GMU 269 - Moses Coulee, Washington

Dramatic Columbia Basin coulee landscape in Douglas County covering 328 square miles (210,020 acres). Moses Coulee itself is a deep, glacially carved canyon with high, steep basalt bluffs that deepen significantly as the coulee approaches the Columbia River. A ridge of rolling mountains runs perpendicular to Moses Coulee through the unit, from the Badger Mountains in the west to Dry Coulee and Three Devils formations. The broader uplands consist of gently to ruggedly rolling hills, sharp canyons, sagebrush flats, and grasslands. Elevation ranges from Columbia River bottom (~550 ft) to upland benches and ridges (~2,800 ft). The unit recorded a significant wildfire (Mohr Fire, ~6,944 acres) in 2022.

72% private, 28% public (18% BLM, 4% state DNR/WDFW, ~6% other). Two large BLM blocks anchor the unit — one in the north and one in the south — with the BLM Duffy Creek Recreation Site offering the most publicized public access above the coulee rim. Some BLM and state parcels are landlocked within private ground, making access difficult without crossing private land. WDFW has enrolled 60,000+ acres in the Feel Free to Hunt and Hunt by Written Permission programs; several Hunt by Written Permission parcels border the south BLM block, effectively opening a sizable contiguous hunting area. The unit has roughly 41 miles of paved road and ~400 miles of unpaved/unimproved roads. No WDFW Wildlife Area is located within the unit itself; the coulee floor (premium winter deer range) is entirely private.

Sagebrush-steppe and native bunchgrass dominate the upland benches and rolling hills. Rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, and greasewood fill the mid-slope transitions. The coulee floor and lower sideslopes support denser shrub cover. Riparian zones along the Columbia River corridor and Moses Coulee drainage hold scattered cottonwood, willow, and irrigated orchard/crop ground (private). Chukar habitat is abundant on rocky Columbia River breaks and adjacent to Moses Coulee on private and BLM ground.

Mule deer are spread throughout the unit and utilize the coulee floor as critical winter range before moving up onto BLM benchlands and ridges. Deer are most visible at dawn and dusk on the upper benches and canyon rims using classic spot-and-stalk glassing setups. A small number of whitetail occupy riparian corridors along the Columbia River edge where it meets Moses Coulee and adjacent irrigated agriculture. No resident elk herd occupies GMU 269; a few elk have been documented passing through (2 harvested in 2024 per District 7 report), likely migrants from Chelan County units to the west. Cougar activity is notably higher here than in neighboring Douglas County GMUs. CWD was confirmed in WDFW's Eastern Region in 2024; testing of harvested deer is required in 100-series GMUs but hunters in 200-series units should monitor WDFW updates.

Unit has the third-highest mule deer harvest among Douglas County GMUs. 2024 general season modern firearm harvest: 86 antlered bucks (0 antlerless), with point class breakdown of 41 three-point, 37 four-point, 8 five-plus-point. Three-year average (2022-2024) modern firearm rank sum of 11/15 among Douglas County GMUs — mid-tier for total harvest and hunter density but roughly average success. Archery ranks lowest among Douglas County GMUs (rank sum 13/13) with only 16% average success and ~15 hunters/year. Muzzleloader mid-tier (rank sum 11). Special quality buck permit (Hunt Choice 1044, 'Grayback') offers Nov. 9-24 modern rifle hunt for 3-pt-minimum bucks with 20 permits; ~799 applicants in 2025 (highly competitive). Muzzleloader special (Hunt Choice 1245, 'Moses Coulee') Nov. 24-Dec. 2 for any-buck with 3 permits and ~349 applicants. Antlerless muzzleloader special (Hunt Choice 1460) Sept. 26-Oct. 4, 5 permits, ~183 applicants. Washington uses a random bonus-point draw; application window typically April 20-May 20. No tribal ceded territory complications noted for this unit. Chronic Wasting Disease detected in Eastern Washington 2024 — check current WDFW CWD testing requirements before hunting.