GMU 381 - Kahlotus, Washington
Unit info
- Game species
- Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Elk, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Quail
- Group
- Region 3
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- 10%
Elk — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Eastern Washington modern firearm / archery / muzzleloader elk tag (general over-the-counter)
- Reported harvest
- 7
- Archery season
- Early: September 12-24, 2026 (any elk). Late: October 31 - November 15, 2026 (any elk; must wear hunter orange/fluorescent pink)
- General season
- October 31 - November 15, 2026 (any elk)
- Muzzleloader season
- Early: October 3-9, 2026 (any elk). Late: October 31 - November 15, 2026 (any elk)
Extremely difficult in GMU 381 due to near-total confinement to private land. Small groups of approximately 100 elk roam between Kahlotus town and the Palouse River but are rarely encountered off private property. Best public-land opportunity is the Windmill Ranch and Bailie Units of the Sunnyside Snake River WLA. Contact landowners well in advance for private-land access.
Draw odds for Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Mule Deer — season & harvest27% success
- Tag type
- General deer tag (Eastern Washington); Washtucna special permit for antlerless, youth, senior, and disabled draws
- Reported harvest
- 244
- Archery season
- Early: September 1-25, 2026 (3-pt min). Late: November 20 - December 8, 2026 (3-pt min or antlerless)
- General season
- October 17-27, 2026 (3-point minimum)
- Muzzleloader season
- Early: September 26 - October 4, 2026 (3-pt min). Late: November 25 - December 8, 2026 (any deer)
Glass from elevated vantage points across open dryland wheat and break country. Mule deer arrive from the north beginning in October and concentrate in Snake and Palouse River breaks during late season. Late muzzleloader season (November) is the prime window as deer have fully migrated into the unit. Scout CRP/SAFE fields for bedding cover adjacent to wheat stubble. Secure private land permission well in advance or use WDFW Feel Free to Hunt access and Windmill Ranch/Bailie unit walk-in areas. Rifles and muzzleloaders are the preferred tools in this open terrain.
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 deer tag (Eastern Washington) — same tag covers both mule deer and whitetail
- Reported harvest
- Very low; under 1% of deer harvested in district
- Archery season
- Early: September 1-25, 2026 (3-pt min). Late: November 20 - December 8, 2026 (3-pt min or antlerless)
- General season
- October 17-27, 2026 (3-point minimum)
- Muzzleloader season
- Early: September 26 - October 4, 2026 (3-pt min). Late: November 25 - December 8, 2026 (any deer)
Incidental harvest only. Seasons exist to allow legal take if encountered but not a reliable target species in GMU 381. Under 1% of deer observed on WDFW surveys district-wide. Small groups occasionally seen near Kahlotus and Palouse River corridor, almost entirely on private land.
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, California Quail also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedGMU 381 (Kahlotus) sits in eastern Franklin County along the Snake and Palouse river breaks, a landscape of dryland wheat, Palouse Prairie grasslands, and channeled scablands that serves as a critical winter destination for migratory mule deer pushing south from northern Columbia Basin units starting in October. The unit is roughly 90% private land, making access the central challenge, though WDFW's Private Lands Access programs and scattered BLM/DNR parcels provide real opportunity for hunters willing to put in the legwork. White-tailed deer are present but rare (under 1% of deer observed on surveys); this is fundamentally a mule deer unit with a small resident elk herd.
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- WDFW District 4 Hunting Prospects 2025 — Benton and Franklin Counties (Jason Fidorra)
- WDFW District 4 Hunting Prospects 2024 — Benton and Franklin Counties (Jason Fidorra)
- WDFW District 4 Hunting Prospects 2020 — Benton and Franklin Counties (Jason Fidorra)
- Washington Deer General Seasons 2026 — eRegulations
- Washington Elk General Seasons 2026 — eRegulations
- Washington Deer Special Permits 2026 — eRegulations (Washtucna hunt details)
- GoHunt Washington Unit 381 Kahlotus Profile
- WDFW Game Management Units (GMUs)
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: WDFW official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 24d ago.