GMU 564 Battle Ground
Firearm-restricted Clark County lowlands — a private-land, close-range blacktail and waterfowl unit around Vancouver.
WDFW Region 5 — Southwest Washington / Lower Columbia (District 9) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
526
sq mi
Public land
6%
approx.
Elevation
10–2,000
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 564 (Battle Ground) covers the Clark County lowlands of the lower Columbia in WDFW District 9 — an urban-and-suburban unit that is mostly private land (about 84% private, only ~6% public). It is a Firearm Restriction Area, meaning centerfire rifles are not allowed and hunters use shotgun with slugs, muzzleloader, or archery. The best big-game habitat is in the northern and eastern portions where rolling hills carry intermittent timber between agriculture and rural homesites, but that ground is heavily fragmented into small private parcels, so blacktail hunting is largely a matter of securing landowner permission. The unit's real public draw is birds: the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge provide managed waterfowl and upland access along the Columbia.
Terrain
Low, gentle lower-Columbia terrain — floodplain, farmland, and rural residential flats near sea level along the river, rising into rolling, partly timbered foothills toward the northern and eastern edges of the unit. Little rugged ground; the landscape is dominated by human development.
Cover: A patchwork of agricultural fields, pasture, rural homesites, riparian bottomland along the Columbia and East Fork Lewis River, and pockets of second-growth Douglas-fir and mixed timber on the rolling northeastern hills. Wetlands and managed impoundments on the wildlife-area lands.
Landmarks: Columbia River (southern boundary) · East Fork Lewis River · Shillapoo Wildlife Area · Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge · Town of Battle Ground · Lacamas Creek / rolling northeastern foothills
Access
About 84% private and only ~6% public, and the private ground is chopped into small parcels with many residences, so big-game access hinges on knocking on doors and getting landowner permission. Public access is concentrated on the WDFW Shillapoo Wildlife Area units (good waterfowl and upland access, a pheasant release site, and limited blacktail deer hunting) and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, which runs a pre-season lottery reservation system for waterfowl. Because this is a Firearm Restriction Area, verify legal weapon types before hunting. Research land ownership carefully — the northern and eastern portions hold the best deer and elk habitat but are the most fragmented.
Managers: Private landowners (agriculture, rural residential, small woodlots), WDFW (Shillapoo Wildlife Area units), USFWS (Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge), Scattered small private timber / WDNR in the northeast
Access points: Interstate 5 and SR 502 to Battle Ground · SR 503 north toward the foothills · Shillapoo Wildlife Area access points along the Columbia near Vancouver Lake · Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge entrances (lottery/reservation)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityColumbian blacktails are the primary big-game quarry and WDFW reports deer populations are generally stable in lower-elevation units like Battle Ground. Deer live in and around the agricultural edges, riparian corridors, and timbered northeastern hills, but with ~84% private land and firearm restrictions, success is mostly about permission and close-range weapons. Public blacktail opportunity on the wildlife areas is limited.
- →Line up private-land permission early — the northern and eastern hills hold the best deer habitat
- →Hunt with legal weapons only: shotgun slug, muzzleloader, or archery (no centerfire rifle)
- →Work ag-and-timber edges, riparian corridors, and brushy draws at first and last light
- →Focus the late-November buck/rut period, when bucks travel and move in daylight
- →On the Shillapoo units, scout the limited blacktail cover and hunt quietly near food and thick edges
Roosevelt Elk
limited opportunityElk are present but limited, found mostly in the northern and eastern portions of the unit and managed as part of the Mount St. Helens herd under the Western Washington tag. With a mix of public and private ownership and firearm restrictions, elk hunting here is a research-and-permission game rather than a roam-the-forest hunt; some elk activity ties to agricultural-damage management in the lowlands.
- →Concentrate on the northern and eastern portions where elk actually occur
- →Nail down land ownership and permission before the season — habitat is fragmented
- →Watch farm fields and adjacent timber edges where elk feed and stage
- →Remember the firearm restriction — plan for slug, muzzleloader, or archery
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear occur at low density in the more timbered northern and eastern foothills within the Urban/South Cascades West Black Bear Management Unit, but this developed, agriculture-heavy lowland unit is not a notable bear destination. Encounters are incidental.
- →Focus the timbered northeastern hills near berry and mast sources
- →Glass any wooded openings and edges at dawn and dusk
- →Secure private-land permission and mind the firearm restriction
- →Submit the required premolar tooth after any harvest
Pro tips
- →This is a Firearm Restriction Area — leave the centerfire rifle home; hunt shotgun slug, muzzleloader, or archery.
- →Secure private-land permission early; the best deer and elk habitat (north/east hills) is almost all private.
- →Use the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and Ridgefield NWR (lottery) for reliable public bird hunting.
- →Run ownership-layer maps constantly — parcels and homesites are tightly interwoven; trespass risk is high.
- →Hunt the late-November buck period for your best daylight blacktail movement.
Watch out for
- !Firearm Restriction Area — no centerfire rifles; know the legal weapon types before you hunt.
- !About 84% private and heavily subdivided with residences — trespass risk is real; get permission and confirm parcel lines.
- !Very little public big-game access; the wildlife areas are primarily bird-focused with only limited deer hunting.
- !Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge waterfowl hunting requires a pre-season lottery reservation.
- !Urban/suburban setting means local firearm-discharge ordinances and safety zones around dwellings may further limit where you can hunt.
Logistics
This is a front-country hunt in the Vancouver metro's backyard — lodging, fuel, and supplies are everywhere along I-5 and in Battle Ground. The work is administrative: identify private parcels and secure permission, or plan around the public wildlife areas. For Ridgefield NWR waterfowl, enter the pre-season lottery reservation. Carry ownership-layer maps (OnX/Hunt Planner) to avoid trespass in this parcel-heavy unit, and confirm the firearm restriction and any local municipal discharge rules before hunting.
Nearest towns: Battle Ground, Vancouver, Ridgefield, La Center, Camas, Woodland
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW — 2025 District 9 Hunting Prospects (Region 5) · WDFW — Game Management Units (GMUs) · GoHunt — Washington Unit 564 (Battle Ground) Profile · USFWS — Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
FAQ
- How big is GMU 564 in Washington?
- GMU 564 (Battle Ground) covers about 526 square miles, ranging from roughly 10 to 2,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 564?
- Approximately 6% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private landowners (agriculture, rural residential, small woodlots), WDFW (Shillapoo Wildlife Area units), USFWS (Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge), Scattered small private timber / WDNR in the northeast. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 564?
- Blacktail Deer, Roosevelt Elk, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 564 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.