GMU 663 Capitol Peak

WDFW names 663 as the single best opportunity to harvest a black-tailed deer in District 17 (listed first, ahead of 648, 672, and 660) and among the district's highest-harvest deer GMUs. Combining top-tier deer numbers with 'Excellent' public access makes it arguably the most accessible quality blacktail unit in the region — though that also means real hunter pressure. Expect mostly younger bucks holding tight in small home ranges.

• →Hunt the edges and interiors of 3- to 10-year-old clearcuts and replants across the DNR forest — the highest deer densities are in the regen mosaic.
• →Because collared does here use tiny home ranges, work an area thoroughly rather than covering ground — a buck is usually close to where you cut sign.
• →Glass cut units and landings at first and last light, then still-hunt the timber/clearcut edge as deer bed.
• →Hit the rut (late October into early November) hard for the best chance at a mature buck.
• →Get away from the trailheads and main roads — the open access concentrates hunters on the easy ground; walk into pockets off the ORV network.

WDFW lists 663 among District 17's best bear units alongside 648 and 660 and a regular general-season producer; a Region 6 density estimate put Capitol Forest around 12–14 bears per 100 sq km. Bears are common in the berry-rich cuts but seldom seen in the thick cover, so scouting is decisive.

• →Glass open clearcuts and regen units loaded with berry shrubs — salmonberry, huckleberry, elderberry, blackberry, salal — at dawn and dusk.
• →Hunt open ground so you can spot a bear before it winds you; in dense cover it smells you first.
• →Find fresh sign on a berry-heavy cut and sit it for long watches rather than walking.
• →Key on ripe berry feed in early fall before deer pressure scatters the bears.

GMU 663 lies within the Willapa Hills elk herd's range, but it is a deer-and-bear unit first; elk are present in modest numbers rather than as a strong huntable concentration like the core Willapa units (658, 672, 673, 681). Elk do use the Capitol Forest foothills and adjacent lowland damage areas toward Delphi Road and Waddell Creek.

• →Treat elk as a secondary opportunity while deer hunting; scout the larger cut units and creek bottoms for sign.
• →Check the Capitol Forest foothill edges toward Delphi Road SW and Waddell Creek Road SW where elk drift onto the lowland fringe.
• →Expect bulls to hold in closed timber by day — hunt feed-to-bedding transitions at first and last light.

Cougars occur throughout the Black Hills and are taken mostly incidentally by deer hunters. The season is harvest-guideline managed and hunt areas can close mid-season, so confirm status before and during your hunt.

• →Carry the tag and treat cougar as an opportunistic add-on while glassing cuts for deer and bear.
• →Hunt where deer concentrate; cats follow the prey.
• →Check hunt-area status regularly since cap-managed areas can close on short notice.
• →After a low-elevation snow, cut the road grid and landings for fresh tracks.