GMU 501 Lincoln
Doty Hills blacktail country west of Chehalis — one of District 10's top buck units, thin on elk.
WDFW Region 5 — Southwest Washington (District 10) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
238
sq mi
Public land
35%
approx.
Elevation
150–2,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 501 (Lincoln) sits west of Interstate 5 near Chehalis and Centralia, almost entirely in Lewis County, running from the Chehalis River floodplain up into the timbered Doty Hills. It is a blacktail deer unit first: WDFW ranks Lincoln among District 10's highest general-season buck producers (a 5-year average of ~331 bucks and ~27% success), while elk are scattered and low-odds here. Land is a working-forest patchwork — roughly a third public (mostly WDNR) laced with Weyerhaeuser and other industrial timber and a band of private ag and rural residences along the valley. Roosevelt elk pass through but there is no reliable resident herd to hunt.
Terrain
Low coast-range relief: flat Chehalis River floodplain and farm valley near I-5 rising west into the forested Doty Hills. Most of the unit is low, rolling timbered hill country under ~2,000 ft, cut by creek drainages feeding the Chehalis.
Cover: Douglas-fir and western hemlock industrial forest in a mosaic of clearcuts, young replants, and older stands, with red alder bottoms along the creeks; regen cuts fill with salmonberry, salal, huckleberry, and blackberry — prime blacktail browse and bear feed. Agricultural fields and pasture line the Chehalis floodplain.
Landmarks: Doty Hills · Chehalis River · Lincoln Creek · Interstate 5 (east boundary) · State Route 6 · Chehalis / Centralia (east edge)
Access
About 35% of GMU 501 is public — largely WDNR state forest, which is open to walk-in and generally to motorized access, making it the backbone of any DIY hunt here. Roughly 45% is industrial forestland and ~10% is urban/rural residential. Weyerhaeuser holds a significant block: since 2014 the company requires a paid recreation permit on most of its ground (roughly $250-$400 motorized, $75-$125 non-motorized), and only allows free public access where a parcel is enrolled in WDFW's Private Lands Access program — check the WDFW Private Lands Hunting Access map before assuming a Weyerhaeuser gate is open. Other industrial owners in the district are often open to walk-in hunting without a fee though vehicle access may be gated; verify each company's current policy via its website or access hotline. The valley near I-5 is small private ag — knock and get permission.
Managers: WDNR, Weyerhaeuser, Small agricultural / private, Private industrial timber
Access points: State Route 6 (Chehalis west into the Doty Hills) · Lincoln Creek Road · WDNR forest road network in the Doty Hills · Interstate 5 / Chehalis-Centralia (staging)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common qualityThe reason to hunt 501. WDFW consistently lists Lincoln among District 10's top general-season buck units — a 5-year average around 331 bucks, ~27% success, and ~1.1 bucks harvested per square mile, with district blacktail numbers trending up. Mostly younger bucks (about a quarter are 3-point-or-better), but good deer density on public WDNR ground.
- →Work the WDNR forest roads in the Doty Hills and glass 3- to 9-year-old clearcuts and replants at first and last light — the regen stands hold the most deer.
- →Still-hunt the timber/clearcut edge once deer move off the openings to bed.
- →Time your hardest effort to the late-October into early-November rut, when bucks move most and drop their guard.
- →Rattling and grunting can pull a rutting blacktail out of the brush.
- →Scout pockets away from the obvious road-hunted cuts; this is a popular unit.
Roosevelt Elk
limited lowElk are a low-odds proposition in Lincoln — a 5-year average of only ~17 elk and under 8% success (antlerless included). Elk west of I-5 are the Roosevelt subspecies, but 501 has no reliable resident herd; District 10's real elk hunting is in 506, 530, and 550. Manage expectations and hunt this as a deer unit.
- →Treat elk as an incidental opportunity while chasing deer.
- →Check timbered creek bottoms and forage edges where elk occasionally drift through.
- →If you want District 10 elk, look at Willapa Hills (506), Ryderwood (530), or Coweeman (550) instead.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are common in the timbered hills. Note that GMU 501 falls in the Willapa Hills Black Bear Management Unit, where WDFW sets a reduced bag limit of one bear per license year (vs. two statewide). Bears are rarely seen in the thick cover, so success leans on scouting berry-rich cuts.
- →Glass open clearcuts and regen units with ripe salmonberry, huckleberry, and blackberry at dawn and dusk.
- →Hunt the open ground so you can spot a bear before it winds you in the dense coastal cover.
- →Find fresh sign in a berry cut, then sit it for long watches rather than covering ground.
- →Successful hunters must submit the premolar tooth by the WDFW deadline; verify the one-bear Willapa Hills limit before you hunt.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer through the unit and are taken mostly incidentally by deer and elk hunters. District 10 harvest is modest (about 10 cats district-wide in 2024-25). The season is harvest-cap managed by Cougar Hunt Management Unit and can close mid-season.
- →Carry the tag and treat cougar as an opportunistic add-on while glassing for deer.
- →Hunt where deer concentrate; cougars key on the prey.
- →Check the WDFW Cougar Hotline / cougar openings page — the CHMU can close once the harvest cap is met.
- →After rain or in fresh snow, cut roads and landings for tracks to follow up.
Pro tips
- →Hunt 501 for what it does best — blacktail deer; it is one of District 10's top buck units, not an elk unit.
- →Lean on the ~35% public land: WDNR state forest in the Doty Hills is your open, motorized-friendly base.
- →Check the WDFW Private Lands Access map for Weyerhaeuser parcels open free before paying for a permit — and buy the permit early if you want its ground.
- →Focus on 3- to 9-year-old clearcuts and glass them at first/last light, then still-hunt the edges.
- →Push into the rut (late Oct-early Nov) and get off the obvious road-hunted cuts to find bucks with less pressure.
Watch out for
- !Elk are low-odds here — don't plan a trip around them; go to 506/530/550 for District 10 elk.
- !Most Weyerhaeuser ground requires a paid permit unless it's enrolled in WDFW's Private Lands Access program; a gate open one year may be fee-only the next.
- !The valley near I-5 is small private ag and rural residential — get permission and mind residential-area shooting restrictions.
- !Willapa Hills BBMU carries a one-bear limit — confirm before you hunt bear.
- !Cougar seasons are cap-managed and can close mid-season; check the CHMU status.
Logistics
Base out of Chehalis or Centralia right on I-5 for motels, fuel, and groceries; State Route 6 runs west out of Chehalis into the Doty Hills and the heart of the unit. Public camping is limited — plan to day-hunt from town or use WDNR dispersed sites where allowed. Carry a current land-ownership/access map (the WDFW Private Lands Access layer and a WDNR recreation map) and confirm Weyerhaeuser permit status before relying on any gated mainline.
Nearest towns: Chehalis, Centralia, Adna, Doty, Pe Ell
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2025 District 10 Hunting Prospects — GMU 501 (Lincoln) land summary, deer & elk 5-year averages, access · WDFW 2024 District 10 Hunting Prospects · WDFW Game Management Units (GMU boundaries & maps)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 501 in Washington?
- GMU 501 (Lincoln) covers about 238 square miles, ranging from roughly 150 to 2,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 501?
- Approximately 35% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: WDNR, Weyerhaeuser, Small agricultural / private, Private industrial timber. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 501?
- Blacktail Deer, Roosevelt Elk, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 501 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.