fir and western hemlock forest with red alder, salal and sword fern, breaking to pasture, rural home sites and dense blackberry/brush edges that hold blacktail — good bedding timber over much of the island interior.
Landmarks: Camano Ridge · Putney Woods · Iverson Spit Preserve · English Boom · Cama Beach / Camano Island State Parks (closed to hunting) · Camano Gap bridge (Stanwood)
Access
WDFW: deer are abundant but very little public land is open to hunting; private ground requires landowner permission. Island County Parks manages several sites open to hunting — Camano Ridge and Putney Woods are named on Camano — plus Iverson Spit Preserve (Island County Public Works, questions to 360-679-7331). Use the Island County Parks web map filtered to 'hunting available,' and check boundaries carefully. State parks (Camano Island, Cama Beach) are closed to hunting. Near English Boom on the north end, some tidelands are privately owned — obey posted private-property signs. The Whidbey Camano Land Trust's Trillium Community Forest (open to modern firearm, late modern firearm, late archery and late muzzleloader) also serves Camano-area hunters. Camano is a big-game firearm restriction area: no centerfire or rimfire rifles — shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun or archery only.
Managers: Private, Island County (Parks & Public Works), Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Washington State Parks (closed to hunting)
Access points: Camano Gap bridge from Stanwood (SR-532) — road access, no ferry · Camano Ridge (Island County Parks) · Putney Woods (Island County Parks) · Iverson Spit Preserve · Island County Parks sites via county web map
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
abundant opportunityCamano holds abundant Columbian black-tailed deer, and the hunter's job is finding legal ground on a mostly private, wooded island. Island deer run smaller-bodied than mainland blacktail. WDFW noted a harvest dip on Camano (421) in a recent AHD-affected year, so animal numbers can swing with disease. With rifles banned, this is a close-range shotgun, muzzleloader or archery hunt, and early/late archery overlaps antlerless second-deer permit opportunity.
- →Start on the open Island County Parks ground — Camano Ridge, Putney Woods, Iverson Spit — then work private permission to expand
- →Still-hunt and set stands in the island's continuous second-growth timber, focusing on bedding-to-feed edges near pasture and brush
- →Because rifles are prohibited, plan for close shots with slug gun, muzzleloader or bow
- →Hunt weekdays and low-pressure windows — the few open parcels see hunter traffic
- →Watch parcel boundaries against the county web map; open and closed ground interlock tightly
Pro tips
- →Build the hunt around Island County Parks 'hunting available' sites (Camano Ridge, Putney Woods, Iverson Spit) plus private permission
- →Call Island County Public Works (360-679-7331) for parcel maps and restrictions
- →Rifles are banned unit-wide — pattern a slug gun or dial in muzzleloader/archery before the opener
- →Late archery overlaps antlerless second-deer permit hunts — a legitimate freezer angle
- →Report harvest under GMU 421 specifically; WDFW notes island hunters often misreport units
- →Near English Boom, some tidelands are private — read the signs before crossing
Watch out for
- !Little public hunting land — most ground requires written landowner permission
- !Big-game firearm restriction area: no centerfire or rimfire rifles
- !State parks (Camano Island, Cama Beach) are closed to hunting
- !Tight, interlocking parcel boundaries at county parks — verify before you shoot
- !Rural-residential density means safety-zone and no-shooting concerns
- !AHD (Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease) has affected the district's islands and dropped Camano harvest in a recent year — inspect deer and report sick animals
Logistics
Camano is the easy-access island — reached by road over the Camano Gap bridge from Stanwood on SR-532, no ferry needed. Fuel, groceries and lodging are in Stanwood and along the I-5 corridor at Mount Vernon and Marysville. Because open parcels are limited and boundaries are tight, pull the Island County Parks and assessor maps before hunting.
Nearest towns: Stanwood, Camano, Mount Vernon, Marysville
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 421 in Washington?
- GMU 421 (Camano) covers about 33 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 421?
- Approximately 8% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private, Island County (Parks & Public Works), Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Washington State Parks (closed to hunting). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 421?
- 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 421 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.