GMU 601 Hoko

Hoko is part of the Olympic Roosevelt elk herd but is one of District 16's weakest elk units — WDFW reports bull harvest has 'generally remained below 10' since 2014 (it ticked up slightly in 2024), and groups Hoko with the 'northwestern to eastern GMUs (601, 603, 621, 624)' that 'consistently have low bull harvest.' Elk hunting is three-point-minimum, bull-only general season with no general cow harvest. Herds are scattered, human disturbance shapes their movement (Hoko was a study site for elk movement vs. disturbance), and the good ground is largely gated private timber.

• →Scout hard and early — with low elk density, finding the resident sub-herd before the season is more than half the work.
• →Focus on recent clearcuts and regen edges near cover and creek bottoms where elk feed at first and last light.
• →Go on foot or by bike behind gates; the roads that hold elk are the ones closed to trucks.
• →Work the three-point-minimum bull opportunity patiently and treat a mature Roosevelt bull as a genuine trophy here, not an expectation.
• →Return any WDFW/tribal radio-collars or ear tags — this herd is actively monitored.

Coastal BBMU black bears occur throughout the unit, but Hoko is a low-success bear GMU — WDFW recorded roughly 5% hunter success in 601 in 2024 (among the district's lowest), with only a couple of bears reported off ~40+ hunters. Most bears are taken opportunistically during deer and elk seasons rather than by dedicated bear hunters. Bears are here; the dense coastal cover just makes them hard to catch in the open.

• →Glass open clearcuts and berry-rich regen units at dawn and dusk — hunt the open ground so you spot a bear before it winds you.
• →Find fresh sign in a ripe berry cut, then sit it on extended watches rather than covering miles.
• →Carry a bear tag while elk or deer hunting; that's how most Hoko bears are killed.
• →Time effort to early fall when bears are keyed on berries before hunting pressure scatters them.

WDFW is blunt that 'Western District 16 is generally sparse of deer,' naming Hoko among the district's lowest buck-harvest GMUs (57 bucks in 2024). Black-tailed deer here have been the subject of fawn-survival and hair-loss-syndrome (HLS) research — density is genuinely low. Deer Area 6020 allows some doe harvest in the district but the western end simply doesn't hold deer like the country east of the Elwha.

• →Hunt the newest clearcuts and replants — the thin deer that are here concentrate on regen forage.
• →Put in the miles/effort; western-peninsula success 'largely depends on the amount of effort hunters put into the hunt.'
• →Still-hunt timber/clearcut edges in low light and glass across-canyon landings.
• →Set realistic expectations — treat a Hoko blacktail buck as a bonus to a bear or elk hunt.

Cougars occur throughout District 16 and are taken opportunistically by deer and elk hunters. Seasons are harvest-guideline managed at the unit/PMU level and can close once removal thresholds are met, so check current status before and during your hunt.

• →Carry the tag as an opportunistic add-on while glassing cuts for elk, deer and bear.
• →Hunt where prey concentrates — regen stands and river bottoms hold the deer and elk cougars follow.
• →Check the harvest-area status regularly since cap-managed cougar areas can close mid-season.
• →After fresh snow at the higher inland end, cut roads and landings for tracks to follow up.