GMU 504 Stella
Firearm-restricted Longview-area unit on the Columbia — archery/muzzleloader only, limited game, protected white-tailed deer.
WDFW Region 5 — Southwest Washington (District 10) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
99
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
0–1,800
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 504 (Stella) lies west of I-5 entirely within Cowlitz County and takes in the city of Longview and the Columbia River lowlands around Coal Creek. It is a small, heavily developed unit — a mix of urban and industrial land, small private ag, rural residences, and private industrial timber — and it includes the Fisher Island Unit of the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area. Critically, GMU 504 is a firearm-restriction area: modern firearms are not allowed for hunting, so this is an archery and muzzleloader unit. WDFW rates it as limited opportunity for both black-tailed deer and elk given its small size, urban development, and extensive private land. A small population of protected Columbian white-tailed deer lives in the low-elevation Columbia bottoms with no open season.
Terrain
Columbia River lowlands near sea level around Longview rising into forested Coal Creek hills to the north and east. A mix of flat developed and agricultural bottomland and modest timbered hill country.
Cover: Douglas-fir and western hemlock industrial forest with clearcuts and replants on the Coal Creek hills, red alder and cottonwood along the river and creek bottoms, and agricultural/urban land through the Columbia floodplain. Regen cuts carry salmonberry, blackberry, and salal for deer and bear.
Landmarks: Columbia River (south boundary) · Longview · Coal Creek · State Route 4 · Interstate 5 (east boundary) · Fisher Island Unit — Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area
Access
Public land is minimal — only about 5% of the unit, including the WDFW Fisher Island Unit of the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area — so most hunting happens on private ground by permission. Roughly 40% is industrial forestland (Weyerhaeuser prominent) and about 35% is urban/suburban around Longview. Since 2014 Weyerhaeuser requires a paid recreation permit on most of its ground (roughly $250-$400 motorized, $75-$125 non-motorized) and allows free public access only where enrolled in WDFW's Private Lands Access program. GMU 504 is a firearm-restriction area — modern firearms are prohibited for hunting (archery and muzzleloader only, per the Big Game pamphlet). Combined with the urban footprint, that makes shot-opportunity and legal-hunting ground tight; know property boundaries and city limits.
Managers: Small agricultural / private, Weyerhaeuser, Urban / suburban, WDFW (Fisher Island Unit)
Access points: State Route 4 (Columbia River corridor) · Coal Creek Road · Interstate 5 / Longview (staging) · Fisher Island Unit — Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityWDFW rates 504 as limited opportunity, but the firearm restriction means low hunter numbers and, on the archery/muzzleloader ground, a high success rate — a 5-year average of ~58 bucks at ~32% success across only ~179 hunters, with the district's best 3-point-or-better ratio (~41%). Deer are present in the Coal Creek hills and edges; the challenge is finding legal, accessible ground.
- →Come with a bow or muzzleloader — modern firearms are not legal here — which also means far less competition than in gun units.
- →Secure private-land permission early or work the Fisher Island Unit and any Weyerhaeuser ground enrolled in WDFW Private Lands Access.
- →Glass clearcuts and regen stands on the Coal Creek hills at first and last light, then still-hunt the edges.
- →Push the late-October/early-November rut for the mature bucks the low pressure lets grow.
Roosevelt Elk
limited lowElk are very low-odds in Stella — a 5-year average of only ~5 elk and ~6% success (antlerless included) across ~77 hunters. Elk west of I-5 are Roosevelt, but the small, developed unit holds few animals and little accessible ground. This is not an elk destination.
- →Treat elk as an incidental opportunity while deer hunting on the timbered hills.
- →Check forage edges and creek bottoms on accessible private/wildlife-area ground.
- →For real District 10 elk, hunt 506, 530, or 550 instead.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear inhabit the timbered Coal Creek hills. GMU 504 falls in the Willapa Hills Black Bear Management Unit, where WDFW sets a reduced one-bear-per-year limit. As with deer, the archery/muzzleloader restriction and limited access are the real constraints.
- →Glass berry-rich clearcuts and regen cuts on accessible timber ground at dawn and dusk.
- →Hunt open ground so you can spot a bear before it winds you in the thick cover.
- →Sit fresh sign in a productive berry cut rather than covering ground.
- →Confirm the one-bear Willapa Hills limit and submit the mandatory premolar tooth after a kill.
Cougar
limited opportunityCougars occur in the forested portions but the developed, low-public-land character of 504 limits opportunity. Most cougars in the district are taken incidentally by deer and elk hunters, and the season is harvest-cap managed by Cougar Hunt Management Unit.
- →Carry the tag as an opportunistic add-on while hunting the timbered hills.
- →Hunt where deer concentrate on accessible ground.
- →Check the WDFW Cougar Hotline / openings page for CHMU status before hunting.
Pro tips
- →This is an archery/muzzleloader-only unit — bring the right weapon; modern firearms are illegal here.
- →The firearm restriction keeps pressure low and success high on the ground you can hunt — it's a quiet-unit opportunity if you solve access.
- →Access is the whole problem: only ~5% public, ~35% urban. Lock down private permission and check WDFW Private Lands Access for open Weyerhaeuser parcels early.
- →Learn the Columbia bottoms: protected Columbian white-tailed deer live there with NO open season — be certain of your target.
- →Mind Longview city limits and residential-area restrictions when choosing where to hunt.
Watch out for
- !Firearm-restriction area — modern firearms are prohibited for hunting (archery/muzzleloader only).
- !Protected Columbian white-tailed deer occur in the low Columbia bottoms with no open season; misidentification is a serious violation.
- !Only ~5% public land in a ~35% urban unit — legal, accessible hunting ground is genuinely scarce.
- !Most Weyerhaeuser ground requires a paid permit unless enrolled in WDFW's Private Lands Access program.
- !Willapa Hills BBMU one-bear limit applies; cougar seasons are cap-managed and can close mid-season.
Logistics
Longview and Kelso along I-5 supply all services — lodging, fuel, groceries. State Route 4 runs west along the Columbia toward Cathlamet. There is essentially no public camping inside this urban/private unit; day-hunt from town. Because legal ground is scarce, do your access homework first: line up private-land permission, check the WDFW Private Lands Access layer for open Weyerhaeuser parcels, and identify the Fisher Island Unit boundary before the season.
Nearest towns: Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, Cathlamet
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 504 (Stella) land summary, firearm restriction, white-tailed deer note, deer & elk 5-year averages · WDFW 2024 District 10 Hunting Prospects · Washington Firearm Restriction Areas — eRegulations · WDFW Game Management Units (GMU boundaries & maps)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 504 in Washington?
- GMU 504 (Stella) covers about 99 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 1,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 504?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Small agricultural / private, Weyerhaeuser, Urban / suburban, WDFW (Fisher Island Unit). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 504?
- 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 504 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.