GMU 379 - Ringold, Washington
Unit info
- Game species
- Mule Deer, Elk, White-tailed Deer, Ring-necked Pheasant, Quail
- Group
- Region 3
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- 21%
Elk — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General OTC Any Elk; special permits for adjacent private lands (Blackrock Ranches, Silver Dollar) in neighboring GMUs
- Reported harvest
- 29
- Archery season
- Early and late archery seasons available
- General season
- Modern rifle season available
- Muzzleloader season
- Early and late muzzleloader seasons available; Ringold Unit of Hanford Reach Monument: muzzleloader and archery only (USFWS rules apply)
Opportunistic secondary species. Small group of ~100 elk on the periphery of the Hanford/Rattlesnake Hills herd. Hunt early morning and evening on Sunnyside Wildlife Area Windmill Ranch and Bailie Units. Any Elk tags available (OTC). Season success depends heavily on private land access and forage availability on the closed Hanford site.
Draw odds for Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Mule Deer — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General OTC for archery and muzzleloader seasons; limited-entry special permit for late November archery (Hunt 1225, 5 tags drawn)
- Reported harvest
- 44
- Archery season
- Early archery: Sept 1-25 (OTC). Late archery special permit Hunt 1225: Nov 15-24 (drawn, 5 tags, any buck).
- General season
- No modern firearm general season listed for GMU 379 in available 2025-2026 regulation tables.
- Muzzleloader season
- Early muzzleloader: ~Sept 26-Oct 4 (OTC). Late general muzzleloader (Franklin County GMUs 379 and 381): November — bucks 3-point or better. Verify exact dates in current WDFW regulations pamphlet.
Primary species. Focus on public CRP fields, shrubsteppe edges, and ag field margins on the Sunnyside Wildlife Area Windmill Ranch and Bailie Units. Migration peaks October-November; late muzzleloader season is often most productive as deer concentrate near the Columbia. Glass from elevated bluffs overlooking agricultural bottoms. Long-range glassing more effective than still-hunting in open terrain. Scout for does first — bucks follow during the rut in mid-November. Private land permission requires early outreach given high demand.
Draw odds for Mule Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General (covered under mule deer tag during applicable seasons)
- Reported harvest
- Negligible — not tracked separately at GMU level
- Archery season
- Same windows as mule deer archery seasons
- General season
- Same as applicable mule deer seasons
- Muzzleloader season
- Same as mule deer muzzleloader seasons
Incidental. Less than 1% of deer in District 4. White-tail seasons exist to allow harvest if encountered during mule deer season.
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer so far. Ring-necked Pheasant, Quail also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedGMU 379 (Ringold) is a 520-square-mile Columbia River corridor unit in western Franklin County that serves as prime mule deer wintering habitat, drawing migrants from northern GMUs beginning in October each year. The unit is dominated by irrigated agricultural land, shrubsteppe, and river bluffs, with only ~21% public land concentrated in the Sunnyside Snake River Wildlife Area and the Ringold Unit of the Hanford Reach National Monument. Hunters have access to early archery and muzzleloader seasons plus a late general muzzleloader season in November (bucks 3-point or better), which typically offers the best opportunity as deer migration peaks; a limited-entry archery special permit hunt (Hunt 1225, 5 tags) adds a drawn component in mid-November.
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CWD testing not required for District 4 GMUs in the 2025-2026 season; report any suspicious animals to WDFW.,Mule deer general season success across all District 4 weapons was 22% in 2023; five-year average 28%.,2022 harvest in GMU 379: 71 deer total (62 antlered, 9 antlerless); antlered breakdown 3-pt: 17, 4-pt: 29, 5+pt: 16.,District 4 is Washington's driest region: 6-9 inches annual precipitation.,White-tailed deer make up less than 1% of deer in District 4; white-tail seasons exist but mule deer dominate harvest.,Washtucna permit hunts (late muzzleloader antlerless, modern antlerless, youth/disabled/senior) apply primarily to adjacent GMU 381; check regulations for applicability in 379.
- WDFW 2025 District 4 Hunting Prospects — Benton and Franklin Counties
- WDFW 2023 District 4 Hunting Prospects
- GoHunt Washington Unit 379 Ringold Profile
- Washington Deer General Seasons — eRegulations 2026
- Washington Deer Special Permits — eRegulations (Hunt 1225 Ringold)
- WDFW 2022 Deer Combined General and Special Permits Harvest Report
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: WDFW official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 24d ago.