GMU 520 Winston
Weyerhaeuser's St. Helens Tree Farm country — one of the district's top blacktail units, with a real Mount St. Helens elk herd, behind a paid-permit gate.
WDFW Region 5 — South Cascades / Southwest Washington (District 10) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
300
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
400–4,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 520 "Winston" is a 299-square-mile District 10 unit east of Interstate 5, spread between the Cowlitz and Toutle/Green rivers, mostly in Lewis County with slivers in Cowlitz and Skamania. Unlike the national-forest units to its east, 520 is roughly 75% private industrial forestland — dominated by Weyerhaeuser's Saint Helens Tree Farm, plus Olympic Resource Management (Pope Resources) and DNR — with only about 20% public land. WDFW rates it good for both black-tailed deer and elk, and the numbers back that up: it is one of the district's premier deer units (about 424 bucks harvested in 2024 at a strong 27.8% success rate) and a solid Mount St. Helens elk herd unit (about 56 elk, best of its neighborhood). The catch is access — most of the ground requires a paid Weyerhaeuser permit.
Terrain
Managed industrial timber country: mountainous through the center and east, flattening toward the western agricultural and residential edge near I-5. A dense mosaic of active clearcuts, replanted regen stands, and older timber cut by the Toutle, Green, and Cowlitz river systems.
Cover: Douglas-fir and western hemlock plantation forest interspersed with red alder bottoms; 3- to 10-year clearcut regen choked with salmonberry, blackberry, fireweed, and huckleberry — prime blacktail forage and bear/elk feed — alternating with closed-canopy timber.
Landmarks: Toutle River · Green River · Cowlitz River · Riffe Lake · Salmon Creek · Weyerhaeuser Saint Helens Tree Farm road network (e.g., Weyerhaeuser 1900)
Access
This is a permit-access unit. Most of GMU 520 sits inside Weyerhaeuser's Saint Helens Tree Farm (which also covers GMUs 550, 524, and 556), where since 2014 hunters must buy a Weyerhaeuser recreational permit: roughly $250-$400 for motorized access and $75-$125 for non-motorized (walk-in), with limited quantities sold — buy early. Weyerhaeuser only allows free access on parcels enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access program (find these via the WDFW Private Lands Hunting Access webpage / OnX 'WA Private Lands Hunting Opportunities' layer). Olympic Resource Management/Pope ground and scattered DNR parcels round out the access, and DNR and any enrolled lands are open to the public. Industrial timber access can be curtailed in August-October during high fire danger. Verify each company's current policy via their access website or hotline before hunting.
Managers: Weyerhaeuser (Saint Helens Tree Farm), Olympic Resource Management (Pope Resources), WDNR, Small private/agricultural (northwest)
Access points: State Route 505 and State Route 12 · Winston Creek Road · Weyerhaeuser 1900 Road (and the Saint Helens Tree Farm mainline network, permit-gated) · Interstate 5 corridor for the western approach
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
abundant qualityOne of District 10's best blacktail units. WDFW rates 520 good for deer, and 2024 numbers were strong — about 424 bucks harvested at a 27.8% success rate over 1,261 hunters (1.18 bucks/sq mi, among the district's highest). GMUs 550 and 520 posted the district's top buck harvests in 2024. Managed timber and abundant regen forage drive high deer numbers; expect company, and mostly younger bucks with mature deer in the brush.
- →Hunt the edges and interiors of 3- to 10-year clearcuts and replants — the regen stands hold the highest deer densities for both food and cover.
- →Glass cut units and landings at first and last light, then still-hunt the timber/clearcut edge as deer move to bed.
- →Focus your hardest effort on the late buck season, when the rut overlaps cool, wet still-hunting weather — historically the most productive window here.
- →Scout pockets away from the open permit-road cuts; high deer numbers pull hunters to the obvious ground.
- →Move slowly and scan constantly — blacktails hold small home ranges and sit tight in thick cover.
Roosevelt Elk
common qualityGMU 520 is part of the Mount St. Helens elk herd (Roosevelt subspecies west of I-5, with mixed-origin influence toward the Cascades) and is the strongest elk unit of its immediate neighborhood — about 56 elk harvested in 2024 at 7.4% success over 745 hunters (0.19 elk/sq mi, well above 513 and 516). A genuine resident herd, though the MSH herd sits below plan objective, supporting liberal antlerless opportunity in places.
- →Hunt the clearcut/timber edges, reprod stands, and river bottoms of the Toutle and Green drainages where elk feed and bed.
- →Glass regen cuts at first and last light during warm early seasons; expect bulls to hold in closed-canopy timber by day.
- →Locate a herd pre-season using the timber-company road network and stay with it through the opener.
- →Time the general bull hunt to the rut for the most bull movement, and check antlerless/permit options for the MSH herd.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are common in the berry-rich regen country (Mount St. Helens BBMU) but harvest runs modest — about 9-10 bears a year (9 in 2024). Most are taken opportunistically by deer and elk hunters glassing clearcuts.
- →Glass clearcuts and regen units full of salmonberry, blackberry, huckleberry, and cascara at dawn and dusk.
- →Hunt the open cuts so you can spot a bear before it winds you in the thick cover.
- →Find fresh sign in a berry-rich cut and sit it for long watches.
- →Carry the tag while deer and elk hunting; the Mount St. Helens BBMU allows two bears per license year.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars are common where the deer and elk concentrate and are taken almost entirely incidentally. The season is cap-managed (CHMU) and can close mid-season, so status must be checked.
- →Hunt after fresh snow or rain and cut the timber-company roads and landings for tracks.
- →Look for four-clawed vertical scratches and claw-raked trees as sign.
- →Try calls in regen stands and river bottoms where deer are thickest.
- →Verify the CHMU is open via the Cougar Hotline or online openings before and during your hunt.
Pro tips
- →Buy your Weyerhaeuser Saint Helens Tree Farm permit early — motorized (~$250-$400) or walk-in (~$75-$125) — quantities are limited and most of the unit is behind that gate.
- →Hunt 520 for what it's best at: it's one of the district's top blacktail units and its strongest local elk unit.
- →Focus on 3- to 10-year clearcuts and regen for the highest deer densities and the berry feed elk and bear key on.
- →Use the WDFW Private Lands Access webpage / OnX 'WA Private Lands' layer to find the free-access enrolled parcels and DNR ground.
- →Time deer and elk effort for the rut and late buck season for the best movement and success.
- →Glass cuts and landings at first/last light, then still-hunt the edges; get off the obvious permit-road cuts to escape crowds.
Watch out for
- !Only ~20% public — most of the unit is Weyerhaeuser Saint Helens Tree Farm requiring a paid permit; don't assume open access.
- !Weyerhaeuser permits sell in limited quantities and can sell out — buy before the season.
- !Industrial timber roads can close August-October during high fire danger, cutting off vehicle access.
- !Free access on Weyerhaeuser is only on WDFW Private Lands Access-enrolled parcels — know exactly where those are.
- !High deer numbers mean high hunter density on the productive cuts; expect company.
- !The Mount St. Helens elk herd sits below plan objective — check current elk/antlerless opportunity and cougar CHMU status before hunting.
Logistics
Base near the I-5 corridor at Castle Rock or Toutle, or on the east side near Mossyrock/Morton along US 12, for fuel, lodging, and groceries. Most of the unit is gated Weyerhaeuser Saint Helens Tree Farm timberland, so plan on buying your recreational permit (motorized or walk-in) before arriving and dispersed camping only where a permit or enrolled-access allows. State Routes 505 and 12, Winston Creek Road, and the Weyerhaeuser 1900 mainline are the primary arteries; carry a current ownership/access map and expect gravel mainlines that may be gated or fire-closed. Check DNR and WDFW Private Lands Access layers for the free-access parcels.
Nearest towns: Toutle, Castle Rock, Mossyrock, Morton, Silver Creek
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 520 overview, land table, elk/deer/bear harvest tables; Weyerhaeuser permit pricing) · WDFW Game Management Units (GMU boundaries & maps) · Weyerhaeuser Recreational Access — permit programs (Saint Helens Tree Farm)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 520 in Washington?
- GMU 520 (Winston) covers about 300 square miles, ranging from roughly 400 to 4,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 520?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Weyerhaeuser (Saint Helens Tree Farm), Olympic Resource Management (Pope Resources), WDNR, Small private/agricultural (northwest). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 520?
- 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 520 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.