GMU 568 Washougal
Clark County's home-ground blacktail unit — Yacolt Burn State Forest and a Weyerhaeuser-checkerboard on the west Cascade foothills.
WDFW Region 5 — Southwest Washington (District 9) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
437
sq mi
Public land
23%
approx.
Elevation
100–4,400
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 568 (Washougal) is a low-to-mid elevation west-Cascade foothill unit in WDFW District 9, draining the Washougal River toward the Columbia River in Clark and Skamania counties. It is a patchwork of private land, WDNR state forest (notably the Yacolt Burn State Forest), Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and Weyerhaeuser industrial timber — roughly 74% private and 23% public by WDFW's own accounting, so solving ownership is the whole game. WDFW calls this a good GMU for black-tailed deer, with bear, cougar, and forest grouse opportunity on the side. It sits within the Mount St. Helens elk herd range, but elk here are secondary to the bigger public units to the north.
Terrain
West-slope Cascade foothills rising from near the Columbia River lowlands up to the Silver Star Mountain massif on the northern skyline. The Washougal River and its forks cut the unit; terrain is a mix of rolling timbered ridges, steep canyon walls, and the fire-shaped country of the historic Yacolt Burn.
Cover: Mixed conifer forest dominated by Douglas-fir and western hemlock, with riparian alder bottoms and, at the higher north end, small subalpine and alpine pockets near Silver Star. Clearcuts and recent thinnings create the browse and edge that concentrate deer and elk.
Landmarks: Washougal River · Yacolt Burn State Forest (WDNR) · Silver Star Mountain (north skyline) · Larch Mountain area · Columbia River lowlands (south) · Gifford Pinchot National Forest (northeast)
Access
WDFW puts the unit at roughly 74% private and 23% public. The Yacolt Burn State Forest (WDNR) is the anchor of public access and is popular with Clark County residents; Gifford Pinchot NF ground on the northeast side is also open. Weyerhaeuser owns blocks here, and hunters need a permit or lease to access most of it — WDFW notes Weyerhaeuser only allows FREE public access on the parcels it has enrolled in WDFW's Private Lands Access Program, which you must locate on the Private Lands Hunting Access map (also carried as a layer in OnX and the WDFW Hunt Planner). Public roads are good, but walking or biking behind locked gates is a proven way to escape crowds. Confirm Weyerhaeuser status on their recreation website/hotline before relying on any road.
Managers: Private, WDNR (Yacolt Burn State Forest), USFS Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Weyerhaeuser
Access points: Washougal River Road corridor from Washougal · Yacolt Burn State Forest road system / DNR gates · Skye Road and Larch Mountain approaches · Gifford Pinchot NF roads on the northeast edge
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityWDFW names Washougal a good GMU for black-tailed deer and one of District 9's attractive general-season deer units, with deer populations described as generally stable in these lower-elevation foothills. District-wide, hunters take roughly 2,000 bucks a year at a 20-30% success rate. This is a high-effort, hard-to-trophy blacktail hunt in thick cover.
- →Glass fresh and mid-age clearcuts and thinnings in the Yacolt Burn and timber ground at first and last light, then still-hunt the timber edge as deer bed
- →Be in position early — blacktails here are highly nocturnal and key on food-near-cover
- →Hunt the November late buck hunt hard; about a third of the Southwest Region's buck harvest comes in that four-day window when rutting bucks cross open cuts and meadows
- →Walk or bike behind locked DNR/Weyerhaeuser gates to reach lightly pressured back cuts
Roosevelt Elk
limited opportunityGMU 568 is within the Mount St. Helens elk herd (Western Washington elk tag area), but it is not one of District 9's headline elk units — the bigger public opportunity is north in Lewis River (560), Siouxon (572), and Wind River (574). Expect scattered animals concentrated in and around clearcuts and thinnings rather than a herd hunt.
- →Focus on active clearcuts and recent thinnings where elk feed, then check the timbered benches and creek bottoms where they bed
- →Run the road network to cut fresh sign, then commit on foot to the drainage holding the herd
- →Participate in the TAHD hoof-collection program — harvest and report limping elk from this 500-series GMU
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are common through the timbered country; 568 sits in the South Cascades West Black Bear Management Unit, open Aug. 1-Nov. 15 with a two-bear limit. District 9 fall success runs modest (about 6% in the South Cascades), so this is a patient, scouting-driven hunt.
- →Glass clearcuts and edges for bears feeding on grass, forbs, and ripening berries — blackberry, huckleberry, salmonberry — in late summer and early fall
- →Check for cubs before any shot; it is illegal to take a cub or a sow with cubs
- →Hunt the open cuts so you can spot a bear before it winds you in the thick cover
- →Remember the mandatory premolar tooth submission for successful bear hunters
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer and elk through the unit and are mostly taken incidentally by big-game hunters. The general season runs Sept. 1-March 31 or until the Cougar Hunt Management Unit harvest cap is met, whichever comes first.
- →Carry a tag while deer or elk hunting and be ready for an opportunistic cat
- →Cut for tracks on muddy or snow-dusted logging roads after weather; look for four-claw vertical rake marks
- →Call the WDFW Cougar Hotline (866-364-4868) or check the weekly Thursday openings/closures page before hunting your CHMU
Pro tips
- →Solve access first: figure out which Weyerhaeuser parcels are enrolled in WDFW Private Lands Access (free walk-in) versus permit-only before you leave home.
- →Lean on the Yacolt Burn State Forest — it's the reliable public anchor and the most accessible ground for Clark County hunters.
- →Walk or bike behind locked gates to reach back cuts the road-hunting crowd skips.
- →Hunt the four-day November late buck season hard; it accounts for roughly a third of regional buck harvest.
- →Carry a bear and cougar tag as bonus opportunities while you glass cuts for deer.
- →Use OnX or the WDFW Hunt Planner 'WA Private Lands Hunting Opportunities' layer to keep off closed private ground.
Watch out for
- !Roughly 74% of the unit is private — Weyerhaeuser blocks require a permit/lease unless the specific parcel is enrolled in WDFW Private Lands Access; trespass risks a ban.
- !Clark County and adjacent GMUs (554 Yale, 564 Battle Ground) carry firearm restrictions — know exactly which unit you're in.
- !Elk hoof disease (TAHD) is present across District 9 and the Mount St. Helens herd; clean mud from boots and tires to avoid spreading it.
- !Locked gates, seasonal fire closures, and active logging traffic are common on timber and DNR mainlines.
- !Cell coverage disappears off the main corridors — carry offline navigation and tell someone your plan.
- !Don't build a trip around elk here; the better public elk hunting is in the northern District 9 units.
Logistics
Base out of Washougal, Camas, or greater Vancouver on the I-205/SR-14 corridor for fuel, lodging, and supplies; the Washougal River Road runs the drainage into the interior and the Yacolt Burn State Forest road system opens the public ground. Note Clark County firearm restrictions apply in the neighboring urban units (554/564) — verify boundaries. Carry offline maps with land-ownership and Private Lands Access layers, because the private/public checkerboard is unforgiving and cell coverage fades fast off the main roads.
Nearest towns: Washougal, Camas, Vancouver, Yacolt, Battle Ground
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 — GMU 568 Washougal access, deer, elk, bear, cougar · WDFW — Game Management Units (GMU maps & boundaries) · WDFW — Private Lands Hunting Access Program
FAQ
- How big is GMU 568 in Washington?
- GMU 568 (Washougal) covers about 437 square miles, ranging from roughly 100 to 4,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 568?
- Approximately 23% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private, WDNR (Yacolt Burn State Forest), USFS Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Weyerhaeuser. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 568?
- 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 568 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.